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CHAPTER THREE

Early Mom and Dad

I am more fortunate than many, in that I have some knowledge of my parents' younger days. Most of this was passed on quite accidentally, but I am happy to be the custodian of these things, and that my family's younger generation will know more than I did when I was growing up. They may be of interest to other Bybees, because I believe a number of Bybee traits are seen here.

My father, Pearl, was of average looks and height and had coal-black, thick hair. It was almost of the consistency of wire. As far as I know, none of it ever came out. (I inherited my hair from Cecil's side of the family, which tends to be very thin and balding, even among the women as they grow older.) Dad had high cheek bones, which we always attributed to his "Indian blood." He was a strong man, due to the fact that he had worked very hard all his life. In his younger years, he was straight and tall, but in later years, he was bent over considerably. I always thought this came from his life of hard work, but it may have been an age-related bone deficiency.

Cecil was also of average height and weight, but she constantly fought her weight, mainly with an every-night laxative. Her hair was light brown, which she always described as blonde. She was quite pretty in her younger years and had a beautiful singing voice, I have been told. I only heard her sing once. She was singing the hymn, "Love Lifted Me," while rocking back and forth on her feet. I never saw her any happier than she was then, but I never knew the reason.

I never heard how or where my parents, Pearl J. Bybee and Cecil Hope Zellers, (Dad and Mom to me) met. Pearl was born on the same farm in Davis County where I showed up, at least that is my impression. Cecil was born near Centerville in Appanoose County, about 15 miles to the west.

Pearl left the farm at about the time he came of age and went to a barber school in Chicago. His formal education went only up to the sixth grade. It is my understanding that, after finishing his barber training, he worked in a shop in either Ottumwa or Udell; perhaps both.

Cecil had attended school in Eldon, then moved with her family to Centerville for one year, and continued in school at Udell for two more years. She quit school at about the seventh or eighth grade when her mother, Rebecca Thomas Zellers died in 1904. Her father, Ivon Willard (Tib) Zellers remarried within the year to a lady by the name of Ella Close. She was "mean" to the children who were still living at home, including Mom and her youngest brother, Keith. A divorce followed. Another marriage and divorce followed shortly thereafter. (I never knew of these divorces in the family until I was middle aged.) In the meantime and for a few years after, Cecil took care of Keith.

At the age of fourteen and a half, Cecil began dating Pearl. I heard that he took quite a lot of roasting from other men in and around the barber shop because of the fact that his girl friend was often seen in the neighborhood. Given my Dad's quick temper, I doubt that the same man brought the subject up more than once!

They were married on January 31st, 1906 at Tib's home in Ottumwa when Dad was 23, and Mom was sweet sixteen. They lived with grandfather Zellers for a short time before they moved into their own home in Ottumwa. Mom kept for years the bills for everything bought for their new home. She gave them to me after Dad died and they are now with the Moulton Historical Society. Prices were so ridiculously low, compared to present-day costs, that they make a good museum piece.

Young Keith lived with them for a few years, a fact that occasionally came up after I was around, because "she spoiled both" of us.

When the safety razor was invented and became widely used, it cut into the business of the daily shave that most men pampered themselves with at the barber shop. Pearl declared the barber business finished, and subsequently went back to farming.

Their first child, and only daughter, Pearl Hope was born in Ottumwa on March 29, 1907. My brother, Clint Edward came along on April 8, 1910 on a farm, and James Robert (Bob) was born in Ottumwa on March 3, 1913. I followed along seven years later, as has already been told.* *The above portion of this chapter has been largely reconstructed from notes taken by my sister-in-law Sara Louise Kimmel Bybee, who had the foresight to ask questions of my mother, Cecil. The notes were found in Sara's bible after her death.

Getting back to the subject of Pearl's temper: One tale that Mom used to bring up occasionally was about the time that he took a knife to school and was going to cut up the whole school. I never knew what that one was all about, but it probably had to do with his mother, my grandmother. It always angered him to have the subject mentioned. (More on this in the genealogical appendix.)

One day, a door-to-door salesman stopped by our home in Moulton. He tried desperately to sell something to Pearl, and wouldn't take "No!" for an answer. Pearl grabbed the stove poker and went at him. They never connected, but the last that was seen of the salesman was his posterior going across the railroad tracks.

The Bybee temper has always been a subject of discussion in the family. I know I got some of it, which I try to keep under control (most of the time). It was always attributed to the Irish in our blood.

Heaven help the Irish!

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