www.MethowValley.org-2021

Tristan Glib's Posts
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

MY FAMILY IN 1968

Gilbert has been working for General Electric for fourteen years and Paul is working for the Foremost Dairy Company in Portland. He and Bonnie have bought a new home in Vancouver, Washington.

My sister Bertha passed away in 1958. She was such a sweet sister and I miss her so. Daniel graduated and completed a year of college at Montana University. He is presently in the Army and stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. Dana is in the sixth grade. Dale graduates this year and then will take up nursing at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington. Barrie is now fourteen years old and nearly ready to enter high school.

Here I am at age of sixty-one. I have a wonderful, kind, and loving husband who still works for the Northern Pacific Railroad. I have four precious grand children. I love all of them very much and pray that my precious Saviour will guide and take care of them all. This is my story up to this date. My life has seen it's sorrows, but there have been so many joys. And through sorrows and joys, God has always been with us, loving and good. God is good.

I stopped my story in 1968. I thought that was a good place to stop. I have experienced so much happiness but yet suffered many heart aches and sorrows. Yet through it all God has given us strength to go through all we had to go through. He has given so many things to thank and praise him for. We have had so many wonderful times together. It is so necessary to a good family life, to love and help each other. Bob Gilbert, my brother Edgar's oldest son, and our daughter, Bonita Joy, have helped me much with this manuscript. They think it is unfinished, so I will add more.

When Dale Joy was born, Elaine called us up and said the water sack had burst. We took off for Richland as fast as we could go. We picked


her up and started for the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Pasco. On the way we traveled past a little cafe. Elaine said she would love to have a hamburger. My nerves and stomach were just jumping. I couldn't believe she could be so calm.

Dale Joy loved all of us. She did not like to be rocked and she loved to run away. Mama Gilbert lived only long enough to hold Dale Joy one time. Dale Joy would tackle anything. When she was older, she wanted to cut my hair. Grandpa said no, but I didn't mind because I knew it would grow back. She cut and cut and I began to think I would be bald. But when she finished, it looked really nice. She loved baby sitting and always wanted to be a nurse. She went through the Girl Scouts.

Mary Dana was a surprise baby and a tiny little one. She loved all of us, but was more of a mama's and daddy's girl. She didn't like to stay with us like the other kids did. She would cry for her folks. I think one reason was that she had bad choking spells and had to be watched a lot. Dana and I had a lot of fun as she got older. She would stay nights with me and tell me ghost stories. She loved horror movies.

We went on a trip to Fox, Oregon to see Elaine's mother and stepfather. Dana and I had so much fun together. She took care of me on that trip. We went to an old log cabin and she pulled square nails for me. We explored an old house and an old fort. We had so much fun, and I felt closer to her than I ever had and I loved her even more. She and I had a ball when we went fishing with Gilbert. She was in scouts and played the piano. We loved them all in the same way, but each one had a different personality and each one had their own place in our hearts.

Barrie and Grandpa had such a close relationship together. He called him Ba. Bonnie and Barrie went agate hunting with us. When he was quite young, his little legs would get tired and Grandpa would take him piggy back. The Mabton hill was very steep and curvy. At the bottom was a little cafe. Barrie would go to sleep, but as tired as he was, he would always wake up before we got to the cafe, because he knew he would get a hamburger and a milk shake.


Paul, Bonnie, and Barrie lived in the house just west of us. We had a little path between the cherry trees. When he didn't think Bonnie was watching, Barrie would run to our house as fast as he could run. He generally came about the time we were having bacon and eggs. He gave us lots of love, and even after he was older, he would hug and kiss Grandpa and me, no matter how many kids he was with.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

HARVESTING GRAPES

When Barrie was little, I was picking grapes. Grandpa wanted to surprise me on my birthday. He made a nice roast dinner. Elaine, Gilbert, and family came in with a big birthday cake. Grandpa told Barrie not to tell me anything so that he could surprise me. The minute I drove up, Barrie ran up to the car and told me the whole story. He stopped talking and covered his face with both hands and said, "Grandma, please don't tell Grandpa nossing." It gave all of us a big laugh.

I picked grapes and tied grapes for years. I could pick 100 lugs per day on good vines. We picked frozen grapes in fog, rain, snow, hail, and sunshine. It had to be a little warmer to tie them, or the limbs would break when frozen. We surely worked hard, but had a lot of fun. There were six of us women that picked together as a team. When we picked and tied in Benton City, Sylvia Egbert and I took turns driving, her one week and I the next. I did not like that long a drive. Now they have machines to pick the grapes. They can pick all the grapes from a row in ten minutes. The machine shakes the grapes clean.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

SPOKANE LILAC FESTIVALS

When Bobbie was in the high school band, Edgar and I would go watch the band performance at the Lilac Festival in Spokane. We would pick up Veva and Bertha and all go to watch the parade. We always had so much fun and enjoyed seeing Bobbie march and play in the band.
Sometimes we had lovely weather and sometimes rain and cold.

One time, Jackie (Johnnie and Joyce Bongart's son) went with us. As the parade was finished and we were leaving for home, we passed lots of girls that had been in the parade. There were tumblers and twirlers, and so forth. Jackie would wolf whistle at them and hide on the floor of the car. They would see only Edgar and they would glare at him. Edgar was very embarrassed and would try to look very dignified.

One year Donella went with us and wore a hoop skirt. It took up most of the back seat and was in the way all day. Donella and I got the giggles. After Guy retired, he went with us. Leonard always had to work. Decoration day we all went to the Latah cemetery and to Rockford where Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Tozier were buried. We always took lots of flowers and the five of us spent the day together. Marcella could not go because she always had too much work to do.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

GRANDCHILDREN

On December 19, 1948, Daniel Leonard was born. He was such a strong healthy baby. We loved him so much. Two years later on December 12, 1950 a baby girl was born, Dale Joy. We were so happy and thrilled as she was so healthy and strong. When she was still tiny, my mother passed away after a stroke. Although we missed her terribly, we knew she was in Heaven. She was such a good Christian.

When Dale was a baby, Gilbert became really sick with bleeding ulcers. The doctor had to remove 3/4 of his stomach. He was given only a 50/50 chance to live. They kept giving him blood, but it just would not bring up his blood count. He had a very rare blood type and they were running out as he needed a lot during the operation. We put it on TV and radio. You just cannot believe how people responded. They went to the hospital, came to the house, and called by phone. People can be so wonderful when you really need help. We had plenty of blood and Gilbert came through the operation really well. He had to eat strained and baby food for a long time. He didn't get sick very often, but when he did, it took God's miracle to bring him through.

For a good many years, black people were not allowed to stay in Kennewick. If they came in by train, they were put back on the train and sent to Pasco. When Danny was little, I took him and Dale to a parade in Pasco. There was a small black boy standing close to us.
Danny loudly said to me, "That boy is black, Grandma. He doesn't have to wash his face." I wanted to hide some place.

When Dale was just a baby, Mama held her only one time. My little Mama was quite well up until she had a stroke and spent about 4 weeks in the hospital. During these 4 weeks she was in a coma and never knew she was paralyzed.

Before she had this stroke, I would go up Edgar's where Mama was living and stay with her one day each week. I would give her lots of love, bathe her, wash her hair and comb it, clean her room, and I always made custard pies for her.


Her hair was a beautiful pure white and so long it reached below her shoulders with waves near the ends. We had such nice days together. You would have liked my little Mama. She always thought she should wear blue, black, or brown colors. We finally got her into a pink coat and a lilac colored dress. She looked so pretty in them with her white hair.

When Veva and I were young, the older men around Latah would tell us, "You girls are nice looking, but you don't hold a candle to your mother." It always made us so happy and proud.

Mama's room was in the south west corner of Edgar's house. Mama raised several different kinds of cactus plants that had beautiful blossoms during the winters. She also loved growing large green ferns in her room. She grew African violets that bloomed during the winter in many different colors.

Marcella was always very thoughtful and good to Mama. She was happy in Edgar's home and helped with the children and work, until it was too hard for her to do it. I have always had such a deep love for my nieces and nephews. We were all very loving and close.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

PAUL

On August 31, 1949, Bonnie married Paul Pickett. After being married only seven weeks they became involved in a severe auto accident in which Bonnie was seriously injured. Her right leg was fractured to the extent that it required surgery. Later, Doctor Lih showed us the x-rays of her leg on a Saturday and still there was no healing. He requested permission to amputate her leg on the next Monday. We were frantic. I called several churches for prayers.

I went into the big First Methodist Church in Kennewick and alone there I prayed for our Bonnie's leg. I looked up at the picture of Jesus on the wall. Jesus spoke to me saying, "Every thing is all right."

When we went to the hospital Monday morning, Doctor Lih met us and was very excited and relieved. He showed us newly taken x-rays, and praise the Lord, there was a lot of healing that had taken place. Doctor Lih said that he would not need to amputate and that he was going to put her leg in a cast. Again our precious Lord answered our prayers and saved her leg. How wonderful our blessed Savior is to us, and how much He cares. We never give Him enough praise.

She was in a body cast after traction, then went to a brace, crutches, and a cane. But, thank God, she can now walk without limping.

Paul had to go into the Marines and when he came home he worked for Safeway. Barrie Francis was born April 9, 1955, and was such a joy to them. We all loved him dearly. Gilbert's children have been so good to Barrie and Barrie adores them. When Mary Dana was born to Gilbert and Elaine, August 21, 1957, Barrie always called her his little sister.
They love to play together and Barrie took good care of her.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

THE FLOOD OF 1948

In 1948 the Columbia River flooded and almost reached our home. It came clear up between Entiat and Fruitland Streets. Every day, Leonard and I would go down and measure it. One night at 2:00 a.m. the call car came through ordering everyone on the north side of the railroad tracks to evacuate. Several of our neighbors panicked and started loading their cars. Leonard decided we should wait awhile, because the water had not raised since evening. So we all calmed down, and soon afterwards the water began to recede. The National Guards were posted on every road as an effort to control looting. We had to sign in and out every time we left our place. Guy and Marie owned a trailer court a few blocks to the east of our home that was under water. They had to evacuate. Later a dike was built to prevent future flooding and most of the homes by the river had to be moved because of water backed up by the construction of McNary Dam dedicated by President Eisenhower in 1955. Much of the land was converted into Columbia Park.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

ELAINE

In 1946, Gilbert came home from Japan, so I quit work to be with him as much as possible. He had reenlisted and then went to California.
While there he met Elaine Louise Young (a WAC in the US Army) and they were married.

