From page 9 of the October 17, 1912 Skidmore New Era:
A Birthday Surprise
October 14, being Roy Twaddell’s 24th birthday, his relatives and friends concluded to surprise him with a birthday dinner Sunday. The plan to get Roy away from the house until all the guests had arrived was the first problem to be solved and it fell on Lloyd to devise the means.
So Sunday morning he took his brother out in the corn field to inspect the crops, but looking at the big ears of corn soon became monotonous and Roy wanted to go back to the house. It was too early yet to return and Lloyd suggested that they go to the melon patch and sample some of the frosted melons, but this was “a short horse,” for eating frosted melons in October is not like feasting on this luscious fruit in August, so Lloyd had to devise another means of entertainment, then he proposed to go and see Uncle Tom Dyson’s new cement walk and several other time-killing amusements to occupy their attention until the crowd could arrive.
After using all the schemes he could think of to kill time, Lloyd returned to the house with Roy about 12 o’clock and found ninety-six hungry uncles, aunts, cousins and neighbors of all ages and sizes. Anyhow it looked like everybody and his kinfolks were there, for they began eating at 12 o’clock and did not finish until 4:30.
Those present were Messrs and Mesdames John Lowrence, Robert Campbell, P. P. Shull, Guy Sewell, Art Mast, John Barber, W. G. Mast, C. C. Lawrence, Lee Teson, Jesse Winger, Walter Walker, Walter Howard, J. R. Bagby, J. C. Foose, Thomas Dyson, Ed Shell, Roy Lawrence, Will Collins and families, or rather those who had families and it looked like every one present was so blessed or had borrowed someone elses family to bring with them. Also there were Mrs. Martha Walker, and Misses Ruth Mast, Hattie Linville, Bertha Dyson, Lulu Pierson, Jane Inman, Ruby Shull, Carrie Twaddell, Rinda Linville, Cloma Lawrence and Edna Shull, Messrs John Mast, Dean, Joe, and Claude Shull, Arch, Fred and Everett Mast, Lloyd Twaddell and Frank Lawson.
Those from a distance were John Taylor and daughter, Miss Kittie, of Maryville; Messrs Ben Shull and Larken Mast of Myrtle Point, Oregon; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Shull and family of Coquell, Oregon; and Mrs. Charles Wells and children of Pryor, Oklahoma.