Warmer than expected..,35º

A gloomy day to start with, turned into a perfect day for a long walk and later Herb and I loaded more wood and will unload it into the cellar sometime today...Dinner was meatloaf, reheated in gravy with fresh coleslaw on the side.

I worked on a grocery list for Bill (our neighbor) who's wife has volunteered him to shop for us, while we stay home, self quarantined and  practic our social distancing...What a crazy world this has become...Thankful that we have good neighbors.

Herb has Sundays laundry done, clean line dried sheets on our bed tonight, such a luxury and also a luxury to have a husband that does the laundry!...I'm just a little bit spoiled.

Sorry to admit this, but my last few photos were from last year, but yesterday after my walk, I took actual photos of what is blooming in our yard...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Sunny...30º

After a couple of snowy days, then clouds and now finally the sun is shining again...Our 3 inches of snow was wet and heavy...Good thing about it was that it melted in place and went into the ground, giving all gardens and lawn a good watering.

One good thing for us has come out of COVID-19, we think...Herb has had a pending appointment, in Bend, OR, 325 miles away from Joseph, for the last several months...We have been biding our time for better roads/weather, to make that trip...Now with the COVID-19, Dr. Bell (a neurologist) is only doing "tele-med-visits."...For us that means, we can sit in our own home, zoom him up via computer and discuss Herb's medical problems... Our hope is that he can give us some incite into what is going on in Herbs brain at this time, (something i've been trying to figure out for the last 60 years, with very little luck)...Really i'm just kidding, but we have to see the humor in things, at this time...So come Monday morning we will do the "tele-visit."

On the flip side of COVID-19, we are mostly staying home, using sanitary precautions, taking daily walks, maybe we will haul some more wood and trying to retain our sanity, (not much of that left) and keep a positive outlook!..Sending all our love and Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Garlic is up

Crocus almost in bloom

A few daffodils 

Local Economy...34º /snowing

Time to change snow tires...We have always bought tires from Schwabs, so Herb has taken our vehicles there for the free change over or rotations...As it gets more difficult for him to lift and carry and now with Covid 19, waiting in their waiting area (trying to visit with a friend 6 feet apart, both wearing hearing aids), didn't seem like a good idea...So taking Herb's advice, I called https://chitwood-mobile-tire.business.site...He arrived yesterday, changed tires on both car and pickup in less than an hour, he had quoted $40.00, I, not quite keeping the 6' rule, handed him a $50 bill, he smiled, said "I sure appreciate your business, please call again." We will and I hope anyone out there needing good service, while waiting in your own home, supporting the local economy will give him a call...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

One Day at a Time....38º

Life goes on here on Barton Heights, as we deal with Covid 19. we are warm, have plenty of food, are able to get outside for exercise and we've had some lovely warm, sunny days...The weather is changing this morning so we will have to adjust with the weather and again count our blessings.

Yesterday I spent time outside cleaning winter debris from the lawn and flowerbeds...We went to the track for a walk and then drove to the head of Wallowa Lake for an outing...We live in a beautiful scenic spot away from city crowds, pollution and noise...We keep in touch with our kids and friends via FaceTime as well as iMessages and the fun Bitmojes.

I purchased a new phone last week, anticipating the arrival of our kids for spring break, so I would have help doing all that must be done with these new devices...Well, as you know that didn't happen, so i've talked to apple support a couple of times, and FT with Bobi and the glitches seem to be working out...When I get totally frustrated, I do a restart and sometimes that works miracles!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Wallowa "wal-OW-ah" Lake in all its beauty.
PS, I will get back to family history, soon.

Another Sunny Day...30º

On a more positive note, yesterday Herb and I got outside for fresh air and exercise...We will do more of the same today...Two cords of wood are still stacked outside in our small back pasture, they need to be moved to the house and into the basement, where our wood stove is (we are not out of wood in the basement so it is not an emergency)...We have a 4-wheeler and a small trailer that we use and by doing one load a day, we will get it done...Also on most days we will walk on our road or at the school track.

Our fruit trees got their annual trimming yesterday...Sinclair Brothers Tree Service takes care of that for us....They are excellant at what they do and very dependable...Also they are a good source for wood chips for the flower beds.

