I remember growing up things were so much different. We walked almost everywhere. I had to walk to primary which was quite a distance. In the summer we played outside most days and nobody worried about us. I liked to catch toads and grasshoppers and watch ants. We always had cats and dogs and we never took them to the vet. If they got sick, they died. We never bought pet food. They had to live off table scraps. In the summer the cats would catch grasshoppers to eat. One cat we had like to climb the corn cobs growing in the garden and strip them down and eat them. We had a large garden and we canned many things even tomato soup. We even canned root beer. One summer we slept in the garage as my aunt Beverly was going to summer school at BYU and our room was given to her.
My brother Chris was quite the character. Once he and his friend found an old tricycle and took the front tire off. Then they tied the back wheels to a horse and wanted to pretend they were gladiators riding chariots. Of course they fell of the trike in minutes but the horse ran off with the chariot still attached and nobody really said what happened after that. My brother also used to go camping all by himself down at the swamp and use our poor dog as a pack mule tying all his gear to the dog. Then he would set up his tent and build a fire and stay overnight at the swamp.
My mother always had health problems and spent a good deal of time lying down. In the hot of summer, we never had air conditioning. All we had was a fan. One summer when it was so hot, my mother spent most days in bed by the window with a fan blowing in her face. She still managed to back 8 loaves of bread a week and do her canning.
I liked to go to the little Wilkins grocery store. One time my mom gave me a dime died in a handkerchief and I lost it on the way to the store. Dad was always busy. He worked so hard and did not believe in anyone doing anything if he thought he could do it himself. He was very tight with money and we lived on a strict budget. My mother bought some candy once and it was not in the budget so she was given a real tongue lashing.
The church was my mother's life. I sprained my ankle once after school and did not go to Primary after school and my mother was more concerned about my not going to Primary than my sprained ankle. I used to think everyone was Mormons. I got culture shock when we went to Wyoming and I saw a woman smoking. I also got culture shock when up in Salt Lake I saw my first black person. A old black lady cleaning the restroom at the zoo. I used to be scared of them.
I always watched people and I could tell if they wore garments or not. If they were married and did not, I thought they must be bad. The church really influences people especially back then.
In the summer we slept outside a lot and nobody worried about that. But one time there was a prowler we were told and that was the night we slept out. I guess he was just hungry as he stole a frozen chicken from our neighbor's freezer in their garage.
Until I was 11 years old, I had to sleep with my brother. Our house in Lakeview was so small. Two bedrooms, a very small kitchen which had to house the washer, a very small bathroom. It did have an attached garage. I could never could figure out why on one acre of ground, they had to build the house so small. It did not have a basement and my dad built a root cellar to put our canned goods in. These are just some of the things in those days but we enjoyed them immensely.
Showing posts with label Family History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family History. Show all posts
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Clear Creek
When we were camped up on Diamond Fork, We took a ride to Clear Creek Utah. There is where my mother was born and where my grandparent's met. My grandfather was a coal miner and my Grandma worked for a Doctor.
These are some photoes of the area which was so quiet it was almost like the Twilight Zone. But the places had been taken care of and probably were summer homes. This place was truly beautiful.Tuesday, January 31, 2012
My life Continued
I am going to skip a little of my dark side and my health problems now and talk about some of the neat things I did as a child. I know this will be much different than what kids do now and they would probably think it is dumb but in looking back, I consider it some of the funnest times we had.
My cousin and I liked to play up in the attic. My grandma kept his bench saw up there and it was fun to play with the shavings. it could also be scary up there as there were wasps and big flies up there and it was very hot in the summer and you had to be relly care of where you stepped otherwise you would go through the attic floor as on the side it was very weak. We used to find all kinds of old paper dolls up there and old valentines. And even some stuff up there that my Grandpa hid that my grandma did not want him to have.
There was a large ditch in front of my granadma's house. We like to wade in it. It tall poplar trees all around it. One time my cousin threw my nicets doll into the ditch. For what reason I will never know other than being jealouse. We liked to walk down to the Sanpitch River and wade and once saw a horse skull and stepped on some glass. He to run bacl to grandmaaa's and she put pepper on the blood that was coming out and slow the blood and quadulate it. That how she did it back then.
We like to sleep on her large front porch at night and listen to the moquitoes and look at the neon light up the road with Phillips 66 sign all aglow. Those happy sunny days of long ago, how did they pass so quickly?
My cousin and I liked to play up in the attic. My grandma kept his bench saw up there and it was fun to play with the shavings. it could also be scary up there as there were wasps and big flies up there and it was very hot in the summer and you had to be relly care of where you stepped otherwise you would go through the attic floor as on the side it was very weak. We used to find all kinds of old paper dolls up there and old valentines. And even some stuff up there that my Grandpa hid that my grandma did not want him to have.
There was a large ditch in front of my granadma's house. We like to wade in it. It tall poplar trees all around it. One time my cousin threw my nicets doll into the ditch. For what reason I will never know other than being jealouse. We liked to walk down to the Sanpitch River and wade and once saw a horse skull and stepped on some glass. He to run bacl to grandmaaa's and she put pepper on the blood that was coming out and slow the blood and quadulate it. That how she did it back then.
We like to sleep on her large front porch at night and listen to the moquitoes and look at the neon light up the road with Phillips 66 sign all aglow. Those happy sunny days of long ago, how did they pass so quickly?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
My Personal History Part One
I was born of a rich pioneer heritage. My mother’s grandfather Jordan Henry Brady and his wife Levee Sanderson were born Nauvoo, Hancock County Illinois. Originally from Kentucky, Mormon missionaries visited and they were converted. They later crossed the plains with the saints. They settled in Fairview (a small town in Sanpete county) A town which they was settled by them and few other Mormon families. My Grandma’s grandmother was the second wife of a polygamous (Henry Weeks Sanderson.) Her name was Sarah Jane Cole. Between her and his other wife, there were 31 children.
On my fathers, side it was an entirely different story. He grandfather was from Sweden and his grandmother was born in Denmark. They met each other on the ship to America. Neither spoke each other’s language but somehow they must have spoken because they married. His grandma had been married before and was a widow with a child.
