iv.

Granville Wallace Corbin, b. Sept. 11, 1908, d. Jan. 27, 1909.

537. V. Omi Lee Corbin, b. Oct. 1912.

527. Cora Corbin (Granville, Lewis, Thomas, Clement, Clement, James, Clement), b. April 21, 1877, m. William Mitchell, b. May 17, 1873. She died Aug. 1945, and is buried at Sulphur, Oklahoma. He is buried at Hickory, Okla.

538. ii.

iii.

Virginia Mitchell, b. June 10, 1911. Horace, b. July 12, 1912, no children. 539. iv. Robert A., b. May 15, 1914.

528. William Wallace Corbin (Granville, Lewis, Thomas, Clement, Clement, James, Clement), b. July 19, 1879, Sulphur Springs, Texas, d. Jan. 16, 1932. Son of Granville Morgan and Susan Artilla Corbin, William Wallace, known to many as Willie, Will, or Bill Corbin, went to school in Ft. Worth, Texas, at the then named Poly Tech. He stayed with the president of the college and worked for his room and board. His mother wanted him at home to manage the farm, so he only stayed one year.

Later he attended school for two or three years at Commerce, Texas. He worked for the James and Lawson Ranch in Indian Territory near Connerville, Ind. Terr. (now Okla.), then he figured he could make more money buying steers in the fall and grazing them until summer. He got some grass on Blue River, and lived with some people there.

He came to Indian Territory about 1900 and bought steers for $5.00 a head, grazed them, and sold them for $20.00 per head. He bought horses and drove them to Texas and traded them on yearling steers. He got six yearlings for one pony. From Texas he would ship the cattle to Mill Creek, Oklahoma and unload them. He did this for five or six years, and the last year he did this was the year he and Lela Merl married.

Lela Merl Donaldson was born March 1, 1889 in Pontotoc, Mississippi. She is the daughter of James Peyton and Thomas Ellen Bell Donaldson. I would like to write the story of Lela

Merl's and William Wallace's meeting in her own words.

"In the little town of Connerville, Indian Territory, the first of April 1904, Sunday afternoon, I was on the front porch. I saw this good-looking boy talking to the boy that I was dating at the time. In a little while they came up to the house. My family was new in town, and this good-looking boy wanted to meet the new girls. So my boy friend said he was dating one, and would be glad to introduce him to my sister. Maybe he could get a date to go to Church. Well, it didn't work out that way. My mother wouldn't let us go! The good-looking boy talked to me all of the time they were there. On leaving he said to me, 'I will see you soon'. I told him I would like that, so that is the way it started. The good-looking boy referred to was William Wallace Corbin, the man I married!"

Lela Merl goes on to say, "The balance of the summer was spent in having a good time, going to picnics, parties, and Church, together." Lela Merl's mother always made Lela's older sister, Irene, go along on dates. In September before he was to return to Texas, he came over one day to see me. "It was a nice afternoon, and we decided to ride over to Pontotoc for an ice cream soda. As we were crossing Blue River (a beautiful stream at that time), part way across, he asked me to marry him, in the spring when he returned to Oklahoma.”

She continues, "He had already told me many times that he loved me. I think I was surprised when he asked me to marry him, so he said, 'You may give me your answer when we get back to your home'. I thought to myself, I could answer you now, but it might not be proper. I hadn't asked my Mother what to say should you be proposed to in mid-stream of Blue River! And I was only 15 and hadn't given it too much thought!"

Mother and Father said 'yes', so we were married on April 30, 1905, in Mill Creek, Indian Territory, by Reverend Salter who was the preacher at Roff, I.T. Documented by family Bible and Marriage Certificate. Witnesses to the wedding were Lela Merl's parents, James P. Donaldson and Thomas E. Donaldson.

Her wedding picture shows Lela Merl's hat a red velvet hat with red satin pleated pin-wheel flowers. Her coat is a black satin one with braid trim. She wore a creamy-white blouse with small red satin flowers embroidered on it. All of her wedding ensemble was made in Ardmore, I.T. Lela Merl was sixteen years old.