Jennie Mae Selfridge Byrom

Jennie Selfridge conducted interviews for the Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma (Federal Writers Project), 1936-1937. She was a school teacher. Her published works (and her obituary) appear under the name Jennie Selfridge, not Jennie Byrom.

Name: Jennie Mae Selfridge

Birth: 2 OCT 1908 in Springer, Carter County, Oklahoma

Death: 5 APR 2002 in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas

Burial: 8 APR 2002 Lytle Masonic Cemetery, Lytle, Atascosa County, Texas

San Antonio Express-News. Sunday, 7 APR 2002

Jennie Selfridge Byrom, age 93, of Lytle passed away April 5, 2002, at a Georgetown Nursing Home. Jennie was born October 2, 1908 in the Arbuckle Mountains at Springer, Oklahoma to Charles and Mary Selfridge. She was “Sis” to her family. Most of her early years were spent in Springer and Plainview near Ardmore, Oklahoma. She graduated from Plainview High School and attended South Eastern Oklahoma Teacher’s College in Durant where she obtained her teacher’s certificate. She taught in several school districts in the Ardmore area. The school districts were sometimes too poor to pay her a salary. They paid her in vouchers that she used at the local stores to buy food and clothing. She also worked for the Oklahoma Historical Association where she wrote articles on early pioneers and Indians. In 1937, she married L. Marvin Byrom, Jr. and moved to Lytle, Texas. During World War II, she worked at Plant Protection at Kelly Air Force Base until the end of the war. She taught English and history at Lytle School District in the late 40’s. In the mid 1950’s, she started teaching high school English at Southwest High School until her retirement. Even in retirement she kept busy. She continued substitute teaching for several more years and wrote the history of the Lytle United Methodist Church for a Texas State historical marker. She received her Bachelor’s degree at East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1956 and her Master’s degree at Southwest Texas State University in 1964. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, L. Marvin “Marv” Byrom and an infant son. She is survived by her daughter Roberta Abbe and husband Alan of Georgetown, three grandchildren, Alan Abbe, II and wife, Erin; Laura Abbe Greco and husband, Jim Greco, and Michael Abbe, all of Austin; and four great-grandchildren; Kai, Kyra, and Kase Abbe, and Nicholas Greco. Also surviving is her sister Doris Calley of Lone Grove, Oklahoma, and sisters-in-law; Wahlelu Byrom, Mangum, Okla. and Evelyn Hinson, Clayton, Delaware, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Monday, April 8, 2000 at Lytle

Methodist Church. Internment will follow at the Lytle Masonic Cemetery.

Arrangements by Hurley Funeral Home, Devine, Texas.

Williamson County, Texas Death Records 01028802; 04/05/2002; 04/17/2002; BYROM, JENNIE S.