When he brought her home, she got off the train and walked right into our hearts, and to this day she is still there. I guess I'm an odd mother- in-law, but I can't find any fault in her. She is a perfect wife and mother, and we love her dearly. Her first baby, Dewey Clark, was born September 11, 1947. We all wanted him so very much. It nearly broke all of our hearts to lose him. He was such a beautiful baby that I feel God had need of him in Heaven.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

WORLD WAR II

I worked in Pasco at the Pasco Holding and Reconsignment Plant for five years. First I worked as a checker and then storekeeper. I started in 1941 and worked until 1946. I stopped working to be home when Gilbert was on furlough from the Army. I enjoyed working there. It could get hot and it could really get cold.

We had a blizzard one January and we had to take our shift of working outside. We had to crawl through the tires to count them as they were covered with snow. They had six big warehouses and the railroad cars would bring war supplies to be stacked in the warehouses and restacked in railroad cars as orders came in. The checkers had to record the length, width, and capacity of each car and write the name of the seal from each car as well as describe the contents of each car, how it was loaded, and count each piece. The storekeepers had to tell them where to put the loads in the warehouse with respect to high piling and square footage. There were 15 bays (large spaces) in each warehouse. When the Colonel or Major called, the storekeepers were supposed to know where every load was, what size railroad car it would take to load it, etc.

We had a lot of Italian prisoners there and they worked at loading and unloading cars. I was always a little afraid of them as they were sullen and mean. They were fed well and paid a small wage for working in the cars, but they thought they should get as much money as the crews did. They would strike and get so mean. We women checkers and store keepers were afraid of them. They had so much freedom and so much food, including meat. We were rationed for meat and could have very little. They would have big hams and bacon slabs hanging in their camps. They were furnished cigarettes. It sure hurt us when we knew how our boys were being treated. One of the Italian prisoners, named Mario, fell in love with one of the women in the office. He cried every day and mourned his Italy. After he left and went home, he wrote that


he wanted to come back. His Italy was all torn up and the beauty was gone.

I still must smile when I think about a freight car that was to be unloaded into the warehouse, because my checkers couldn't get the correct count. The Major and the Colonel became so annoyed that they became quite stern with the checkers. Eventually they were so frustrated that they decided to do the counting themselves. They became even more frustrated when they also could not get the correct count. We later learned that the prisoners were creating the confusion by intentionally mixing up the stock.

When I was working at Big Pasco Holding and Reconsignment Point, I had to leave real early in the morning to be there and have my door opened by seven a.m. Bonnie had to get Gilbert up and Gilbert would be angry with her for wakening him, even though she had his breakfast ready. Leonard told him that the next time Gilbert did not get up that Bonnie would pour a bucket of water over his head. He woke up the next morning and it was pouring rain. He thought Bonnie was really getting him wet. He yelled, "I'm getting up, I'm getting up right now!"

We worked six to seven days a week and sometimes twelve to fourteen hours a day. During this time, Leonard was working two extra night shifts each week. The Second World War was at its very worst at this time, and in 1945, Gilbert went into the Army. Just before he went to Japan, the War ended. He still went over to help clean up, as some of the Japanese were still fighting. Some of them were in caves and didn't even know the war was over.

We were so thankful when Gilbert came home safely. I could not believe how well he took care of his clothes. Before he went into the service, I could find one sock under the bed and one under the bathtub. When he came home, he took each piece off and hung it on a hanger.
He was showing Bonnie some Judo tricks he learned in the service. She did not want him to, but he told her he would not hurt her. He threw her over his head, right into a tree. She said she felt undignified in front of the audience.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

MOVE TO THE GARDEN TRACT

In 1944, we sold our little farm on South Gum Street and moved to the Garden Tract which at that time was in prune, cherry, and peach trees. It is located on Entiat Street in Kennewick where we lived until 1990. I was still working and so we really had to work far into the nights to get ourselves moved.

We had 24 Bing cherry trees when we moved to the Garden Tracts. I picked a lot and sold them to Safeway Grocery Store. We also had people pick their own for ten cents per pound. We always sold all of them. The cherries were beautiful. People came and picked them for ten cents per pound. A lady in a station wagon stopped and asked if she could pick cherries. I told her I had plenty left on the trees. Out of the wagon came five children. The lady asked if she could still pick cherries. I told here the children could eat and pick all they wanted, but that they shouldn't remove the leaves from the trees. I led them to a tree that was really loaded with cherries. She had stopped at several places and they wouldn't let her pick because of her children. They did a good job of picking, and I enjoyed them.

In November 1948, the weather had been very warm. Our Bing cherry trees were budded out. Also the roses developed buds that were beginning to open. Along came a killing frost that froze every one of our 24 cherry trees. It looked like a giant axe had split every tree wide open. Leonard had to take every tree out by the roots, stumps, and all by shovel and dragging with an old car that we had. He put the property into lawn. What a job that was. That same frost killed our apricots. We never had many fruit trees after that, except a few dwarf peaches and apricots.

When we moved to the garden tracts in 1944, our neighbors to the east of us were two elderly unmarried women. They had one cow and some chickens. They had to be gone a day or two. They asked us to feed the


chickens and milk the cow. I never laughed so hard in my life as when Leonard tried to milk that cow. She had never been milked by a man before. They went around and around the corral. I finally ended up milking her. Most of the children were afraid of the sisters, but our grandchildren loved them and would talk to them over the fence. Their names were Nettie and Mamie Barnes, and the kids would say, "Hello Miss Barnes."

We had a chicken house and the Barnes sisters had one too. There was a path between the two chicken houses that had been made by rats. We set traps and caught some of them, but we could not keep up with them. One night I forgot to fill a bucket full of water as I usually did. The next morning there were eight rats drowned in the little bit of water left in the bucket. They crawled into the bucket for water, but could not crawl out and drowned in the shallow water at the bottom of the bucket. So every night we followed this plan and we were soon rid of rats. We also put lye powder in the path. This burned the rat's feet and they would lick them and then die. It was such a relief to get rid of them. I hate rats and mice.

We had a bad scare when grasshoppers were moving from Kahlotus toward Pasco and Kennewick. Leonard and I drove out close to where they were and it was very frightening. They changed their course at the very last as they were destroying everything within a wide radius in their path. Pioneer stories tell how the grasshoppers took every bit of grain, vegetables, and fruit trees and then laid their eggs which hatched the next spring.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

EDGAR'S FAMILY

Edgar married Marcella Rogers in 1936. Edgar and Gert had one daughter, Jean. Marcella and Edgar later had Robert, Donella, and Grant. During the charivari for Edgar and Marcella, Marcella's brother, Arthur, invited everyone to bring empty tin cans and throw them around the yard. One hit me in the face, broke my glasses, and cut my eye. Otherwise we had a good time, but left an awful mess.

I gave Edgar and Marcella's children, Bobbie, Donella, and Grant, their first baths after they were brought home from the hospital. I enjoyed them so much. Donella had such deep dimples and always said the right one was mine. If anyone would ask her if they could have a dimple, she would always say, "Not the right one. That one belongs to Auntie Elma."

Jean was very good to help Marcella. Jean was happy to have Bobbie, Donella, and Grant and loved them so dearly. Mama lived with Edgar and Marcella's family in Kennewick. Because Marcella taught school, Edgar and Marcella's children were left at home with Mama until they started school. Mama also helped take care of all of her grandchildren in times of sickness, birth of babies, or other needs.

When Donella was quite young, she would slip into Jean's bra, grasp Jean's purse, climb up onto a chair to reach the wall telephone, lift up the receiver, and proudly announce to the central that she was Jean Gilbert. When Jean discovered what had happened, she was very embarrassed. Donella always idolized her older sister Jean.

When Donella was a toddler she pulled a boiling hot cup of coffee from the breakfast table onto herself. Edgar and Marcella poured cold water on the burned area, covered her burned skin with butter, and took her to the Doctor deBit. Dr. deBit praised them for their treatment and said that if untreated Donella's scars would have been more severe.

One time Bobbie locked Donella out of the house. Donella was so determined to get back into the house that she pushed her hand and arm through the window in the door, causing a deep slash in her wrist.


Because she was afraid of getting into trouble, she ran into the back yard and hid in the bushes. Marcella saw the broken window and asked Bobbie what had happened. After he told her, she saw the blood and frantically called Edgar to help her search for Donella. Donella remained silent in fear of being disciplined for breaking the window.
Marcella and Edgar were so relieved when they finally found Donella and were so busy attending to her injury, that they did not punish her.

Donella used to enjoy hiding under the kitchen table and listening to the adult conversations. A neighbor came to visit and bought their Boston Bull Terrier, Bosco, into the house with them. Bosco went under the table where Donella was hiding, and lifted his leg and marked the table leg. Donella had to remain silent to avoid revealing her hiding place.

Bobbie loved to hide Donella's kittens in the ash collector beneath their fireplace. Donella would hear her kittens' meowing but could not find their location. This made Donella very furious.

When Bobbie was about five years old, he was hitting Boyd and Gilbert in the stomach with a ball. Edgar was laughing. Boyd and Gilbert thought that it wasn't funny and that Bobbie should be made to stop. So Bobbie threw the ball really hard and hit Edgar in the stomach and got into real trouble. It was no longer funny to Edgar.

Victor Rogers (Marcella's brother) took Jean and Bobbie to the J. R. Ayers sheep ranch overlooking the Wallula Gap south of Hoover to pick out orphaned lambs. When grown, the lambs would be returned to the sheep ranch. Their tameness from being with children would help make them valuable leaders of the sheep band.

One morning one of the lambs was found bloated with its feet pointing upwards toward the sky. Bobbie said that he was thankful and relieved that it was Jean's lamb that had died, and not his.

One time Edgar and a hired man were burning weeds in the pasture. They warned Bobbie to stay away from the fire. After the fire was out Bobbie began stomping through the ashes. His feet became very hot


and he began crying. The hired man carried Bobbie to the house and Marcella soaked his feet in cold water. Some lessons are painfully learned.

When Bobbie was about seven years old, Edgar told him that if he helped clean up the yard, they could burn the trash in a bonfire. Bobbie gathered tumbleweeds, sticks, dead branches, papers, and other trash until there was a large pile of combustibles. Edgar told Bobbie that he wanted to be present when the trash was burned.