They had come over because the Mormon missionaries had given them the gospel. The missionaries told them about the land in Fountain Green UT and that is where they settled. They joined the church but were never that active.
My grandmother on my mother’s side was Christa Vale Brady. My grandfather on that side was Goveita Sanders. From that union came three children, Duane, Fawn and Beverly Ann. My grandfather was orphaned at an early age and he was raised by his aunt Lydia Halberg. From that union, my mother, Fawn was born.
On my Dad’s side, my grandmother was Katie Larsen. She came straight from Denmark with her family. Her family came because the missionaries told them that it was beautiful in UT. They had not converted yet. After arriving they had bad luck in that their young son died of appendicitis right after their arrival. They hated the sage brush and the landscape of Sanpete County. Denmark had been so lovely and green. They left for Portland Oregon feeling cheated by the missionaries about who wonderful it was in Sanpete County. Only my grandmother, Katie Larsen remained and she had a job working for my grandfather’s father (Alfred SR born in Fountain Green) in their household. They had many duties as they owned sheep farms. My grandfather was Alfred JR and he and Katie got married. They lived on a sheep ranch far out in MT Pleasant UT. My father Kenneth Johnson was a son of that union. From this point on, I am not going to talk about my extended family history, only some of my memories with them as I grew up. I just wanted everyone to know roots of it all.
I came about on a cold January day the 11th day of the month in 1944. Weighing in a 7 lbs and 8 oz. After a long and brutal labor, I arrived. My mother was ill right after my birth. She lost her milk and I was allergic to the replacement milk. My father was serving WWII and my mother living with Grandma Sanders. From this one event, (my allergy to formula.) I myself believe caused both the history of myself, my motherland father to change radically.
In all the photos I see of myself as a baby and young child, I look so very happy. In spite of my health issues, I was always happy and full of life. I was very thin because of my allergic issues but I never knew I was any different than anybody else. I was blonde and blue-eyed and very curious. My parents moved into a new small home in Orem when it was decided that my father didn’t want to be a sheep farmer any longer. He planned on going to school full-time on the GI bill and get his diploma. He had not been able to finish school because his father wanted him on the sheep ranch and so no need for him to go to school after grade 8. But ever since my birth and mother’s infection, she had not been well. She had several operations and had to go to SLC to have them done. My dad had to scale his schooling to part time and get a part time job. They wanted to have my Grandma Sanders come take care of me and my mom but there was an emergency in Fairview and Beverly was still a child and so she had to go back to Fairview. My father had to hire outside babysitters to live in. The DR told my mom if she wanted another child, she better get one as she had too many cysts and soon it would not be possible to become pregnant. She had my brother Chris. And then she had a hysterectomy at 25 .
My mother spent most of her time on the bed, even after her hysterectomy she was still very ill. My baby brother slept most of the time and I ran the streets of the sub division. I got in fights with kids and knew how to stick up for myself. My mother told me to fight my own battles when I told her about the mean kids on the street. So it was all up to me. My dad was not home very much because he was working two part time jobs. He got his diploma and wanted to go farther in school but they were very poor with no health insurance. So he worked on a job at Ralph’s Radio in Provo learning how to fix electric appliances and electronics. He also worked part time at a gas station.
I was a very smart vivacious little girl. When I was two years old, I recited a long poem at a family reunion and sang Jolly Old ST Nicolas with all the verses at a Christmas party. I was not at all shy back then. Many people told my mother that if she ever wanted to let me go, they surely wanted to take me home. I did suffer a lot from throat infections and colds, probably because I was so run down.
The problems that would haunt me for many years to come define most of my life started when I started school. In the neighborhood, I had been able to defend myself well and was very outgoing. I guess the kids in the neighborhood knew me and didn’t make fun of me. However in school, the minute I sat at my desk, the kids all pointed at me and said “skinny, skinny. Skinny.” And then they would grab my arm and compare it to theirs and tell me I was just way too skinny. Nobody wanted to play with me. One girl was very nice to me but she never became a real friend. I did not even know what the word “skinny was until then. I thought it meant I had too much hair on my arms. My parents had to take me out of school and they took me to the DR who told them it was their fault because I was skinny. They were told that any kid would eat on their own before they got that skinny. The wanted me to go to Primary Children’s Hospital in SLC. In the meantime, my dad made me eat and I had to force it down and it took me hours to eat a small plate of food. I did gain weight however and my stomach stretched so I could eat a little more without being sick. I never went to Primary Children’s Hospital as I had improved so much in one month. I know whoever reads this will think my being skinny is very strange as today I am far from being thin.
I will write more on history in the days to come if I don’t die before I get it completed. There is a very dark side of me and feel like I need write it down. That will come sometime down the road. I do need to explain what school bullies can do to ruin a life and the saying “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me,) is not true at all even though my mother told me that every time I came to her over being bullied.
On my fathers, side it was an entirely different story. He grandfather was from Sweden and his grandmother was born in Denmark. They met each other on the ship to America. Neither spoke each other’s language but somehow they must have spoken because they married. His grandma had been married before and was a widow with a child.
They had come over because the Mormon missionaries had given them the gospel. The missionaries told them about the land in Fountain Green UT and that is where they settled. They joined the church but were never that active.
My grandmother on my mother’s side was Christa Vale Brady. My grandfather on that side was Goveita Sanders. From that union came three children, Duane, Fawn and Beverly Ann. My grandfather was orphaned at an early age and he was raised by his aunt Lydia Halberg. From that union, my mother, Fawn was born.
On my Dad’s side, my grandmother was Katie Larsen. She came straight from Denmark with her family. Her family came because the missionaries told them that it was beautiful in UT. They had not converted yet. After arriving they had bad luck in that their young son died of appendicitis right after their arrival. They hated the sage brush and the landscape of Sanpete County. Denmark had been so lovely and green. They left for Portland Oregon feeling cheated by the missionaries about who wonderful it was in Sanpete County. Only my grandmother, Katie Larsen remained and she had a job working for my grandfather’s father (Alfred SR born in Fountain Green) in their household. They had many duties as they owned sheep farms. My grandfather was Alfred JR and he and Katie got married. They lived on a sheep ranch far out in MT Pleasant UT. My father Kenneth Johnson was a son of that union. From this point on, I am not going to talk about my extended family history, only some of my memories with them as I grew up. I just wanted everyone to know roots of it all.
