Wednesday, January 19, 1944: After considerable indecision, Marguerite decides to marry Ekdahl and removes LHO from Bethlehem and moves to Dallas (Armstrong, 20). John and Robert would remain at Bethlehem for the remainder of the school year (WCR, 671).
Friday, January 21, 1944: Marguerite is granted a judgement giving her possession of the Alvar Street property.
Friday, January 28, 1944: Marguerite sells the Alvar Street house in New Orleans to the First Savings and Homestead Association.
Friday, April 28, 1944: Marguerite buys a house at 4801 Victor Street in Dallas (Armstrong, 20) after changing her mind about marrying Ekdahl.
June, 1944: John and Robert leave Bethlehem and join their mother in Dallas.
September, 1944: John and Robert are enrolled at Davy Crocket Elementary in Dallas (WCR, 672).
Sunday, October 29, 1944: Mary Harvey Oswald, mother of Robert Oswald Sr., dies.
Wednesday, January 17, 1945: LHO has a tonsillectomy (This is the only documentary evidence that LHO underwent a tonsillectomy and he was later treated twice in the Marine Corps for tonsillitis. Author Greg Parker states that Dr. Patrick Philben, who is listed as the physician who performed the operation, was a doctor of osteopathy. Parker speculates that since osteopathy is a non-traditional form of medicine that Marguerite may have believed Philben's treatment of LHO included removal of the tonsils when, in fact, it did not [Parker, vol. 1, endnote #104]).
February, 1945: Marguerite applies to have John and Robert returned to Bethlehem.
Tuesday, April 17, 1945: Marguerite obtains a life insurance policy on LHO with herself as beneficiary.
Wednesday, April 18, 1945: LHO is admitted to Parkland Hospital after being hit in the eye with a rock. After treatment with ice packs, he is released the following day.
Saturday, May 5, 1945: Marguerite marries Edwin Ekdahl in Rockwall, TX. After a short honeymoon, Ekdahl moves into the Victor Street house (There is contradictory evidence in the official record regarding the exact date of the marriage, but it was undoubtedly on the 5th. The final word on the issue is the original marriage record obtained by John Armstrong, which clearly states that the license was obtained on the 4th, the ceremony was held on the 5th and the record was filed and recorded on the 7th. The Ekdahl divorce documents cited above also say that the marriage occurred on May 5th. A third source supporting the May 5th date is the affidavit of Lillian Murret, in which she says that the photo of the wedding party she received from Marguerite is inscribed, "May 5th-Happy Though Married." Also, the 5th was a Saturday and would be a common day for a marriage to be held. Most sources say the honeymoon was only a day or two, which would have enabled Ekdahl to be back at work Monday morning.
Marguerite Oswald: I married Mr. Edwin Ekdahl who was… a ten-thousand-dollar-a-year man with an expense account.
Friday, June 29, 1945: Marguerite and Ekdahl sell the Victor Street house (Armstrong, 22).
Saturday, July 7, 1945: Marguerite applies for admission to the Chamberlain Hunt Military Academy (hereafter Chamberlain Hunt) in Port Gibson, Mississippi for John and Robert.
September, 1945: Ekdahl, along with Marguerite and LHO, drives John and Robert to Port Gibson for their first semester at Chamberlain Hunt where they would spend the next three years except for vacations.
John Pic: We really liked the school… the commandant of the school was… Herbert D. Farrell… A real nice man…
Robert Oswald: …I believe there my basic philosophy was formulated. It was a very good school.
Ekdahl, Marguerite and LHO would then drive on to Boston to visit Ekdahl's relatives (WCT John Edward Pic, 11 H 24; WCT Robert Edward Lee Oswald, 1 H 277; Oswald with Land and Land, 36). Marguerite and LHO would later accompany Ekdahl on business trips including one to Arizona (Oswald with Land and Land, pp.36–37; WCT Marguerite Oswald, 1 H 255. Robert Oswald told the Warren Commission that Ekdahl, Marguerite and LHO lived in Boston for six months with Eldahl’s son from a previous marriage. But the evidence is clear that they merely visited the Boston relatives and then traveled for about a six-week period, since LHO was in school in Benbrook, TX by the end of October.)
