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Beatrice Ivy Turner Written by herself for her 50th Wedding Anniversary
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![Text Box: The Family
By this time the older kids are married. Tom married Leah Pickupt, Elva married Roy MCKeeu, Mort married Carolyn Rossv. Bea was working at Sweet’s Candy Company in Salt Lake.
When Bill and I decided to drive to Alaska, Bea quit her job to go with us. There was Bill and I, Bea, Earnie and Jim. Jim was about eight or nine years old. We had a brand new Chevy car so we gathered up a camp outfit, we took a butane hot plate, we took a small butane bottle, a quilt and a sheet for each of us, also an air mattress. Fold the sheet inside your quilt, lay it on the air mattress, you got a good bed. We also took our groceries: Canned chicken and fish, canned soups of all kinds, also tomatoes canned and fresh, also vegetables canned and fresh and eggs. So all we had to buy on the road was bread and milk or anything extra we wanted. Elva and Roy are now living in Idaho. We go to there and spend a few days with them. The first night we drive to Glacier Park on the Canada border. Even that far north the sun didn’t go down until ten thirty. When we got to Edmonton, Canada, that’s the first big shopping center we had ever saw. It was like the Cottonwood Mall in Salt Lake now.
At Dawson Creek, that’s where the road forks, go any direction from there. The only road north was the Alaskan highway sixteen hundred miles to Alaska. The road was built by the government for a transport road for trucks and equipment and was it crooked and worn out—pot holes and really rough. It was one long day’s drive from Dawson to White Horse. This is on the Yukon River. They had a big river boat docked there. This is where the river boats use to come up to here from the ocean. There was some places along the way where they had tracks to pull the boats around the places that they couldn’t go up the river. They used horses for this job. From here on the Fairbanks, Alaska, it is wilderness—just like a jungle but no big timber, nothing big enough to even make good poles and water and lakes everywhere. Water in both bar pits. The only place you could get off the road was on manmade camp grounds. Rivers and lakes. Natural lakes—some of them eight miles long. You had to fill up at everywhere there was gas and carry a five gallon gas can with you to make it to the next gas. Very few places that anyone could buy groceries and not a living thing—bird or animal—for at least a thousand miles. The reason for this was it was to far to migrate and too much snow and cold to stay there. Most of this sixteen hundred miles of road was through Canada and they had the best and most well kept campgrounds anywhere we have ever been. They furnished wood and at least one screened in building that people could put their sleeping bags in if they want to be in out of the mosquitoes.
This was their youth program and there were two young people who would bring you wood and water as soon as you stopped. Everything was so well kept and clean. We bought fishing licenses in each Provence so we could stop and fish. They were only a dollar then. All the lakes and streams had fish in them so we had fish anytime we wanted it. I can’t remember for sure but it seems like it took us five or six days to drive it—long days and nights.
We were gone from home a little over a month. Grandma Chandler [Mammie] had flew up to be there when we were there. Hazel, Bill’s sister, lived at Fairbanks. Orval also lived there too. He was a carpenter at Ladd Army Air Base. We were there two weeks and saw everything of interest in two or three hundred miles. The only way back was back down the Alaskan Highway. For probably a hundred miles or more we went down the top of a mountain, going due north and between two of the biggest rivers in the United States. One was the Yukon, I can’t remember the name of the other. Not a drop of either river at that time was used for anything but to look at and to fish in. About half way in we stopped to camp. The mosquitoes were so big and so thick that we couldn’t cook dinner. That’s the only time we traveled all night.
When we got to Alaska, we hadn’t been there an hour when Mom and Hazel got us into a card game. We played for an hour or two, then Hazel said “We’s better break it off and let these guys get to sleep”. I glanced out the window and said, “The sun is way up yet.” She says, “Look at the clock”. It was eleven p.m. I asked “How do you sleep when the sun is still up?” “Well, you pull the blinds down and go to bed.” We were there the middle of July. The sun went out of sight for about an hour, but never got at all dark. Bill took some pictures at twelve midnight without any flash. Hazel said, “By the end of July the sun would only be gone from the sky thirty minutes, then in the winter they never see the sun for months.” She said for three months it never gets light. We are always so glad, even when it gets so it is light a few hours a day. Then too the season is so short.
They had a beautiful garden, most everything they started in their green house. Lots of things won’t grow there because the ground is frozen the year around at a depth of three feet. Then too, there is no bees and they have to pollinate everything by hand. Pick a squash bloom, dust the others with it. T
his goes on with everything. Hazel took the state fair with a fifty pound cabbage. They plant their tomatoes from their green house by a wire fence. Tie them up to it to keep them off the cold ground. Then too, they put bright tin on the north side. Also tied to the fence. This reflects the sun back on them, helps them get ripe quicker.