While outside yesterday I actually took photos, with my new iPhone, of crocus that are now blooming...I will get more old photos scanned today and maybe tomorrow I will do another blog on family history...Stay as safe as possible everyone...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Feelings, plus spring blooms...31º

The closest I can come to defining what I’m thinking right now is....Its like a death in the family and your world has ripped apart...then you look outside and see the sun shining and wonder how can that be????     That must be how people feel, that have just lost their jobs and have a family to feed, bills to pay and what the hell happens now and how can the sun be shining?

I'm glad the sun is shining and we have to keep, keeping on with everyday life, one day at a time...Be kind, spread love (not germs) give air hugs, exercise, keep busy and practice patients...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

More Closures....30º

My view today is of anothr foggy morning... Yesterday finally brought sunshine, but also the closing of all restaurants and bars in Oregon...Yes, you read that right!..I hope this helps to slow the spread of the Corona Virus, but it is going to devastate our small businesses...It will put many of our county residents out of a job, people who can ill afford to be without even a meager paycheck...Schools will remain closed, at least the local schools are providing "grab and go" breakfast and lunches for students...The restaurants are going to take out food, curb service, for people still in the workforce..The ramifications of all of this are mind boggling...My mind is a jumble.

I'll close with the mantra, wash your hands, stay home, if you have to go our, be kind and patient, we must work together and now there is a real reason for texting and chatting and "Air Hugs"....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

A photo from a week ago.

Quandary...32º

Waking up to a crazy world this morning, as the Corona Virus spreads, wrecking havoc with our lives...With the first known death in Oregon reported, more restrictions went into place...The Corona Virus has now gone from an epidemic to a Pandemic.

On the home front, here on Barton Heights, my water therapy classes have been canceled for at least three weeks and schools are still closed, large social gatherings, meetings etc are on hold...Bobi called last night to talk about their upcoming visit...They are concerned about putting Herb and I at risk (because we are in that age group) of people that this virus targets...So we erred on the side of caution and postponed their visit until a later date...Connected with Rusty this morning and we postponed his visit as well...Time to regroup, stay at home, and keep well and busy!

Some things that stayed the same in this upside down world, Herb is doing laundry, breakfast will soon be on the table and we will continue with household chores and venture outside for some walking exercise...Outside, we have a foggy world, that limits our view, but the garbage truck, was again on time 5:30am on his appointed rounds...So far those things haven't changed.

Please remember to use common sense, stay home unless you absolutley have to go out, eat good food, be kind to each other, this too shall end....Hugs To All, OWAV:)

Sibling Rivalry...30º

While I'm writing and copying stories from long ago, life on Barton Heights is typical for the end of winter/ early spring...Sunny and warm one day, two inches of snow and cold the next...Herb and I have taken advantage of the warm days and the track at Joseph Charter School...The track has been at the school for at least 20 years, it is rubberized and easy on the legs, plus it has a beautiful view of the mountains...It gets us out of the house and moving...Our life hasn't changed because of the Corona Virus and so far I continue to go to water therapy and the grocery store and Herb has acupuncture appointments twice a month...Otherwise we are homebodies and hope to stay well!

Come Tuesday that will change, when Bobi and Cienna arrive from Portland and Rusty comes from Bend...Cienna will have taken her finals on line and won't have classes again until early April...For a few days our house will be a hive of activity, with our usual cooking, eating, card playing and general craziness.

Back to October 1950, the wedding plans are moving on and also a big move is in the future, but a destination, has yet to be found...My sister Mona has not taken well to either of these ideas...She is a new teenager and exerting her independence...As I remember it, she and Marlene are quite leary of each other, each looking for common ground...Mona is also struggling with moving...As an eighth grader she has her friends from first grade until now and looks forward to highschool with old friends, not starting over as she approaches highschool...Our lives and household are in turmoil.

Mona was almost six years old when I was born and the apple of Daddies eye, she was not happy to share him with me...Of course I wasn't aware of this and grew up thinking everything was rosy...Mona was bossy and I did her bidding, such as "Della, will you get me a drink of water, or Della, bring me my shoes," and a myriad of other things...I've said that I was her slave for many years...She disagrees with that...Sibling rivalry at it best...I was the tagalong little sister and Mom insisted she include me in her more "grownup life."..To her, I was like a flea on a dog and she couldn't get rid of me...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Mona a new teenager.

A New Dress...30º

Several years ago, I wrote this story, while taking a memoir class from Katey Schultz, a vistiing teacher with Fishtrap...This is definitely "creative non fiction," as my memory tried to recall the events that led up to George and Marlene's wedding...So some of this is imagined, some is true, it was fun to write...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PETTICOATS AND PIGTAILS

          My eye’s popped open, it was early but I was wide awake.  I was eight years old and today was to be a special day.  

