Loraine and Barbara were teenagers, George in junior high and Mona soon started 1st grade, when the move was made to Porterville, Utah…Loraine loved Porterville, Barbara not so much…Barbara said that she was teased and the girls, her age, were hateful and mean. Over the next 9 years, Loraine married Steve Smith, (over next 20 years had nine children.) Barbara married Worthy Reed had one son, divorced and married Jim Stevens.  George married Marlene Madden (over next 25 years had six girls,) divorced and later married Clare Crawford. 

While in Porterville, Daddy borrowed money to buy a combine and a baler and had a good business working for other farmers. The idea was to pay off the new machinery with money earned from these jobs. Money always seemed to be in short supply no matter how hard my parents worked. Always of course the weather played a big part in farming and just when a bumper crop seemed eminent, hail or torrential rain would ruin it. The farm after nine years was not able to support a family, and Daddy started talking about moving. There were other reasons that my parents decided to move, 1st was that most summer weekends. relatives would gather at our little farm on their weekend off to relax and Mom would cook dinners for extra people as well as her own family. They also loved taking home, butter, cream, milk, and eggs fresh from the farm. Although they liked having family come to visit, it was wearing both of my parents out. 2nd reason, Daddy had taken on the job of “water master” and was woken up in the middle of the night by a “water user” because someone was stealing his water. Come to find out the Mormon Bishop was the culprit and so of course the “user” would not press charges. Also Mom was helping neighbors, going through hard times, and asked the Bishop for help, from the church. It was not forth coming, so she asked other neighbors for a donation and came up with $300.00 for the family.

 Daddy wasn’t a fan of some Mormon beliefs, such as No Coffee, Whiskey, Cigarettes or Swearing. He believed in “the Man Upstairs” and that in everyday life you should do unto others, be truthful, sharing, and kind to all, no matter what their station was in life. Mom and Daddy decided it was time to make a change. To be continued..  Hugs To All...OWAV:)

  

Mona takes up guitar

Mom digging in the dirt.