When we come out to Dawson Creek on the way home, where the roads fork, we went west to the coast. Down the Hart Highway to the Fraizer River. I think this drive at that time, about 1956, down this river was the most unusual I have ever saw. The road was built down the river canyon on trussels out over the water as the sides were to rugged to make roads at that time. It was really beautiful. We went into Seattle, Washington, down into Oregon, across the bridle and up the Columbia River. Drive another beautiful river, then down through Idaho. Took the Snake River back to Roy and Elva’s. Was gone a little over a month from there. I forgot to mention that when we were coming out on our way home, about five or six hundred miles from Fair Banks, we stopped at the last store for hundreds of miles to stock up in a few things. They told us that they had a terrible storm about a hundred miles ahead and had washed out a hundred and fifty miles of road down a canyon. Took out bridges, road and everything and the state said it would take four or five days to get through at all. They had started two big cats at each end and they were just bull dozing holes full, breaking banks down so the traffic cold go through. So we just pulled off on a river and went fishing for four days. Then drove down to see how it was doing and there were four or five hundred cars lined up for miles waiting to get across. Most of them didn’t have bedding, food or anything for such an emergency. Well, it took them four days before traffic started through. Then it took about a full day to cover that hundred and fifty miles of terrible canyon. Again, we pulled out of line and camped. We let all that traffic get out of the way before we went through. We heard on the radio that there was between four and five hundred cars on each side of the washout. Those that were pulling trailer houses sure got the back end tore out coming through that awful road. Was just a cat trail.
The Fire and Beatrice’s Marriage
This is a good place to tell about our house burning. The first home we built burned down the first of January 1958. It was about eleven years old. I was up at the school house helping get things ready for a ward reunion, when I come out to go home, I could see some smoke but I wasn’t too worried at first, as Mort and Carolyn and Keith (Carolyn was expecting [Kim]) also Annie [Harlan and Helen’s daughter] and her three little girls were living with us at the time. Bill, Earnie and Jim were watching TV. Mort and Carolyn were still working outside. He come in to tell Bill there was smoke coming out from under the eves of the house. It had started in the attic. Annie’s three babies were in the bedroom asleep. They got them out first. Got the piano out and Bea’s new case of silver service and Bill’s guns—part of them. The Dudley’s got there right behind me, and Ron and Mort got the deep freeze off the porch. Don’t know how they ever did it, excitement I guess.
We didn’t save hardly anything out of the house. One gets so excited. We had hinged copper shingles on it. If we could of got our heads to work, we could of cut a hole in the roof with an ax and let the smoke go up as the pressure in the attic blew the sheet rock off the ceiling in the hall and smoke boiled into the house. Probably ten or fifteen minutes before there was any blaze in the house. One don’t think until it’s too late.
Two days after the fire Beatrice called. She was working in Idaho. Said she was coming home May 3rd to be marriedw at home. Well, the neighbors were real good. Also the church. They brought us new sheets and blankets, clothes for everyone. Jessie and LaRue [Pickup] took Annie and the girls for a few days. We went to Tom’s until we could get into Bert Stoddard’s basement across from where Willard lives now. Well, it’s the Barrit place now. Carolyn moved out to her folks and Mort started right in hauling off the ashes and appliances. Quite a job, getting the junk out of the basement. And as soon as we got our insurance we started to rebuild. By then, Mort had gone to Salt Lake to work.
I guess that’s about the hardest we ever worked. As by May we had it finished. Made a quick trip to Los Angeles after carpet. Got it from Bill Stevens, below wholesale prices. We also brought Roy and Elva and family back for the wedding.
We rebuilt on the same basement and Bill and I did most of the work. But this time, we did have a electric saw. But we were younger then. Then we sold that house in 1967 and built this one. I liked the house plan better in the old home, but am quite happy with this one.
Fishing and Hunting Trips
I can’t remember dates on times these trips were taken, but the first time Bill and I went Elk hunting we went to Hill Creek, way out. Made camp. The next morning we were out on the mountain before daylight. Well, we were new at this and we followed a fresh trail for about a mile and caught up with some white face cows. Well, then we started down a big long ridge. I always tell people we run this elk down. Bill was on top of the ridge, I was about a hundred yards down on the side, in the timber, when I saw a herd ahead of me. I yelled to Bill to make it down to the point. He puts the whip to his horse and makes it ahead of the elk. He hollers at me to see where I am at. When I answer, he shoots and hits it low in the back, but not enough to kill it. He tells me “Tie your horse up and follow him down the hill.” This I did. When the elk started to run down that hill, he never stopped for nothing. He would hit quakie’s four or five inches through and snap them right off. Well, we trailed him about a mile straight down to the bottom of the mountain. He crossed over and started up the other side. Well, Bill kneeled down and shot two more times. The elk went into a little bunch of quakie’s in a small draw. Bill says, “You stay here and watch him, if he comes out holler and tell me which way he is headed.” Well, he never come out. Pretty soon Bill called me over. You will never believe this, but that elk had fallen where the bank was quite steep and he had one front leg on the upper side of a tree and a horn stuck in the ground down side of the leg. He was just hung there. But dead, of course. When Bill gutted him out the entails fell fifteen or twenty feet down the draw. Then Bill goes and gets the horses. But when we try to get him out of there we have to quarter him up, tie a rope to one hind quarter, with couple of half hitches around a tree as far up as the rope will reach. Then he cut the quarter loose. Then he lifts. I take up the slack. That’s the way we got that whole thing up to where we could load it on the horses. We unloaded it about the same way. Put a half on each horse, but the horses had a hard time to keep their from feet on the ground as the meat would swing to the back. I thought he was sure going to lose a horse down the hill, but finally made it to the top about sundown. Had killed it at 10:00 a.m. By now I am so tired, I don’t think that I can make it to camp, which is two or three miles, so Bill puts a rain coat on top of the meat on the biggest horse, leads him up to a dead tree, says “Climb on.” Well, when I got up on top of that meat I told Bill, “Now I know what it’s like to ride on top of a camel!”
