1925-30

James Edward (J.E.) O’Keith

Mr. O’Keith was relocating from Oklahoma in 1928 seeking a good location to settle down when he came across Tulare. He made it his home for twenty-six years operating a small grocery store and bar and a single pump for gasoline out in front of the store, which was attached to his home on the six hundred block of P Street. “Grandpa J.E. O’Keith had some great barbeque and was well known for it,” recalls Eleanora O’Keith Smith, his granddaughter. J.E. O’Keith was known and well respected throughout the city of Tulare. His son, William O’Keith and his wife, Duella, along with another son, Major, and two daughters, Zora and Rosa, joined J.E. O’Keith in Tulare in 1930. Mr. O’Keith was laid to rest October 25, 1955 at the age of 82 with obsequies carried out with Masonic Rites Honors

William O’Keith, born May 8, 1898 in Colony, Oklahoma, came west looking for a better life for himself and his wife, Duella Jones O’Keith. He settled first in Oakland, California In the mid-1920, but acting on the advice of his father, James Edward (J.E.) O’Keith, he relocated to Tulare in 1929. Mr. William O’Keith, like his father James, was active in the Masonic Lodge and was a member of Tulare’s second Masonic Fraternity Morning Star Lodge No. 2 AF&AM. He worked for years as a farm laborer. Mr. O’Keith died after a brief illness. ” Dad was well known, as was his dad, J.E.,“ recalls Eleanora Smith, daughter and granddaughter. Mr. O’Keith obsequies were on June 9, 1971 in Tulare.

Duella O’Keith was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and later traveled with her husband, William O'Keith, to California where they settled first in Oakland in 1926 before joining her father-in-law in Tulare in 1929. Duella, a housewife for fifty years, was also active in the Eastern Stars and Mt. Olive Church and later in St. John Baptist Church. She was given her obsequies January 5, 1994.

John Lee Rucker (1897- 1963) & Annabel Rucker (1899-1993)

John and Annabel Rucker owned a ranch in Tulare County in the Orosi area in the early 1925 They were some of the first African Americans to operate a ranch in Tulare County outside of Allensworth. They would relocate to the city of Tulare in the Late 1930’s. John Lee Rucker was laid to rest January 5, 1963 at the age of 66. Annabel was laid to rest many years later August 18, 1993 at the age of 93.

George (Jake) Freeman & Lullu (Loula) Perryman

George (Jake) an native American Cherokee Indian was born in Louisiana in 1859 a Baptist minister he owned and operated a syrup & lumber mills which he sold to relocate his family to the far west settling in Tulare California in 1927 where he purchased three homes given one to his each of his daughters Pearl and Ollie and settling in the third with his wife Loula. His great daughter as being tall with a very light brown completion remembered Mr. Freeman.

Lulla (Loula) Perryman whose family came from Africa was an Ethiopian born in 1870 in Lone Oak Texas, the couple settled in Tulare resided at 926 East Elm Avenue until their deaths.

Jake passed in 1939 at the age of (80), Lulla (Loula) on April 10, 1947 at the age of (77)

William Hamilton relocated his family to California, first settling in Bakersfield, in 1920. He would later move his family to the Mansfield Farm where he became a sharecropper for Mr. Samuel Merritt in 1925, Mr. Hamilton, although not school trained or taught in farming, was blessed with the ability to “read the soil,” and he was credited with being one of the first to plant cotton in the city of Tulare. “His work yielded over $ 7,000,” recalls Mrs. Audrey Taylor, a daughter who now resides in Sacramento, California. After reaching some success in farming, Mr. Hamilton purchased five lots of land in the six hundred block of South Q Street. He would later build his home at 660 South Q Street where he would remain until his death in 1947. Mr. William Hamilton, born May 8, 1877, was laid to rest in November 1946, at the age of 69.

Frank Earths (1873-1958) & Mary Earths (1887- 1948)

Frank and Mary Earths were early African American pioneers in Tulare. The family arrived in the early 1920’s and lived on California Street for years. Mary was laid to rest on January 6, 1948 at the age of 61. Frank died ten years later on October 15, 1958 at the age of 85. Mary was the daughter of Elder George Phillips, who officiated at her last rites.

Martin Goethe (12/8/1861- 4/15/1938) & Willie Ethel (8/28/1885 - 12/23/1971)

Martin married Willie Ethel Stewart Carter in Little Rock, Arkansas when he was 54 years old and she was 28 years old.

The family first settled in Madera in the mid-1920’s. Martin was good at farming and enjoyed the open ranch-like area. By 1929 the family would seek a larger city and move to Tulare where he would live out his life.