I came about on a cold January day the 11th day of the month in 1944. Weighing in a 7 lbs and 8 oz. After a long and brutal labor, I arrived. My mother was ill right after my birth. She lost her milk and I was allergic to the replacement milk. My father was serving WWII and my mother living with Grandma Sanders. From this one event, (my allergy to formula.) I myself believe caused both the history of myself, my motherland father to change radically.
In all the photos I see of myself as a baby and young child, I look so very happy. In spite of my health issues, I was always happy and full of life. I was very thin because of my allergic issues but I never knew I was any different than anybody else. I was blonde and blue-eyed and very curious. My parents moved into a new small home in Orem when it was decided that my father didn’t want to be a sheep farmer any longer. He planned on going to school full-time on the GI bill and get his diploma. He had not been able to finish school because his father wanted him on the sheep ranch and so no need for him to go to school after grade 8. But ever since my birth and mother’s infection, she had not been well. She had several operations and had to go to SLC to have them done. My dad had to scale his schooling to part time and get a part time job. They wanted to have my Grandma Sanders come take care of me and my mom but there was an emergency in Fairview and Beverly was still a child and so she had to go back to Fairview. My father had to hire outside babysitters to live in. The DR told my mom if she wanted another child, she better get one as she had too many cysts and soon it would not be possible to become pregnant. She had my brother Chris. And then she had a hysterectomy at 25 .
My mother spent most of her time on the bed, even after her hysterectomy she was still very ill. My baby brother slept most of the time and I ran the streets of the sub division. I got in fights with kids and knew how to stick up for myself. My mother told me to fight my own battles when I told her about the mean kids on the street. So it was all up to me. My dad was not home very much because he was working two part time jobs. He got his diploma and wanted to go farther in school but they were very poor with no health insurance. So he worked on a job at Ralph’s Radio in Provo learning how to fix electric appliances and electronics. He also worked part time at a gas station.
I was a very smart vivacious little girl. When I was two years old, I recited a long poem at a family reunion and sang Jolly Old ST Nicolas with all the verses at a Christmas party. I was not at all shy back then. Many people told my mother that if she ever wanted to let me go, they surely wanted to take me home. I did suffer a lot from throat infections and colds, probably because I was so run down.
The problems that would haunt me for many years to come define most of my life started when I started school. In the neighborhood, I had been able to defend myself well and was very outgoing. I guess the kids in the neighborhood knew me and didn’t make fun of me. However in school, the minute I sat at my desk, the kids all pointed at me and said “skinny, skinny. Skinny.” And then they would grab my arm and compare it to theirs and tell me I was just way too skinny. Nobody wanted to play with me. One girl was very nice to me but she never became a real friend. I did not even know what the word “skinny was until then. I thought it meant I had too much hair on my arms. My parents had to take me out of school and they took me to the DR who told them it was their fault because I was skinny. They were told that any kid would eat on their own before they got that skinny. The wanted me to go to Primary Children’s Hospital in SLC. In the meantime, my dad made me eat and I had to force it down and it took me hours to eat a small plate of food. I did gain weight however and my stomach stretched so I could eat a little more without being sick. I never went to Primary Children’s Hospital as I had improved so much in one month. I know whoever reads this will think my being skinny is very strange as today I am far from being thin.
I will write more on history in the days to come if I don’t die before I get it completed. There is a very dark side of me and feel like I need write it down. That will come sometime down the road. I do need to explain what school bullies can do to ruin a life and the saying “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me,) is not true at all even though my mother told me that every time I came to her over being bullied.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Mysterious Spencer
When Mom was young and living in Fairview she had quite a lot of crushes on lots of boys. But one them who I could not figure out and who she really had it bad for was Spencer. Now I would have thought that Spencer would be a classmate. But no, it turns out he was her music teacher. His name was Spencer Covert. Why she called her teacher Spencer instead of Mr. Covert was weird. I had a crush on my music teacher in 10th grade and he was Richard Dastrup but I never called him Richard.
Reading her diary, almost every page from 1939-1940 contained all her feelings for Spencer. One of her entries was: "I saw Spencer today. He hardly noticed me. He probably doesn't even know I am alive. Oh Spencer!! Every night before I lay down in bed, I call out, Spencer, Spencer, Spencer. Oh MY Heart!!"
I was reading mom's history the other day and I found Spencer's obituary. He was teaching in Fullerton, CA and also been a superintendent of schools there. He was born in 1917 and died in 1986. He was the father of three children. My mom still cared about him til the end. I miss Mom and I wish I would have asked more questions about her life while I still could. It's so nice she kept a diary. (She had many but I only found one.) And those letters from my Dad and hers to him. What a wonderful thing! I am going to read them again and again.
Reading her diary, almost every page from 1939-1940 contained all her feelings for Spencer. One of her entries was: "I saw Spencer today. He hardly noticed me. He probably doesn't even know I am alive. Oh Spencer!! Every night before I lay down in bed, I call out, Spencer, Spencer, Spencer. Oh MY Heart!!"
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| Spencer Covert Mom's Crush on Her Music Teacher 1939-40 |
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
My Birth and Early Years
As soon as Mom got home from the hospital my dad had to go back to military training. She lived with my Grandpa and Grandma Sanders. Not long after, the pain that she had when she came home got much worse. She got a high fever and nearly died. She had what they called Child Bed Fever. An infection some women got after giving birth which was more common back then. They did not have penicillin so they gave her sulfa drugs which finally helped and she got well. The DR had sat by her side for hours until she got well. He was scared and he should have been, it was probably he that caused her infection and he had dismissed her pain. due to her illness, Mom had been nursing me and lost all her milk. They then tried to give me canned milk and I immediately got very sick and vomited for hours. They did not make formula then. My mother's cousin had a baby my age and so she took me there once a day for my feeding. That is the only thing that sustained me. I did not do well or did gain much weight. I could take a little boiled milk but not much. I refused to put anything in my mouth because even at that young age, I had learned that I would get sick. This affected my life throughout childhood and early teens. I remained malnourished. When I got older, I could drink milk but as a baby, it made me very ill.
