Oscar Lee Munson 1889-1970

This is a photo of Oscar Lee Munson and his sons Roscoe,Otis,Edward,W.C Munson. The information below is from Patsy, Roscoe’s granddaughter.

Oscar Lee Munson (SSN 459-05-0271) was born in Plank, Hardin County, Texas on 16 May 1889 and his occupation was as a farmer. He was the son of William Berry Munson and Julia Ann Predmore.

Oscar died in Livingston, Polk County, Texas on 29 Oct 1970 and his body was laid to rest at the blue Water Cemetery in Polk County, Texas.

Oscar Lee Munson was one of the original members of the Board Of Directors for the Sam Houston Electric Co-op. He served as Democratic Precinct Chairman for 50 years. He also served as chairman for the Red Cross, March of Dimes, and many other organizations.

Part of the life of Oscar's family was portrayed in The Murder Of Silence (copyright 1970) written by his wife's nephew, Dempsie Henley: { the oil boom this article refers to occurred in the height of the Depression in 1937}
" My uncle, Oscar Munson, had two or three oil wells drilled on his land. Though they had been forced to sell at a sacrifice most of his oil royalty to pay grocery and doctor bills incurred through the hard years of the depression, he still had enough left to beat cotton picking. He had several overgrown sons, and naturally he was proud of his newly achieved financial and social status. He bought a new pickup truck and had a charge account at the new grocery store. We could always get the youngest Munson boy to charge 'gobs' of candy at the store by promising him that he could play on our football team.
Incidentally, we probably played the first football under the lights in East Texas. The gas flares made excellent lighting for rough-and-tough night football, all without the use of shoes or pads.
My uncle opened up a new, one-room, frame office with a big sign on the front proclaiming, "Notary Public".
We thought a notary public was equivalent in rank to Gov. W. Lee O'Daniel.
On one occasion, my uncle decided to buy two of his sons musical instruments with the hope that they might someday possibly play in the new Livingston High School Band. Roscoe who was about 15 got a clarinet, and a guitar was given to Otis, who was about 10.
Otis was a huge boy for his age and had acquired from the local roughnecks one of the best vocabularies of cuss words in East Texas. Uncle Oscar called the whole family together to show off his gloating sons and their new instruments. We all gathered on the back porch and sat in the newly bought, cane bottom chairs. First Otis got up and strummed up and down on the guitar and then Roscoe started squeaking out sour notes on the clarinet. Otis, who was all thumbs on the guitar stated that Roscoe couldn't carry a tune in a toe-sack and that he sounded just like a jay bird!
Roscoe countered that he looked like a big baboon strumming on a stick. This all led to a few choice curse words and finally the whole affair ended with Roscoe proceeding to hang his new clarinet around his brother Otis' neck. This did not seem to phase the young bull any because he then proceeded to bust the guitar over the older brother's head and that ended Schwab City's contribution to the Livingston High School Band for the time being." (pages 22-23)

More About OSCAR LEE MUNSON:
Fact 1: Birth: Bible Records of Oscar & Pearl Sutton Munson
Fact 2: Copy Marriage License
Fact 3: Death: Copy of Cert. & Obituary
Fact 4: Will: Copy
Fact 5: Newspaper articles for family events.
Cause of Death: Duodenal Ulcer, obstruction and hemorrhage
SS# 459-05-0271

note: death was also listed on VITAL RECORDS – POLK COUNTY, TX - DEATHS 1970 (USGENWEB ARCHIVES)

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Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 77351
Livingston, Polk, Texas
Segno, Polk, Texas

Spouse: Pearl Calispie/Clista SUTTON
Birth: 20 Feb 1890, Clark,Liberty Texas
Death: 8 Feb 1968, livingston ,Polk Co Texas
Burial: Feb 1968, blue Water Cemetary Polk Co Tx
Occ: Home maker,,younger years worked at a boarding house
Father: William Cullen "Bud" SUTTON (1867-1902)
Mother: Martha "Mattie" S STEPHENSON (1870-1907)

In 1910 Pearl was working at a boarding House in Old Milvid, which was a sawmill town in Liberty Co Texas,,,Oscar was working at the sawmill there. this is where they met.

Born at 10.00 pm (birth cert.)
Pearl grew up on a farm that was located down Beefhead Road, where Trinity River estates are located. (quoted by Edna Munson-Shotwell)

Pearl was the niece of Liberty County Judge Dempsie Henley

Married: 17 Mar 1911, Fuqua,Liberty Co Texas

Children:
* Roscoe Dewey (1922-1968)
* Edna Dora (1911-1992)
* W.C (1914-1989)
* Edward Lee (1918-1980)
* Otis Oscar (1929-1971)