JEAN SNYDER SANDERS

by: Sandra Hugus and family

Em: My sister Jean was born on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma. Mother did not tell us the whole story for years.
Jean's father was Lloyd Wilber, who was a Cherokee. His father's name was Blue Jacket.
When Lousie T. married him, he took her home to meet his parents. As she looked out the wagon or teepee, she saw his mother dancing without a top on, which horrified her.

Mother threw up all nine months with each child she had.
When Jean was born, they sent a runner into town to record the birth at the county seat. I noted on Jean's birth record that she was born on April 29th, but it was May 4th before it was recorded in Moscokee, OK.

Mother left Jean's father just before Jean's first birthday. He was running around on Mother. Lloyd was a party man.
Twice after Dad died, Mother mentioned the heartache Jean's father caused her because he ran around while she was home throwing up while pregnant with Jean. He liked to party. He didn't get drunk, just dance, etc.
Mother's best friend told her he was having an affair. She confronted him with it. She packed and left him. He was shipped over seas during WW I and died in France without ever having seen Jean. Mother wouldn't let him.

Curt Sanders came to the door when we lived in Arkansas, asking if he could work for food. This was during the depression, in 1932. Curt stayed on. He met Regine on one of her visits from Oklahoma. They married, July 31, 1932.
Jean's husband Curt was part Choctaw, but I don't remember the percentage.

At each of the three family gatherings at Mother's house following deaths in our family, Jean would make a very delicious punch. We got to calling it Jean's Funeral Punch.
The first time she made it was for Mother's death in Dec. of 1981. She trotted it out again for Eddie's funeral in July, 1982. Third came Shirley in June, 1989.
I only drank 1/2 a cup each time Jean served it, as it is too sweet for my taste. (Ah, what a blah ending to the mystery! I'd written: You sound proud of that. Why, Mom? You state that the punch is "delicious". It that the fabled "Southern Politeness" rearing its head? Was there something alcoholic in it? Were you too upset to drink?)

5/17/96 Em: The town is closing off Government Street from where Jean lives up (west) to the end, which is where the drug store is. Then they are closing Washington from the railroad tracks to a little this side of the beach.
People come from many states to see Ocean Springs during the Elks Mardi-gras parade.

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