Bobbie was so excited and anxious about the bonfire that he struck a match and started the pile burning before Edgar even knew what was happening. When Edgar saw the flames leaping against the painted redwood siding of the house, he became terrified. He realized that the pile of trash was too close to their home. He spanked Bobbie, sent him away, and then proceeded to extinguish the fire with a shovel and garden hose. That was the only time that Edgar gave Bobbie a really severe spanking.

Bobby and Donella used to sit on the back of Bossy, their milk cow, while she was eating oats with her head locked in the stanchion. One time when Donella was sitting on Bossy, Bobby turned Bossy loose. Bossy went running out of the barn with Donella hanging on for dear life. Eventually Donella was bucked off and harbored angry feelings toward Bobby.

One winter Ernest and Thelma Cowles from Grandview visited Edgar's family. Ernest had made Bobbie a pretty silver ring with a petrified wood setting. Bobbie was very excited about being presented with his beautiful new ring. When the Cowles were walking to their car pushing Glennie in his wheel chair, Bobbie tried to show off by throwing a snow ball he formed from the freshly fallen snow. The snowball hit Ernest on the side of his head. Bobbie felt very embarrassed and sorry that he had thrown the snowball.

One time Edgar, Marcella, and family were visiting Marcella's sister's family, the Skramstaads, in Moscow, Idaho. Edgar, Lloyd Skramstaad, and Grant, Edgar's youngest son, went into town for groceries. Edgar


and Lloyd returned to the farm house. Later, a telephone call was received from the Moscow Police Station indicating that they had a lost boy at the station. Edgar and Lloyd suddenly realized that Grant did not return with them. They hurried to the Police Station where they found Grant eating an ice cream cone. Grant began crying, frightened and angry with them. He said, "Why did you leave me." All were quite upset.

Donella used an unusual tactic to improve Grant's behavior. She made paper Gremlin cutouts and pinned these onto the living room and dining room curtains. She told him that these Gremlins were watching him and if he did anything wrong they would seek revenge. Grant believed her. He avoided those rooms to the extent that Donella felt a little guilty about what she had done.

Edgar bought a new outboard boat. Bobbie was anxious to test it and insisted on taking it to the river, even though it was getting dark. Edgar, Bobbie, and a young couple who rented Edgar's apartment launched the boat in the Finley Lagoon and proceeded to make some turns. The bow hooked in a wave, unseen in the darkness, that caused the boat to overturn. Edgar and Bobbie swam pushing the overturned boat to shore. Everyone safely swam to shore. The only thing they lost was a pair of boots. It frightened me because that river is deep with many currents. Many people have drowned there. Edgar was so proud that he had saved his hat.

Edgar bought a motorized dirt bike for Grant. Edgar told Grant never to ride it on main roads. But Grant decided to try it anyway. The police picked him up and made him push the bike all the way home. Part of it was up a steep hill, and he didn't get any sympathy from anyone, especially from his father.

It may have been a little hard on Edgar to have his own sons, daughters, and lots of nieces and nephews in his classes at school. I think he may have been a little extra harder on Jean, Bob, Donella, and Grant, because he did not want other parents to think that he played favorites. Gilbert and Bonnie learned more in his classes than in any other classes.


Jean saved enough money to buy a Model A Ford Coupe. It had a folding rumble seat. She was very proud of her automobile. Jean and Bonnie had a ball running all over in it. One Saturday night they were having fun riding around Kennewick and Pasco. Jean would retard the spark and make the muffler pop and crack, especially when going by the Highland Grange at night while they were holding a dance. She also blew the muffler that night which shortened their fun as they were afraid they would be stopped for a defective muffler. The next day Jean had to buy a new muffler and she and Bonnie had to install it. They didn't know how, but managed to get it on anyway. It turned out that they did a good job.

Jean was a very sweet girl. When she married Curley Marsh and moved to the Boise Valley we all missed her very much. Grant was very cute. He would wear a big hat and wore play guns that he drew on everyone. He later played and enjoyed football.

Bobbie had a talent for playing the piano. He wrote some beautiful words and set them to music. I wanted him to send them in to someone who knew music. It was so pretty. I don't know if he still plays or not or if he sent his song in.

Donella loved poetry. When she stayed with Aunt Bertha, she and Sis would write poetry together. Bertha wanted Donella to have her book of poems. But after she passed away, we couldn't find it anyplace. Ed couldn't or wouldn't say what had happened to it. Bonita and Bertha were interested in coins. Bonita was supposed to get Bertha's coins when she was finished with them. But most of the good ones were missing.

Bonnie's husband, Paul, when he had the Atlantic Richfield service station on West Kennewick Avenue near Olympia Street, would get very unusual coins and send them to Bertha. They were missing from her collection. Sis knew a man who collected coins and stamps. They traded back and forth. Bertha was very ill with cancer before she passed away. She might have sold some to him. Bonnie spent a lot of time visiting Bertha and Veva. She and Roberta were close cousins of about the same age.


Edgar used to lament because he didn't have any grandchildren, while all the rest of his brothers and sisters did. But he ended up with 17, more than all of the rest of us put together.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

ROCK HOUNDING

One Sunday afternoon we were watching a baseball game and Guy stopped and wanted us to go arrow head hunting. We didn't really want to go, but decided to go. I found two perfect arrow heads laying on the surface of the ground. That started us as rock hunters. Our group included Guy, Marie and their family; Leonard and I with Gilbert and Bonnie; and lots of times Edgar.

Edgar always kidded Guy when we were hunting rocks. Edgar said that when he picked up a rock and showed it to Guy, Guy would lick it and say it wasn't any good. But when Guy picked one up and licked it, it was always good. I was always afraid Guy would cut his tongue off, because the edges of the petrified wood were so sharp.

Guy, Marie, Edgar, Leonard and I took a doctor from one of the museums back east to Snake Island. The doctor was pretty drunk, and Guy let the boat get down into the rapids. The doctor and Marie neither one could swim. The doctor was shaking so hard that water was coming over the sides into the boat. Guy scolded Marie for not sitting still. We finally got close enough to shore for Marie and me to get out. Guy was so disgusted with us. He said, "If you girls had waited, I could have landed without your getting wet." Marie and I just howled as we both had been sitting in water up to our waist.

Whenever Leonard would have a day off, we would pack up food, the kids and go to Plymouth to hunt arrow heads. Bonnie would hunt really hard and Gilbert would play. Then when it came time to go home, Gilbert would cry because he hadn't found any. Then he would generally find one and make Bonnie so mad.

I used to be so unhappy with Gilbert. He had a BB gun and when he would hit a rabbit, Bonnie would cry. He shot down the hill one day with the rest of us walking behind him. The pellet hit a rock, came back


and hit Leonard in the eye. Leonard had a very sore eye. Gilbert felt terrible, even though it was not his fault.

We found lots of Indian artifacts, especially Guy. He began building and developing a beautiful museum. It finally became very difficult to find Indian artifacts because the islands where we hunted were flooded by backwaters from new dams. We started hunting and digging rocks instead. Petrified wood, agates, geodes, thunder eggs, nodules, tearlites, and petrified sage brush.

Later Veva and Leslie Lamb joined us. After Leslie and Veva became interested in rock hounding, they and their daughters, Marion Joyce and Roberta Mae, joined us every chance they had. We had so many good trips together. Although Veva had severe arthritis in her knees, she still loved the trips.

Marie and I had lots of fun together. We always went on all the rock hunting trips when we could take the children. Even after Marie became ill, she would take some oranges and apples and something to read. How the food disappeared, dirt and all. Even sand tastes good when you are hungry. Those were wonderful times to remember. Veva and I would look for agates within sight of Marie. When we became tired, we returned to the car to talk up a storm with Marie.

Marie went rock hounding with us until she became too ill to make the trips. I used to call Marie every day after her illness increased to where she could no longer leave the house to travel with Guy. After she was taken to the hospital, we took turns staying up with her. Guy and I took the midnight shift. We all missed her so much. She died so young.

Guy continued his trips with his children, relatives, and cronies. He eventually developed a lovely museum with his bountiful collections. He made trips to Alaska to visit Alma and Naulon in Fairbanks. He always came home loaded with artifacts, ivory, and beautiful jewelry to add to the museum.

We made a lot of trips and after Gilbert and Bonnie were married. The grandchildren went with us. Bonnie and Barrie enjoyed these outings.


We made a trip to Graveyard Point near Boise, Idaho. Bonnie, Barrie and I started up a hill. Barrie screamed, "Snake Grandma!" The rattlesnake was coiled and ready to strike. I really ran. Barrie afterward said he did not know Grandma could run so fast. I just hate snakes.
Paul did not like rock hunting and was very busy, but he was good to let Bonnie and Barrie come with us. Gilbert was a fishing man and took his kids with him most of the time. We went agate hunting in Bickleton one day. I told Danny to stay close to us as he could get lost and there were range cattle there. Pretty soon I heard him yell, "Bull, Grandma!" I said "Run!" Away we ran and hid behind some stumps. Pretty soon an old worn-out cow came out from behind the bushes. Grandpa just cracked up with laughter.

We made one trip to Montana to dig sapphires with Helen and Leslie, their son Kevin, and their small dog. Bonnie and Barrie and their large dog Sandy also went. It rained on us the first day and when we arrived in Montana it was too wet to dig sapphires. We drove on to some fields and mountain ranges. The owner knew Leslie and opened up his ranch to us. The sun was shinning and we spent several days there. We found some beautiful agates. Leonard found one big beautiful piece of petrified wood, but it was too heavy for him to carry. When we returned to camp, there it was. Barrie had carried it down for his grandpa.

We went through a museum at Helena. It was very interesting. The Lord's supper was presented with such realism that you could almost see the Disciples talking. These are precious memories.

One week end stands out in my mind as a really fun time. Danny was in the boy scouts and wanted to show us how the boy scouts build a fire and prepare breakfast. So Gilbert, Elaine, Danny, Dale, Dana, Leonard, and I went to Ferndale, Idaho to screen garnets. Gilbert, Elaine, and Danny slept in a tent. The rest of us slept in our trailer. The weather had been so pretty, but the next morning was very foggy and everything was wet. Danny got up early and tried to start a fire. The wood was too wet. He had to give up. We all ended up in the trailer house taking turns eating breakfast. We had so much fun. The weekend turned out to be beautiful.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

GUY'S FAMILY

Alma and I would woak across the railroad bridge at night and have Leonard take us to a Chinese restaurant in Pasco for lunch at midnight. We would then walk home again. It was sort of scary and I would not think of anyone else doing it now. Crossing one this railroad bridge was the only thing I ever say my little Mama gave up on. She had walked to about the middle of the bridge and froze. Edgar had to carry her back, because whe could not move. We all prayed that a train would not come each time we walked on it.

