William Harve Reddell

1890-1958

Leslie's father

by Dan Reddell

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    William Harve Reddell was born to James Henry and Molly (Embry) Reddell in Mena, Arkansas. He died in 1958 and is buried in Porterville, California.

He was only three years old when his father deserted the family for a younger woman. At four, he was sickly and doctors "cured" him of "dyspepsia" (not having enough saliva) by putting him to chewing tobacco. According to his son, Les, "He used tobacco, chewing and smoking, until 1934 when he was 44 years old. In 1934, he had to go to a clinic in Temple, Texas where they pumped his stomach, took all kinds of tests, and made him quit tobacco

Harve said he had to go to work at age 12 to help support his mother, Molly, younger brother Robert, and two sisters, Lee and Etta. He started by hauling for a sawmill with his own dray wagon and team of horses. Eventually, he hauled freight between Texas and Oklahoma.

At some point, Harve ended up in Atoka, Oklahoma. By 1911, he was known as a hard-drinking horse trader who was said to have been a pool shark who won over a thousand dollars in a single game. Then he met Novella Howard and his life changed. 

Photos at top-1. William Harve with sister (left) Etta and mother, Molly. 2. Harve with wagon a team he used to haul for a sawmill at age 12 when he had to go to work to help support the family. Photos on this line, 1. Harve with brother Bob. 2, Bob Reddell while in Marines during WWII. 3., Bob Reddell with cowboy friends.

1. Harve's sister Etta, her husband, Bruce Douglas, and adopted son, James. 2, Luther and Ruth Self, children of Harve's sister, Lee (Laura). 3. Ruth Self and daughter Betty.