She was a railroader’s daughter
and he, a son of the sod,
she, like a willow with long golden hair,
while he was wild as a cowboy, by god!
She flirted and played ‘cross the Illinois prairie
droppin’ boys with a nod of her head.
He roamed the timber with his gun and his dog
til they met….bo-di-o-doed….and wed!
This Hewittville girl and this Mt. Auburn boy
were like a wildfire in tall prairie grass,
this railroader’s daughter and this son of the soil…
who thought it would happen or that it would last?
Illinois police blotters and newspaper archives
tell of this couple’s “la dolce vita”,
and rumors abound throughout the Midwest
of the escapades of Oil and Teeda.
Now my lawyer won’t allow me, I’m sorry to say,
to tell all of the stories I’ve heard,
but suffice it to say they cut a wide swath,
and for this I give you my word.
Soon the night life gave way to the right life
when the raising of two sons began.
One son became some sort of “ologist”
and the other’s a government man.
Just as the beast always reverts to the jungle,
their true nature called when the kids had flown.
They came out of hidin’ a whoopin’ and shoutin’
with more wild times to be known.
From Connie’s Corner to Katys to the Rendezvous,
All across the county this couple cut loose.
Just hint at a party and up they would pop,
then return to their hideout…The Moose.
The last time I saw them, ridin’ in from the East,
she, wearing her sparklers, and he, in fine leather,
they partied awhile then headed for Texas
looking for tequila and sunnier weather.
Now the story’s not over, they’re still on the prowl,
this railroader’s daughter and this son of the soil.
They’re livin’ the legend, still makin’ memories,
still writin’ the ballad of Teeda and Oil.
Poetry
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photo of the real life Theda and Earl (my Aunt and Uncle)