Myrtle Evans: … they would all three be together on these business trips he had to take, and they would stay in the best hotels, of course, and they had the best of everything, but that didn't seem to work out too well, having Lee with them all the time like that… I would say Lee was a spoiled little boy… and I think Margie would have had a better life if she had put him in boarding school with the other two boys, because then she would have lived with Ekdahl… and I think that's one of the things that contributed to their divorce. She was too close to Lee all the time, and I don't guess Ekdahl liked that too much.
Granbury Road, Route No. 5, Box 567, Benbrook, TX
Monday, October 29, 1945: Marguerite writes Herbert Farrell of Chamberlain Hunt informing him of the family’s new address.
Wednesday, October 31, 1945: LHO enters first grade at the Benbrook Common School where he would receive good grades.
Thursday, December 13, 1945: Marguerite opens an account at the First National Bank of Fort Worth depositing $1987.35.
December, 1945: John and Robert visit the rest of the family over Christmas vacation and they see the Benbrook house for the first time (WCT John Edward Pic, 11 H 24–25; Oswald with Land and Land, 38; WCT Robert Edward Lee Oswald, 1 H 278).
John Pic: This was a brick house, with quite a bit of ground. I think way back they told us that one of the Roosevelt sons had a house out there, that is how I remember.
January, 1946: John and Robert return to Chamberlain Hunt by train (Armstrong, 23).
Friday, February 8, 1946: LHO is admitted to Harris Hospital in Fort Worth where he undergoes a mastoidectomy. He is discharged four days later.
Friday, March 8, 1946: Marguerite writes to J.S. Vandiver of Chamberlain Hunt discussing John and Robert’s progress.
Saturday, April 13, 1946: Marguerite writes Chamberlain Hunt saying they are leaving on a business trip and provides Lillian’s address.
Covington, Louisiana
May 1946: Marguerite and Ekdahl separate and John and Robert are pulled out of Chamberlain Hunt where they had planned to attend the summer session. After probably living for a time at 600 W. 24th Street in Covington LA, Marguerite and the three boys later settle at 311 Vermont Street also in Covington (CE 1963, 23 H 799; CE 1413, 22 H 819; CE 2217, 25 H 117).
Myrtle Evans: … they seemed to be a very happy family. They would go swimming and eat watermelon, and they had a couple of dogs, I think, in the backyard, and they would just have a good time. I would say they were really a happy family in those days.
Thursday, August 1, 1946: Marguerite writes Chamberlain Hunt sending the registration fee for John and saying she hopes to later send Robert’s fee as well when her economic situation improves.
Monday, August 5, 1946: J.S. Vandiver of Chamberlain Hunt writes Marguerite offering scholarships for John and Robert which would lower their tuition cost to $940.00 for both boys.
Thursday, September 19, 1946: LHO enters Covington Grammar School.
Friday, October 4, 1946: Marguerite closes her account at the First National Bank of Fort Worth.
December 1946: John and Robert spend the Christmas holidays in Covington.
John Pic: During those holidays we made one trip to New Orleans with this other boy who lived in Covington also that we went to school with, and they were driving to New Orleans so we all bummed a ride and went to New Orleans and visited the Murrets a day or so.
Marguerite Oswald: … Lee had a beautiful voice and sang beautifully… in Covington, La., he sang a solo in the church, Silent Night…
1505 Eighth Avenue, Fort Worth
Thursday, January 23, 1947: After reconciling with Ekdahl, Marguerite withdraws LHO from Covington Grammar and moves to Fort Worth where she would live with Ekdahl at 1505 Eighth Avenue. A few days later, Marguerite learns of Ekdahl's alleged infidelity from a neighbor.
Marguerite Oswald: Then I found out about the woman, he rented a place on 8th Avenue, a home. And after I was there about a day I was in the yard hanging out some things… and a woman came along and I said, "How are you? I am Mrs. Ekdahl." She looked astonished, and after I had made friends with her she informed me Mr. Ekdahl had a woman in this particular house while I was in Covington and she thought she was his wife…
Monday, January 27, 1947: LHO begins classes at Lily B. Clayton Elementary in Fort Worth.
