(Publisher's Note: Henryetta native Brad Sellers spent hours researching the connection behind one of the top 1970s televisions hits and Henryetta. His account of the tie between Charlie's Angels and  early-day Henryetta is presented below.)

by Bradford Sellers 

With the new Charlie’s Angel movie set to premier in movie theaters across the country, most are aware that this film is a reboot of the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise from twenty years ago, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu.
But what younger readers may not know is that the 2000 film was itself a reboot of a campy 1970s-era television icon - the Charlie’s Angels TV show that debuted on ABC in 1976. Produced by Aaron Spelling, the first Charlie’s Angels was a silly show about super-models working as under cover, private detectives. The show featured glamorous starlets chasing criminals, solving crimes and kicking bad guys while wearing high heals. Patently ridiculous, of course the show was an enormous hit fondly remembered by those over 50 years old. Pauline EvansBut what even fewer readers will know is that the star of Charlie’s Angels — megawatt super-model, TV spokesperson and actress Farah Fawcett — has deep family ties right here in Henryetta.
Farrah’s mother, Pauline Alice Evans, was born in Henryetta on January 30, 1914. One of at least 10 children, Pauline seems to have been born into a bustling but down-on-its-luck family, with many mouths to feed.
Pauline’s parents, John Henry Evans and Martha “Mattie” Johnson, came to Oklahoma before statehood. One or both of them may have been Cherokee Tribal members, and some sources claim that they were Choctaw.
In May 1910, John Henry and Mattie lived in Grady County, Oklahoma, but they moved to Henryetta roughly some time in the next year.
We don’t know why they left Grady County, nor why they chose Henryetta. We don’t really know anything about what John did while in Henryetta, but he probably came to town in pursuit of economic advantage.
He may have farmed somewhere around the city, worked in a coal mine, or labored for a local merchant or business owner.
In 1924, John and Mattie Evans lived at 529 East Broadway, a home probably located near where the Walmart store currently stands. Walmart’s address is 605 East Main Street, but the old East Broadway would have run right through the current store. John’s occupation was listed as “laborer.” That’s all we know about his career in Henryetta.
A photograph exists of John, Mattie and the rest of the Evans brood. It was taken during the Henryetta-era, and was probably taken in Henryetta. Pauline is a babe in her mother’s arms, probably around one-year old - thus dating the photo to sometime around 1915.
John Evans family about 1915We don’t really know what the Evans Family did while in Henryetta. We can probably assume that Mattie was busy with the children. Regarding church membership, we have few clues. We know that upon his death in 1926, John Henry’s funeral was presided over by a Baptist minister, Rev. A.H. Huff. Perhaps they were Baptists.
On the other hand, when Pauline died, a Catholic priest presided at her memorial service. Also, she raised Farrah as Catholic, and sent young Farah to Catholic schools. So perhaps they were members of the St. Michael’s parish here in Henryetta.
Mystery also surrounds the Evans Family exit from Henryetta. We don’t know why they left, but we do know that eventually the entire family ended up in Corpus Christie, Texas. It seems that by 1924, some members of the family had already began migrating south. From what fragmentary information exists, probably one or more of the older children opted to make the move to Texas, likely for work reasons, and over time some of the others followed. Maybe the children — most of them teens or adults by the mid-1920s — were looking for better opportunities, or maybe they were just attracted to living near the beach, but they left. This probably included Pauline.
Actor Ryan O’Neal, Farrah’s late-in-life partner and the father of her only son, wrote that Pauline had only a “third-grade education.” If correct, Pauline probably left school in Henryetta at about the age of nine or ten, moved with siblings to Texas, and never resumed her schooling.
Then, in November, 1926, John travelled to Corpus Christie. We don’t know why he went. Was he looking for work so that he could rejoin his children there? Or did he already have an offer? Perhaps he was on vacation, visiting family on the sunny Gulf Coast?
What we do know, is that in December 1926 - only two weeks after he departed Henryetta - John Henry Evans passed away. John died in Corpus Christie of “stricture of gut,” along with complications from “shock of surgery.” According to the Free-Lance, he “was taken suddenly ill" and never recovered. His body was returned to Henryetta for burial. The Free-Lance reported that he was expected to be buried at Westlawn Cemetery, but we find no record of his grave site.
Mattie was still very much alive, and still in Henryetta. In 1928, Mattie was listed as “widow of J.H.” and her address was 711 North First Street — now a vacant lot.
Mattie and the remaining family members finally moved to Corpus Christie in 1928. Mattie had recently lost a teenaged son to unknown reasons, and perhaps that played a role in her desire for a change of scenery. Or perhaps, with her husband and son now dead, she was eager to have the remaining family together again. Pauline’s older sister Bertha remembered returning to Henryetta to bring Mattie with her back to Texas.
In 1930, the federal census shows Mattie residing as a boarder in Corpus Christie. She was not employed. Living with her were her son Robert - employed as a welder - and three daughters. Bertha and Pauline worked as “waitresses” in a “cold drink stand.” Opal, only 14, held no employment.
Otherwise, as far as we know, the large family mostly stayed in Corpus Christie, and were active in civic life. They seem to have been a large, social, happy and close-knit family.
Pauline married James “Jimbo” W. Fawcett in the late 1930s, and in 1947 they gave birth to their second daughter, named “Farrah” because that name went well with “Fawcett.” family
Ryan O’Neal described Pauline as having “a very deep southern accent. She’s a quarter Choctaw Indian, high cheekbones, an older woman but striking. She’s strong and stoic, not at all impressed by Hollywood fame and glamour. She’s been the one sturdy constant in Farrah’s life and Farrah depends on her for advice and emotional support.”
That sounds like Pauline stayed true to her Henryetta roots.
In 1965, about the time that Farrah was leaving for college in Austin, Pauline and her husband Jim moved to Houston, Texas, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Pauline passed away in 2005, after more than 65 years of marriage.
While Pauline lived out her entire life, after 1928, as a Texas resident, she did return to Oklahoma to visit extended family members. At least one Henryettan remembers meeting Farah Fawcett when the future star was about 8 years old.
Pauline also frequently spent extended visits with her famous daughter in California. This probably helped keep Farrah grounded and also provided the star with excuses to decline unwanted invitations. Pauline told a reporter that Farrah could say “I have some plans with my mother,” and that would be the end of it.
Farrah Fawcett honored her mother’s roots in Henryetta. At least one local citizen claims to have met Farrah Fawcett, in Henryetta, back in the 70s. The story is that she walked through the lobby of the old Holiday Inn, flashing that million dollar smile, and waving that gorgeous head of hair. Farrah's poster
Pauline died in 2005 in Houston. She was cremated, given a Roman Catholic memorial service, and Farrah herself kept the ashes.
After a long battle against cancer, Farrah died in June 2009. One of her last requests was that her mother’s ashes be placed in her coffin, and so mother and daughter remain together in death.