Marriage Breakdown, 1946 Separation, and Covington Schooling
The Ekdahls’ marriage quickly broke down, with Marguerite suspecting infidelity before the first year was out, finding Ekdahl stingy, and arguing about his refusal to share money. In summer 1946, she left him, picked up John and Robert from Chamberlain-Hunt, and moved to Covington, Louisiana, at 311 Vermont Street, where they were described as a happy family though Lee kept to himself. After the boys returned to boarding school, Lee enrolled in September at Covington Elementary School, having not completed the first grade at Benbrook despite satisfactory attendance and A’s and B’s.
Reconciliation, Fort Worth Relocation, and 1948 Divorce
Lee received no grades at Covington, from which he was withdrawn on January 23, 1947, after his parents reconciled and moved to Fort Worth at 1505 Eighth Avenue. Four days later, he enrolled at Clayton Public School, completing first grade with B’s except A’s in physical education and health. He entered second grade there in the fall but was withdrawn before grades were recorded as relations deteriorated. Continued arguments and Marguerite’s discovery of Ekdahl with another woman culminated in her ordering him out in January 1948. Ekdahl filed for divorce in March, alleging cruel treatment; the jury found for Ekdahl, and on June 24, the court granted the divorce, returning Marguerite to her former name.
Post-Divorce Benbrook Residency and Return to Fort Worth
While the divorce was pending, Marguerite moved to a house at 3300 Willing Street, next to railroad tracks, signifying to John a return to lower-class circumstances. Lee was withdrawn from Clayton on March 18, 1948, and entered Clark Elementary School the next day, completing second grade with mostly B’s and A’s. A classmate, Philip Vinson, described Lee as a quiet, stocky, well-built boy who was a gang leader but not a bully. After the divorce, Mrs. Oswald purchased a small Benbrook house on San Saba Street with one bedroom, where Lee slept with his mother. She worked at a department store, a neighbor reported Lee resented discipline, and another witnessed Lee chase John with a knife, which their mother dismissed. The property was appraised at $2,750 and sold to neighbor Carlton at that price.
Lee’s Fort Worth Schooling and Childhood Personality
After the Benbrook house was sold, the family returned to Fort Worth due to employment, purchasing a two-bedroom frame house at 7408 Ewing, from which Robert and Lee could walk to school. John, then 16, took a job as a shoe stockboy, giving his mother $15 of his $25 weekly salary. Lee entered third grade at Arlington Heights Elementary, completing the year with A’s in social studies, citizenship, science, art, and music, and a D in spelling. He transferred in September 1949 to Ridglea West Elementary, where he remained for three years, receiving mostly B’s and some C’s, with D’s in spelling and arithmetic, and C’s in Spanish, which contributed to his later familiarity with the language. His fourth-grade IQ was 103, and he did best in reading and worst in spelling on achievement tests. Teachers and neighbors characterized him as a lonely, quiet, shy, and rather solitary boy who returned home alone, read a lot, had a stamp collection, and played chess and Monopoly, though Richard Garrett found him easy to get along with and Hiram Conway considered him intelligent but quick to anger.
Older Brothers’ Departures and 1952 New York Move
John returned to high school in January 1949 while working part time, and entered the Coast Guard early in 1950. Robert left school soon after, worked full time, and contributed most of his earnings to the family; he returned to school in 1951-52, and after completing his junior year, joined the Marines in July 1952. In August, Mrs. Oswald and Lee moved to New York, where John was living with his wife and baby in an apartment at 325 East 92d Street belonging to John’s mother-in-law. Mrs. Oswald explained she did not want Lee alone while she worked, and moved to New York because she had family there.
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