Friday, February 7, 1947: Marguerite again opens an account at the First National Bank of Fort Worth (FBI Oswald HQ File 105-82555, Section 58, p. 58).
Tuesday, February 25, 1947: Marguerite confronts Ekdahl about his infidelity and an altercation occurs.
Monday, March 17, 1947: Another altercation occurs between Marguerite and Ekdahl and he would later claim to have suffered minor injuries.
Thursday, April 3, 1947: A third incident occurs between Marguerite and Ekdahl and he would later claim that Marguerite threw a cookie jar at him.
May, 1947: John and Robert return From Chamberlain Hunt to Fort Worth for the summer (Armstrong, 25).
Wednesday, May 7, 1947: A fourth altercation occurs between the Ekdahls which Edwin would later say caused him to suffer partial paralysis in his right arm.
Friday, May 30, 1947: LHO completes the first grade at Lily B. Clayton (CE 2211, 25 H 91).
Summer, 1947: John works for a time at Walgreen's and then at the Tex-Gold Ice Cream Parlor where he would eventually become assistant manager.
John Pic: …my mother and Mr. Ekdahl were having problems. It would seem they would have a fight about every other day and he would leave and come back. Well, it seems one night, as I was returning from work, I think we closed the store about 10 o'clock, Mr. Ekdahl and she drove up and told me that they wouldn't be home that night, that they were going downtown to the Worth Hotel. This was one of their reunions, and this was one of their longer separation periods. So, I went back and I told Lee and Robert, and this seemed to really elate Lee, this made him really happy that they were getting back together.
Later this summer, Marguerite uncovers what she believes is more evidence that Ekdahl is being unfaithful and, with the help of John and his friends, confronts him and his alleged mistress (WCT Marguerite Oswald, 1 H 250–251; WCT Lillian Murret, 8 H 112; WCT John Edward Pic, 11 H 27–28).
John Pic: So, one night Marvin, Goldie, Sammy, my mother and I all piled into this young couple's car, went over to these apartments, and Sammy acted as a messenger, and knocked on the door and said, "Telegram" for this woman, whoever she was, I don't remember the name. When she opened the door, my mother pushed her way in, this woman was dressed in a nightgown negligee, Mr. Ekdahl was seated in the living room in his shirt sleeves and she made a big fuss about this. She's got him now and all this stuff.
Marguerite Oswald: … and he said, "Marguerite, Marguerite, you have everything wrong, you have everything wrong." He says, "Listen to me." I said, "I don't want to hear one thing. I have seen everything I want to see, this is it."
Monday, July 7, 1947: Marguerite purchases a house at 101 San Saba in Benbrook. She would lease out the house for $50 a month (Armstrong, 26. With the discovery of Ekdahl's alleged infidelities, Marguerite probably bought the house as a backup plan of sorts and rented it out as they continued to try and make the relationship work).
Tuesday, July 8, 1947: J.S. Vandiver writes Marguerite acknowledging receipt of a $10.00 deposit.
Tuesday, August 5, 1947: J.S. Vandiver writes John updating him on the school’s plans for the September semester.
September 1947: John and Robert return to Chamberlain Hunt for the new school year.
September 9, 1947: LHO begins the second grade at Lily B. Clayton.
December, 1947: John and Robert join the family on Eight Avenue for the holidays. Ekdahl is absent from the celebration.
Saturday, January 10, 1948: After reuniting briefly (Armstrong, 33), Marguerite orders Ekdahl out of the Eight Avenue house for good.
3300 Willing Street, Fort Worth
Thursday, March 18, 1948: LHO is withdrawn from Lily B. Clayton, which probably coincides with Marguerite's move to 3300 Willing Street in Fort Worth (WCR, 674).
Friday, March 19, 1948: LHO enters George C. Clark Elementary in Fort Worth (WCR, 674).