To celebrateone Thanksgiving, Guy's family and my family went to Sunnyside to be with Edgar. Edgar was teaching in the Sunnyside School District. Guy's daughter, Shirley, and Bonita were just 28 days apart in age. Dorothy came up to me and said, "Auntie Elma, I just Hate you!" I felt shocked and said, "Why? What have I done, Dorothy?" Dorothy said, "Bonnie is so happy and cooing and laughing, while Shirley is starving to death!"

I had so much milk and Marie could not nurse Shirley at all. I told Dorothy that I would just love to nurse Shirley. She ran and told Marie. Marie said she would be so grateful if I would. I nursed her until she could eat from a spoon and drink from a cup. She knew when it was time for her to come to our house for her to eat, even as tiny as she was. After getting her little tummy full, she wouldn't stay with me at all. She wanted her Mommy and Papa.

One day I had painted all day in the kitchen. It looked very nice and clean and made me feel very proud. Leonard and I were going over to Auntie Keene's to play Pinochle. Dorothy had come down to stay all night. We told the kids not to get the paint dirty. When we came home, black marks were all over the wall on the south side. Dorothy had been showing Gilbert and Bonnie how she could stand on her head and balance herself with her feet against the wall. I could have easily


paddled all three of them. But they did feel really terrible. Mothers are softies.

Dorothy told Uncle Leonard one day that she could run faster than he could. So he gave her a head start, about a third of the way to the mail box, and passed her so easily that she could hardly believe it.

Guy had an old horse that we all loved. One day he was making rows for the irrigation water to run in the corn. The horse just stopped and refused to move. Guy lost his temper and really hit her. Still, she refused to move. Finally he went in front of her and at her feet was Shirley, just a crawling baby. Guy felt so bad to think that his horse took a bad beating rather than to step on the baby.

Guy and I took Gilbert, Bonnie, Leslie, and Alma swimming on the Pasco side of the Snake River. The bank was sloping gradually down to the water and it was a good place to swim. There we met a baby sitter with Dr. Blackman's nurse's twin girls. They were swimming together when one of the twins started screaming that she couldn't find her sister. We all started searching for her. One of the swimmers stepped on her. She was being held on the bottom by a freak current. Guy grabbed her, put her on her stomach, and he and I started working on her. She started to spit up water and coughing. Two firemen arrived and pushed Guy and me away. They turned her on her back and couldn't get their pulmonator started. She was lost. We were all broken hearted. It haunted me for months. We never went swimming there again. I just couldn't go back. I can still visualize her darling little face.

Gilbert and his cousin Boyd were great pals and what one couldn't think of, the other one did. To this day Gilbert tells me things they did that makes my hair a little greyer. Bonnie and her cousin Shirley tried to keep up with the boys and nearly killed themselves. But I still say kids and farms go together.

We used to have lots of family dinners together. Gilbert always said Aunt Marie made the best cakes of us all and that Boyd made the best potato soup. The children would finish first and go out to play. The grownups would visit. One day while visiting, we heard a car stop


really fast. A man marched into the house holding Gilbert by one ear and Boyd by one ear. He asked, "Do you punish these kids or do I?" I asked, "What did they do?" He said they threw tires in front of his car and nearly frightened him to death, as he thought he had hit a child. We promised him that they would be punished. We did not let them play together anymore that day and they had to go to bed early.

One day feeling like the kids were up to something, I found Boyd and Gilbert riding their bicycles on top the roof of one of the chicken houses. One day Boyd fell and rammed a stick down into his throat. He came running to the house with blood streaming from his mouth. I had a time finding out what had happened. It wasn't so bad after the blood was washed out. Life was never dull, especially when the kids got together.

One time Gilbert and Boyd made candy. Bonnie told them it was not yet cooked long enough. The boys told Bonnie to shut up, they knew how to make candy. Boyd grabbed the candy and ran out doors with Gilbert running after him. By the time Gilbert caught up with him, it was nearly gone and they had to eat the remaining candy with a spoon. Bonnie nearly had hysterics laughing over the outcome.

I had a big ceramic dog bank that was won in a carnival. I had it almost full of Indian pennies. Boyd and Gilbert broke it open and spent all of my pennies on candy and gum. I could have cried, but didn't. But it wasn't funny. I wish I had them today. Gilbert and Boyd tried smoking and caught the manure pile on fire. It smoldered for days. Edgar's oldest daughter, Jean, got into a lot of fun and mischief with them.

Alma told me that when Leslie Gilbert played football, he was very good and received a college scholarship, but did not use it.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

THE DEPRESSION

During the depression, Leonard was off of work for one year. We put our car in the garage and walked to town and carried groceries home. We could walk to Edgar's, Guy's, and our friends, Hermann and Marian Campbell's.

Edgar and Leonard got work putting the roof on the Kennewick High School. They could hardly stand the hot tar on their feet and the heat coming up over their body and faces, as it was more than 120EF in the shade. Leonard also hoed potatoes for a neighbor for 25 cents per hour.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

GERTRUDE

Edgar's first marriage was to a girl named Gertrude Bauchmann, we called her "Gert." I chummed with her for years. They lived up on Knob Hill at the southeast corner of what is now Sixth and Juniper Streets. We lived in the valley on what is now South Gum Street. If Gertrude stood on their flume and would wave a red shirt, I could see her and tell she wanted me to come up to see her. If I wanted her, I would open our garage door.

When I was about 15 years old, I had a crush on Gertrude's brother, Fred Bauchmann. He never knew how wonderful I thought he was. He was tall and very nice looking. One very hot day he was digging ditches for irrigation water. He was just a wash of sweat. He ran to the irrigation canal and jumped into the water. He died instantly. We all mourned his death.

Edgar and Gertrude had only one child that lived, Gertrude Jean. She was premature and had colic so badly that they finally found out that goats milk was the only thing that would agree with her. During this time I had my first experience milking a goat. We had to put the goat on a box while it was being milked. Jean did fine on goats milk.

Edgar was involved in a tragic automobile accident in Finley during a Sunday afternoon drive. Edgar had purchased a new Dodge car. Edgar, Gertrude, Mama, and Jean stopped by our house to take us for a ride.
We were not home. Edgar's family drove on toward Bryson Brown corner. A young man, who had been heavily drinking, was driving in a fast moving car and hit Edgar's car. Jean saw the car coming and said it was coming very fast and weaving badly. A spectator indicated that the car was going fast and was weaving and moving erratically. Edgar's arm was cut very badly. He was sent into shock. Mama's head was badly cut and some ribs were broken. Gertrude had a broken pelvis.


Jean was just a little girl and she was so frightened that she still remembers the accident. She was thrown under the other car beside the man who was dying. She thought that he was snoring. She kept saying, "Wake him up, he is snoring, Wake him up, he is snoring." Each time he took a breath, blood was discharged from his mouth. Mama told Edgar to go to the Bryson Brown house and telephone for help. She said her head was bleeding badly. Edgar could only respond, "Are you?"

Jean's little puppy vanished at the time of the accident. Thorough searches of the surrounding fields and contacts with neighbors failed to reveal any information on the fate of the puppy.

Mama and Jean were taken to the second floor of the Pasco Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Edgar and Gertrude were taken to the fourth floor. I kept going back and forth between the two floors. Jean did not want me to leave her. Edgar was in terrible shock and kept saying it couldn't be his fault because he couldn't drive and didn't have a car. He got so upset that I was afraid to leave him, so I hired a special nurse to stay with him. The next day he was better.

The mother of the young man who was killed wrote and sent terrible telephone calls to Edgar, accusing him of killing her son. She was so persistent that Edgar became fearful of even answering the telephone or opening his mail. She threatened to sue Edgar and take everything that he owned.

Gertrude lost three babies. One is buried in Latah, one in Sunnyside, and one in Kennewick near Tenth Avenue and Olympia Street. She was getting along really well after her last miscarriage, but a blood clot settled in her heart and we lost her. I still miss her a lot. It nearly broke our hearts when she died very suddenly from a blood clot after having a miscarriage. I still miss her after all these years. None of us wanted her to try to have another baby, but Doctor Spaulding thought that she could. I helped mama as much as I could with Edgar and Jean.

Gertrude Bauchmann and I were very close. She and I worked sorting apples at the Big Y for a while. Gert could not sleep days and had


trouble with the night work schedule. I bought a cow with part of my money that was supposed to be with a calf, but wasn't. So I really was cheated since she could never have a calf.

We cooked, sewed, and were together so much. Gertrude and I used to chase a big fat hen and make a large kettle of chicken and dumplings. We would all have dinner together. She liked the chicken back the best. So all of us saved those pieces for her.

Gertrude could look at the dress on someone, go home and make a perfect dress pattern with newspapers. We were planning on making dresses for Jean and Bonnie the day she died. She was a wonderful Christian girl. She was so sweet. She always cried when she laughed really hard and wet her pants. Leonard used to tell the funniest stories at the table and away Gert was gone.

Gertrude and Bonnie had so much fun together. Whenever Bonnie came through the door, Gertrude would sing, "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." Bonnie missed her so much after Gertrude was gone.

Gertrude was about 5 feet 5 inches. She was slender with dark hair and brown eyes. She always could get a beautiful tan, but I burned. She loved to work in the garden and with her flowers. Jean also takes after her as she also loves flowers and gardening. Gertrude was a good cook, but she loved the outdoors most. She was very pretty and a sweet Christian girl. Whenever her feelings were hurt, she would hide and cry. She would always tell her little hurts to me. Jean is like her in many ways. I can see Gertrude when I look at Jean, sometimes.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

OUR CHILDREN'S GROWING YEARS

Leonard would put Gilbert in a box and put him on the back of the harrow. Gilbert would ride and play until he would go to sleep.
Leonard would bring him to the house. He was a wonderful husband and father. He worked so hard to support his family and had so much fun with them.

We had a Model T Ford pickup to bring feed from town. One day we looked out and Gilbert was taking off in it across the fields (Leonard had left it running). We were scared, but he did look so cute. It looked like the pickup was driving itself.

Gilbert made a bow and arrow set. I don't know how he ever did it, but he shot an arrow through his finger. I took him to Dr. Spaulding to have the arrow cut out. Gilbert never made a sound. When it was over, Gilbert said, "It takes a lot to make a Wagenaar cry." Dr. Spaulding looked at me and smiled. I was crying very hard.

