Monogrammed Brick Stories
Brick: Sypert, Frank, Mahala
Contributed by Velma Echols Hutton
The Frank Sypert Family of Pottawatomie County was known pioneer spirit. Frank was born in Tennessee, the son of a former slave and her employer, a white attorney. He moved to a small town in Arkansas where he met and married Mahala Williams. Land in Oklahoma was the most direct route to independence so the couple settled on a 160 acre farm near Brooksville. At one time, they also owned a cotton gin. The youngest daughter, my mother, Grace, and her husband, Anthony Echols, taught in Brooksville and Shawnee schools and were active in community affairs. They remained on the farm until 1967, when they accepted positions in the San Jose, CA., school system. They continue to be honored by the former students and co-workers in both states.
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View a list of brick stories or search all bricks.
In 2012 the Oklahoma Historical Society invited those who purchased one of the monogrammed bricks paving the Red River Journey at the Oklahoma History Center to share about the person or group their brick honors. Below is a list of those who submitted stories and the message shown on their brick. Use the links below to read the contributed story.
This project was made possible by a generous donation from Catherine B. Wootten.