The DR's accused my parents of my being malnourished as they said any kid would eat if hungry enough. My dad got very strict with me and made me eat everything on my plate. My stomach was so small from not eating that it hurt terribly when I tried to eat. But Dad was persistent. I finally caught up with my weight but not until my 20's. Now I am overweight. I thought that could not happen to me.
My mother had problems related to that infection even though she got well. She had many surgeries to remove uterine cysts and eventually had to have a hysterectomy at age 25...,.More to follow...
The DR's accused my parents of my being malnourished as they said any kid would eat if hungry enough. My dad got very strict with me and made me eat everything on my plate. My stomach was so small from not eating that it hurt terribly when I tried to eat. But Dad was persistent. I finally caught up with my weight but not until my 20's. Now I am overweight. I thought that could not happen to me.
My mother had problems related to that infection even though she got well. She had many surgeries to remove uterine cysts and eventually had to have a hysterectomy at age 25...,.More to follow...
Monday, August 8, 2011
Dad and Mom get a Baby Girl but Not Without Complications
After my dad was drafted in WWII, he was sent to Texas for training. Mom went back to CA fo work at the aircraft plant. In late March of 1942, Mom joined Dad in Texas. She rented a room there. Dad visited her often when he could get leave. Mom suffered appendicitis and had surgery. She had a terrible recovery period and during this time, she found out she pregnant with me. They were going to wait to have a family but they had decided it would be nice for Mom to have a baby when Dad went overseas so she could have company.
In the summer, Mom went back to Fairview. Dad was stationed in LA. Mom had was terribly sick during her pregnancy. I was due January 20. Dad was able to get leave on January 10 and barely made it to Mt Pleasant where I was born on January 11, 1944.
7 pounds 8 OZ. Mom had a very long and hard labor. Dad did not get the boy he wanted. In those days they made women stay flat on their backs after the baby was born. They did this because they thought women would bleed to death if they did not stay down. After 10 days, they sent Mom home. She told them that she had a very bad pain in her left side but they sent her home anyway. Complications came about for both Mom and me that would change things for the rest of our lives
.....to be continued.
In the summer, Mom went back to Fairview. Dad was stationed in LA. Mom had was terribly sick during her pregnancy. I was due January 20. Dad was able to get leave on January 10 and barely made it to Mt Pleasant where I was born on January 11, 1944.
7 pounds 8 OZ. Mom had a very long and hard labor. Dad did not get the boy he wanted. In those days they made women stay flat on their backs after the baby was born. They did this because they thought women would bleed to death if they did not stay down. After 10 days, they sent Mom home. She told them that she had a very bad pain in her left side but they sent her home anyway. Complications came about for both Mom and me that would change things for the rest of our lives
.....to be continued.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Dad gets Drafted: Mom Buys a Fur Coat
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| Mom and her Fur Coat With Baby Rita |
Mom and Dad were married on November 4, 1942. They got married in the Salt Lake Temple. Their wedding night was spent in a hotel in Salt Lake. Dad had gone to California to be with Mom and work there. Then he returned to the farm. Mom returned later and that is when they got married. In less than one month, he was drafted. He went to Texas for his training. Mom went back to California and worked. She worked at the aircraft factory and she was paid 65 cents an hour. She paid $2.50 a month for health insurance and $1.50 for income tax. WOW!
The both missed each other a lot. Dad wanted Mom to join him in Texas but he was not sure how often he would get to see her if she came down there. Mom wanted to be with him but also wanted to earn money. They kept debating back and forth about her coming down to Texas. Mom had bought herself a new fur coat. Fur coats were the rage back then. No, it was not mink but rabbit. The coat cost $49.99. She was making payments on it. She told Dad that she would come down after her coat was paid. Dad was a real penny pincher learning that from his dad. He got after he for buying it and for wanting a coat more than coming down to be with him. He saw the coat as a luxury she did not need. He wrote a letter telling her off. She wrote one back saying not to ever send her a letter like that again. He wrote back and apologized saying his morale was low he was so blue and he just wanted her with him. So in the latter part of March 1942, she finally paid her coat off and joined him in Texas. He had to live at the camp except when he had leave and so she rented a room from some people. Dad joined her when he could. In all Dad's letters, he kept telling Mom to eat more and gain weight. She weighed 102. He liked women on chubby side. More to love he said.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Mom's Early Years
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| Mom and Sister Beverly Ann |
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| Mom with her Brother Duane and their Doggy |
Later the family moved to Hiawatha Utah. It was a little coal mining town. My mother had her happiest days there. Playing Tarzan and swinging from trees and going to the Tarzan movies. She made friends easily. Her brother Duane did not. He had a very hard time moving so many times. He and Mom were often picked on because of their Dad's name. (Goveita) They used to yell out: "Goveit Goveit, go home and wash your feet. They smell so bad I cannot eat." Duane would get all upset and would start to cry but Mom would throw them down on the sidewalk and hit their heads up and down on the cement."
Later they moved to Montana and then to Idaho. Mom's dad ran a gas station for a while. Grandpa and Grandma Sanders split up for a while. They had trouble getting along and it was mostly because my Grandpa wasn't religious and my Grandma was very religious. He was in Montana and she and kids were in Burley Idaho where she ran a hot dog stand. They rented a front part of a house. They did get back together and then moved to California where my Grandpa worked for the May Company. He had been looking for work for weeks when he finally got that job. They lived in a house right next the ocean in Ventura California. It was a rented house. Mom used to go daily and gather seashells. It was the time of the Great Depression and they often had nothing to eat but onion sandwiches. Grandma Sanders told Mom and Duane to drink lots of water to fill up their empty stomachs. She did say it helped a little with the hunger pangs.
