Mattie Lois Weeks

On Monday, January 15, 1934, a beautiful creature named Mattie Lois Naron was brought into the world by Edward Lee Naron and Mattie Mae Weaver in a little house in Thorne, Mississippi. Mattie is a loving, easy going and a very generous person. She has lead a life of fun and excitement and has enjoyed every bit of it.

Mattie came from a very large family. Her father, Edward Lee Naron, had thirteen children in his family, and Mattie was born ninth of eleven children, six girls and five boys. When Mattie was a child living in Mississippi, she lived in a large house, in which the teacher who taught in the one room schoolhouse rented a room from her parents and lived there with the family. The house was next to a set of railroad tracks, in which Mattie recalls riding into town on the train. The train would pick her up around 8:00 s.m. and dropped her back at the house around 12:00 p.m. Her parents knew that their little girl would be safe, because they knew the train conductor. Mattie and her siblings didn't have many toys, so they had to compromise. The would play jacks with acorns and a big rubber ball, and the girls especially would cut pictures of the men, women, kids and infants out of the Sear's catalogs for their paper dolls. They loved playing with their home-made paper dolls.

Mattie remembers having a cat that used to play with a ball that they had tied on a string and hung from the ceiling to one foot from the floor. The cat enjoyed every bit of the fun. And the kids liked watching the cat play.

When Mattie was in school, her favorite subjects were history and geography. No wonder she loves to travel. Her favorite teacher was Margery Keith. Mattie liked her for many reasons, but the main reason was because she made straight A's. Mrs. Keith was different than her sister, who was Mattie's 4th grade teacher whom she didn't like because she didn't5 make good grades. Mattie recalls having a lot of homework when she was in school. When she would come home from school, she would have to start her homework as soon as she walked in the door, because they had no electricity only coal oil lamps, so when it became dark she couldn't see to do her homework. When Mattie was in school, she had two special friends. One was named Peggy Pumphrey who soon married her brother John Naron. The other was Wilma Dobbs whose brother, Julius Dobbs, married her sister Erma Naron. Mattie remembers getting to trouble at school for playing hooky. Her class went to a 4-H club one day and they were supposed to go back to school at 1:00 p.m.; however, instead of going back, she and some friends started walking around not knowing that they would soon get caught. The principal just so happened had gone to the post office and say them walking down the street. He caught them and got them in trouble.

Mattie's first time home alone was when she moved out and got a job. Since there were eleven children in her family, she was never home alone. She didn't have to take care of her siblings when she was young because her mama was always there. When she did take care of her siblings, it was just the two youngest children, Ruth and Bud.

I guess you could say Mattie grew up when her father died. She and the other children had to take responsibilities on the farm to help her mama. For example, they would make clothes, sew and can foods. Mattie never thought of leaving home because she kept in mind what her mama had said, "If you leave, pack your bags, 'cause you're not coming back."

Mattie didn't like junior hight at all because she didn't like having to change classes and teachers. She couldn't concentrate very well.

When Mattie came of age, she went to work in Houston, Mississippi, making men's boxer shorts. She soon quit that job because it was too boring and moved to Memphis, Tennessee to work at a Methodist Hospital. Two weeks later she was homesick. So Mattie came back home and worked at Recestix, making men's dress pants.

Mattie's greatest her was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was President from 1932 until his death in 1945. He was president through part of the Great Depression that lasted from 1929 to about 1941. During the Great Depression, three million people across the world had no jobs and little food (Yass introduction). Mattie didn't think they had it good, but they did. Since they were farmers, they had their own cattle, hogs, chickens, and crops. The results of the Great Depression, were shocking in terms of human misery. The mass unemployment living conditions grew worse, and became a fertile breeding ground for extremist politics (Yass introduction).

In January of 1952, Mattie met William Obed Weeks, Jr. and in June of 1952 they were married. In November, they moved to Oklahoma to start their life together.

Her greatest influence was her father-in-law, William Obed Weeks, Sr. Who when she moved from a small town to a big city and was scared, gave her a helping hand to make her more comfortable. He told her something that has stuck with her for many years. He said, "Wasn't anybody and better than you are. The have more money but they're not better."

William, Jr. and Mattie soon had two children. Their son, named William Obed Weeks, III is married to Donna Weeks. They have two children, Whitney and William, IV, and live in Pensacola, Florida. William, III also has two other children who live her in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, named Amanda and Deena. William, Jr. and Mattie also have a daughter named Pamela Lois Weeks, currently called Pamela Lois Henagar. She has two children, Monteshia and Melissa, who live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1985 William, Jr. and Mattie got a divorce.

On March 20, 1986 Mattie married Thomas W. Francis in a chapel called "We've Only Just Begun" in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tom thought he lost her ring so they had to use a different ring. When they got home, he found the ring in his billfold.

Her only real friend is her husband Tom Francis. Many people have pondered what the true definition of a friend is. "I think that she is probably the most likable person, most easy-going, most generous, and easiest to love," is how Tom defines a true friend. Trust, love and communication are the fundamentals for the best friendship that has been built with the last ten years.