Tuesday, March 23, 1948: Ekdahl files for divorce and the papers are later delivered to Marguerite at 3300 Willing (Armstrong, 33). Also on this day, the First National Bank of Fort Worth lists Marguerite’s address as 3300 Willing Ave., Fort Worth.
May, 1948: John and Robert join the family on Willing Street after the semester ends at Chamberlain Hunt.
John Pic: We returned from Chamberlain-Hunt to a house I don't remember the address of… but we were back down in the lower class again.
Wednesday, June 2, 1948: LHO completes the second grade at the Clark School.
101 San Saba Street, Benbrook, TX
Saturday, June 5, 1948: The First National Bank of Fort Worth lists Marguerite’s address as Benbrook, TX. This is the first indication that they are now living at 101 San Saba in Benbrook. The San Saba house is the location of an incident later reported by Otis Carlton in which he stated that LHO threw a knife at John.
June 15-16, 1948: The Ekdahl's divorce proceeding takes place.
Thursday, June 24, 1948: The Ekdahl's divorce becomes final and Marguerite reclaims the Oswald name.
Ekdahl Divorce Judgement: … and that said plaintiff be and he is granted a decree of divorce from the defendant [Marguerite] based upon the above and foregoing jury finding and the finding of the court, that the defendant has been guilty of excesses, cruel treatment, or outrages toward the plaintiff of such a nature as to render their further living together wholly insupportable.
Marguerite Oswald: I thought I was sitting pretty. He didn't have anything on me. I had him for adultery with witnesses and everything and I didn't have an idea that he could sue me for a divorce, but Mr. Ekdahl did sue me for a divorce, and… got the divorce.
John Pic: I think they attempted to put Lee on the stand but he said that he wouldn't know right from wrong and the truth from a falsehood so they excused him as a witness being he was under age.
Sometime after the divorce, Marguerite begins working at Leonard Brothers Department Store in Fort Worth (CE 2213, H 25 109; WCT John Edward Pic, 11 H 30).
July 1948: Marguerite begins working for W.C. Stribling Company where she would remain through August.
Monday, July 19, 1948: LHO is brought to Harris Hospital in Fort Worth for a puncture wound on his heel by a family friend named Preston Allen, of Benbrook. LHO's address is listed as "Benbrook, Texas", another indication that they were now living at 101 San Saba in Benbrook (The hospital documentation says only "Mr. Allen," but "Preston Allen" was listed as a reference by Marguerite on an application for Lerner Shops).
Wednesday, September 8, 1948: LHO enters the third grade at Arlington Heights Elementary (CE 2211, 25 H 91). At about this time, John and Robert are told that because of a lack of funds they could not return to Chamberlain Hunt. Additionally, John is told he must quit school altogether and get a job. He finds work at Everybody's Department Store. Robert would enter Stripling Junior High and work part time after school (Oswald with Land and Land, 42).
John Pic: ...this was quite a blow to me because we did want to go back. I had 2 more years in high school and I was going to be in the 11th grade and I did want to finish there. [Robert] felt the same way… He wanted to go back…This, I think, was the first time that I actually recall any hostility towards my mother.
7408 Ewing Street, Fort Worth
Wednesday, September 15, 1948: Marguerite buys a house in Fort Worth at 7408 Ewing Street where the family would live for nearly four years (Armstrong, 35. A note regarding the disposition of the San Saba house. Otis Carlton told the FBI that he lived on San Saba in Benbrook from 1945-47. Marguerite asked him to appraise her property at 101 San Saba and he gave her a figure of $2750.00. Marguerite then insisted that Carlton had not merely appraised the property but made an offer for it and he eventually agreed to purchase the property for that price. Carlton remembered the Oswalds leaving Benbrook no later than 1947, but the available evidence shows that it had to be 1948. He never received the title for the property until 1951 (Armstrong, 26), so it is possible that he rented or leased with an option to buy or that, for some reason, the title was never processed until 1951).
Saturday, October 16, 1948: J.S. Vandiver writes Marguerite a farewell letter of sorts from Chamberlain Hunt.
Sunday, October 24, 1948: At Marguerite's urging, John enters the Marine Corps Reserve (WCT John Edward Pic, 11 H 31–32; Oswald with Land and Land, 42).
