My grandmother, Della Springer, was a prolific writer who took frequent breaks from truck farming to write poems, editorials and stories. And of course, to let readers of her weekly column know that the peas were ready to harvest or the corn was sweet enough to pick. Then grandpa opened the gates and customers flocked to Liberty Hill to fill their baskets.
Readers also flocked to their local newspapers to read Della’s homespun wisdom, humor, and encouragement. No matter what was going on in the world, Della Springer had something to say about it. She was a regular contributor to several newspapers, including The Atoka Indian Citizen, The Caddo Herald, and The Durant Daily Democrat. She also had letters published in The Daily Oklahoman, The Tulsa World, The Farmer Stockman, and Look magazine. My mother once calculated that she wrote approximately 4, 000 stories, poems, and columns. In addition to those, she wrote a variety of contest entries. Della loved contests almost as much as she loved crossword puzzles.
Most of all, Della loved people. She loved talking to them, helping them, writing about them, and nursing them back to health. Della never had a driver’s license, so she often found herself riding with others or on public transportation. Once on a bus bound for California, she found herself stranded along with the other passengers when the bus broke down. Instead of sitting quietly and waiting patiently, she stood up and led the others in singing. Often, in waiting rooms or stores she was recognized and stopped to chat. She never seemed to be in a hurry.
Some would say Della was destined to write. She arrived in Indian Territory as a small child when her father moved them from Yantis, TX to what would later become Caney, OK. Della had two brothers, Ira and Calvin, and two sisters, Clarissa and Martha. Her parents were hard-working farm folks, but her father also had a gift, and a penchant, for writing. He reported local events and news of the Liberty Hill area for the Caddo Herald, and occasionally added his opinion on religion or politics. It seemed natural for Della to follow in his footsteps and as a young woman she began writing plays for local students to perform. She wrote poems and served as reporter for the Home Demonstration club.
In 1925 Della married John L. Springer and continued the farming/writing life that she had always known. Over the years she added parenting to her list of skills, raising three fine sons and four beautiful girls. Sadly, one of the boys died when he was only nine years old. This prompted Della to write an expressive poem and share it with her readers.
Other family events served as prompts for delightful stories and heartfelt poetry. She wrote about her trips to California and the accomplishments of her grandchildren. She wrote about her health concerns and those of her friends and neighbors. But most of all, she just wrote about whatever joys and sorrows came her way.
Della has been gone for nearly forty years now, but the mention of her name still brings a smile to many local faces. The reprinting of her poems and stories brings back memories. But most important, remembering her and her work keeps her legacy alive for the newest generation of Springers.
