Our dear friend Dick Pipkin passed away September 18, 2000. He dearly loved the Historical Society and was such a loyal member, attending almost every meeting.
It must have been a labor of love for him because he drove some 106 miles round trip from Santo Tx to get to River Oaks for the meetings. From the time that the Historical Society was formed in March of 1999, Dick missed one meeting, and that was only because he had open heart surgery during that month. He was usually the first one to arrive and the last to leave. We will miss him so very much......

DICK PIPKIN
SEPTEMBER 1999

Dick was born the third of three boys. The Pipkin Family moved from the northside to 5909 Meandering Road in 1935. Dick was seven years old. They had a small house on the back of the property and they loved it. Dick's father, Daniel Elmo (D.E ) Pipkin Jr., grandfather, D. S. Williams and all three boys, Daniel III (Dan) Charles, and Dick help to build the main house in 1938. the property went from Piper Lane/Black Oak to Meandering for a total of about three acres.

Dick's father worked for Swift Packing House. Before they moved to River Oaks, Dick was attending Circle Park Elementary school. It was time for the new year to begin and they had not finished remodeling the school. Dick was going to have to go to Denver Avenue Elementary and then transfer back to Circle Park Elementary when the remolding was completed. Dick's father talked to Mrs. Irma Marsh and she allowed the Pipkin boys to start school at Castleberry, and in October of 1935 they moved here.

The Pipkin Family lived on Meandering until 1949. Mr. Pipkin served on the Castleberry school board for many years. He took a dislike to the way things were being run in the district and moved to the Hurst area, Mr. Pipkin was the first Mayor of Hurst when they incorporated.

Don Quayle shared that his great grandparents the "Higgins" lived on one side of the Pipkin home and Don's grandparents, Bill and Nona Quayle lived three blocks east.

Dick said at that time we knew everyone within a half mile in any direction. The Willetts are fourth or fifth cousins of my father. Also, the Gillum's were fourth or fifth generation cousins of my father,

Johnnie Carpenter shared that Black Oak Lane use to be called Piper Lane after the Piper Family who had a farm there.

Blondie Dahi said that Sam Calloway Road was named after Judge Calloway who lived at 620 Sam Calloway Road.

Dick said another popular name in the community was Schramm. He went to school with Walter Schramm, The other children were named Margaret, Rosie, Frank and Alma. Grandmother Schramm drove a Model T pickup. Frank worked in the packing house with Dick's father. Frank was partially responsible for Dick having a little sister, Frank had one child after the other until he had enough dependents that he was 4-F. Dick's father had three and was classified as 1-A. So dad decided to have more dependents because he was about to get drafted into the army at 41 or 42 years of age. When he got another dependent his classification changed.

Dick's father worked in Swift's Packing House. He worked in the engine room where the refrigeration was generated. Johnnie Carpenter added that his father and his two brothers worked there also.

Another popular name in the community was the Fortnam's, Frank and Vi. They lived in a beautiful rock house in the 5800 block of Meandering. He was an Englishman and he was on the River Oaks City Council when it was incorporated. He had a lot of plants and schrubs. He kept them meticulously trimmed with an electric trimmer. It was unusual to have an electric trimmer in that day and time. The Fortnam home was quite a fancy home. But at that time I guess he was making good money in the meat business. The Fortnam's moved a small house on the property and lived in it until they built the rock house.

The Dugan Family lived across the Street from the Fortnams. The Dugan's had two children Mildred and Buddy. Mildred became a pediatrician.

Where the Grisham home is now once belonged to the Thomas Family. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas retired early and they traveled in their travel trailer. They had two children Jim and Frances Ann.

Dick told how Carl Nicholson drove the transit bus during the W.W.II. He sold this donkey to my dad. Carl would drive the bus full of soldiers by the Pipkin house. He would tell them I bet I can make that Donkey bray. Of course, the soldiers wouldn't believe him and Carl would stop at the Pipkin house open the door and say, "Hello Katy" and she would let go with a long bray. It really tickled the soldiers,

My brother Dan joined the Army/Air Corp in 1943 and was sent to a training camp in Colorado, After two months he went to a military hospital with arthritis and was discharged two months later. They gave him a retirement of $15.00 a month. He later went to work for the T.& P. Railroad, married and had three children. He also developed heart trouble and had three plastic valves put in his heart in about 1964. In 1969 a blood clot went to his brain and caused a fatal stroke.

My brother Charles was drafted into the Army in 1945 and served in the occupation forces of Japan until 1952. He married a Japanese girl and they came to the States and he went to work for Bell Helicopter. They raised four children. He now lives in the Mid-Cities area.

Carol Pipkn said her friend, Margaret Pribble, told her about a well at the nature center where in the 1950's a gangster was killed and put in it.
Carol remembered how they made stew for the flood victims and how they had to take a bus to Fort Worth to get a typhoid shot.