November, 1948: Marguerite begins work at Texas Prudential Insurance, where she remains through January.
January 1949: John decides to return to school and enrolls at Arlington Heights while working part time at Everybody's Department Store (WCT John Edward Pic, 11 H 32–33; Oswald with Land and Land, 43).
John Pic: About that time, I started thinking and decided regardless of how my mother felt what happened, I was going to go back to school. So… I finished my high school education. My hostility towards her increased at this time because she pushed me to work and make money, and I knew an education, as much as I could get would be the best thing for me. Since I took on the responsibility of going back to school I figured I could take care of the rest of it and I wanted nothing from her in this regard. This I did. I signed my own report card, wrote my own notes when I played hooky and missed school.
February, 1949: John loses his job at Everybody's Department Store because they object to his working part time. He would then find a job part time at Burt's Shoe Store.
Thursday, February 10, 1949: Marguerite's address for this date is given as 7428 Ewing on an job application for Lerner Shops. This is probably a typo for 7408.
Friday, June 3, 1949: LHO completes the third grade at Arlington Heights. Also in June, John and Robert complete their respective school years (Armstrong, 36) and John enrolls at Paschal High Summer classes. According to John, LHO may have attended camp in the summer of 1949 at Camp (Amon) Carter.
July, 1949: Marguerite starts work at Lerner Shops as an assistant manager.
Wednesday, September 7, 1949: LHO enters the fourth grade at Ridgelea West Elementary School in Fort Worth. Also in September, John transfers to Paschal High and Robert enrolls at Arlington Heights (Oswald with Land and Land, 43).
Tuesday, November 22, 1949: Marguerite begins work as a salesperson for the Literary Guild at Cox's Department Store in Fort Worth.
December, 1949: LHO gives a puppy to his teacher, Mrs. Clyde Livingston, and would drop by thereafter to visit with her family. A neighbor on Ewing Street, Hiram Conway, had less flattering memories of LHO. By contrast, Conway taught John Pic to play chess and thought very highly of him.
Hiram Conway: Well, he was quick to anger and he was, I would say, a vile nature - he was mean when he was angry, just ornery - he was vicious almost, you might say, is the best word I can describe it… he [Robert] didn't walk up and down the street looking for children to throw stones at, like Lee did… he would become very angry and his face would flush he would just storm at other children… He was a bad kid.
Monday, January 16, 1950: LHO scores 103 on an IQ test.
Wednesday, January 25, 1950: Three days before his High School graduation, John Pic joins the Coast Guard.
John Pic: I was coming towards my 18th birthday and I decided I had just about finished school and I would be graduated … and I decided to join the service, the Coast Guard, and then I processed my paper work, and 3 days prior to graduation I quit school and joined the Coast Guard … I joined the Coast Guard because it was the hardest service to get into. I wasn't interested in the Army or the Marine Corps or the Navy. I took the one that was hardest, the hardest requirement and I got into it.
Wednesday, February 8, 1950: LHO takes the Metropolitan Achievement Test and scores well in reading and vocabulary and not as well in spelling.
Thursday, May 25, 1950: Marguerite is dismissed from her job at the Literary Guild in Cox's Department Store.
Friday, June 2, 1950: LHO completes the fourth grade at Ridgelea. Also in June, Robert finishes his term at Arlington and opts to work full time at A&P instead of returning to school (Oswald with Land and Land, 48).
Monday, June 12, 1950: Marguerite begins work at McDonald Kitchens (Armstrong, 38).
At about this time, LHO is invited to visit the Murrets in New Orleans and they send Marguerite $75.00 for expenses (WCT Mrs. Lillian Murret, 8 H 122; Pic Exhibit No. 9-9A, 21 H 66; Stafford, 87-88; Armstrong, 38).
Lilian Murret: … we took Lee out to ball games and bought him things, and we tried to make him happy, but it seemed like he just didn't want to get out of the house. I mean, he wouldn't go out and play. He would just rather stay in the house and read or something… anyway she came down and got him. In fact, he told her to come and get him… he wrote and told her that nobody around there liked him, and here everyone was knocking themselves out for him.
