Daddy continued his job working for a cattle ranch, that came with a "shack" to live in and occasionally beef or mutton was included instead of cash, they eked out a living through that first hard winter...In the spring, Loraine had turned 4. Barbara turned 2, and a new baby boy, George, joined the family in May...(I'm only using my memory here, of what I heard from Mom, as to how life was for this family...George was a shy boy, growing up with 2 girls....He was upset and cried, when at Christmas he received a toy tractor and the girls both got a doll and he wasn't happy until he also got a doll, just like the girls...They took care of him, and included him in their daily games...One story I remember hearing many times was as follows...One of the "kids" decided that their dolls needed to be baptized and the little irrigation ditch that they played in seemed the perfect place...You can imagine, the dolls didn't just get a dunk in the ditch, but were literally drowned, soggy and wet, never to be played with again...George was heartbroken and shed many tears and was always loved and comforted by his two, older adoring sisters.
Two years later another little boy, Joel, arrived on the scene...He quickly grew into a gregarious, happy, fun loving little boy, not afraid of anything and George was in awe!..Another story goes like this...Mom made the girls circle skirts and the boys rompers, out of the same fabric...The children had watched the making of these and were very excited, when the day finally came that they would get to wear them...Everyone dressed in their new finery, and the girls twirled and danced in their circle skirts...Yes, you guessed it, George twirled and danced in his rompers and dissolved in tears, when his didn't swirl, like the girls...Joel watched all of this unfold and had no sympathy for George, shaking his head he cried out "Bawl Georgie, Bawl, Bawl Georgie, Bawl," then gave his older brother a big hug and help dry his tears...At another time, George thought he was being picked on by the entire family and escaped to his safe place, behind the wood stove, with the dog...His parting words were, "You would think I was the "adopted one" around here!" In spite of all this he grew into a kind, loving brother.
Joel was only 2 1/2 years old when he died, Mom said that he talked early and sometimes had a language all his own and told animated stories about made-up people and animals...He was a special light in an otherwise bleak world...A new baby, Mona, helped and there was little time to grieve in this harsh world, with 4 children to care for, the work never stopped...Day by day in the stormy, windy Wyoming winter, work that actually paid money was hard to come by, this family struggled and soon more hardships to face...Hugs to All...OWAV:)
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