Then it was back to Salt Lake again, where Beverly was born in 1933. And then back to Fairview. For a time they lived with Mom's cousin Alden. in Fairview. Mom said there was a billy goat there that would chase them everytime they went to the old outhouse. If he got near them, he would butt them. In the outhouse, there were always wasp nests and it was either get stung by a wasp or butted by Billy or both. They lived way out of town and had to walk to school in really deep snow for miles and miles. (parents always had to walk for mile to get to school it seems)
My mother's dad (Jordan Brady) and most of her aunts and uncles lived in Fairview. At first Grandma and Grandpa were renting a house in Fairview. Grandma Sander's dad sold them some land next to his place and my grandpa proceeded to built their very own home. They lived in a big tent while he was building it.
Mom had many friends. She always had plenty to do. Most every night she went to the dance. Dancing was her life. She went rolling skating, to the movies and bike riding. She listened to the Hit Parade on the radio. She loved playing paper dolls and reading to Beverly. She had lots of chores to do around the house. There were lots of cousins, uncles, aunts and other relatives who lived near her. She had some health problems, mostly that she got sick easily and was always passing out because of low blood pressure. She was very cute and petite. More to follow.....
Friday, July 22, 2011
Mom and Dad: Dating
Mom met Dad at a dance in Fairview. Her friend Ruby was with her. My dad was with another friend. They all got to talking and soon asked mom and Ruby to take a ride with them. Mom said they could not do that because you never go home with someone who did not bring you. Finally they decided they would as long as Ruby drove. Mom did not know how to drive at that time. It ended up that Ruby was actually with Dad and the other guy was with Mom. After that, Ruby was dating Dad and I am not sure if Mom was dating the other guy.
A few weeks later, Dad went to see if Ruby was home (they did not have a phone) and she was not. He was bored and decided to go see the "skinny" girl, (Mom) Mom liked him but her mom said he was a hick from the sticks who lived a ways out of town (Mt Pleasant) and the family dressed funny and talked funny and was part of an odd farmer family that had no religion. But mom knew that he was the best guy she had ever met. Of course, her friend Ruby was a little upset but since she and my dad were not going steady, she finally forgave mom.
They dated for several months. This was on the heels of WWII and dad knew he would probably be drafted soon. He was hoping he could get out of it because he was needed on the farm. His family had a large sheep farm and needed all their kids to help out. My Grandpa Sanders was always changing jobs and going to where the work was. At this time, he was working in Southern California at the shipyard where he was a welder. Grandma Sanders and Beverly stayed in Fairview. Grandpa Sanders was an orphan as a child and he had been raised by his mother's sister. Her name was Leona Halberg. All of Leona's family had moved to California. So my grandpa was renting a house near them. Mom needed a job and Fairview, being such a small town, could not provide her with a job. So she and her brother, Duane, went to California and moved in with her dad. Duane got a job at a factory and later; Mom got a job as a riveter for Douglas Aircraft. Most of the men were already in the war and they needed so many workers (a a lot of them women) to work on the planes for the war effort. Mom also took classes in PBX and typing.
At this time, Dad was working in the mountains for his dad on the sheep farm. Sometimes he would stay in the mountains for over a month at a time. One day he came down the mountain and went to see mom. When Grandma Sanders opened the door she told him that Mom was working in California. His face looked like he was almost going to cry. I guess he got Mom's address in California and wrote to her and she asked him to come there and get work so they could be together.
He wasn't sure he could do that as the farm needed all the help it could get and he knew his dad would not be happy should he go to California. He and mom exchanged letters for a while. Dad often did not have paper up in the mountains to write on. So he used labels from canned peas to write to her. He had to wait from someone to spell him to mail the letters but often they would bring the letters to him and then he would give his letters to the person who brought them and they would take them down to be mailed.
After a while, Dad could not stand being without mom and being so long on the mountain. I imagine his dad was not happy when he told him was going California. He sold his car and quit his job (he worked part time for other farmers.) Mom made sure to tell him in a letter that he needed different clothes. He simply couldn't come down there and have everybody see him looking like a hayseed. In her letter she told him what kind of clothes to buy. So he took the bus to California. The farmer who had never seen anything, was in a big and intimidating city. He got a job working with Duane. He was there for most of the summer but he had to leave and go back to Mt Pleasant and help on the farm and he knew soon he would be drafted.They continued to write letters back and forth and began to talk of marriage. But Grandpa Sanders and all the other relatives did not like the idea. They said she should not marry until the war was over.
More of this history will be added to in a later post.
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| Mom (Fawn) Duane and Grandpa Sanders In Californa 1942-1943 |
A few weeks later, Dad went to see if Ruby was home (they did not have a phone) and she was not. He was bored and decided to go see the "skinny" girl, (Mom) Mom liked him but her mom said he was a hick from the sticks who lived a ways out of town (Mt Pleasant) and the family dressed funny and talked funny and was part of an odd farmer family that had no religion. But mom knew that he was the best guy she had ever met. Of course, her friend Ruby was a little upset but since she and my dad were not going steady, she finally forgave mom.
They dated for several months. This was on the heels of WWII and dad knew he would probably be drafted soon. He was hoping he could get out of it because he was needed on the farm. His family had a large sheep farm and needed all their kids to help out. My Grandpa Sanders was always changing jobs and going to where the work was. At this time, he was working in Southern California at the shipyard where he was a welder. Grandma Sanders and Beverly stayed in Fairview. Grandpa Sanders was an orphan as a child and he had been raised by his mother's sister. Her name was Leona Halberg. All of Leona's family had moved to California. So my grandpa was renting a house near them. Mom needed a job and Fairview, being such a small town, could not provide her with a job. So she and her brother, Duane, went to California and moved in with her dad. Duane got a job at a factory and later; Mom got a job as a riveter for Douglas Aircraft. Most of the men were already in the war and they needed so many workers (a a lot of them women) to work on the planes for the war effort. Mom also took classes in PBX and typing.