          Last night, Mom helped me wash my hair.  Then I took a bath and she checked to make sure my neck and ears were clean.  A place I always seemed to miss, much to her dismay.  My neck and ears passed inspection, I was clean enough to go shopping for a new dress.

          I’m sure that in todays world, a shopping trip for an eight year old would not be a big deal, but in 1950 for me, it definitely was.  

          We lived on a farm twenty miles from Ogden, Utah, the nearest large city.  I’m sure I had been to Ogden before, but those occasions were far and few between.  We would have gone shopping for school clothes, other times buying only underwear, socks and shoes.  Mom made my dresses and even my petticoats.  How I envied the girls at school, as they proudly showed off their new dresses, bought from the store.  They never made fun of my dresses, only the petticoats that Mom made out of the backs of my Dad’s old flannel shirts.  No, they were not very pretty nor silky feeling.  They did serve the purpose and in winter added a layer of warmth.

          Today I was going shopping for a dress, a store bought dress, a dress to wear to my brother’s wedding.

       Saturday shoppers crowded the sidewalks as Mom held tightly to my hand because I was so busy looking around at everyone and everything, she was afraid of losing me.  We went to JC Penny’s department store and straight to the girls dresses.  The saleslady helped by bringing a few dresses in my size.  Mom sorted through the dresses and gave some back to the clerk.  They were too fancy and had to be washed by hand.  The dress we bought had to be nice but also one I could wear to school after the wedding.                                                                                                                

          I tried on three or four dresses that day.   Standing in front of a full length mirror, for the first time, I shyly turned around, one way and then the other, looking at the dress from all angles.  I wondered about the scrawny little girl in the mirror, yes, me, my nose covered with freckles, and my hair in pigtails.  Would the dress make me pretty, like the girls at school, in their store bought dresses? 

          I did try on one dress that had ruffles and lace.  It was kind of scratchy, but it had a full skirt and made me feel like Cinderella or a fairy tale princess.  I lost some of my shyness, twirling around in front of the mirror, almost falling down.  Mom caught me and we laughed.  Now I was being silly.  Finally I tried on the last dress.  It was made of cotton fabric,  green plaid with a white Peter Pan collar.  I knew that this was the dress I would choose.  It was all the things it had to be; washable, no ruffles or frills, a gathered skirt, but not too full, a darker color so the dirt wouldn’t show, and it would be comfortable to wear all day at school.

          That day along with the dress, we bought white anklets and black patent leather shoes to complete my outfit.  I wondered about a petticoat, but knew I should be satisfied with the new dress and shoes. 

           That night after supper I brought out the sack and proudly showed Daddy the new dress and shoes that I had for the wedding.  He admired the purchase, patted my shoulder, and went back to reading his paper. 

          Later that evening, when I was ready for bed, dressed in my flannel pajamas, Daddy kissed me, gave me a big hug and said, “Goodnight my Princess.”  It was then I realized that being a princess didn’t mean wearing frilly dresses and silk petticoats.  Plain old flannel pajamas would do the trick.      

                                                                                                                                                        

                                               

Relatives Abound...34º

Both of my parents came from large families...On the Ashton side George and Idella (Eastman) Ashton, had seven children...Grace, Ermal, Elmer (Joe), Atha, Lorene, Josh and Ruby...Gramdma Ashton (Idella), died when Joe was a teenager and Grandpa married Belle...Joe left home soon afterwards...Grandpa Ashton was still alive when we lived in Utah...He lived with his second wife Belle, just a few blocks from us in Porterville. (all reports were, that she was the typical "step mother.")...She died leaving Grandpa a widower.

I don't remember her but I do remember Grandpa vaguely...I mostly remember going to his funeral, when I was 5 years old...I didn't really want to look at him but Mom held me up to the casket and I just remember his face being very white...Up until this time, I didn't know what a funeral was...When Mom and Daddy came home from a funeral, Mom alwasy talked about what they had to eat and who brought what, so in my mind a funeral was a place to eat...And we did go to my Aunt Lorene's after the funeral service, where there was a whole table full of food and lots of relatives...Mom helped me fill my plate and some little round green things with red on them, caught my eye...I just had to have one, my first green olive...One bite of the olive and I spit it out, pulled a face and acted like I might die on the spot!...I was scolded for my bad manners and ate the rest of the food in silence.

