Condley Family History: Last Name Origin & Meaning

12/01/2002

This story was read by G. Douglas CONDLEY at our first CONDLEY family reunion, held October 7, 2000 in Hector, Pope County, AR... as told by Minnie May CONDLEY-FROST... (1901-1982)
Many CONDLEY descendants still live in Hector, Appleton and Russellville, Arkansas.

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"I was born September 1, 1900 to William Drury Condley and Sarah Eddy in Appleton, Arkansas. My father bought his first home in 1898. It was 160 acres of land. It had a large house on it, a big log house, it had 6 rooms and two fireplaces, with a hallway between the rooms. I was born there in that house. At that time I was the fourth girl and one boy. Then later mother had six other children, 3 girls and two boys. The last one were twins born in 1910.

We had a good mom and dad, they were good to us. Our home was always a orphans home. We took in two cousins because their mother had died. We always had plenty to eat, a warm house to live in. We had to walk about two miles to school. It was so cold in the winter time our feet would freeze. We had one sad thing in our family, one of the brothers had polio. He was crippled very bad when he was a little boy. Dad got a one horse cart to take him to school. We had an old jackass to pull the cart. My brother could always handle him.

We always lived off the farm. My father grew his own wheat and corn to make our bread. He cut his wheat with a cradle, by hand, took it in bundles, shocked it until they could get it thrashed out. Dad and Mr. Frost owned the thrashing machine. They would go from one farm to another thrashing their wheat. Then we had a stone grinding mill that made the grain into flour. Then we grew our cane to make our syrup. Dad had the mill to grind the cane to get the juice out of it, he had the pan to cook the syrup in, it was about 4 feet wide and 6 feet long, it was in sections. You had to stay with it all the time, as one section would get to cooking good you would move it up until it was ready to put in the containers. This pan set on a pit with a fire under it. It was made like a fireplace. I always hated that time for I always had to help my dad. Sometimes we would work until 9:00 at night getting a batch finished.

Then Dad built us a new home. It was a pretty house with lots of windows in it. Most of us girls got married in that home. I will tell you about my marriage, we were married by the Justice of the Peace on Dec. 23, 1915, about 10:00 in the morning. The house and yard were full of family and friends. We decided to leave the big crowd and we went to my grandfather EDDY's. When we got there, we learned he was sick so we went to a cousins place. They were gone but the door was open. By that time it was sleeting, snowing and freezing. We went in, had plenty of wood to keep us warm, but the kitchen was locked. Three days we ate roasted potatoes we got in the cellar. no salt, no butter. They got old before we could get out to any place. We were glad to get home. We would not tell the folks how hungry we were.

We stayed there with dad helping with the farming. We moved out in July, then in December, Al was born, then in a few months, Dolan came to live with us..then it was not long until there were 7 children and Dolan made 8. Poor Mack, when he was not busy on the farm he worked at a mill for $.25 a day. Then in 1924, we moved to Russellville. Mack worked in the mine. He was there only a year and he became the pump man. Then he got books and studied. He made a fire boss and then he died in 1932.

That was the saddest time in my life. I was so scared, 6 children to go to school, had to eat, have a home and I had 2 thousand dollars. Had to pay bills, feed 7 from them.

Then I married Fred thinking it was best. It was fine when he was with us. Al went in the C.C. To help out, poor kid, he had been working in the bakery for $.25 a day. Then I got sick, almost lost my life and both my legs, did not walk for three months. Fred moved us up in the mountains in Nevada".

(I believe they moved on to CA).

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Submitted by:
Debbie, So Cal CONDLEYS
Email: [contact link]
June 12, 2001

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Debbie..... So Cal Condleys

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12/01/2002

Daughter of Elisha Thomas CONDLEY and Elizabeth BECK:

MARTHA UNICA CONDLEY/RHEA..
from Benton County, Missouri History----
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HALF CENTURY CLUB REUNION "Recollections from Some "Old-Timers": From Glasgow, Missouri came Mrs. Martha Rhea, widow of the late Eli Rhea, for many years circuit clerk of Benton County. Second oldest woman present at the reunion, Mrs. Rhea was born in Benton County March 10, 1849. She recalled that, during Civil War days, as a girl of 12, she was not invited to a neighborhood party so she dressed in boy's clothing and attended anyway. Her masquerade was discovered and for a time she was socially disgraced. When she attended the church the following Sunday, nobody would speak with her. The cold reception continued until an army captain asked her for a date and her standing was restored. (Benton Co. History)

Email> [contact link]

Special Thanks to J.R.- Missouri,
for finding this...July 2001

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