Martin's oldest daughter, Clara Goethe Bowles, had one son, Robert. Clara came to California to visit with the Goethe's and returned to South Carolina with Mamie, raising her as a daughter for three years. Mamie considers Clara her second mother and thinks of Robert as another brother. Mrs. Beatrice McLin still resides in Tulare and remains a strong member of the Brooks Chapel AME Church. She still enjoys driving herself around, she expressed. In 2004, Beatrice and Mamie are the two remaining Goethe children

Valce & Edna Evans Alexander

Edna Evans was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma June 30, 1918. Along with her family, she relocated to the city of Tulare between 1924 & 1925 at the age of six years. She attended public school. Valce Alexander was born in Austin, Texas on October 12, 1898. He came to Tulare County and later to the city in 1930. The couple was married in 1933 and had eighteen children. They both were members of Mount Olive Baptist Church, where Mrs. Alexander was active in Sunday school as a teacher. She was also involved in the NAACP and the Teachers Association of Tulare. The couple would share fifty-three years of marriage. Mrs. Alexander was laid to rest Februry 5, 1987 at the age of 68. Mr. Alexander would later join his wife on April 26, 1991.

Isaiah & Mary Alice Fulton Poole

Isaiah Henry Poole, born July 7, 1898, and Mary Alice Fulton Poole, born March 12, 1897, were both natives of Mississippi who arrived in the city of Tulare in the late 1920's. Records indicate the family lived in California for over forty years, all but two inside Tulare. They later relocated to Richmond, California where they would live out their lives, Isaiah going home January 31, 1966 and Mary later joining him July 4, 1969. While the family resided in Tulare, Mr. Poole worked for the County Fairgrounds and Floyd Gibson Garage. He was active in Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Tulare and later joined St. Paul Baptist Church, Corcoran. He served on the Deacons Board in both houses of worship. Mr. Poole was 67 at the time of his death while Mary was blessed to enjoy 72 years of living.

James Boone, raised in Mississippi came to Tulare from Mexico with his wife in the early 1930’s he began to purchase land which was located at the east of the then city limits area ranging from Now Tulare Avenue to Bardsley Avenue. Mr. Boone would later build his home at 620 South Q Street, known as a good carpenter, he sold property to a up coming Baptist church in late 1940’s at the corner of T Street and Elm where he help build the new St John Baptist Church.

Mr. Boone was a member of the Morning Star Masonic Lodge #2 AF& AM, and before his death became a deacon at St John Baptist Church. He was laid to rest on May 16, 1952 at the age of (78) Seventy-Eight

Jessie Crawford born in Scobey Mississippi, relocated from Santa Ana & Lucille Evans who born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma had relocated from Bakersfield both arriving in Tulare in 1926. The two soon after meeting were married July 17, 1926 at Brooks Chapel AME Church the couple then purchased a home at 629 South R Street part of the newly developing Lincoln Tract area. Jessie for years worked at Tagus Ranch and later as a farmer, the couple celebrated their 50th year of marriage in 1977 with the Elder George A. Phillips residing over the ceremonies.

Jessie would soon pass 1978

Lucille Passing December 1994

John & Verna Ashby relocated to the city of Tulare from Fresno County after first residing in Allensworth Community where they were among the first to settle in 1909. The October 10th 1933 addition of the Tulare Advance Register front page read Allensworth Pioneer Dies after Mrs. Verna Ashby passed at the age of Seventy-Seven, she along with her Husband John had resided in the City of Tulare since 1920 along with their son Louie “Jack” Ashby. The family resided at 543 South P Street where Verna would pass.

John Ashby was born in 1861 in Louis County, Missouri he would relocate to Pueblo Colorado with his Wife the couple would have one child Louie most people called him Jack Ashby. While in Colorado John was active with the Ashby Masonic Lodge # 2 he would continue his membership in the Masonic order upon relocating to Fresno, California and then Tulare in 1920. John was laid to rest on December 14, 1933 with the members from Hanford & Fresno Masonic Lodges assisting Reverend Goolsby Brooks Chapel AME Pastor in the final rites.

Louie “ Jack “ Ashby would join the United States Army during World War I after returning from the War he joined the Post 511 American Legion in Fresno, Also he was a member of the Clover Leaf Elks Lodge, Kings Solomon Masonic Lodge, Fresno and Tulare Boy Scout where he served as the Scout Master for Troop 63.

Louie “ Jack “ Ashby was laid to rest August 25, 1942 at the age of (44)

Mrs. “Billie” Ashby came to Tulare from Wisconsin in 1923 where she would meet and marry Louie " Jack " Ashby whose family relocated to the Tulare from Fresno in 1920, Billie quickly began to involve herself in developing a young and small African American community among the large number of families arriving from either the Allensworth or Oklahoma area. She was very vocal in the advancement of Colored People in the community. Mrs. Billie Ashby traveled abroad while her Husband served in the United States Army, Billie overseas experiences and her strength in public speaking, made her a strong leader in the African American sector, she was known citywide.

Mrs. Ashby continued to raise the need to have an African American on the city’s police force. She convinced Edward Washington, a former Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy, to apply for the position, and he became the first African American sworn to office in the City Police Department.

Mrs. Ashby, along with Carl Young, assisted James Sims in establishing the first youth center for African American youths. The center was a success until the death of James Sims in 1947 when it became hard to keep running it smoothly. Mrs. Zora Sims, his daughter, attempted to continue the center, but due to lack of trained workers she sold the building. With the funds of the sale, the Youth Trust Fund was established which Billie Ashby was a part of. Carl Young’s passing put a strain on Billie until her death in 1973. She was 86 years of age.