In Porterville, we saw relatives on a regular basis, most of them lived in the city and ours was a peaceful setting for them to relax on the weekends..They loved my mothers cooking and went home with eggs and cream from our farm animals and fresh vegetables from the garden...I got to play with my many cousins, but I think Mom and Dad were a little overwhelmed with the added stress and work of company...They didn't get a weekend to rest...This may have been one of the reasons that they dreamed of a new home, way far away...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Grandpa Ashton (George)

Grandma Ashton (Idella)

Grandma Ashton's parents and siblings
(sorry I don't have names)

Elmer (Joe) Ashton and
sister Lorene Ashton

A Whirlwind Romance...35º

I think back on their romance now and see that Marlene was very different from Helen in actions, looks, and everything else...She was talking about getting her ears pierced!...My mother was rolling her eyes, we didn't know anybody with pierced ears!..This turned into quite a production...Marlene did get her ears pierced, i assume in a Drs office, because supposedly it was done right and "catgut" was threaded through the holes to let them heal and keep the opening...She was doing everything right, but they got infected...Her earlobes were bright red, swollen, icky and sore...More eye rolling from my Mother...While Marlene was getting this under control, George was working in the potato harvest...One of his jobs was to sew the gunny sack, full of potatoes, shut...He and the other boys had needles and twine.

Picture a field full of potatoes that have to be dug out of the dirt and put into sacks...Not a very sanitary scene...I'm thinking that the potato digger broke down and the boys found themselves with some idle moments...So they decided to pierce one of their ears using what was at hand...Needle, twine and potatoes...Maybe they sterilized the needle using a match (they had all started smoking about this time), and cut a potato in half, putting the cut potato behind the earlobe and with a quick stab of the needle voilà, a hole appeared...I have no idea if they pulled the twine through the ear or just put an earring of some kind in there but the ears healed up nicely, no infection!...Marlene's ears were still red and swollen.

In love as they were with each other it was only fitting that they have matching earrings, now that they both had a hole in at least one ear...The earrings were engraved with "Tish and Tosh"...This is what I remember...If any of George and Marlene's girls heard this story and remember something different please let me know!...I think this was when my mother threw up her hands in despair, she had lost the battle, and the wedding plans went full speed ahead...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Our brother George and

Mom's favorite.

Leading up to the Move...25º

Yesterday I mentioned that George and Marlene were planning a fall wedding...Things hadn't started off well when George introduced his new girlfriend...You see, George already had a longtime girl friend named Helen, and Mom assumed that she would become his bride...Now I realize the turmoil that our household was in but as an 8 year old I was oblivious...I took to Marlene immediately and she to me...I was invited to spend a couple of days at her home and attend a day at school with her...Her home was a hotel (that her mother, Myrtle, owned and managed)...I was in awe...Of course, as a cute little girl, I was a hit at Coalville highschool and all of Marlene's classmates...What I remember most about that visit was the breakfast Marlene fixed before I went back home...I wrote this story several years ago...I wish I had photos, but alas there are none...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS I will post a photo of present day pancakes.

Pancakes Topped with Pineapple Sherbet

When I was 7 years old, my brother George started dating Marlene Madden. Marlene's Mother, Myrtle owned a hotel and I spent a day or two visiting there. I was in awe of the hotel (never having been in one) with its staircase to the bedrooms upstairs reserved for guests. I was more in awe of my breakfast...Marlene made plate size pancakes which she served to me, and a choice of pineapple sherbet or syrup on top. I opted for the sherbet not really knowing what it was but soon consumed two pancakes topped with sherbet for the first and last time in my life. Back home when I requested pancakes with sherbet on top, Mom looked at me with her special, "Are you crazy look?" I didn't ask again. I've thought many times about having pancakes with pineapple sherbet, but know that they would never taste as good as they did that day long ago when a wide eyed girl of 7 ate one of the best breakfasts of her life. Thank you Marlene.

Idella at 5 years old

I love any kind of pancakes.

The Last Years in Porterville...32º

My earliest memories of Porterville go back to about 1947...Two girls, Peggy and Penny lived next door and we played together daily...We didn't play with dolls, we made stick horses and bows and arrows, from willows and rode miles, shooting Indians...We traded off, one day being an Indian, the next a white man. We got good at falling, dramatically, to the ground when shot...Peggy was a year older and filled Penny and I in on what to expect when we started school...I was looking forward to starting 1st grade, I watched with longing as George and Mona caught the bus every morning, until Peggy told me that in first grade, I would have to take an afternoon nap!..No Way!..I was done with naps, they were a waste of time, they were for babies...I just wouldn't go to school.

