Oklahoma Death Records

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Dripping Springs Cemetery
Tussy, Garvin County, Oklahoma

Contributed by Carolyn Byrum [cbyrum@gte.net].  Total records = 54.

This cemetery is a small family cemetery which was on William and Henrieta Riddle's land.  It is way off the road up and oil field road (the oil company keeps the road passable.  It has been taken care of by various persons over the years but had completely overgrown when Mary Current passed away.  Since that time Farris Current, Mary Joyner, Brenda Choate, Roberta Real, Ruth Huckaba and her husband and boys have taken care of mowing it.

Most everyone buried there is related to the McCartys except according to the McCartys for a few people who were passing through during an epidemic of some sort (diptheria, small pox, ?) and the family allowed them to be buried there.  Many young McCarty children died during this same epidemic and are also buried here.  Some in some of the unmarked graves.

My mother was born and raised in OK.  Sylvia McCARTY Potts, my grandmother is buried here.  William M. Riddle b. July 12, 1854 to Aug. 15,  1923 donated the land on which the cemetery is situated.  It  was his INDIAN ALLOTMENT.  George GRAY  paid for a fence to be built around it.  Many people who are buried here are children of Rebecca Elizabeth "Bettie" Brown,  she was my gggrandmother-  she taught on the indian reservation-  and was a Choctaw.  I have a copy of an 1898  Application for indian numbers to the Choctaw Nation naming many of the people buried there.  This cemetery is remote,  on a ranch,  surrounded by oil wells.  My mom had saved and scrimped and bought markers for as many graves as she could.  Her hope was to replace all the rocks with a marker.  She died June 30,  1999. A cousin Brenda Choate,  whom I have not seen for 40 years saw my posting,  contacted me,  and sent me a complete listing-  she assured me she and her sister  were keeping the cemetery up.  They bought a riding mower to do this with.  They get paid nothing.  They do it for love.

There is a rancher who has to be called to come unlock the gate to let visitors in.  I am sure he gets many calls-  Oil field tankers pick up oil from the wells surrounding the cemetery.  The last time my cousin went out to clean it the rancher told her he was going to tear down the fence and let his cows graze there.  Brenda emailed me tonight to tell me what he was planning.  Some of these graves date back to the mid 1800's,  some were in the civil war,  some were probably children in the trail of tears.  I live in Hobbs NM.  My mom lived in Lubbock TX.  We are not close enough or rich enough to hire an attorney to stop this Desecration.  This man has no respect for this place that is filled with wonderful,  loving ancestors who have passed before us.  I have a great Aunt- Mary Ethyl  McCARTY Currant who was buried there as recently as May 13, 1994.

Please!  If you have any suggestions-  Isn't there some way we can stop this man? A friend of mine who owns a Saddler and Sons MONUMENTS told me there was an Indian Reparation Act-  this law stops people like him from destroying the graves of our forefathers.  Is this true? My attorney said. "depends on who owns the land"  and "if we can stop him before he does it".

Inscriptions are listed here exactly as they appear on the headstones (unless there are any typos)