At this time, Dad was working in the mountains for his dad on the sheep farm. Sometimes he would stay in the mountains for over a month at a time. One day he came down the mountain and went to see mom. When Grandma Sanders opened the door she told him that Mom was working in California. His face looked like he was almost going to cry. I guess he got Mom's address in California and wrote to her and she asked him to come there and get work so they could be together.
He wasn't sure he could do that as the farm needed all the help it could get and he knew his dad would not be happy should he go to California. He and mom exchanged letters for a while. Dad often did not have paper up in the mountains to write on. So he used labels from canned peas to write to her. He had to wait from someone to spell him to mail the letters but often they would bring the letters to him and then he would give his letters to the person who brought them and they would take them down to be mailed.
After a while, Dad could not stand being without mom and being so long on the mountain. I imagine his dad was not happy when he told him was going California. He sold his car and quit his job (he worked part time for other farmers.) Mom made sure to tell him in a letter that he needed different clothes. He simply couldn't come down there and have everybody see him looking like a hayseed. In her letter she told him what kind of clothes to buy. So he took the bus to California. The farmer who had never seen anything, was in a big and intimidating city. He got a job working with Duane. He was there for most of the summer but he had to leave and go back to Mt Pleasant and help on the farm and he knew soon he would be drafted.They continued to write letters back and forth and began to talk of marriage. But Grandpa Sanders and all the other relatives did not like the idea. They said she should not marry until the war was over.
More of this history will be added to in a later post.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Mom and Dad's Letters
From time to time I am going to put up my dad's and my mom's letters that they wrote to each other during World War II. I don't have many from mother to my dad. Most are from my dad to her. However, I did find a really funny one that was written on December 24, 1942. They had only been married a couple of months and my mom was living in Inglewood CA working as a riveter at Douglas Airplanes. My dad was stationed in Texas at the time.
I could only laugh when I read this that she sent to my dad: A bra, a pair of pants and a nightgown were hanging on the line. They were quarreling. The bra said, "I cover what men like to play with." The pants said, "That is nothing, I cover what men want most." The nightgown was disgusted and said, "I'm up all night because of you."
Here's another one: A woman went to the DR and he told her she was going to have a baby. She denied it. Finally she said, "What's the world coming to when you cannot even trust a wiener." HA HA
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Those are the exact work she wrote. She was nineteen years old and had married only a little over a month. It's hard to believe they were ever that young and had the same feelings we had.
I could only laugh when I read this that she sent to my dad: A bra, a pair of pants and a nightgown were hanging on the line. They were quarreling. The bra said, "I cover what men like to play with." The pants said, "That is nothing, I cover what men want most." The nightgown was disgusted and said, "I'm up all night because of you."
Here's another one: A woman went to the DR and he told her she was going to have a baby. She denied it. Finally she said, "What's the world coming to when you cannot even trust a wiener." HA HA
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Mom's Diary
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| Mom as a Baby |
She was a lot more popular than I was. She always had some activity going with friends and boyfriends. She said boys used to wink at her in church and school. She had one particular boy she really loved. His name was Spencer. Her dad told her that had to move to Price for his job and she said she bawled and bawled for days because she had to leave Spencer. She said it was not just Puppy Love either.
In Price, she found a new boyfriend and managed to get on with life. She said it was the worst day of her life when she had to move and leave Spencer. She went uptown a lot and went to a lot of movies. She listened to the radio. She also went to a lot of dances. She played paper dolls and every night she had to read or tell stories to her sister, Beverly who was 10 years younger than she was.
On a typical day she would write in her diary: Got up, fixed breakfast and did the dishes and then went to school. I liked my Spanish class. I could not stop looking at Spencer. He probably doesn't even know I am alive. I like him swell. The day turned out to be awful because he didn't look at me at all. My friend Helen treated me bad all day. I went home, helped with supper, did the dishes. listened to the radio and curled mine and Mother's hair. I played paper dolls and told Beverly stories and went to sleep.
Some other days she would write: I was sick today and could not get up. I fainted twice. Mother made me miss school because I was so sick. It's been the worst time in my life. Daddy came home and I was excited. He works nights and sleeps days and so we have to be quiet. He gets really cross when he is tired. She did write that in 1937, her dad quit smoking and she was glad. Mother went off to her Relief Society meetings and I cooked for Dad, Duane Beverly.
It's hard to believe that after reading much of her diary, that her time here was so short. while reading it I realized that we are not here long on this earth and everybody should write a little bit about their life here so those who come after them can realize they are not just names or people we remember but they like us lived a life and had the same feelings we do today. I don't think we think much about our parents are grandparents of ever being young. Reading her diary was very bitter sweet. I now wish I had asked her more questions about her life as a child. There is a lot that I still wonder about like all the places she lived and people hung out with. I plan to write about and about my dad as well.
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| Happy Little Gril Fawn |
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| Mom and her Sister Beverly |
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| Little Girl Fawn |
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| Mom, her Boyfriend and Helen |
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| Mom with her Friend in the Snow |
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| Mom with One of Her Boyfriends |
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| Mom as a Little Girl |
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
How We Entertained Ourselves in The Good Old Days
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| Me Swinging the front Gate (Notice Geneva in the Background and no Freeway) |
We lived on a one acre lot and had all kinds of animals. We had a huge garden. When my dad irrigated, we would play in the ditches. I also pretended that the little furrows were rivers. I built miniature dirt houses and used sticks for people. The ditches would accumulate some foam which we called Indian soap.
We had a lot of red ants everywhere. I used to watch them for hours bringing food to their ant holes and fighting off enemies. Sometimes I put a few black ants in the red ant beds and there would be a fight. I know I was very bad for doing that.
Back then, summers seemed to last forever and had so much fun. We played hide and seek at night with the neighbors and even my parents played. We also played soft ball. My dad had put up an electric fence to keep the cows in and he put his hand on the fence and they we would hold hands with him and feel the electrical jolt. It wasn't painful just kind of a strange feeling.
I used to play marbles with my brother. I had a whole collection of them. I was always trying to win the prettiest ones. They were called cat eyes. Of course, my brother was much better at marbles than I was.