My mother had other ideas about my education...I was the last of 6 children and life had been hard for her...Starting over on a farm was hard work, 6 babies in 12 years, the loss of a child and a husband with an injured back and a hysterectomy after my birth, her health suffered...She was ready to be free of children, then she would have time to spend in the garden, that she loved...My birthday was in late October and by todays standards, I would have to wait another year, but come September 1948, five years old, I boarded the bus with George and Mona, I carried a rolled up rug to take a nap on...I had relented, but secretly told myself, they could make me lie down, but I wouldn't go to sleep!

By the time I started 3rd grade, Mona was in 8th grade and George had graduated from high school, had a new girl friend, Marlene Madden, and they were planning a fall wedding...Loraine had married Steve Smith and had her first baby, George...Barbara had married Worthy Reed, had baby Alan, divorced and married Jim Stephens...I don't remember hearing anything about moving, until mom gave Mona and I each a small booklet that was titled, "Autographs."..."Take this to school and get your friends to write in it, saying goodbye to you."...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Blanche (Mom), A happy day!

George, Mona, Idella

Penny, Peggy, Idella
(Mom always tried to make me into a girl,
 instead of a tomboy.)

I need a break..34º

Writing memories is therapeutic and freeing, but also intense, difficult and draining...I'm always concerned about, how close to the truth my memories are or for that matter, the stories that my mom related to me and Mona/Jerry...At this point, I think that is about all we have left to go on...I encourage you (Loraines children), to talk to Barbara, (she is 90, so you better get with it.) about the Porterville years and her memories...And if your Mom told you stories, someone needs to get them in  writing (I think her's burned up, when the house burned)...I was only 8 years old when we left there, so my memories are mostly about me!

I welcome your feedback and your memories, even if they differ from mine...Every child, niece, nephew, cousin etc, grow up with different parents...I know my older sisters grew up with much different parents than I did...Does this make sense?..So feel free to comment or pm me or email me,   oma@eoni.com   I would love to hear from you.

With that said, life goes on here on Barton Heights, yesterday Herb and I drove to La Grande for an eye appointment, shopping and lunch...Roads were good, weather warm and breezy...We got most of the things on our list and then some...Back home we toasted each other with a small glass of wine, aaah, we did it again.

Looking at the date on this post brings back another world of memories...Forty six years ago, we made our first trip over the winding road from La Grande to Joseph...Herbs mother's sudden death on March 3, 1973, brought us from Utah to Idaho to be with his Dad and prepare for her funeral...At this same time Herb was being transferred from Utah to Joseph, Oregon in his job with the Forest Service and we needed to find a house in Joseph...I remember it was a warm March day, and I loved the drive through Minam Canyon, just like yesterday...Another time, another story...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pizza for lunch.

Daddy Joe...35º

In yesterdays story, I made the statement that, "Joe was our rock, we adored him and his love for us knew no bounds."...Blanche divorced her first husband, Dwayne Fields, when both Loraine and Barbara were very young...She kept in contact with Dwaynes' (nickname Bus) parents and a grandmother called "Grandma Dine."...Packages arrived for several year on Birthdays and Christmas for the girls, and after the boys were born, there were also small gifts for them...There was no monthly child support checks, no visits, virtually no contact with their birth father.

I  often heard it said that two little girls stole Joe's heart before he fell in love with their mother...He, from the beginning was their "Daddy Joe."..He was never their step dad even though it would be many years before they were legally adopted...They started school as Loraine and Barbara Ashton and carried the Ashton name until they were married...Joe loved little children and babies, one image that never leaves me is him, holding a baby in his big hands, looking down into that baby face and saying "God loves your little heart."...We grew up as a family, no step dad, no half sisters, just family.

Many years later, Loraine and Barbara married with families, "Bus" contacted them and they welcomed him into their homes...It was a brief relationship,  and just a few years later, the long awaited adoption took place in Valley County, Idaho...When Joe was asked why it took so long, his answer was, "I guess we never had the money to to it legally and it never mattered, they were always my girls."...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Porterville History...35º

I'm not good on the dates in history, but in a nutshell, 1940 America was coming out of the great depression, WWII was not over yet, but Blanche and Joe had a chance to build a new life...A small acreage with a house, barn and other outbuildings was purchased...Machinery and animals were added at some point and Joe worked at making a life as a farmer...Joe was a strong man and a hard worker, dawn to dark on the farm and odd jobs as a janitor to bring in some cash...He was also a gentle, kind, softhearted, loving, generous man...His weaknesses were, a bad back that would plague him for the rest of his life and a love of "Cornfield Corn Whiskey."

