Our Arklahoma Heritage: Through war and peace, generations of the Aishman family paint a story of enduring values
- Dennis McCaslin
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Where red clay roads give way to the Arkansas border and family names carry weight through generations, the story of Thomas Jefferson “T.J.” Aishman and Helen May (Bell) Aishman unfolds like a cherished quilt--stitched with courage, duty, and devotion.
Born in 1915 in Warren, Oklahoma, T.J. was the son of James Patrick Aishman and Pearl Evelina (Brown) Aishman, early settlers whose lives bridged the frontier spirit of Texas and the promise of Oklahoma statehood.
James Patrick, born in 1885 in Comyn, Texas, married Pearl in 1907 in Greer County, Oklahoma.
Together, they raised a large family and eventually settled in Spiro, where both are buried at New Hope Garden of Memories--the same cemetery where their son and daughter-in-law would later rest.
T.J. embodied the grit of a generation raised in hardship and called to serve. He enlisted with the U.S. Army and served in the 9th Armored Infantry Division, famously dubbed “The Phantom Division” for its elusive movement across Europe.
As a radio carrier and forward observer—two of the war’s most exposed roles—Aishman helped guide artillery fire and relay enemy positions under fire.
He saw the darkest days of the war in the Ardennes, during the Battle of the Bulge.
Amid blizzards and constant shelling, his division helped stall the German advance near Bastogne and St. Vith.
It was there he was wounded and captured by enemy forces. While most American POWs were freed in spring 1945, Aishman remained imprisoned until 1946—caught in the final unraveling of Nazi Germany.
The fact that he endured such an ordeal and returned home to build a quiet, grounded life speaks to a strength deeper than words often capture.
Waiting for him was Helen, born in 1922 in Hatfield,Polk County, to Ivan Edgar Bell and Maudie Sealesta (Latch) Bell. Maudie was the daughter of Joseph Marcus “Tib” Latch and Ida Elzona (Cheek) Latch, who married in 1897 and lived their entire lives in Polk County.
Joseph and Ida raised a large family on the same homestead Joseph’s father had settled after migrating from Georgia.
They are buried at Six Mile Cemetery in Hatfield, not far from the land they worked and the community they helped shape.
Helen inherited her mother’s quiet strength and her grandmother’s gift for nurturing. During World War II, she became one of the many “Rosie the Riveters” who kept the home front running while loved ones served overseas.
After the war, her life became a beacon of generosity—she fed neighbors, tended vast gardens, preserved jars of summer for winter meals, and became a steady, compassionate presence in her church and community.
Her kitchen smelled of cornbread and coffee, and her hands could mend nearly anything—torn clothing, drooping spirits, or a threadbare quilt in need of love.
Their marriage, which lasted 67 years, became the center of a family legacy that spread across generations: four children, a dozen grandchildren, and great-grandchildren too numerous to count.
Their home in Spiro stood not only as a hub for kin, but as a haven for anyone in need of rest, nourishment, or kinship.
Thomas passed in 2009 at the age of 94. Helen followed in 2023, just short of 102. They now rest side by side at New Hope Garden of Memories in Spiro—just steps from the graves of James and Pearl, whose values they carried forward.
In the narrative of our Arklahoma Heritage, theirs is not a story of public accolades or worldly acclaim--it’s a story of enduring values and daily acts that mattered. Of showing up when it counted. Of loving hard and working harder.
And of passing something honest and lasting to the generations that followed.
