ELEVENTH GENERATION

4283. Olmer Claire Dotson was born on 25 Mar 1909 in Wirt County, WV. He died on 2 Jan 1970 in Wood Co, WV. He was buried in Mt. William Cemetery, Wirt Co, WV. Obituary:
Omer Clair Dotson, 60, of Reedsville, O, died in the St. Joseph's Hospital (Parkersburg, WV) early today (1/2/1990). He was born at Elizabeth, March 25, 1909. Survivors include his wife; two sons, William T Dotson, Parkersburg, and Martin Dotson, Belpre, O; a daughter, Mrs. Corda Faye Prater, at home; severn brothers, William, Mason, WV, H. T. Dotson, Calif., Delbert and Clyde both of Florida, Quinton Dotson, Chicago, Charles of Rio Grand, O, Darrell of Oregon; two sisters, Mrs. glen DeQuasie, Parkersburg and Mrs. Jarrett Newlon, Spencer, WV; six grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted a 1 p.m. Sunday at the Leavitt Funeral Home with the Rev. William Messinger officiating. Burial will be in the Mt. William Cemetery, Wirt Co, WV. Friends may call at the Leavitt Funeral Home after 10 a.m. Saturday.

Childhood Memories of Claire from his brother, Orville Clyde July 1999:

After we moved in with our grandfather, we were getting pretty much crowded for room, especially in the winter, so Claire and I partitioned off an 8 X 10 corner of the boys' bedroom, and fixed us up a nice den with a door to the outside. We braided enough rag strips to make an oval rug to cover most of the floor. We had a nice open grate two-hole stove which warmed our room nicely in the winter, permitted us to see the fire, and we could even cook on it if we wanted to. We didn't have any bear skins, but did hang a coon skin up.

Dad bought a lot of fertilizer from a company in Maryland. They sent him a 4x5-foot map of the 48 United States that we hung on the wall. We used it to plan imaginary trips. We pretended we were gong to buy a Hupmobile and make a trip clear around the United States. Brother Delbert was in our trip planning. We certainly learned a lot about the USA.

We were losing a lot of grain and feed to rats, so Claire and I waged war on the varmints. We could slip out of our room without disturbing the rest of the family, so we deliberately baited the rats by putting food back under the floor of our room at night. After a few nights, a lot of them were coming to the bait. We then set steel traps covered with wheat bran, and soon caught and killed many of them. Another way we caught and killed them was to fill a 20-gallon jar about half full of water and cover it with heavy wrapping paper. We cut a horseshoe shape in the middle and put a piece of cheese or singed bacon in the middle of the flap. We even put a slanting board for them to use to get up on the cover.

Claire was the best self-trained horseback rider I knew. Of course, we all could ride and drive horses out of necessity. Our father never owned or drove an automobile or truck. Our mother never saw a horse she was afraid to ride, with a lady's sidesaddle on it. I have seen Claire have two horses trotting side by side as if they were harnessed for working. He would stand with one foot on each horse.

Claire, Delbert and I were quite athletic. We seldom walked if we were going somewhere. The Dotson farm had many acres of woodland, and we three "Tarzans" used the smaller trees to travel by swinging through the treetops, going as far as we could without touching the ground. We kept our legs exercised by running as fast as we could. Neither Claire nor I could out run Delbert.

Our school was a one-roomed one west of our home, and on the other side of Spring Creek. When the creek was low (normal) we could use stepping stones or wade across at Cain's Run. We would then travel about a half-mile to the school. If the creek was up (flooding), we would have to cross the creek by a cable footbridge and it would be a mile and one-half to get to our school. We made a john-boat and used it until the ice was strong enough to walk across.

After the usual 8 years of schooling Claire was ready to get his diploma and move up to high school. Because he had gone to Buffalo Elementary school for two years before we moved to Spring Creek and I started to Corbitt School, he was two years ahead of me. Because I got promoted twice to another grade, I was able to go with him to Elizabeth to take the test for an 8th grade diploma. We both passed with flying colors (old rose and gold). It was quite an event. Jim Davis (later our brother Delbert's father-in-law) took us and his daughter the seventeen miles to Elizabeth for the awarding of the diplomas. We had a wonderfully prepared picnic. We made a long day of it and got home after dark. I learned that the only way to have lights for rough places or mud holes, when you were driving a Ford Model T, was to shift into first (low) gear so the rpm's would be increased to generate more electric power.

Anyway, Claire, my closest buddy, and I had finished grade school and were ready for high school. My parents decided I was too young to leave home, and Claire decided he had no desire to continue school.

Claire became an excellent carpenter in time, but his first job was emptying cement bags in a truck before it got to a cement mixer. They were paving SR 14 from Palestine to Reedy.

One time when he and our Dad came home from a job, Claire brought home a stray Boston bull terrier, the kind that shows his teeth all the time because his nose is almost between his eyes. Claire said he left the front door of his car open while talking to someone. The dog jumped in and took position. He did not have a collar on, and Claire was in a hurry to leave. "All right, Buddy, you can be my dog until someone puts an ad in the paper about you," he said.

Claire was very outspoken but usually prefaced it with a smile.

Claire and I shared the same initials (O.C.) and lots of great times. At his funeral, many people came up to tell me how much they had enjoyed working with him. I could write a book about the wonderful things we did together, Claire and I.

From sister Evelyn 2/1994
He was a father-figure to Darrell and me. With Dad away from home we took all our problems to Clair. He was never too tired to listen and never too tired to play the "French Harp" for us.

He was married to Leafie Faye Corbett on 25 Mar 1934. Leafie Faye Corbett was born on 27 Jan 1914 in Wirt County, WV. She died on 28 Apr 1994. She was buried in Mt. William Cemetery, Wirt Co, WV. When Leafie was 3 years old, her mother died. Neighbors, Martin & Daisy Hichman had a child Alice who had died at age 3. They took Leafie into their home and raised her as their daughter. 2nd marriage to Bill Stoops. Olmer Claire Dotson and Leafie Faye Corbett had the following children:

+4941 i. William Paul Dotson.
+4942 ii. Corda Faye Dotson.
+4943 iii. Martin Ferrell Dotson.