Clifford Arnold was born in 1907 in Smith County, TX to William Bunyon Arnold and his wife, the former Mary Alice Powell. He was the youngest of six children, discounting the unnamed baby who was stillborn in the 1890s.
Clifford was only 12 years old when his beloved mother died. The loss of the wife and mother led to the slow splintering of the family unit. A year or two later, the day came when Clifford was the only child still living beneath his father's roof. That, too, ended when his father closed down the family home, and son in tow, went in search of work. His father registered the youth in a Collin County, Texas residential hotel, paying in advance for a stay of several weeks, and leaving ample cash with the boy to live on until his return.
Being "on his own" for the first time in his life and having the typical reasoning faculties of most young people, Clifford was having a pretty good time when, suddenly and to his dismay, he realized that he had exhausted the cash his father had expected to last awhile. He found himself living on a bag of popcorn that he bought, rationing it in small portions to make it last as long as possible.
He was alone, penniless, under-educated, and frightened. He had no idea when his father would return for him. After a few days of living on popcorn, he overheard a man talking to some of the older male residents about working for him. Although just a boy, he knew the man wanted to hire a full-grown man, not a slender boy in his early-to-mid-teens, he was bright enough to recognize opportunity's knock. Stepping forward, he addressed the man, "Mister, I'll work for you!"
The man, Jack Carter, was a shrewd judge of character. After a brief exchange of questions and answers, he sized up the kid. His sixth sense told him that this boy would probably not only make a great farm worker but, even better, might answer another, more personal, need.
Taking the boy at face value, Jack Carter gambled on his own ability to take the measure of a man despite the factor of youth. Jack Carter took Clifford to his home and farm and introduced him to Mrs. Carter.
The Carters were a childless couple with a large capacity for love and only each other to shower it on. They took Clifford into their home and hearts and treated him like the son they had yearned for but been denied.
The day came, probably all too soon for the Carters, for Clifford to spread his wings. With the help of his sibling closest in age, his brother Roy Arnold and Jesse Ragsdale who was married to their sister Lillie, he was hired by the Texas and Pacific Railway. His job was as a laborer and, in those pre-union days, that meant working seven 10-hour days, week after week, month after month, year after year. He stuck it out, doing whatever he was told without complaint, and rose within the company to occupy a lower-level management position. The T&P would be the only company for which he ever worked and his employment with the railroad lasted until failing health forced him into an early retirement. He had worked for the railroad for nearly 50 years, with a record of perfect attendance for many consecutive years.
The T&P had assigned Clifford Arnold to work in its facility in Longview, Texas. It was there that he met Miss Willie Lee Eason, the daughter of a T&P engineer. After a two-year courtship, the couple married on January 2, 1929. Eleven months later, they welcomed their first child, Rosanne, who was born in Longview on November 21, 1929. Eight years later, their youngest child, another daughter they named Betty Lou, was born in Fort Worth on December 4, 1937.
After two or three transfers at points along the T&P line between Marshall and Fort Worth, the Arnold family was finally able to put down permanent roots. Late in 1941, they built a small bungalow on Brook Street in Marshall, moving in during October. This was "home" for the next 62 years.
Aside from his love for - and devotion to - his family, Clifford Arnold's main interest in life centered around the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners. After serving the local lodge as Worshipful Master in 1950-1951, he continued his association with the Masons. In his later years he taught the secret work - which is learned only by rote - to many men being accepted into membership. Through his membership in the Marshall chapter of the Masonic Lodge, he became a member of the Shriners Sharon Temple in Tyler, Texas.
Many decades after those few years on the Carter place in Collin County and after their daughters were grown and their nest was empty, Clifford and his wife drove to Collin County to look up Mr. and Mrs. Carter. The moment Jack Carter set his eyes on Clifford, his first joyous words were, "There's my boy!"
Clifford Arnold died after a long illness just three days before his 76th birthday. He was sorely missed by his wife, his two loving daughters, and his son-in-law, Jerald Henderson. Eventually, his widow, his oldest daughter, and his son-in-law, too, joined him in the after-life.
He lives on, though, in the heart of his youngest daughter, whose vivid memories of her kind, loving, doting father come alive. Clifford Arnold was not a mere father, he was "Daddy". That means Clifford Arnold was someone very, very special. It just doesn't get any better than that.