When Gilbert was six-years old and in the first grade, he came home from school and wanted to go directly to bed. I told Mama something was wrong. He never does that. So we went to the bedroom and asked him what was wrong. He said that his side hurt where a fourth grader had kicked his groin. Mama and I felt a hernia.

I ran over and asked Mr. Keene what I should do. He said to push it back up, put a big button over it and wrap him in a cloth to keep it in place. I pushed it back up and took him to the doctor the next day. Dr. Spaulding ordered a truss for Gilbert.

Gilbert wore this truss until he had an operation for appendicitis. He was flat on his back for four months while the hernia healed. Dr.
Spaulding said that the only thing that might cause the hernia to recur would be if Gilbert were to play football.


Gilbert was such a healthy boy, but when he did get sick, he was really sick. When he was ten-years old, he had appendicitis. By the time Dr. Spaulding found what was wrong, his appendix had ruptured. Blood poisoning (peronitis) set in. We almost lost him. It was only by the goodness of God that we kept him with us.

Gilbert was flat on his back, without even a pillow, for four months. His side had a tube in it. It was still draining even after he was able to get up. He had to learn to walk all over again, but with my help, he made his grades. Bonnie would bring his school work home to him and take his paper work back. She helped me so much with him. She played games and waited on him.

We used to love to wrestle. Bonnie and I decided one day that we were going to put Leonard down. We ended up on the bottom with him sitting on the two of us.

Gilbert and Bonnie had plenty of battles between them, but let someone else pick or bother the other one, well, that was a different story.
Believe me, I used to tell them they would hurt or kill each other.

One day they decided to play a trick on me. Bonnie laid down on the floor and Gilbert poured catsup on her and on a knife. Then holding the knife in his hand, he stood over Bonnie and screamed, "I've killed her! I've killed her!" I took one look at them and keeled over, passed out with fright. Those poor kids were scared to pieces. They thought I was dead (no wonder mothers get grey). All in all, we had lots of fun together.

We raised turkeys on the farm. I bought a setting (approximately eight) of turkey eggs, and four of them hatched out. I called them Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and the Fourth of July. But my Fourth-of-July turkey was stolen. That is all they took, just the one turkey. He was so big and so pretty. I wonder if we could have killed and eaten him.

We had a cow named Fawn. We all loved her as we raised her from a calf. One day we were all dressed up to go to Walla Walla. I went to


see her as she was going to calf. As soon as I saw her, I knew the calf was coming. I ran down and told Leonard. He stayed with her until the calf came. He changed clothes again and I went up to see her and the little calf. She was having another one. Leonard said it couldn't be so because she had already had a calf. But I could see a hoof. Leonard changed clothes again and we had our first twin calves. One was a heifer and we named her twinkle. We never did get to go to Walla Walla.

Our cow Fawn and a little white dog named Honey had a real close companionship. The little dog would sleep every night right up close to Fawn. Neither moved until morning milking time. One morning, Leonard went up to milk and Fawn had gotten up during the night and laid right down on top of Honey. How we cried over that poor little crushed dog.

After this tragedy, we had a German police dog named Husky. Bonnie and Gilbert were going through a time of crying during the night and wanting to get in bed with me. We were asked by the neighbor girl to go to a show "Werewolf." I told the children that it would be a frightening show and if they were frightened, they had to stay in their beds, and if they cried they would not be allowed to attend any more shows. We came home and went to bed.

Guess who got scared? Big me! Husky started to howl. He sounded just like the werewolf in the movie. I turned on every light in the house, chicken house and barn, woke both children up and made them get in bed with me. When Leonard came home, he said it looked like a big city with all of the lights on.

One of our neighbors in the valley in South Kennewick was a very mentally retarded man. I was so afraid of him for the children's sake, especially for Bonnie. Leonard worked nights and I didn't even have a phone. At night he would try to pry doors open or get up on the roof and walk around. He finally attacked a neighbor girl, but with Leonard and her mother dragging him away, she was all right. After that incident he was committed to the institution at Medical Lake.


His younger brother was two years older and larger than Gilbert. He kept beating up on Gilbert. Gilbert was afraid of him. One day they were fighting and Gilbert was giving ground. When Leonard yelled at him, "Gilbert, if you don't lick him, I'll lick you." I guess Gilbert figured he was going to get it either way, so he really beat up on him. After that they had no more troubles.

One morning after Leonard had gone to work, I went up to the barn to see if everything was taken care of. I noticed that Fawn, our cow we had raised from a calf, was bloated. I ran and asked Mr. Keene if he could do something. He said he did not know of anything that we could do. I knew that I should not let her lie down. I walked her around the farm. Because she did not improve, I took her into the barn and put a homemade bridle into her mouth to make her start chewing. This caused the gas in her stomach to be released. I had watched Leonard do this with other animals. I put wet sacks over her back. I knew that if this did not help her that I would have to stick a knife into her side. I was praying that I would not have to cut her with a knife. She began to belch and the gas just rolled out of her. Within an hour she seemed to be back to normal. I stopped and praised the Lord for his help.

Gilbert came to the house one morning very excited. He told me there were nine little white piglets in the barn. I just couldn't believe this as we were not expecting any little ones. I went to the barn with Gilbert and there they were, nine perfect, pure white little piglets. I told Gilbert I was sorry I thought he was teasing me and I didn't believe him. He was always a big tease. We later sold them for $2 apiece. Can you believe that?

One day when I came home from town, Gilbert met me at the door with what was supposed to be a cake. He said he followed the recipe carefully. I asked him to show me what he had put into it. When he got through, he had used powdered sugar instead of flour. So he had powdered sugar and sugar both in it. It made really good candy, if you ate it with a spoon.

Our nearest neighbors lived North of us. Gilbert and Bonnie called her Auntie Keene. They loved her so much, especially Gilbert. He would


help her collect wood and harvest vegetables. She would ask Gilbert what he wanted to eat. She would then prepare it for him. She would time her eggs in the incubator. When she heard Leonard come home, she would get up and turn the eggs over. One night Leonard worked a double shift and she did not wake up. The eggs were all spoiled.

There was a young couple who lived about two blocks from our house. They had a darling little daughter and spent quite a bit of time with the Keene family. One day we heard some terrible screaming. Leonard and I thought it was one of the children. But the young lady was trying to run for help. She had gone to town, purchased a bottle of Lysol. When she got home, she took a bath, put on a white dress, and drank the whole bottle of Lysol on an empty stomach. When it started burning so badly, she tried to get to Auntie Keene's for help.

Auntie Keene seemed to know what had happened and whipped up some egg whites to make her vomit. When Leonard first reached her, she said she had nothing to live for. She had told Auntie Keene that she wanted to commit suicide as her Mother and Grandmother had both taken their lives with carbolic acid.

We took her to the Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Pasco, where she died a few hours later. No one wanted the little girl or was willing to adopt her because they were concerned that she might have inherited her family's suicidal tendencies. Her husband came over and wanted me to buy her rings. I just couldn't because he acted so unconcerned and uncaring.
She had no family that we knew of.

We had a deep well in the valley with the best tasting water. There was a ladder that went down to the pump. Leonard had to go down occasionally to oil and grease the motor and pump. I had a difficult time keeping Gilbert and Bonnie away from the well opening. It seemed like that was the only place they sometimes wanted to play.
Even today, after all these years, I dream that one of them is falling into the well. I try to grab them and cannot hold on to them. It's strange what the mind will store up and retain.


When Gilbert was little and would become angry with me, he said he was going to leave home. So one day, getting tired of it, I packed his little suit case, made him a lunch, told him goodbye, and said I surely hated to see him leave. But if he ever wanted to come back, we would welcome him with open arms. He started out really happy and I followed out of sight so he could not see me. He got up the hill where the road splits, one to town and one to Edgar and Guy's places. He stopped and sat on a rock and cried. As I passed him, he started after me crying, "I don't want to leave home." He never again told me he was going to leave home. When Gilbert was older, he was very good to milk our cow, Fawn.

Guy and Marie told me they had done this with Leslie and how well it had worked. Marie helped me out a lot. As I said, we really talked up a storm when we were together. When Guy worked nights, Marie and I would go out under the peach trees and talk while Guy slept. Guy would yell out the window at us to be quiet.

Guy and Marie's daughter, Shirley, was born only 20 days after Bonnie. Bonnie and Shirley tried to keep up with their older brothers, Gilbert and Boyd, but they usually paid for it in the end. The girls were walking one day and noticed a very nice looking young man coming their way. Shirley was trying to look real grown up. Unfortunately, she caught her toe and went tumbling down in front of the young man.
Bonnie still laughs at how Shirley looked. They had lots of fun together. Bonnie and Shirley frequently packed a lunch and went out on their bicycles most of the day. Whitey, our white horse that was very tame. Sometimes, Bonnie would get up early and go outside before combing her hair and ride the horse around. I could work Whitey making irrigation ditches for the water for our five acres.

One day Bonnie and Shirley were swinging on a old tire swings at Gut's house. Bonnie's swing broke and she fell to the ground. The tire struck her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Shirley always laughed when Bonnie got hurt, but she didn't laugh that day. She couldn't breathe and she thought she was dying.


I canned a lot of tomato juice for winter. The girls found out that the juice was very good as a dip for home made bread. They found the juice so delightful that they used most of it for dipping. We all had fun together. We had a really good baseball team. The neighbor kids would all gather at our place. Leonard and I would play with them.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

BIRTH OF BONITA

In September, I became pregnant with Bonita Joyce. We were delighted. We wanted a little girl to go with our little boy. I had lost twins when we lived in Marshall. I was sick all nine months, carrying Bonita. We had planned for her and called her Bonita all the time I carried her. We used to laugh at Gilbert. He would grab his little stomach and say, "Bonita is kicking me." On June 9, 1930, we had a baby girl with red curls and named her Bonita Joyce. Gilbert was so proud of her, of course, like brother and sister. When Dr. Spaulding delivered her, with Mama and Leonard helping him, Gilbert was so pleased it was a curly, red-haired girl. Doctor Spaulding gave her to me and said, "You got just what you wanted, a little girl."

They all teased me as Veva's husband Leslie had the only red hair in our family, but when Great Grandpa Wagenaar saw her he said, "That's my girl. My hair was just that color when I was young." During the years we were around him, his hair was white as snow.

