Samuel Thomas Roark

When Amanda Melvina Moulder married Samuel Roark they moved to Frederick, Tillman County, Oklahoma, where Amy Melvina Roark was born in 1909.

Links

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GEDCOM Note

[Br%C3%B8derbund WFT Vol. 5, Ed. 1, Tree #2530, Date of Import: Jan 26, 2005]

Samuel Thomas Roork\Roark was born 4 Aug 1850 in Carroll Co., AR. Son of John and Phebe Roork. He and Amanda Melvina Moulder were united in marriage 8 Dec 1870 at the home of Samuel Moulder in Boone Co., AR. The ceremony was performed by John Ross. Amanda was born 11 Dec 1848 in McMinnville, Warren Co., TN. Daughter of Samuel and Nancy Luster Moulder.

Samuel was a farmer and a freight hauler. He and his family are found on the 1880 census for Jackson TWP, Boone Co., AR. On this census his name is spelled Rowark. He and Amanda have 5 children and Samuel's mother, Phebe, who is 62 years old, and his 18 year old brother, J.D., are living with him.

By 1900 Samuel is found on the census for Bellefonte, Boone Co., AR. On this census his name is spelled Roork. He is a farmer and rents the farm where he is living. All of Samuel and Amanda's children have been born by this time. Three have died - Lela; Oma;s twin and Charley. Three have left home - Lulia; Nancy and Luster. The remaining six are still living at home - William; Oma; Samuel, Jr.; Harley; Harvey Lee and Vertie.

Sometime in the early 1900's Samuel and Amanda moved from AR to OK. At this time, Oklahoma was divided into two parts, the eastern half was Indian Territory and the western half was Oklahoma Territory. It wasn't until 17 Nov 1907 that Oklahoma became the 46th state of the United States.

The family stayed awhile in Wagoner, Ind. Terr. before moving on to Tillman Co., OK Territory. Traveling by covered wagon, it took many weeks to reach their destination. In the early stages of their trip, about 30 miles south of Wagoner, Samuel and his family stopped for the night outside of Taft, an all Negro community. They were bedding down for the night when a group of armed men from Taft rode up on horseback to their campsite. The men could be heard talking amongst themselves whether they should kill these people or leave them alone. To Samuel and his family, this looked like it would be the end for them, but they would go down fighting if need be. With their guns loaded and laying low in their wagons, they waited for the shootout. After some anxious time had passed, the black men decided to leave in peace, much to the relief of the Roark family. Note: This incident happened according to Harvey Lee Roark and related to this compiler by his daughter-in-law, Leatha (Mrs. Harlow) Roark.

Samuel homesteaded in Tillman County and was a leader in the building of a school and getting sunday school organized. He is listed on the 1910 census, living in the Alfalfa TWP area of Tillman Co., OK. His name is spelled Roork. He is a farmer, owns his farm and it is mortgaged. Also listed are his wife Amanda and 3 of their children - Harley; Harvey Lee and Vertie.

The Roark family had come west in search of a better climate for Samuel, due to his bouts with asthma. In his later years his condition becoming worse, prompted Samuel and Amanda to move from OK to New Mexico. While living in Tucumcari, there were times when Samuel would go to Arizona and stay for periods of time, until his condition improved.

A letter from Amanda to her son Luster and his wife, Alice, is copied as it was written. The letter was addressed to L.M. Roark, Frederick, OK % C.F. Smith. The return address is Box 663, Tucumcari, N.M.

Tucumcari New Mx Dec. 11, 1918 Dear Luster and Allice I will try to write you a letter this eavning to let you now that we havent forgotten you if it has been some time since I have written you a letter I think of you every day. Well how are you getting along these hard times I hope you are all well and getting along all right. have you had the flue down thire we haven't had it in our family yet Lees little boy has it but he is gettin all right thire has been lots of deaths in town from it and still rageing some new cases every day or two We have been having pretty good health all the year Pa is just getting along fine he is doing better that he has for severl year hasent had any bad spells for nearly two year we have been having some winter here had some rain twp pretty good snows we have one cow and seven hens our horse died we have watter in the house so we dont have to be out of doors much Luster I am sending you a suit of cloths hope you will be pleased with them all right I will tell you how we came by them Tom sent us severiel suits of his cloths that he had quit weiring and thire was more than Pa needed so I thought I would send you one suit I thought would just fit you. how is Nan and Claud getting along we sure would like to see you all once more I guess I wouldn't know the children they have grown so much since I saw them Write soon as you git this I am so anxious to hear from you all tell us all about how you are getting along.Your loving Mama A.M.R.

We are sending the pictures of our houses we rent the little house and live in the other we are sending these things in the care of Claud Smith we warent sure where your address was did you think that I am 70 years old today as this is my birthdayMama

Amanda died 12 May 1924 in Tucumcari, Quay Co., NM. She is buried in Tucumcari Memorial Park.

After Amanda died, Samuel went to Shawnee, OK and lived with his children, part of the time with one then part of the time with another. At the time of his death, 2 Feb 1933, he was living at the home of his son, Harley Lee, in Shawnee, OK. He is buried in Tucumcari Memorial Park next to Amanda.

The original spelling of the name is believed to be O'Rourke. Other spellings of the name are ROORK; ROOK; ROAWARK; ROWARK and finally ROARK. All the descendants of Samuel and Amanda use the ROARK spelling except for their grandson, Claude Roork and his children.

The Roork/Roark record is the combined efforts of family members, the U.S. census and official documents.

GEDCOM Note

GEDCOM Source

World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1 Brøderbund Software, Inc. Release date: August 22, 1996 Customer pedigree.

GEDCOM Source

Tree #2530 Date of Import: Jan 26, 2005

GEDCOM Source

World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1 Brøderbund Software, Inc. Release date: August 22, 1996 Customer pedigree.

GEDCOM Source

Tree #2530 Date of Import: Jan 26, 2005

GEDCOM Source

World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1 Brøderbund Software, Inc. Release date: August 22, 1996 Customer pedigree.

GEDCOM Source

Tree #2530 Date of Import: Jan 26, 2005

GEDCOM Source

World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1 Brøderbund Software, Inc. Release date: August 22, 1996 Customer pedigree.

GEDCOM Source

Tree #2530 Date of Import: Jan 26, 2005

GEDCOM Source

World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1 Brøderbund Software, Inc. Release date: August 22, 1996 Customer pedigree.

GEDCOM Source

Tree #2530 Date of Import: Jan 26, 2005

GEDCOM Source

World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1 Brøderbund Software, Inc. Release date: August 22, 1996 Customer pedigree.

GEDCOM Source

Tree #2530 Date of Import: Jan 26, 2005

GEDCOM Source

@R-2145684898@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Trees http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=3050366&pid=317