Snippets from the Dust: Aye Matey (I'm Eighty)

Published September 2017

Shirley's eldest great grandchild is master of jokes. So when Grammy celebrated her big day this month, his main job was to entertain.

William belted a question:

"What did the pirate say on his landmark birthday?"

(Can you guess the answer?)

"Aye, Matey!!"

Grammy Loves Children!

Grammy was sixteen months old,

with an older brother

who was barely five named Orin

and a sister who was nearly three named Arlene,

when their Mommy

got very sick and died.

Her papa was very sad!

Their Papa married again,

and the new mommy brought them a new baby brother, Ray

(Arlene, Orin (holding baby Ray), Shirley

when Shirley was turning three.

Later, five more children joined them:

(Arlene, Aloma, Orin, Shirley
Vera)

Vera, Aloma, Eddy, Marilyn and Joe.

Aloma, Eddy, Marilyn, Shirley, Vera

(This picture is fast forwarded maybe twenty years)

This one was taken when Shirley had grown and left home, but it shows the whole family together, including Joe, who toddled at Shirley and Glendon's wedding.)

The family moved from Shelley

to a farm in Firth, Idaho.

All the children grew up in Firth. They had lots of animals on the farm--cows, chickens, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, and even a horse for a while. They learned to work together on the farm and love and grow and play together.

This is the family with a few cousins.
An extended family member, Laverne holding Eddy, Orin, Floyd, Arlene, Shirley, three cousins on the far right,
Aloma and Vera in front

One day, they all went walking together way down the field. The ground was muddy, so they all took off their shoes

(Who wouldn't--

for mud, glorious mud!)

and left them together by the fence post. When their Mom missed them, she walked down to the field , saw their shoes, gathered them all up, and carried them home to the farmhouse. When the children came back, their shoes were missing.

They went on home to tell their Mom that they had lost their shoes, and she sent them to the shed, where they found all of their shoes!

(Yes, these photos are in wintertime, but you get the idea!)

(

When they got older, they caught the bus every day to go to school. Each one would go out, one at a time, tell the bus driver to wait, then another would come, then another. The bus driver would warn them, but usually planned on waiting a bit.

Shirley, Orin, Arlene

Grammy loved school:

Grammy like reading, and writing, and art. In first grade, she was asked to paint pictures on the classroom windows, to show the holidays and seasons.

There were two classes in each of the rooms of the four room school.

One day, in 4th grade,

her teacher had her sit on the table of the front desk, as the teacher put curlers in her hair for the Christmas program, which was happening that evening.

5th grade

7th grade

Sometimes Grammy was asked by the teacher to teach English, to the 7th graders when she was in the 8th grade. Also, in 8th grade, she was asked to help write about a funny future forecast for each of her classmate and write and give the salutatory address at the graduation, as the second best student.

This is 8th grade graduation, where Grammy gave the salutatory address, with Mr. Johnson, right, who inspired a young woman to stay abreast of current affairs, because "The price tag for freedom is eternal vigilance!"

Grammy attended Firth High school.

From Grammy's autobiography:

Grammy loved Ricks college,

where she was editor for the school paper. She was nominated for homecoming queen by the associated men, and was since Grandpa was away on a mission, she was escorted, as an attendant to the homecoming dance, by grandpa's cousin, Kerry Gee, who was the sports editor for her paper.

(This sweater was a gift from the associated men.)

Grammy loved grandpa:

At the gathering, we reviewed the story of how a young man and young woman prayed nearly sixty years ago beside a river near Mom's Hillman farm house to ask if they should be married and how...

The answer was a peaceful "yes." But with the confirmation came a feeling that Glendon should serve a mission. Miraculously, the mission was made possible, and five children and a lifetime of service later, we rejoice in comfort which comes in seeking direction in our life's choices.

Fast forward 59 years

(past a mission for Grandpa in Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas, years of studying, raising little ones, teaching, living, loving, traveling and serving over miles from China to Russia to New Zealand and beyond)

a sizeable posterity came together in a pioneer house Grammy and Grandpa had toiled and tarried to offer for a legacy and gathering place for children, grandchildren and greats of their own family and others'...