OKGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any
format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must
obtain the written consent of OKGenWeb State Coordinator.

Presentation here does not extend any permissions to the public. This
material can not be included in any compilation, publication,
collection, or other reproduction for profit without permission. Files
may be printed or copied for personal use only.
=====================================================================

MRS. BERTA (KEYS) SPOONER
Vol. 5, p. 1820

In business circles of Hollis there in no name more highly esteemed than that of Mrs. Berta (KEYS) SPOONER, OWNER OF THE SPOONER Hardware Company, and a woman of marked commercial ability.  She was born at Decatur, Alabama, a daughter of C. M. and Mary (McDANIEL) Keys, and a member of a Scotch-Irish family who were pioneers of Texas.  C. M. Keys was born in Alabama in 1850, and in 1879 removed with his family to Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas, where for a number of years he was engaged in farming and raising stock.  He now resided at Hollis, practically retire, being the owner of a farm of 160 acres four miles north of Hollis, which is being operated by tenants.  Mr. Keys is a member of the Baptist Church, in which he serves as deacon.

Mr. Keys married Miss Mary McDaniel also a native of Alabama, and they became the parents of twelve children, namely: Cricket, who is the wife of B. A. COPASS, of Dallas, Texas, assistant secretary of the Baptist State Missionary Society; Beta; Ernest L. a hardware merchant of Wynnewood, Oklahoma; F. M. who is manager of the Spooner Hardware Company, at Hollis; Wood, who is connected with the hardware business at Hollis; May, who married Rev. W. A. KNIGHT, pastor of the First Baptist Church at Frederick, Oklahoma; J. E., who is associated with his brother, Ernest L., in business: Yater, who married J. D. PENNINGTON, bookkeeper for the Spooner Hardware Company; John, who is the wife of V. A. GRISSOM, the owner of the City Drug Store at Hollis; Rob, the wife of Elmer SHEPPARD, engaged in the real estate and insurance business at Ballinger, Texas; Sam, who holds a clerical position at Hollis; and Mott, a sophomore at the William Jewel College, Liberty, Missouri.

Mrs. Spooner accompanied her parents to Cleburne, Texas, in 1879, and there attended the public schools following which she went to a select school for young ladies and received a high school education.  She next studied the millinery art at St. Louis, Missouri, and Dallas, Texas, and was a filler in the millinery trade before her marriage.  Mrs. Spooner, since the death of her husband, has been the owner of the Spooner Hardware company, the policy and activities of which she directs, but also finds time to devote to social, religious and charitable work.  She is an active member of the Baptist Church, and at the present time is state treasurer of Oklahoma for the P. E. O. Sisterhood.

In September, 1900, at Waxahatchie, Texas, Berta Keys was united in marriage with Horace Nelson Spooner, Jr., who was born at Peoria, Texas, January 9, 1872, a member of a family which originated in England and whose members were pioneer settlers of Mississippi.  Horace Nelson Spooner, Sr., the father of Mr. Spooner, was born in 1843, and during the greater part of his life was engaged in clerical work.  He lived for some years at Peoria, Texas, and in 1873 removed to Hillsboro, Texas, where his death occurred in 1905.  He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, took an active part in religious work, and was a member of the official board of his congregation for many years.  His fraternal affiliation was with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  Mr. Spooner married Miss Julia A. FOOTE, a native of Virginia, and she survives him and resides at Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Transcribed by:  Geraldine Olson KING Wednesday, July 21, 1999.

SOURCE: Thoburn, Joseph B., A Standard History of Oklahoma, An
Authentic Narrative of its Development, 5 v. (Chicago, New York: The
American Historical Society, 1916)