Clifford was only 12 years old when his beloved mother died. The loss of the wife and mother led to the slow splintering of the family unit. A year or two later, the day came when Clifford was the only child still living beneath his father's roof. That, too, ended when his father closed down the family home, and son in tow, went in search of work. His father registered the youth in a Collin County, Texas residential hotel, paying in advance for a stay of several weeks, and leaving ample cash with the boy to live on until his return.
Being "on his own" for the first time in his life and having the typical reasoning faculties of most young people, Clifford was having a pretty good time when, suddenly and to his dismay, he realized that he had exhausted the cash his father had expected to last awhile. He found himself living on a bag of popcorn that he bought, rationing it in small portions to make it last as long as possible.
He was alone, penniless, under-educated, and frightened. He had no idea when his father would return for him. After a few days of living on popcorn, he overheard a man talking to some of the older male residents about working for him. Although just a boy, he knew the man wanted to hire a full-grown man, not a slender boy in his early-to-mid-teens, he was bright enough to recognize opportunity's knock. Stepping forward, he addressed the man, "Mister, I'll work for you!"
The man, Jack Carter, was a shrewd judge of character. After a brief exchange of questions and answers, he sized up the kid. His sixth sense told him that this boy would probably not only make a great farm worker but, even better, might answer another, more personal, need.
Taking the boy at face value, Jack Carter gambled on his own ability to take the measure of a man despite the factor of youth. Jack Carter took Clifford to his home and farm and introduced him to Mrs. Carter.
The Carters were a childless couple with a large capacity for love and only each other to shower it on. They took Clifford into their home and hearts and treated him like the son they had yearned for but been denied.
The day came, probably all too soon for the Carters, for Clifford to spread his wings. With the help of his sibling closest in age, his brother Roy Arnold and Jesse Ragsdale who was married to their sister Lillie, he was hired by the Texas and Pacific Railway. His job was as a laborer and, in those pre-union days, that meant working seven 10-hour days, week after week, month after month, year after year. He stuck it out, doing whatever he was told without complaint, and rose within the company to occupy a lower-level management position. The T&P would be the only company for which he ever worked and his employment with the railroad lasted until failing health forced him into an early retirement. He had worked for the railroad for nearly 50 years, with a record of perfect attendance for many consecutive years.
The T&P had assigned Clifford Arnold to work in its facility in Longview, Texas. It was there that he met Miss Willie Lee Eason, the daughter of a T&P engineer. After a two-year courtship, the couple married on January 2, 1929. Eleven months later, they welcomed their first child, Rosanne, who was born in Longview on November 21, 1929. Eight years later, their youngest child, another daughter they named Betty Lou, was born in Fort Worth on December 4, 1937.
After two or three transfers at points along the T&P line between Marshall and Fort Worth, the Arnold family was finally able to put down permanent roots. Late in 1941, they built a small bungalow on Brook Street in Marshall, moving in during October. This was "home" for the next 62 years.
Aside from his love for - and devotion to - his family, Clifford Arnold's main interest in life centered around the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners. After serving the local lodge as Worshipful Master in 1950-1951, he continued his association with the Masons. In his later years he taught the secret work - which is learned only by rote - to many men being accepted into membership. Through his membership in the Marshall chapter of the Masonic Lodge, he became a member of the Shriners Sharon Temple in Tyler, Texas.
Many decades after those few years on the Carter place in Collin County and after their daughters were grown and their nest was empty, Clifford and his wife drove to Collin County to look up Mr. and Mrs. Carter. The moment Jack Carter set his eyes on Clifford, his first joyous words were, "There's my boy!"
Clifford Arnold died after a long illness just three days before his 76th birthday. He was sorely missed by his wife, his two loving daughters, and his son-in-law, Jerald Henderson. Eventually, his widow, his oldest daughter, and his son-in-law, too, joined him in the after-life.
He lives on, though, in the heart of his youngest daughter, whose vivid memories of her kind, loving, doting father come alive. Clifford Arnold was not a mere father, he was "Daddy". That means Clifford Arnold was someone very, very special. It just doesn't get any better than that.