I always had a cat. It was usually an orange stripy one. I would dress them up in baby clothes and take them for a ride in the buggy. My favorite cat was Scrappy. He was a gray stripy. He was so gentle and he would let you do anything and be really mellow about it.
There was a swamp west of our house where the freeway is now. We used to go down there and get pollywog's and frogs. I can't believe I got in the water. There were even leeches there and we let them get on us and then pulled them off. We loved the dragonfly's there. There were of toads back then. We could go out in the summer and hear them hopping all over. I was not afraid of them and I would even pick them up and hold them and they would pee on me. There were so many of them that a lot of times we saw them flat as pancakes in the driveway or road where somebody had run over them.
I loved to read and read every book I could get my hands on. My mother had read to me a great deal when I was a baby and she read me all the Mother Goose rhymes and I had all of them memorized. I also liked to look at pictures and make stories up from the pictures. When we did get a TV, there was only 3 stations. My favorite shows were: I Married Joan, Show of Shows, Milton Berle, It's a Great Life among a few. In the later 50's, there always a lot of westerns. Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Death Valley Days, The Rifleman and many other westerns. We liked Perry Mason and Lassie and Rin Tin Tin as well. Also the kids shows of Howdy Doodie and Kula, Fran and Ollie. I also enjoyed playing paper dolls and played with a dollhouse and miniature people.
In the winter when we could not go out, my dad put a basketball hoop on the door and we play basketball in the living room. He also liked to throw waded ups socks at us and we had to move fast to keep from being hit. We played board games like Sorry and Touring and Old Maid.
These are just some of the fun things we did back then. We didn't have anything like the kids have today. But we didn't know and so of course we didn't care.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
1994 More Carrillo Chronicles
1994
From Tammy
Well my friend Pauline and I won the "most Original" prize for Halloween Costumes. She was Cousin "It" and I was Morticia. Michael and Jake even took more than allowed out of people's candy dishes while they weren't looking.
Jake likes the new toy he found at "Pa's" house. Now he can
ride a 4-wheeler just like his Dad does.
1994
Matt is Crazy About Fixing Old Cars
In fact that's all he talks about. I hope that he can fix up Dad's old car. (And now 16 years later, he has!!!)
From Tammy
Well my friend Pauline and I won the "most Original" prize for Halloween Costumes. She was Cousin "It" and I was Morticia. Michael and Jake even took more than allowed out of people's candy dishes while they weren't looking.
Jake likes the new toy he found at "Pa's" house. Now he can
ride a 4-wheeler just like his Dad does.
1994
Matt is Crazy About Fixing Old Cars
In fact that's all he talks about. I hope that he can fix up Dad's old car. (And now 16 years later, he has!!!)
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Carrillo Chronicles
I don't know if anyone remembers, but from 1992-1995, the Carrillo's had a newsletter called :
THE CARRILLO CHRONICLES.
I found them while I was cleaning out my photo albums and other items. These chronicles have a goldmine of history in them. Some of you may still have yours as I think Jennifer made copies for everyone. She, Tina and I were the ones who created them from information given to us from other family members.
Right now I will would like to enter just a few excerpts from them. I hope to do this from time to time. If anyone cannot find theirs, feel free to come look through these.
From 1995
Jay vs the Bees
Jay just got back from California. He delivered some honey bees to Cohwchilla to pollinatee some almond trees. He had some hitch hiker bees that is--they are still hanging around his truck even though the bees are in California, He was only stung three times and no police or highway patrol men stopped him. I wonder why?
From 1994
Rob gets robbed
Robert got his bike seat and bike post stolen off his bicycle while it was parked at his work down town. When we first lived here he had a whole bike stolen. We have decided to get some insurance.
From 1995
Cherokee the Tease
Cherokee is a tease! She is finally growing out of the terrible twos. She likes to pretend she's the leading man from the Disney shows. John Smith is her favorite at the time. Cherokee likes braids in hair just like Pocahontas!
This is just a sample of what is in the chronicles. I hope to add a lot more soon. enjoy!
THE CARRILLO CHRONICLES.
I found them while I was cleaning out my photo albums and other items. These chronicles have a goldmine of history in them. Some of you may still have yours as I think Jennifer made copies for everyone. She, Tina and I were the ones who created them from information given to us from other family members.
Right now I will would like to enter just a few excerpts from them. I hope to do this from time to time. If anyone cannot find theirs, feel free to come look through these.
From 1995
Jay vs the Bees
Jay just got back from California. He delivered some honey bees to Cohwchilla to pollinatee some almond trees. He had some hitch hiker bees that is--they are still hanging around his truck even though the bees are in California, He was only stung three times and no police or highway patrol men stopped him. I wonder why?
From 1994
Rob gets robbed
Robert got his bike seat and bike post stolen off his bicycle while it was parked at his work down town. When we first lived here he had a whole bike stolen. We have decided to get some insurance.
From 1995
Cherokee the Tease
Cherokee is a tease! She is finally growing out of the terrible twos. She likes to pretend she's the leading man from the Disney shows. John Smith is her favorite at the time. Cherokee likes braids in hair just like Pocahontas!
This is just a sample of what is in the chronicles. I hope to add a lot more soon. enjoy!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Aunt Alice: 1919-2010
Aunt Alice with my cousin Dixie about 1944
Aunt Bernice
Aunt Bernice
Ray and his wife Kathy
My dad's sister, just one year and a half older then he, died last Thursday. I went to her funeral with my sister Robin. I saw a lot old cousins and aunts and uncles. They have all aged and that is pretty depressing since I am headed that way myself.
She had a good life and her kids were all there and music was wonderful. I hope she is skipping along with my dad and her other siblings how. There are just two siblings left. Bernice who is 95 and Ray,who is 78.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
In Memory of Joe Valenzuela: 1971-2009
Joe Valenzuela
Joe with Baby Raia
Joe and baby Jesse and Grandpa Kipp
Today was a sad day. We said goodby to Joe. I thought since I do a family history blog and as far as I am aware, nobody in Joe's family or past family does, I thought I would like write a little about him. He was only 38 years old when he died.