Bonnie is very modest now. I used to wonder why she would run outdoors and take all of her clothes off. She was very tiny and cute with her red curls. When I would hear all of the cars stopping, I would run outdoors and find her stark naked.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

OUR MOVE TO KENNEWICK

My brothers, Edgar and Guy, had moved to Kennewick, Washington in 1927. Edgar began teaching in Finley School. Guy worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad. Edgar wrote swell glowing words about how warm the winter weather was and that we should come to Kennewick to live. Mama, Edgar, and Guy all encouraged us to move to Kennewick.

We moved there July 28, 1928. Two weeks after we arrived, Leonard again started working for the Northern Pacific Railroad. We bought a small five-acre place outside of Kennewick on what was then called "The Valley" but is now on the north west corner of the intersection of 18th Avenue and South Gum Street.

We had a lot of fun and a lot of work on our five acres. We had a white horse, two cows, lots of chickens, and pigs. We cured ham and bacon, and put up sausage and lard. We raised our own vegetables in a big garden, some fruit, alfalfa, black caps, asparagus, and grew a strawberry patch. So we had lots of food from our five acres. The strawberry patch bought our first new blue, two-door, 1937 Ford. We paid $700 cash for it from our strawberries.

We worked really hard there, but it was our own and we loved it. We added two bedrooms and a bath and shingled the roof. We painted it white with green windows and doors. We had a big long chicken house and a big barn. The barn had room for three cows and we milked two. The house wasn't finished inside and I would saw and pound nails while Leonard slept. He worked nights for eleven years.

I don't see how Leonard could sleep during the daytime, but he did. We had a baseball team on the farm. All the kids that lived close would come to our place to play. We had quite a team. I would try to keep them quiet so that Leonard could sleep. All it took was to have Leonard


come to the door and yell at them. Kids scattered in every direction. Bonnie was laughing, because one day when Leonard yelled through the door at them to be quiet, Boyd and Gilbert climbed into a tree.
Gilbert went up first and wouldn't let Boyd come on up. I asked Gilbert if he remembers this. He replied that he does, such precious memories. The first winter the temperature dropped to 36 degrees below zero.
There were 18 inches of snow on the ground for days. We put the bed in the kitchen and kept the big old range red hot. I had to break the ice with an axe to water the stock and pump while they drank. Because the old green bridge for automobiles had not yet been built, Leonard had to drive to the railroad bridge and walk across the bridge to the Round House where he worked in Pasco. I used to worry so much when Leonard was late coming home after working the night shift. It seemed like it took so long for spring to come.

One day our little Model T Ford pickup wouldn't start. Leonard tried to use some canned heat to warm the engine. The engine caught on fire.
Leonard yelled for me. When I saw the fire, I picked up a whole sack of feed and poured enough on the engine to put out the fire.

The next day I asked Leonard to put back the rest of the feed. Leonard replied, "Why? You carried it up in one hand. Even I can't do that." Fear can surely give one strength. Leonard has told and laughed about this story many times.

One night we had an earthquake in Kennewick. I could not find Gilbert anywhere. I was just frantic. It had thrown him out of bed and up against the wall under the bed. He was still sound asleep. What a relief it was to see that he was still all right.

We also experienced two severe wind storms. One occurred during the time while the old green bridge was being built and was only open to one-way traffic. Leonard was on his way home and I had just started supper. Gilbert and Bonnie were in the house with me. I looked across the asparagus field and saw a big black cloud approaching. When it hit the house, everything was completely darkened. I grabbed both children and held them close to me. The hay stacks were flapping up


and down. My supper in the house became covered with sand. I was very relieved when Leonard arrived home.

A second severe wind storm occurred shortly after Gilbert and Elaine returned home from World War II. Red Hall (a railroad engineer that lived in Pasco) had invited us for dinner. Gilbert had gone to the Round House to pick up Leonard. The terrible wind storm struck. The trees fell all around us and power and telephone wires were blown down.
How thankful I was to see them arrive into our driveway safely.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

VEVA'S FAMILY

While Gilbert was a little baby, Leonard took us to Oaksdale to help Leslie haul wheat. While I helped Veva with the chores, I asked Joycie to call us if the baby cried. She would run up to us and tell us, "Baby is cying, cying, cying." So I would run up to the house and pick him up. He was such a good baby and Joycie was a very loving and responsible cousin to look after him.

One day while Mama was visiting Leslie and Veva, Veva and Joycie took Mama shopping in Tekoa. Veva bought some all-day suckers. It troubled Joycie when she noticed that Mama chewed and then swallowed a sucker. Joycie said, "Grandma, don't eat it, suck it!" Mama thought that Joycie was so cute.

Leslie bought a new cow. He did not tell me she was a kicker. When I helped Veva milk, the new cow kicked me under another cow, who fortunately happened to be very gentle. I could have been seriously injured.

While we were there, Veva and I prepared meals for the men that were threshing wheat. We delivered the dinner to the harvest crew in the fields so that they would not waste time by having to stop working and come to the house for dinner. Leslie told us to bring the dinner to the fields in a big truck. I had never driven a truck. To get the food to the crew, we had to drive through a creek, over fields, and up steep hills.
As we climbed a steep hill, the truck slowed and we had to change gears. I was surely scared. Leslie thought it was so easy, but Veva and I neither one liked to shift gears in that big truck. After my experience with the first hill we would stop and put the truck in low gear as we approached the beginning of the next hill. Then we had to come down the other side of the same steep hill with the same big truck.


I decided to work a few days for Leslie's sister-in-law. Gilbert was so good that I thought I could manage it. My job was to milk two cows, to carry slop up a steep hill to the pigs, to take care of four children in a big house, to pick raspberries, to make jam, to churn butter, and to bake bread. After completing these chores, I was exhausted. I was paid only one dollar a day. Leonard took me out of there real fast when he found out what I was doing.

One week end on Gilbert's first birthday we went from Marshall to Oaksdale to see Leslie and Veva. When we had finished our visit, Leonard and I wanted to go home. But Leslie wouldn't hear of it until he had gone to Oaksdale for some ice cream. A drunk driver crossed the road and struck Leslie's car. Gilbert's head was cut really badly. The large cut barely missed his main artery.

The doctor thought Leslie was Gilbert's father, so he asked Leonard to hold Gilbert while he stitched up Gilbert's little head. The doctor said Gilbert would have been killed if the cut had reached the artery. He instructed us to protect Gilbert from falling or taking any hard bumps until the cut was healed. That was very difficult, because Gilbert was just learning to walk.

When Veva was pregnant with Roberta, Mama went to help and stayed for a few weeks. Leslie, Mama, and Veva were sitting in the front room when they noticed smoke coming down from the ceiling. Leslie looked into the other room and saw that the whole house was in flames. Leslie ran and got out his cream checks and Veva picked up the cedar hope chest containing pictures and keepsakes and children's clothes.

Veva opened the window and fell out through the window with the hope chest. Mama was so worried that Veva would lose the baby. It was snowing and freezing outside. Neighbors rushed over to help and took them to their warm homes.

The fire occurred right after Christmas and all presents were destroyed as well as the whole house. Mama had grabbed Joyce and carried her out of the house. Leslie and Veva rebuilt a new house on the same


property, but soon afterwards, they moved to the Crowe's place. It was one of the nicest farms around and Leslie had always wanted that place.

Fortunately Veva recovered from the fire and her fall with no serious complications. Roberta was a lovely girl. She loved to comb Leonard's hair. Leslie wouldn't let anyone comb his hair or even touch it.

One day Joycie came to visit in Kennewick. We were sitting out on a blanket in the yard. As I was reading to Joyce, she jumped up and threw her arms around by head and said, "Oh, Auntie Elma, I love you." Crack went my glasses. I had just had them repaired when Gilbert had thrown a rock and hit a telephone pole. The rock bounced back and hit my glasses. Again I had to have them fixed, oh what fun!
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

OUR MOVE TO MARSHALL

As soon as spring came, we packed up what was ours, and left. George and Elsie begged us to stay, but we wouldn't change our minds. As we started to travel toward Marshall (a small town near Cheney), our pickup encountered a soft spot in the road. Down the pickup went. We walked to Lippe's home and stayed all night. Mrs. Lippe put Mama Gilbert and me in a feather bed. I had never slept in a feather bed. We all rolled to the middle. I was so afraid that we would smother Gilbert. He was so little. Leonard slept in a root cellar and nearly froze to death, while Mama and I were so warm. The Lippe's were very good to us.

Our new home in Marshall was a great big old two-story house. We paid ten dollars per month for it. Leonard worked one year for the Armour Meat Packing Company in Spokane. It was a good job, but we had to get up at 5:00 a.m. Leonard would return home after dark for six days of the week. He then worked a year for the Northern Pacific Railroad in Marshall.

I boarded two men, Dan and Walter, from a signal railroad control tower. I received forty dollars a month from each of them. Feeding them and caring for the house really kept me busy. Dan was difficult to cook for and was very critical. I carried all of our water from the creek across a road and the railroad tracks. We had a wooden out house which was quite some ways from the house. Walter was very helpful.
He had six sisters and was used to women. He frequently took care of Gilbert, while I walked to the store for groceries (it was quite a walk).

There were lots of hobos in Marshall. Because we lived close to the railroad tracks, we received many visits. I did not feed many of them, but if they were young and seemed willing to work for food, I would give them a sandwich.

One morning an older man came to the door. I just stood and looked at him. He looked so much like my Papa used to look. I invited him inside and fed him pancakes, bacon, eggs, and coffee. I sewed up his coat


while he was eating. He was trying to get to Lewiston where his family was located. Leonard was really put out with me and read me the riot act. He said I could have been killed. But all I could say was, "But he looked like my Papa."

Leonard was working as a track repairman. Mr. Johnson, his foreman, really was good to us. He was so very lonesome. He had lost his wife and twin daughters. We would all spend Sundays together in Spokane. We would go to the Natatorium Park and he would hold Gilbert while Leonard and I rode on the different rides.

We bought a Ford Model A coupe and some new furniture at Berger's Store in Spokane. We could go to Spokane (Leonard, I, and Gilbert) and get a big hamburger for ten cents, a piece of pie for ten cents, coffee for five cents, go to two shows, and bring home a quart of ice cream for $1.00. This made us very happy and busy with a small boy besides.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

BIRTH OF GILBERT

Guy and Edgar wanted to move to Kennewick. Mama sold our house in Latah and gave Guy and Edgar part of the proceeds for down payments on the two houses they bought. Their houses were separated by about a city block. Both houses had acreage for orchards, potatoes, alfalfa, and gardens.