- Carolyn Byrum

Bailey, Frank, son of W.J. & S.L. Bailey, Born May 15, 1901, Died Oct 25, 1901
Bailey, Sarah L., Jan 5, 1872 - Jan 20, 1961
Cheatwood, C.J., Born in Ala, Born March 15, 1851, Died March 11, 1899
Current, Billy Ray, Born Feb 6, 1954, Died Dec 10 1994, was buried behind Elisha and Mary Current, was moved to Whitebead by his family so he would be closer and in a well cared for cemetery
Current, Elisha John, Nov 2, 1903 - Oct 4, 1981
Current, Mary Ethel, Dec 8, 1901 - May 13, 1994, O.L.'s oldest daughter _ double headstone
Epley, Nelda Fay & Reece Vaughn, Oct 11, 1939 Born -Died May 4, 1933, Daughter - son, Of Ishmel and Ina Epley, (Dates are confusing - listed exactly as inscribed), (See DAR records for their translation of this)
Gray, Albert, (This is on side of same stone as Vinnie's), Son of George & Vinnie, June 28, 1899 - June 9, 1900
Gray, George, (Paid to have the cemetery fenced as it is today), Jan 7, 1858 - Sept 1, 1953
Gray, James C., Oct 18, 1885, July 21, 1960
Gary, Mary, (O.L.'s sister), Wife of George Gray, Born April 26, 1872, Died Oct 29, 1932
Gray, Mary J., Daughter of Geo and Vinnie Gray, Born Sept 17, 1887, Died April 18, 1896
Gray, Vinnie, Wife of George Gray, Born June 1, 1868, Died April 3, 1900, (Same stone as Albert Gray)
Gray, William Riley, Okla PFC BTRY C343, FIELD ARTY WORLD WAR I, March 18, 1892, June 18, 1963
Gray, W. L., Born May 26, 1859, Died Feb 27, 1895
Green, Eli, Born Nov 25, 1834, Died May 7, 1894
Green, M.A., Wife of Eli Green, Born June 30, 1834, Died July 20, 1892
Johnston, F.A., Born July 7, 1837, Died Jan 28, 1896, Date of death is eligible and is taken from DAR records. Slim white spire stone with sea shells around top where inscription is located will be entirely eligible soon.
Lapsley, Ellen, 1859 - 1913
Lapsley, Wallace, Son of W.L. & E.L. Lapsley, Born Mar 28, 1889, Died Sept 17, 1899
Lapsley, Weightman, Father, 1860 - 1914
McCarty, Birdie, Blank-1906, (Birdie Christian - 2nd wife of Will)
McCarty, Charlie, Son of W.M. and Mary E. McCarty, Born Sept 4, 1976 - Died Mar 27, 1891
McCarty, Corda, 1896-1972
McCarty, Doyle, (O.L.'s son - a twin to Royal), July 23, 1912 - Jan 14, 1933
McCarty, Infant Daughter of, Boon & Ora McCarty, 1927, (Boon & Ora are buried in California)
McCarty, Infant Son of, Mr. & Mrs. Jim McCarty, 1914
McCarty, Jim, 1891-1966, Son of William H. Boone "Will" McCarty
McCarty, John, (O.L.'s son - William Archie McCarty), April 21, 1905 - Feb 26, 1937, (changed his name to John)
McCarty, Julie L., Mother, 1891-1928, (?)
McCarty, Mary, Blank-1900, (Mary Welch - 1st wife of Will)
McCarty, Mary E., wife of William, Died 1912 (O.L.'s mother - Mary Elizabeth Lotspeich McCarty was married to James McCarty 1st who was killed in Civil War - then married his brother William Mercer. William Mercer McCarty is buried in Erick Oklahoma. Grandmother to Sylvia, Doyle, John, & Mary E . McCarty Current who were brothers & sisters and who were children of O.L. (Ollie) and Rebecca Elizabeth (Betty) Brown McCarty. O.L. & Betty, are buried at Whitebead Cemetery in Oklahoma (just outside Pauls Valley).
McCarty, Sylvia, (O.L.'s daughter - a twin to Golda), Sept 24, 1909 - Dec 6, 1943
McCarty, Will, 1866-1930, (William H. Boone "Will" McCarty, O.L.'s brother)
Nora, Baby Girl, CA. 1900, (Nora McCarty was O.L.'s Sister), Dau of Joseph Nora, (Joseph & Nora Epley?)
Nora, L. Pearl, Mar 23, 1898 - Feb 8, 1899, Dau of Josepy Nora, (Joseph & Nora Epley?)
Nora, Robert L., Sept 20, 1986 - Mar 12, 1902, Son of Joseph Nora, (Joseph & Nora Epley?)
Reeves, Willie R., Son of E.J. & M.J. Reeves, Born Dec 7, 1897, Died Sept 17, 1899
Riddle, Henrieta, (Henrieta McCarty, O.L.'s half sister), Wife of W.M. Riddle, (daughter of Mary E. & James McCarty), Nov 9, 1862 - Aug 31, 1922, (raised by Mary E. & William M. McCarty after they married after James was killed in the Civil War)
Riddle, Jamie, Dau of W.M. & H.E. Riddle, Born Oct 18, 1887, Died Aug 19, 1896
Riddle, Robert L., son of William & Henrieta Riddle, Born April 15, 1884, Died Dec 17, 1910
Riddle, W. M., (The land where Dripping Springs is was part of William's Indian allotment), July 12, 1854, Aug 15, 1923
Stephens, Willie O., Dau of CA & AL Stephens, Born Feb 28, 1906, Died Mar 23, 1906
Viney, Elizabeth, (Epley daughter?), Jan 2, 1852 - Aug 7, 1899, Wife of Daniel
Viney, Martha Louise, (Epley Grandaughter?), Mar 7, 1873, (need to get this off headstone), Dau of Daniel Viney
Watts, Jeff, Jan 16, 1860 - Feb 14, 1898
Watts, Mary Delia, June 10, 1892 - June 23, 1906
Watts, Sara Jane (Campbell), 1859-1892
Watts, Selia, July 15, 1832 - Feb 14, 1904
Watts, William, July 11, 1832 - June 14, 1891
Watts, William C., March 30, 1874 - Jan 16, 1959
Wright, Calvin G., Born Oct 2, 1859, Died Jan 10, 1907
Wright, Dema, Dau of E.H. Pearl Wright, Born Nov 28, 1899, Died Oct 20, 1900
Wright, Pearl, Wife of E.H. Wright, Born 12-15-1881, Died 04-07-1900