Eva Nola Bell Wilhelm

 Eva was born on November 15, 1903 in Oil Trough, Arkansas to Julius Seamon and Rosie Pollard, of the Pollard, Arkansas Pollards. Rosie died when Eva was not quite 2 yet. Eva had three older brothers, William, Claud, and Loyd. After Eva died, her father moved from Arkansas to the northwest and had a new family, but that’s for his entry as Eva never met or knew her baby brothers and sisters. 

Eva worked as a cotton picker at the cotton farms around Oil Trough alongside her father and brothers growing up, but she still got to attend school all 12 years. Julius and his children lived in the “shantytown” part of Oil Trough, their neighbors were all black and mulattos. I found this interesting- the only “W” for whites in that whole portion of the census in 1910 and 1920. She kept up with the fashions of 1920s and had a flapper style dress and haircut in the only photo I have of her.

This was the hub of Oil Trough, Arkansas- the Hankins' Store. Everyone in the area

came to this store for everything, so Eva and her family frequented this store.

This is the cotton gin near the cotton farm that Eva and her family were hired to live on and work at alongside many other mulatto and black families. in 1920, they appear as the only white family on the census at this location.

She marries Lowern Wilhelm in 1924. Lowern was a character- see his entry for more information. She has 4 daughters, Araminta, Betty, Oma, and Ramona, then she passes away in 1938. There’s more information in Ramona’s entry and Lowern’s entry about Eva.