Return to Biographies > Home

Etta Elliott Partain

The following is from a hand-written story about Etta Elliott Partain. The account was written by my cousin Ola Fern Ford Speer (daughter of my aunt Callie Partain Ford). I got a copy from my cousin Flossie Evans (daughter of my uncle John Partain) who received it from Ola Fern Ford Speer.

“Etta Elliott was born Dec. 11, 1882. She married Grandpa John Thomas Partain Aug. 11, 1908. She was Grandpa’s third wife. She was working in a 5 & 10-cent store when she married Grandpa. She took on the responsibility of all of Grandpa’s children, plus, they had three of their own. The first child, a son, was born dead. The other two were:

Ocie Theadore Partain, born 1910. Died June 2, 1981. He was born in Spiro, Okla.

Albert Estle Partain, born May 1913, in Spiro, Okla.

Grandma Etta and Grandpa Partain lived on Bokoshe Mountain when we lived there. She was a lovely little woman. She wore her hair done up in a round bun on the top of her head. She was a great seamstress and made beautiful dresses for me.

It is unknown if she was related to the Reverend Elliott, Church of Christ minister who traveled with the Partains and group from Heber Springs, Arkansas to Spiro, Oklahoma in the year 1902.

Grandma Etta died Jan. 2, 1967. She was 84 years old. She is buried in Spiro.