When things got bad on the farm, a cow died, when calving,  the wheat crop failed and the time of year, near Christmas when all the memories of a sick baby and subsequent death, all came rushing back...Whiskey dulled the pain, it made the days and nights bearable...This is difficult for me to write, because in the eyes of his children, Joe was our rock, we adored him and his love for us knew no bounds...He like all humans was not perfect.

Blanche and Joe struggled through the next 10 years, working the farm, building a small dairy herd, selling the milk, raising their family, they eeked out a living...I was born in 1942 and hopes of another boy in the family were dashed, when Doctor High, said, "Its a girl."...Three years later Blanche and Joe became grandparents, Loraine and Barbara were both married and moving on with their lives...I could never get a straight answer to why my parents decided to move away from friends and relatives to far away Idaho...Another life, another fresh start....Hugs To All..OWAV:)

Photos... Loraine and her son, George... Barbara and her son, Alan,  George, Mona and last photo, Idella and Alan on the tractor.

 

 

History, continued 1930/1940...32º

For approximately the next 10 years, the new family lived in Diamondville Wy. where Joe worked for a ranch and later went to work in the coal mines...The houses (more like shacks) that were provided with the job, gave them a roof over their heads, but not much more...Winters were brutal, and the wind was constant year round...The town was a rough mix, mostly Italians...Survival was every families aim...The kids went to one room school houses and learned that life was tough... Loraine and Barbara fought daily battles with the kids who teased George because he stuttered...They were a force to be reckoned with and soon the teasing stopped...Ham and beans (very little ham) were a staple of their diet...The 3 kids and a dog named Duke would trudge to the store, where they asked for soup bones for the dog...The "knowing butcher" would pick out the meatiest bones to put in the flour sack, that the kids carried with them...On the way back home, walking along the railroad tracks, each child filled their pockets with coal, that had fallen from the boxcar, as the trains rumbled through town...Every scrap of coal was picked up as coal heated their house and cooked the soup.

Joel arrived on the scene, a happy baby and soon a precocious child...He walked and talked early and at the age of two seemed to have a language all his own...Unlike his brother George, who was a tender hearted boy, Joel was made of sterner stuff...He was often heard to say (when George was crying), "Bawl Georgie, Bawl," then gave his brother a big hug and they were off playing again.

Joels' untimely death sent their world into a tailspin, but with a new baby in the house, and mouths to feed, hard work was the answer, with no time to grieve...Joe finally hired on with a mining company and with a steady paycheck, life improved, but only for tragedy to strike again...An accident in the coal mine left Joe with broken vertebrae in his back, weeks in a hospital, a train trip back to Mayo Brothers Clinic, no money coming in, his back didn't heal properly and he finally got a lump sum settlement from the company...It was time to move on...Porterville, Utah would be their next home...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...I'm writing most of this from memory of what was told to me and I thank Aunt Peggy and her  book "Precious Gems." as my go to place for dates.

 Better years to come?

Family Background...22º

For those of the "much younger" generations, I'm going to backup and write a "brief history" of the Blanche and Joe story...They were married in September 1929...Joe was a cowboy, sheep herder, bronc rider, eligible bachelor, age 22...Blanche was a divorcee (a gutsy decision in those days), age 20 and the mother of two girls, Loraine and Barbara, ages 3 and 1...The wedding was in Evanston Wyo. before the justice of the peace...Joe was holding Barbara and Blanche held Loraine's hand and with a borrowed ring, vows repeated, sealed with kisses all around, they embarked on their life together...Sorry no photos were taken...I have written in detail about those early days but that will come later.

From 1929 to 1950 when Blanche and Joe moved to Lake Fork Idaho, they added sons' George in 1930, Joel (born 1934, died 1936) daughters' Mona 1936 and Idella 1942...The family struggled through much heartache.

 The following 5 photos are of Loraine, Barbara and George...The 6th is new baby Mona and Blanch and Joe, trying to smile through their tears...Mona was two weeks old, when Joel died of pneumonia on December 21 1936...The 7th photo is of Joel, on his birthday, July 1936 and the telegram Joe sent to Blanches parents...Hugs to all...OWAV:)