He married my granddaughter, Felica Featherstone in my backyard in 2002. They are divorced now. Together they had two children, Raia and Jesse. They are my great grandchildren and Joe was their father and I feel the need to say a little about him even though I did not know him well.
Whenever I saw him, he was always happy and smiling and was always very friendly. He worked at Wal-Mart for a while and I would see him there. He was a musician and today, at his service, I heard his recordings for the first time and he had an excellent voice. The service was touching and song THE DANCE by Garth Brooks touched my heart. I feel for his family and a mother should never have to bury a son before she dies. I always worry that may happen to me someday and I hope I never have to live through it.
Raia and Jesse are so young to have lost their father. I do know that they were with him the day before he died and that is a good thing that got to see him before he passed suddenly alone in his apartment in Orem. I could tell by everyone who was at the service that he was greatly loved and had close family. I will miss him even though he really wasn't part of our family anymore. But Raia and Jesse will always be my family and in that regard, Joe is as well.
We will miss him greatly.
The Dance by Garth Brooks
Looking back on the memory of The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone For a moment all the world was right How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye And now I'm glad I didn't know The way it all would end the way it all would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I'd have had to miss the dance Holding you I held everything For a moment wasn't I a king But if I'd only known how the king would fall Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all And now I'm glad I didn't know The way it all would end the way it all would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I'd have had to miss the dance Yes my life is better left to chance I could have missed the pain but I'd have had to miss the dance
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Some Minor History
This is Randy's sister Terri and her husband Joe. They live in North Caroline. We may try to go out and visit them sometime.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Strange Case of Randy's Birth
John Minor and Trenna Baer were married on Aug 3, 1939 in Brownsville, PA. where they lived until 1940. Then in early 1941, Trenna left Pennsylvania and traveled to Florida to obtain a divorce. She obtatined the divorce from John Minor in early March. Then on March 21, 1941, she traveled to Morgantown WV and married William Meighen. Meighen then apparantely left for the service in WWII. She then moved in with John Minor in Ohio MI and Florida for 8 months and then returned to Brownsville PA in Feb 1942. On March 13, 1942. she gave birth to Randall Dewayne Minor in Brownsville PA. He was premature and only weighed three pounds. She lived with Minor until Nov 1943 at which time she left Brownsville and went with her child to Portage County in Ohio to live with Meighen where they lived after his return from WWII until 1944.
Court was held in 1945 since both men wanted to claim the child as theirs. The judge awarded custody of the child to Trenna and Meighen stating that the paternity didn't matter because the child was better off with the mother because of his young age. At one time, John Minor took Randy without the the mother's knowlege and she filed a Habeus Corpus. The Meighen's then took Randy to CA until he was five and that was also not approved because they were not supposed to take him out of Pennsylvania.
So was Randall the child of Minor or Meighen? It does appear that Minor is the father because Trenna was living with him while Meighan was in the service. As to why she would because she had divorced him and then went back to Meighan and why he even took her back, is in question. But it does appear that Randall's father was indeed John Minor. One time he was known as Randall Meighen but later his name was changed to Minor. However, his Catholic baptism record shows his name as Randall Meighen.
His mother and stepfather never told Randy much about these early happenings but he always knew that there was something really strange that had gone on in his early life.
Randall did have some visits with his real father and his paternal grandfather who ran the railroad in Brownsville. He has a half sister and brother in the Minor family. In the Meighen family he has a half sister. On his dad's side, his siblings all live in Brownsfille PA. His half sister on his stepdad's side now lives in NC.
Monday, December 1, 2008
My Grandchildren
My Grandchildren
Note: There are not photos on entry. You can find photos of my grandchildren in my photo albumn with the names of grandchildren listed with their photos.
Felicia Featherstone: Born January 1, 1981
Parents: Richard and Tina Featherstone
Brian Featherstone: Born March 28, 1982
Parents: Richard and Tina Featherstone
J.J. Riehle: Born Nov 19, 1983
Parents: Jay and Monica Riehle
Andrew Riehle: Born Feb 17, 1985
Parents: Jay and Monica Riehle
Peter Riehle: Born May 27, 1988
Parents: Jay and Monica Riehle
Michal Opfar: Born March 31, 1989
Patents; Todd Opfar Tammy Carrillo
Marissa Sosa: Born June 7, 1989
Parents: Martin Sosa and Tina Carrillo
Alex Riehle: Born Dec 26, 1989
Parents: Jay and Monica Riehle
Contessa Carrillo: Born April 6, 1990
Parents: Marty and Cherise Carrillo
Jacob Opfar: Born April 3, 1991
Parents: Todd and Tammy Opfar
Cherokee Carrillo: Born May 21, 1992
Parents: Marty and Cherise Carrillo
Sid Moulton: Born Dec 29, 1993
Parents: Robert and Jennifer Moulton
Dominic Sosa: Born Aug 2, 1994
Parents: Martin Sosa and Tina Carrillo
Chevy Carrillo: Born June 8, 1995
Parents: Marty and Cherise Carrillo
Lacey Riehle; Born July 27, 1995
Parents: Jay and Monica Riehle
Zoe Moulton: Born Sept 25, 1995
Parents: Robert and Jennifer Moulton
Savannah Bennett: Born Jan 29, 2004
Parents: Charlie and Tammy Bennett
MattieJo Carrillo: Born June 9, 2004
Parents: Matthew and Kelly Jo Carrillo
Kinley Marie Carrillo: Born July 1, 2005
Parents: Matthew and Kelly Jo Carrillo
Cash Carrillo: Born May 31, 2006
Parents: Marty and Cherise Carrillo
Jaden Carrillo: Born Feb 14, 2007
Parents: Matt and Kelly Carrillo
Cash Carrillo: Born May 31, 2006
Parents: Marty and Cherise Carrillo
Jaden Carrillo: Born Feb 14, 2007
Parents: Matt and Kelly Carrillo
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It's Been a Long Long Time
It's been a long time since I've written in this blog since I've written here I have moved from Pleasant Grove to Salt Lake City...