Though many things have affected the way that she views things, the greatest tragedy that has affected her most is Pearl Harbor. The United States naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii was attacked without warning by a Japanese naval task force December 7, 1941. Two of her brothers were drafted in World War II. Jack's tour of duty was in Germany, and Bill was a prisoner of war in Italy. Neither one knew ho to read or write. A woman from Mississippi taught them how to read and write before going into the war. It was mandatory that they learn before going. The attack led immediately to a declaration of war by the United States and to U.S. entry into World War II.

Things have changed a lot since President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Vice President John N. Garner were in office. For instance, the prices in groceries have taken a dramatic increase. A pound loaf of bread was 8 cents, a half gallon of milk was 22 cents, a pound of butter 32 cents, a pound of round steak was 28 cents, a gallon of gasoline was onl7y 18 cents and the average price of a new Ford automobile was only $534. also while the average annual income was only $1091.

She enjoys reminiscing about the good times she has had with her friends. Her son, William III, her daughter, Pamela and her neighbor.

Mattie is now retired from what is now Lucent Technology, formerly called AT&T. She began working there in October 1960 when it was then called Western Electric and retired in December 1995 from AT&T. Since she has retired, she stays busier than when she was working. She is constantly saying how she loves being retired. Mattie was glad to have retired because she felt good to have given someone else a job who needed one. She is currently a member of the Lucent Technology Pioneers. She has no future job plans.

Since Mattie's retirement, she has stayed busy by doing crafts. She had done crafts for many years. People love to look at her lovely painted ceramics and nicely crocheted towel sets. She has been known to do some of the best work.

Mattie is a very patriotic person. She loves the country in which she lives, the good old United States of America. She loves her freedom and peace. She thinks that every country should have freedom. Mattie was raised a Democrat. She said, "If I voted Republican, my daddy would turn over in his grave." She also a Baptist and will always be a Baptist.

As of today, Mattie lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a place she can truly call home. She loves the weather, her house and most of all she loves being around all the friends that she has made over the years.

Mattie has a joy for literature, music and art. Her favorite author is Robert Lewis Stevenson. He was a Scottish essayist, novelist, poet and famous for the novel Treasure Island in 1883. Stevenson was born in 1850 and died in 1894. Mattie loves reading all sorts of biographies. Her favorite music was during the Big Band era. She enjoyed performers such as Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Paul Whitman, Harry James and last but not least Frank Kupra. Mattie currently listens to country music to hear some great singers. Her favorite artist is Remington. Remington is most famous for his beautiful western paintings such as Stampeed by Lightening in 1908. Fredric Remington was born on October 8, 1861 and died on December 26, 1909.

Mattie has had a great life and as she says, "I wouldn't trade it." Her only financial concern is that of raising taxes and not income. Although she earns her money now from her retirement and from Social Security, she still feels like the income should be raised along with the taxes.

The only youthful idealisms that Mattie has is that of virginity and going to church. She has had only one youthful naiveté and that was to become a nurse. Now that she has grown up and matured, she knows that becoming a nurse would not have been for her.

Mattie says her life began at age 50. She got out, began to have more fun, enjoyed her life more, and met her current husband, Tom. Mattie says she doesn't feel old on bit, or as she says, "I don't think age has anything to do with feelings." I guess it's true, "you're only as old as you feel."

Mattie thinks that the world "has gone to the pits" since she was a young woman. She blames the drugs, violence, and lack of jobs as the causes of it.

In the opinions of others, Mattie is one of the greatest people in the world. She is a person whom everyone is glad they had a chance to meet.

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MATTIE LOIS WEEKS, 77, BORN JANUARY 15, 1934 NINTH OF ELEVEN CHILDREN BORN TO EDWARD AND MATTIE WEAVER NARON IN THORN, MS. MARRIED WILLIAM WEEKS JUNE 19, 1953. WILLIAM & MATTIE MOVED TO OKLAHOMA IN 1953, WORKED AT WESTERN ELECRIC, RETIRED FROM AT &T 1996, SHE ENJOYED CROCHETING , CERAMICS. SHE MARRIED TOM FRANCIS MARCH 1987 WHO PRECEEDED HER IN DEATH IN 1997. SURVIVED BY SON , WILLIAM (BO) & DONNA OF PENSACOLA, FL; DAUGHTER, PAM & JAMES HENAGAR OF BURKBURNETT, TX; 2 SISTERS, ADON & RUTH OF MISSISSIPPI; GRANDCHILDREN, AMANDA & TROY HOCKENBERRY OF MADISON, AL, MONTESHIA & JASON BRAKHAGE OF NORMAN, OK, MELISSA & BRIAN LYNN OF TUTTLE, OK, DEENA WEEKS OF OKC, OK, WHITNEY WEEKS OF PENSACOLA, FL, WILLIAM WEEKS OF SAN DIEGO, CA; GREAT GRANDCHILDREN CODY & ROWDY HOCKENBERRY, JAYLEIGH WORK, KAITLIN & NIKALA LYNN, SOPHIE HARRELL; STEPSON, JAY R & KYLA FRANCIS AND HIS CHILDREN KEIRSTYN & NATALIE FRANCIS.