Three Freds and Three Eds

As the Gates Reunion approaches, Eddie Serriere came to mind. He loved the reunions. I found it hard to believe this month marks 25 years since his death. Even though Eddie and Dad were second cousins, it always seemed the relationship was closer.

The Territorial Adventures of Ed and Fred

            Edmund Sr., age 30, and Fred Serriere, age 20, prospected for a place to settle by following the railroad from Kansas into Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory in early 1907. On November 16, 1907, these two territories – Indian and Oklahoma- joined to become the 46^th state in the Union.
            Edmund, Sr. and Fred were first cousins. Edmund, Sr.’s mother Elizabeth and Fred’s mother Amanda were sisters. Fred and Ed had gotten close since Fred was living with Edmund, Sr.’s family because Fred’s father had failed to provide for him as well as being abusive and “kicking him around.” 
            Ed and Fred traveled in a covered wagon from Crawford County in Kansas.  They were looking for new land. Edmund and Fred were amazed to see the corn piled as high as it could be scooped at the railway stations. Seemingly the corn harvest for that year exceeded the amount the railroad cars could hold at the stations in Remington, Fairfax, Ralston,  Skedee, and the others all the way south as far as Chandler. Near Fairfax, they camped close to the railroad track located in the vicinity of the Robertson Addition.
           Fred shot craps winning as much as $1.50 some nights. Fred’s winnings financed their trip, but he was sometimes forced to fight his way out of a game! After reaching Chandler, they retraced their journey back to Kansas. Needless to say, both adventurers had tales to tell of the territories south of Kansas.

Fred Serriere, age 73, and Edmund
Gates, Sr., age 83, in 1960.

Three Freds and Three Eds

            Fred Serriere and Edmund Gates, Sr. married and had their children.  Their families enjoyed spending time visiting each other. Edmund, Sr. settled in the Big Bend rural community west of Ralston. The Serriere family lived in Blackwell, Oklahoma, with Fred working at the smelter there.  Since Fred Serriere’s family lived in town, they delighted in coming to the farm. The Gates family looked forward with anticipation to their visits.

When the two families got together, the comment was always made, “We have three Eds and three Freds.”

Edmund, Sr. named his second son after himself – Edmund, Jr. His next son was named Frederick Daniel. His siblings referred to him affectionately as Freddie. So the Ed Gates family had two Eds and one Fred.

Early school snapshot of Frederick and 
Edmund, Jr. on the Woodland School playground
with the slide in the background. This was the
Woodland School on the west side of the Bend.
Photo taken in 1926-1927.

Fred and his wife Sarah named their second son Lawrence Fredrick. A vintage picture sent to Mamie, the wife of Edmund, Sr., from Sarah in 1911, identifies Lawrence Fredrick as Freddie. The photograph shows their youngest son, James Edward as just a baby. He was always called Eddie by family members. The Serriere family had two Freds and one Ed.

George, James Edward "Eddie", and Lawrence Fredrick "Freddie" Serriere.

It is sadly ironic that Freddie Gates and Freddie Serriere did not reach their twentieth birthdays. My father’s brother was struck and killed by lightning on his fourteenth birthday. Freddie Serriere died as the result of a car crash at age seventeen.

My father remained close to Eddie Serriere until Eddie’s death in 1998. They both shared the love of spinning family yarns, and whenever they got to visit each other, they did just that. 

Eddie Serriere and Edmund Gates, Jr. at the 1993 Gates Family Reunion.