When we lived on the farm, Leslie and Alma came and visited us for a week. We had lots of fun. I told Alma I was going to have a baby, but not to tell anyone in Kennewick. She got off the train yelling, "Aunt Elma is going to have a baby." We had so many little roosters to cook while Leslie and Alma were there that Leslie said he never wanted to see another chicken.

I had fallen on the ice and began to have contractions. Leonard had to take me to Spokane to the hospital. George never offered to help with the 30 cows we were milking. When Mr. and Mrs. Lippe heard I had fallen and was having pains, they came right over. Little Gilbert Leonard was born six weeks early on January 29, 1927. He was a long baby and really thin. Mama stayed with me until he was six weeks old. She then went back to Kennewick where she lived with Edgar and his wife, the former Gertrude Bauchmann.

When I came home from the Deaconess Hospital in Spokane after Gilbert was born, it was so cold on the ranch that I got milk fever. I was miserable. My breasts were very feverish and Gilbert would not nurse. We were isolated on the ranch because of snow and cold. Mama whipped up egg whites and made a poultice, put hot plates over the poultice, and drew out the fever. Some of these home cures seemed like life savers. A mustard poultice was effective for pneumonia, a steam bath for chest congestion, an onion poultice for infection, soda for gas and heartburn, hot plates on the stomach for menstrual cramps, and salt packs and cigar or cigarette smoke for an ear ache. We were warned not to eat the first snow as it was supposed to contain germs from the air. We could hardly wait for the second snow so we could make snow ice cream. A little sugar, cream, and snow made good ice cream. We


had two big stoves, one for the living room and one for the kitchen. First we burned wood, but in the later years we burned some coal.

When Gilbert was born, the Crandall's had moved into a new home a short way from us. Leonard got up at 4:00 a.m. to milk the cows. He would work with the teams until dark, milk the cows again, and finally fall into bed about 10:00 p.m. If we had company, he would usually fall asleep. He worked so hard and yet Crandall's found so much fault with us.

When George heard the Lippe's had milked the cows for us he was furious. Leonard was in Spokane from Thursday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. George jumped all over him, so Leonard told him as soon as the roads would permit, we were leaving.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

MARRIAGE TO LEONARD

Leonard and I were married in the courthouse in Spokane with Uncle J.
B. Gilbert officiating and Leslie and Veva Lamb as witnesses. Mama worked hard for the money to purchase the materials to make me a very pretty white dress with lace for my graduation. A year later I wore the same dress on my wedding day. Later I dyed it a different color and wore it for formal dress occasions.

We were married May 11, 1926. We had planned to be married in June, because I had wanted to be a June bride. But we had ordered 200 baby chicks to be delivered in June. The chicks arrived the first of May, over a month too early. We could find no one to take care of the chicks. So we got married May 11, 1926. I had never taken care of little chicks like that. Because I let them get too cold, we lost over 40 of them. I cried and cried. The rest of them did fine.

We didn't have a honeymoon. We spent the day in Spokane with Leslie and Veva and had our pictures taken. While Leonard and Leslie went shopping for a diamond wedding ring, Veva and I met our cousin Tyra Stafford, who was a Spokane policeman. He walked us down the streets of Spokane with one of us on each arm. Other policemen teased him and would not believe him when he told them we were his cousins.

We then returned to Cheney where I had been living. I packed up my things and went out to Crandall's, where Leonard was working on shares. Crandall's lived in a log house with a large living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a pantry. They kept about thirty milk cows, and raised produce to sell in Spokane. We lived with George and Elsie Crandall on their dairy and produce farm. We paid them $40 a month for my board, and they really worked me. They weren't very nice to me as they didn't want Leonard to marry.

We had been married about a week and we wondered why there had not been a charivari or wedding shower. One evening we were sitting out on the front porch, when head lights of cars began to come around


the turn in the road. We had a real surprise and a fun evening. Our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Lippe, gave us a beautiful cut glass dessert set. Elsie and George Crandall gave us a complete set of china dishes. We received many nice presents.

I became pregnant right away and was so sick for five months. I worked in the garden and herded the cows about two miles to the spring. I was really afraid of the bull and always had a tree in sight to climb if he started after me. He would stop and bellow and paw the ground. Elsie did the cooking and that was all. The Crandalls accused me of stealing eggs and cream. It was very unfair, because my chickens were white and laid white eggs. Their chickens were brown and laid brown eggs. It was very easy to avoid getting them mixed up, either intentionally or unintentionally. Leonard told George that there was a nest of eggs under the manger. George came back and told him that Elma had beat him to them. Leonard took him to the barn and showed him where they were.

There was some acreage on the Crandall's farm that was not being used. Leonard wanted to plant potatoes, but George was against it. George said they would not do well in that location. Leonard planted the potatoes and produced a wonderful crop. We took the potatoes into Cheney and traded them for groceries. We had credit at both grocery stores in Cheney because of the wonderful potato crop.

One time George decided to destroy three little calves. I begged him to let me keep them. I fed them by hand, getting them to drink out of a bucket. They grew very fast. One day we were down to our last penney. We had no money left. Leonard went to work very discouraged. On this day of need, a man came to me and bought the calves for $2 each. Then Veva and Leslie came by and gave me $4 from a debt they owed us.
When Leonard came home that evening, I had $10. In those days $10 was a lot of money. I felt that God had provided us in a big way and felt very thankful.

Our nearest neighbors lived about a half mile from us. They were a little German couple named Lippe, and could Mrs. Lippe cook. When she knew Leonard was coming over to help Mr. Lippe, she would cook


the best food. They were very good to us and we spent many a nice evening with them. Our only recreation was playing pinochle and swimming.

When we were living on the farm, we would go to Fish Lake Resort to swim and cool off. One Sunday, two young men walked from Spokane to go swimming in the lake. They jumped in the lake without cooling off first. One young man died, the other became very sick. An autopsy was performed on the one that died. The Doctor said that his heart had burst wide open from the sudden change in the temperature of his body.

One day Leonard was diving off the high tower at Fish Lake. He had submerged a good ways and as he was about to surface, a heavy man dived and struck Leonard in the head, knocked the wind out of him, and caused him to go down again. Leonard could not get his breath. When he finally got to the top, blood was pouring out of a cut on his head.
Everyone was very concerned for him. But he soon recovered. We surely had lots of fun at the lake. We lived just one mile from it. There was a very nice resort at the lake where one could rent boats. It was a pretty lake with water lilies blooming around the edge of the water.

Elsie told me not to learn how to milk or I would have to do it all the time. But time passed too slowly while Leonard milked thirty cows. So I had him give me the easier ones to milk and had my own little herd.
We had one big Guernsey cow named Betsy that gave gallons of milk each day. Her bag and her tits were so big that I never attempted to milk her. But Leonard one day went with George to campaign for road commissioner. They didn't get home until real late. I milked my herd and started on Leonard's and finally had them all milked but Betsy. I milked on Betsy until she was finished. It made me so nervous and tired that after going to sleep, I dreamed that I milked Betsy all night.

When Leonard took the horses to work on the road, I was left alone and felt frightened. You could not see another house in any direction, only timber. One day when Leonard was working on the road, I was so lonesome. A little black coupe drove into our driveway. I ran to the car thinking it was Edgar and almost had my arms around a perfect stranger. Leonard was a little upset over it.


We had a dog called Whistle. If it had not been for the comforting companionship of Whistle, I could not have stayed there alone. Whistle followed me everywhere I went. He kept a man in our ice house all night. We thought the man was lost when he found his way to our farm.

We always had lots of ice. The men would go to Fish Lake and cut 24 by 12 inch squares of ice that were 8 to 12 inches thick and bring them by sled to the ice house. Each year the total ice harvest was about 60 tons. The ice was stacked into the ice house and covered with saw dust. George and Elsie used the ice to deliver cold milk and cream to Spokane each day.

Shortly after we were first married, we whitewashed the barn. It looked so pretty, so white and clean. I was cooking dinner and heard a terrible noise. Leonard came running out of the barn, covered with manure.
While milking, he had been kicked by a cow. He had tied her hind legs together. She started to kick and felt the rope around her legs. She kicked Leonard into the gutter, covering him with manure. She kicked manure onto the freshly whitewashed walls. I couldn't help but laugh. Leonard did not think it was funny.

After we had been married a short time, I invited Gertrude and Edgar to visit us for Thanksgiving. I was very excited and had prepared a special Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, Gertrude and Edgar became lost and did not arrive until 2:00 a.m. the next morning. Were they ever hungry! We had lots of good food for them and we were happy to see them.

Leonard and I went out to cut wood. I didn't know anything about a six- foot cross cut saw. But I got on one end of it and took hold of the handle. Leonard almost pulled me through the trunk of the tree. I finally found out how to work it, but I always wondered if I really helped very much.

We picked out our Christmas tree. It was so much fun, and we could be so choosy. It was our own first Christmas tree. We went to Bergen's in Spokane to get some things for Christmas. I wanted some money to buy decorations to trim our tree. The clerk that waited on us was very


rude, and when Leonard told him he had overpaid us by $5, he told Leonard that he did not make mistakes. So Leonard thanked him for the
$5 and I bought some pretty Christmas decorations.

I never knew much about Leonard's family. His folks had divorced and both remarried. We had been married many years before I found out that Leonard had been raised in the Washington Children's Orphanage in Spokane. Once I donated $2 to a young man that came to our home soliciting for money. Leonard was very put out. He told me the children at the Orphanage were fed green codfish and watered-down oatmeal.
He nearly died of the combination of malnutrition and illnesses when he contracted Scarlet Fever and Chicken Pox at the same time. After Leonard's Grandfather came to see Leonard at the Orphanage, he told Dad Wagenaar (Leonard's father) that if he didn't get Leonard out of the Orphanage, Leonard would likely die. Dad Wagenaar took Leonard to Dolly (Leonard's Stepmother). Dolly nurtured him back to health, but as soon as Leonard was strong enough, he was farmed out to work for room and board. He was never really loved until he met me. He loved our two children, Gilbert and Bonnie, very much and was very proud of them. I guess the Crandalls liked him, but they expected so much out of him that he was often late for school and was therefore forced to stop going to school.

Leonard had a photographic mind. He could read a page and repeat it, word for word. He got in trouble at school, because his teacher wanted him to rephrase information in his own words but all he could recite was the original text.