Clifford Arnold was born in 1907 in Smith County, TX to William Bunyon Arnold and his wife, the former Mary Alice Powell. He was the youngest of six children, discounting the unnamed baby who was stillborn in the 1890s.
Clifford was only 12 years old when his beloved mother died. The loss of the wife and mother led to the slow splintering of the family unit. A year or two later, the day came when Clifford was the only child still living beneath his father's roof. That, too, ended when his father closed down the family home, and son in tow, went in search of work. His father registered the youth in a Collin County, Texas residential hotel, paying in advance for a stay of several weeks, and leaving ample cash with the boy to live on until his return.
Being "on his own" for the first time in his life and having the typical reasoning faculties of most young people, Clifford was having a pretty good time when, suddenly and to his dismay, he realized that he had exhausted the cash his father had expected to last awhile. He found himself living on a bag of popcorn that he bought, rationing it in small portions to make it last as long as possible.
He was alone, penniless, under-educated, and frightened. He had no idea when his father would return for him. After a few days of living on popcorn, he overheard a man talking to some of the older male residents about working for him. Although just a boy, he knew the man wanted to hire a full-grown man, not a slender boy in his early-to-mid-teens, he was bright enough to recognize opportunity's knock. Stepping forward, he addressed the man, "Mister, I'll work for you!"
The man, Jack Carter, was a shrewd judge of character. After a brief exchange of questions and answers, he sized up the kid. His sixth sense told him that this boy would probably not only make a great farm worker but, even better, might answer another, more personal, need.
Taking the boy at face value, Jack Carter gambled on his own ability to take the measure of a man despite the factor of youth. Jack Carter took Clifford to his home and farm and introduced him to Mrs. Carter.
The Carters were a childless couple with a large capacity for love and only each other to shower it on. They took Clifford into their home and hearts and treated him like the son they had yearned for but been denied.
The day came, probably all too soon for the Carters, for Clifford to spread his wings. With the help of his sibling closest in age, his brother Roy Arnold and Jesse Ragsdale who was married to their sister Lillie, he was hired by the Texas and Pacific Railway. His job was as a laborer and, in those pre-union days, that meant working seven 10-hour days, week after week, month after month, year after year. He stuck it out, doing whatever he was told without complaint, and rose within the company to occupy a lower-level management position. The T&P would be the only company for which he ever worked and his employment with the railroad lasted until failing health forced him into an early retirement. He had worked for the railroad for nearly 50 years, with a record of perfect attendance for many consecutive years.
The T&P had assigned Clifford Arnold to work in its facility in Longview, Texas. It was there that he met Miss Willie Lee Eason, the daughter of a T&P engineer. After a two-year courtship, the couple married on January 2, 1929. Eleven months later, they welcomed their first child, Rosanne, who was born in Longview on November 21, 1929. Eight years later, their youngest child, another daughter they named Betty Lou, was born in Fort Worth on December 4, 1937.
After two or three transfers at points along the T&P line between Marshall and Fort Worth, the Arnold family was finally able to put down permanent roots. Late in 1941, they built a small bungalow on Brook Street in Marshall, moving in during October. This was "home" for the next 62 years.
Aside from his love for - and devotion to - his family, Clifford Arnold's main interest in life centered around the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners. After serving the local lodge as Worshipful Master in 1950-1951, he continued his association with the Masons. In his later years he taught the secret work - which is learned only by rote - to many men being accepted into membership. Through his membership in the Marshall chapter of the Masonic Lodge, he became a member of the Shriners Sharon Temple in Tyler, Texas.
Many decades after those few years on the Carter place in Collin County and after their daughters were grown and their nest was empty, Clifford and his wife drove to Collin County to look up Mr. and Mrs. Carter. The moment Jack Carter set his eyes on Clifford, his first joyous words were, "There's my boy!"
Clifford Arnold died after a long illness just three days before his 76th birthday. He was sorely missed by his wife, his two loving daughters, and his son-in-law, Jerald Henderson. Eventually, his widow, his oldest daughter, and his son-in-law, too, joined him in the after-life.
He lives on, though, in the heart of his youngest daughter, whose vivid memories of her kind, loving, doting father come alive. Clifford Arnold was not a mere father, he was "Daddy". That means Clifford Arnold was someone very, very special. It just doesn't get any better than that.
Clifford was only 12 years old when his beloved mother died. The loss of the wife and mother led to the slow splintering of the family unit. A year or two later, the day came when Clifford was the only child still living beneath his father's roof. That, too, ended when his father closed down the family home, and son in tow, went in search of work. His father registered the youth in a Collin County, Texas residential hotel, paying in advance for a stay of several weeks, and leaving ample cash with the boy to live on until his return.
Being "on his own" for the first time in his life and having the typical reasoning faculties of most young people, Clifford was having a pretty good time when, suddenly and to his dismay, he realized that he had exhausted the cash his father had expected to last awhile. He found himself living on a bag of popcorn that he bought, rationing it in small portions to make it last as long as possible.
He was alone, penniless, under-educated, and frightened. He had no idea when his father would return for him. After a few days of living on popcorn, he overheard a man talking to some of the older male residents about working for him. Although just a boy, he knew the man wanted to hire a full-grown man, not a slender boy in his early-to-mid-teens, he was bright enough to recognize opportunity's knock. Stepping forward, he addressed the man, "Mister, I'll work for you!"
The man, Jack Carter, was a shrewd judge of character. After a brief exchange of questions and answers, he sized up the kid. His sixth sense told him that this boy would probably not only make a great farm worker but, even better, might answer another, more personal, need.
Taking the boy at face value, Jack Carter gambled on his own ability to take the measure of a man despite the factor of youth. Jack Carter took Clifford to his home and farm and introduced him to Mrs. Carter.
The Carters were a childless couple with a large capacity for love and only each other to shower it on. They took Clifford into their home and hearts and treated him like the son they had yearned for but been denied.
The day came, probably all too soon for the Carters, for Clifford to spread his wings. With the help of his sibling closest in age, his brother Roy Arnold and Jesse Ragsdale who was married to their sister Lillie, he was hired by the Texas and Pacific Railway. His job was as a laborer and, in those pre-union days, that meant working seven 10-hour days, week after week, month after month, year after year. He stuck it out, doing whatever he was told without complaint, and rose within the company to occupy a lower-level management position. The T&P would be the only company for which he ever worked and his employment with the railroad lasted until failing health forced him into an early retirement. He had worked for the railroad for nearly 50 years, with a record of perfect attendance for many consecutive years.
The T&P had assigned Clifford Arnold to work in its facility in Longview, Texas. It was there that he met Miss Willie Lee Eason, the daughter of a T&P engineer. After a two-year courtship, the couple married on January 2, 1929. Eleven months later, they welcomed their first child, Rosanne, who was born in Longview on November 21, 1929. Eight years later, their youngest child, another daughter they named Betty Lou, was born in Fort Worth on December 4, 1937.
After two or three transfers at points along the T&P line between Marshall and Fort Worth, the Arnold family was finally able to put down permanent roots. Late in 1941, they built a small bungalow on Brook Street in Marshall, moving in during October. This was "home" for the next 62 years.
Aside from his love for - and devotion to - his family, Clifford Arnold's main interest in life centered around the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners. After serving the local lodge as Worshipful Master in 1950-1951, he continued his association with the Masons. In his later years he taught the secret work - which is learned only by rote - to many men being accepted into membership. Through his membership in the Marshall chapter of the Masonic Lodge, he became a member of the Shriners Sharon Temple in Tyler, Texas.
Many decades after those few years on the Carter place in Collin County and after their daughters were grown and their nest was empty, Clifford and his wife drove to Collin County to look up Mr. and Mrs. Carter. The moment Jack Carter set his eyes on Clifford, his first joyous words were, "There's my boy!"
Clifford Arnold died after a long illness just three days before his 76th birthday. He was sorely missed by his wife, his two loving daughters, and his son-in-law, Jerald Henderson. Eventually, his widow, his oldest daughter, and his son-in-law, too, joined him in the after-life.
He lives on, though, in the heart of his youngest daughter, whose vivid memories of her kind, loving, doting father come alive. Clifford Arnold was not a mere father, he was "Daddy". That means Clifford Arnold was someone very, very special. It just doesn't get any better than that.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