July, 1950: Marguerite begins a temporary job working for a political campaign which lasted through August 26. (Armstrong, 38).
Monday, August 28, 1950: LHO writes to John.
LHO: Dear John, All I have to say is get me some ($1.50) money. P.S. I want ($1.50). Lee
Wednesday, September 6, 1950: LHO enters Ridgelea for the new school year as a fifth grader.
Friday, September 22, 1950: Marguerite begins work with the Joseph Lurker Insurance Agency (CD 205, p. 568; Armstrong, 38; Pic Exhibit No. 35-B, 21 H 103-4).
October, 1950: John takes leave from his Coast Guard station in New York and visits the family in Fort Worth for about 2 weeks.
John Pic: Well, everybody was glad to see me. I was--well, I come home with a couple of hundred dollars, you know a sailor off the high seas always saves his money and the mother right away wanted to hold it for me and so she conned me into that, and she let me have a few dollars of my own.
Monday, October 9, 1950: Marguerite purchases a health insurance policy for herself, Robert and LHO through the parent company of Lurker Insurance, the National Banker's Life Insurance Company of Texas. She lists her address as 7408 Ewing, Fort Worth.
December, 1950: LHO writes to John.
LHO: Dear Pic, I sure am sorry that you can’t come home for Christmas. I’m sending you this Fruit Cake. Merry Christmas from Lee
Tuesday, February 13, 1951: LHO takes the Stanford Achievement Test and scores below normal.
Sunday, March 11, 1951: Marguerite purchases a life insurance policy on herself, listing her address as 7408 Ewing.
Monday, April 16, 1951: Marguerite writes to John asking for money.
Monday, April 23, 1951: Marguerite again writes to John thanking him for the money.
Friday, June 1, 1951: LHO finishes the fifth grade at Ridgelea.
Tuesday, August 7, 1951: LHO receives a smallpox vaccination.
Saturday, August 18, 1951: John marries Margaret Fuhrman in New York.
September, 1951: Marguerite borrows against LHO's life insurance.
Wednesday, September 5, 1951: LHO enters the sixth grade at Ridgelea.
Fall, 1951: Robert reenters Arlington Heights (Oswald with Land and Land, 49).
Thursday, November 1, 1951: Marguerite sells the San Saba house in Benbrook (Armstrong, 26).
Thursday, November 15, 1951: Marguerite purchases a small house at 4833 Birchman in Fort Worth where she apparently never lived (Armstrong, 40). Marguerite was something of a real estate investor and she made a profit or broke even on every transaction she was involved with from 1940 to 1952 except one. Some theorists wonder how she survived financially at certain times in her life and imply that she was supported by some government entity as a part of a conspiracy. But her profits from some real estate transactions were roughly equal to a year’s wages at the rate of pay she typically earned, and she also received child support during this period. For more detail see Marguerite's Finances.
Tuesday, December 11, 1951: Marguerite opens an account for LHO at the First National Bank of Fort Worth.
January, 1952: Marguerite begins working for Evands and Associates in Fort Worth as a hostess (CD 165, p. 15).
Monday, February 11, 1952: LHO again takes the Stanford Achievement Test and scores above normal in reading and vocabulary and below normal in spelling.
Thursday, March 6, 1952: Marguerite terminates her agents contract with the Joseph Lurker Insurance Agency. Although she was rated as a satisfactory employee by the firm, she didn't like working nights.
Wednesday, May 14, 1952: John and Margaret Pic have their first child, John Pic Jr.
Thursday, May 29, 1952: LHO completes the sixth grade at Ridgelea.
Tuesday, July 1, 1952: Marguerite closes LHO’s account at the First National Bank of Fort Worth (CD 205, p. 73).
Friday, July 11, 1952: Robert enlists in the Marine Corps (Armstrong, 41).
Tuesday, July 15, 1952: Robert leaves for boot camp in San Diego (Armstrong, 42).
Friday, July 25, 1952: Marguerite deletes Robert from her health insurance policy.
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