Leonard wanted to see Elmer (Elmer was one of Crandall's workers). When it became time for Leonard to leave, he begged to stay on with the understanding he would help Elsie with the housework and help with other chores outside. Elmer left after a fight with George and Leonard stayed on. George and Elsie were an odd couple in that they didn't have any children and very few friends.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

VISIT TO GUY AND MARIE IN WYOMING

After my graduation from high school we went to Wyoming where Guy was working in the mines. Mama, Edgar, and I went in Edgar's coupe.
It was quite an experience, as I had never been very far away from home. Leonard gave me thirty dollars to spend. That was a lot of money in those days. It enabled me to buy lots of things that I couldn't have otherwise.

While in Wyoming we saw the mines where Guy worked. Guy's neighbor, called "Fats" (I don't know why because he was very slender), drove me all around the country showing me all of the sights. We knew there had been several bad mine explosions. We just could not bear to leave Guy and his family there.

Edgar and Mama talked Guy into returning to Latah. Fats was killed in a mine explosion a few short days after we departed. How happy we were to have Guy out of that mine. Wyoming held nothing but heart breaking memories for them, as their beloved son, Gene, died there after an appendicitis operation. He had been nine years old and such a darling.

Guy and Marie's daughter, Veva Doris, was only six weeks old when we made the trip back to Latah. Veva was so tiny and such a little doll. I took such good care of her that people would say, "My, you are such a young mother." Marie and I did not tell them anything different. Veva would sleep all day while the car was going and then at night she would cry. I would walk back and forth with her and try to make a noise like a car.

On the way to Latah, Guy repeatedly had flat tires on his car. During one of the times while we were changing a flat tire, Guy told Dorothy and me to stay in the car because of the range cattle. But we did not stay in the car. We went for a little walk. All of a sudden range cattle began chasing us, including a huge wild bull. We ran from them and went into a bunch of willows. We found ourselves standing in water up


to our knees. Guy and Edgar responded to our calls for help. They threw rocks at the cattle while we ran for the car. Guy scolded us for our foolish behavior. When we made it to Butte, Montana, we stayed until we got tires with money that Mama wired home for.

After we arrived in Latah, Mama and I sorted peas. Marie took care of the children and cooked for us. When Leonard came from Cheney to see me, I gave Alma 25 cents to do the dishes for me so I could have more time with him.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

FATHER'S DEATH

My Father passed away on January 4, 1925 after having been paralyzed for eleven years. I was in my senior year when he died. He wanted to die, because he suffered so very much. He had suffered eight strokes, each one leaving him more helpless. He was so thin that I could hold him while Mama made his bed. On January 4, 1925, we realized that he was growing worse. Mama told me to hurry and get Doctor Smith.
Doctor Smith had to warm his shoes and coat. I kept telling him to hurry. But I guess he knew there wasn't anything he could do. Earlier that day, some of the school kids had come by to ask me to go skating with them. I was glad that I had not gone with them.

I was alone with Father in the parlor when he passed away. Doctor Smith had given Father some medicine. Mama and Doctor Smith then went into the kitchen. Father died so happy with Jesus' and Phi's names on his lips. Mama and I bathed and dressed Papa in his burial clothes. That night three men sat up with Papa for the Wake. Mama and I went to bed and every time I dropped off to sleep, I had terrible nightmares. I dreamed skeletons were wrapping their arms around me, taking my breath away. The doctor was chasing me with a big butcher knife.

Mama finally realized what I was going through. She had prayer with me and we recited the 23rd Psalm together. I went back to bed praying over and over, "Jesus, help me!" All of a sudden I was in a most lovely place of flowers, music, peace, and love. I was walking up a winding golden stairway, going up slowly. I was aware of singing and praising. At the top of the stairs was my Papa, with arms outstretched. A young, happy, praising-the-Lord Papa.

Then falling to sleep, I had such sweet dreams until morning. Up to the time of this writing, Mama is the only person to whom I had told about this vision. It was too wonderful for me to hear anyone not believe me or to make fun of it.


It was so cold the day of the funeral that we had to go to the cemetery in a wagon with straw piled on it. I never felt comfortable in that parlor again, because of the memories it held. In order to regard Papa's last wishes, I worked and waited until I was eighteen before marrying Leonard.

Within a year after Papa died, Mama received a letter from a prosperous rancher who had recently become a widower. In that letter the rancher proposed marriage. He told mother that he had always loved her since he first met her, but Edgar had married her before he had a chance to tell her of his love. He vowed that if she married him, he would make life good for her and that he would provide a college education for all of her children. Veva and I were very excited. We felt that this was very romantic. Edgar pretended that he thought nothing of it. Mama responded to the rancher and told him that Edgar had been her only love.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

VEVA'S TEACHING

Veva taught school at a little mountain school called the "Cove." The Cove school was located on the other side of the Neil Fuch's place. It was located between Spring Valley and Tekoa. Edgar and I would take two horses over the mountains and pick up Veva. Because we were three people with only two horses, we took turns riding the two horses. This trip was always very spooky.

When Veva started teaching at the Cove, there was trouble with a big boy named Francis. He had made every teacher quit. He came up to Veva and said, "What would you do to me if I don't mind? Would you spank me?" Veva looked at him, laughed, and said, "I should say not, a great big man like you?" She never had any trouble with him. He adored her and would bring in wood, clean blackboards, and help her in nearly every way he could.

Later Veva taught at the Bell School house, about two miles from Latah. We had one terrible blizzard. She was so afraid some of her pupils would try to go to school and find themselves locked outside in the cold blizzard. She and I put on all the clothes we could find, but we couldn't make it. Later we found out no one had gone to school.

Shortly after Veva married Leslie in January, I went to stay with them for a few days. They prepared the guest room upstairs for me. I woke up in the night with yellow jackets crawling over me. The weather was still cold and the yellow jackets were sluggish, otherwise I would have been stung. I was so upset that I ran downstairs and crawled into bed between Leslie and Veva.

When I was seventeen, we moved back to Latah. Edgar taught school at Sanders, Idaho. He bought a Model T Ford coupe and was so proud of it. One time he walked twenty miles to school in the muddy season to keep his new car clean. A girl friend and I took it to Veva and Leslie's


to see their new baby girl, Marion Joyce. I hadn't seen her and could hardly wait. We got stuck in the mud and Leslie had to get us out with his team. The poor little car was covered with mud. I think that was the angriest Edgar ever became with me. I nearly got a paddling, and should have.

When I returned to Latah and started school again, I joined the debate team. I really enjoyed debate. Sometimes I still dream I am on the debate team and cannot remember my subject. What a relief it is to wake up and discover it was a dream.

Edna brought Edna Mae to visit us when Papa was feeling ill. Edna Mae, my niece, was used to singing and playing the ukulele. When Edgar bought me one, she talked me into learning a few chords and singing with her in the Evangelical Church, whose members were mostly German. I was so nervous and scared, but Edgar and Veva said we sounded quite good.

Edna Mae and I had lots of fun together, when Edna was not with us. Edna was such a baby about Edna Mae. Clyde, my cousin, Edgar, and Edna Mae and I went to Spokane. Trent Street in Spokane was the skidrow street. Edgar and Clyde went into a second hand store and told Edna Mae and me to stay in the car with the doors locked, but we didn't. When two rough dirty men began to follow, we ran back to the car, locked the doors, and remained in it.

Edgar bought me a little tiny ivory handled knife with two folding blades. It was about one and a half inches long. I kept it and treasured it for all of these years. When I asked my nephew, Bobbie, what I could pay him for helping me with this manuscript, he told me that the little tiny ivory handled knife that his father had given me was the payment he wanted. After discussing it with Bonnie and receiving her concurrence, I gave the knife to Bobbie and now it is treasured by him.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
User avatar
tristanbgilb
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:20 pm
Contact:

Re: www.MethowValley.org

Post by tristanbgilb »

MEETING LEONARD

Fred Crowe lived on one of the nicest and most prosperous farms in the Palouse hills. He met with Bertha and Ed and told them that he had selected me as his girl. Bertha and Ed were excited and encouraged me to become friendly with Fred.. Fred did not share my Christian faith I resented their taking this position, because I was not interested in Fred. Later in life, Fred became an alcoholic, causing him to lose his wife, children, and the farm. Although Bertha and Ed felt I was making a big mistake, im retrospect, I believe that the Lord led me to make the right decision.

On my sixteenth birthday, a boy in my class wanted me to go to a prayer meeting at the little red schoolhouse out in the country. He said there was a friend he wanted me to meet. He called him "Len." I didn't want to go very badly, but I had a new dress to wear, so I did. There I met Leonard Wagenaar, eighteen. He was staying with Mr. and Mrs.
Crandall who had a stock farm near Marshall, Washington. He was such a nice clean looking boy that I took a great liking to him and we soon became engaged. Leonard had an unloved childhood. His mother and father were divorced and both remarried. He was farmed out and worked hard for room and board.

Leonard remembers one family that made him happy on a ranch in Bend, Oregon. Droves of sheep were herded past the ranch. Leonard followed behind the sheep band and picked up little lambs that were born on the trail and were too weak to keep up with the band. He would put them on his saddle and take them to the ranch to feed through the winter. In the spring the herders returned with new droves and picked up the lambs Leonard had taken care of. They would pay Leonard good money for the sheep. Leonard used the money to purchase nice clothes. My folks also became very fond of Leonard, but Papa wanted me to graduate and wait until I was eighteen before we married.


When I met Leonard, he told me about a bay horse he used to have. He loved that horse and taught him to dance to phonograph music. He rode him over to Red's house one night and put him in the barn. The horse ate some rotten carrots in the bin and became sick. The vet attempted to save him, but could not help. Leonard really missed that horse and could not talk about him without crying.

Leonard had a little black horse that he dearly loved. His name was Prince. He would try to kiss Leonard and nuzzle him, but prince didn't like me and would try to bite me every chance he would get. Leonard would ride him to school and to Marshall, but had to blindfold him to get him to cross the railroad tracks, because Prince did not like the reflections of the sun on the tracks.

While Leonard and I were still going together, Edgar changed the oil in his car. Edgar and I and Florence, a girl who boarded with us, and Leonard went to Spokane. Coming home, the oil accidently drained out. We had to push the car up the hill, jump in and ride down the hill. After a while that got to be just too much, so Leonard walked two miles and got his horse. He returned and pulled the car to Cheney. The sun was just coming up when we got home, and poor little Mama had been up all night worrying.
Image

Image <=NUCLEAR BUTTONImage

Image

KFAC-LP 105.5 FM Twisp WA
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests