Lola's Book

Just prior to her 80th birthday, Lola Cotten wrote her autobiography as a gift to her children and grandchildren.  From Oklahoma to California, she shares her experiences which include migrate farming, the great depression, and the war years.  Her stories chronicle a life of hard work and struggle made joyous through love of family and strength of faith.  She is truly an inspiration for all of us.

Thirty three years later we have decided to make the book available to the next generation and others interested in Lola's stories.  Copies of the book can be ordered from Lulu
http://www.lulu.com/shop/lola-cotten/lola-rowlan-cotten-april-10-1900-january-21-1996/hardcover/product-21133321.html#productDetails
The book is offered at our cost (under $20 plus shipping) and comes in hardcover.

Albert Jesse Rowlan

Lola's brother Albert

"My little brother was getting pretty big during the summer of 1913.  I was then 13 years old.  Papa and Mama went to one the neighbors who grew bushels and bushels of cucumbers.  The neighbors had put up all they wanted, and told my folks to come and get all they wanted.  They took my little sister Delma with them.  I stayed with the baby.  I changed his diapers and watched him crawl all over the place.  Mama had a high shelf in the back of the stove where she kept cleaning stuff.  Someway the can of lye fell down on my little brother and ate up his diaper where he was sitting on it.  I was scared to death.  I didn't know what to do.  I picked him up, grabbed a gallon of sweet milk and started washing him.  I asked God not to let him die.  He was crying and so was I.  But I kept washing him with the sweet milk until he went to sleep.  We had beds under the trees where the boys slept.  I took him out there to lay him down when my brother James came into the house to get something.  I told him, 'I killed Albert.'  He said, 'Let me see him!' The baby was sleeping peacefully when James looked at him and he just said to me that he looks fine.  Well, it never amounted to much, thanks to God and the sweet milk!"

Lola's House

"Alford had always said, 'Mom, someday I will build you a home.'  Every year, summers I worked in the corn and the grapes.  I also worked in the dates a long time.  I had been saving every board they brought.  I pulled the nails out, stacked the boards, and straightened out the nails.  Everyone asked me--'What are you going to do?'  I said 'Build a home.'

Mr. young, a neighbor, came down to see Joe. He had to have some money.  He was trying to get it through the bank.  He said, 'If I can't get it, I'll sell you 7 1/2 acres of land."  He couldn't get the money so we bought the land.

Every minute I could I would be cleaning up the land.  There was a lot of bushes on it.  I cut and burned them,.  It was a busy time.  I was so happy to think at last I would get a home.

We got the pipe fixtures to put in the plumbing.  Jim had a trailer.  He and Violet came up and hauled gravel and sand.  We borrowed a water tank.  Violet would shovel sand and gravel into the mixer with the cement.  My how we worked.  Finally we got the slab poured.

I worked in the corn and grapes and in the fall the dates.  Every penny I made went into that house.  We really hurried as Alford would be in the service soon .  We had a well drilled on our place.  We put in a small pump for the house and a big pump for the irrigation.  Our house had a kitchen, living room, bath, two bedrooms, and a screen room in the back, 9 X 20 feet.  It was the most beautiful house I ever saw.  How I loved it.  To think at last I had a home.  I said, 'This is the last move I will ever make.  When I leave here it will be when God gets through with me.' "

Lola and Joe in front of their home

Migration to California

Lured by the advertisements offering surplus work and great climate, Joe Cotten moved the family to California in 1930.
"We had beds fixed in our trailer.  We weren't in any hurry.  We really didn't know just where we were going--seen people trying to get someplace.  They didn't know where they were going and didn't have any money.  We didn't know times were so hard.  Joe had worked.  We had a little money.  There was a depression going on.  We saw people standing beside the road, reading the Bible.  

Times were hard.  We came the southern route but in the mountains there was snow.  We finally landed in California.  This side of Yuma, AZ we got into the sand dunes.  Joe said 'The first place I find that there are people, I will stop.'  The 3rd of December, 1930 we stopped in Holtville, California"

Joe and Lola in Oklahoma

Cotten Family about 1930

Joe and Lola were married November 15, 1921 in the back of a barber shop in Elk City, Oklahoma.  The wedding party consisted of the bride and groom, Lola's sister Maude and sister-in-law Drue, one barber, one shoe shining boy, and one guy getting his shoes shined.

During the next 9 years, Joe worked in the oil and cotton fields in Oklahoma and Texas.  Work was scarce, and living conditions were rough as shown from this account from Lola's book:

"Our tent was one mile from anyone.  We had to haul water 1 1/2 miles to use.  One day I gave both the babies a bath.  They went to sleep before I got them dressed.  I laid down and went to sleep also.  Something woke me up,  The tent was full of smoke.  I ran outside thinking the oil rig was on fire but it wasn't - - It was a forest fire.  I got a baby under each arm and ran as fast as I could.  In about 3/4 of a mile there was a place that was pretty clear of brush.  I didn't think I had made it because it was coming so fast.  Again God was helping me for I made it.  I watched and just knew everything had burned up. I walked down to the road.  I was a mile from where we lived.  Some men were working putting up a high line.  My little babies were wanting water.  I asked a man if he had any water.  I told him the fire burned up everything we had.  He said there are 50 men fighting the fire.  Maybe you can get someone to go see if everything is all gone.  He went up and talked to his men.  He came back and said 'I'll take you up there.  If  everything is burned up I'll take you to the store until your husband gets here.'  My little son couldn't walk because I didn't pick up his shoes and the ground was burning yet.  We went back to the tent.  It was still there.  The fire had burned right up to it.  He asked me if I had water.  I told him yes.  I asked him what I owed him.  I told him I had some money in the tent.  He said 'You don't owe me anything.  You did the best thing.  If you would have stayed, the little ones would have died.  You are  a good mother.  All you were thinking about was your children.'  That was a desolate place."