Well, we have killed lots of elk since, but that was the biggest one we ever got dressed out. Between four and five hundred pounds.
Deer Hunt
Another time we went deer hunting out in Greens Canyon, that’s east of Hill Creek. We rode our horses two or three miles from camp and Bill shoots a two‑point. After he shoots we see a big one go into the timber. Well, for years he tells me you can’t drive a deer any where. Well I proved him wrong. I ask him if he cares if I go look for the big one when he dresses this one out. He says, “No, but its miles from here by now”. But I get on my pinto horse and made a big swing out into the cedars, about a half mile and hit the draw he is in a mile or more down stream. I am coming up the trail. There are little draws coming into the main one and I come up to one of these and about fifty yards across the draw is a big four‑point laying under a tree. I jump off and shoot, missed of course, so I take off up the trail on a dead run. Bill hears us coming, picks up his gun. That buck is about forty feet, coming right at him. He shoots him right into the chest, right through the heart. When I come around the bend right behind the deer I said, “Don’t tell me I can’t drive a deer to you any more.” This is only one of the many dozens of deer stories I could relate. I will put down a few of the most outstanding.
Deer hunting close to home while Harlan, my brother, was still living with us we decided to go down south of the old place. Between the Duchesne River and the Green River on opening morning. Bill and I load our horses. Harlan won’t ride anymore. Well, we go down the west side of the hill until the road is real close to the river and there is a big four‑point buck standing on the skyline. So we unload our horses. The draw forks up there about a quarter of a mile. The deer is on the middle ridge. Bill tells me to get on my pinto horse and go back to where the pipeline comes across and get behind it. Well, I just get to where he sent me and I hear him shoot, so I pile off my horse. Just then he comes over the hill. I shoot an break a front leg. It turns and goes back down the draw past Bill. I hear him shoot two times, so I get on my horse and gallop down where he is. I said, “Did you get him?” He said, “We got all three.” They had two right close together, but when he went to cut the third ones throat it was gone. It had rolled to the bottom of the hill and looked like he was flopping one leg. I asked him if I could go look for it while they dressed those two out, he said yes but it is probably ten miles from here. Well, it was about two miles to the Indian drift fence, four foot high. Well, I head for the drift fence. There is a trail around it, and I am going down it on a trot looking for him. When my horse spots him out in the timber about fifty feet away. He is really going on a run, so I kick my horse, he keeps up with my horse on a gallop. I think if I can beat him to the next clearing I might get him. Something looked queer about him. All I could see was that big set of horns. When he comes out into the clearing I start and break a front leg. I can see now what looks wrong, both back legs were shot off at the hock joint. My horse runs away. I follow him into the brush, get another shot at him. About that time here comes Bill, leading my horse. I tell him I got him, no use of me going after a good deer as I had a heck of a time getting this one with both back legs off at the half way mark. We had all three filled up, all four‑points, and all big. They dressed out 205-210 or 215.
That was my last deer hunt with my brother as he went to Washington in the spring to spend the summer with Annie. He stayed until just before Christmas. Died in Salt Lake on Christmas day. We had gone to California to spend Christmas with the kids, I talked to him as we went through. He said he would come out after the holidays, and take care of his rabbits and help Earnie and Joan do the chores. We got to California one day when Tom called to tell us what happened, so we flew home to take care of his services. Flew back the next week. I really missed Harlan, as I had looked after him all his life, and for the last ten years he had lived with us. Him and me had fished every stream and lake in the Basin. He would buy the gas, and we would go some where two or three times a week. Well I had lost the best fishing partner I ever had. He would help me with the yard and garden so I would have time to take him fishing. These are special memories to me.
I don’t think that Bill has missed a deer hunt since we come back from Oregon. Tom either, since he got old enough. Most of the guys in the community all went the same place, and they all took horses to the Book Cliff mountains. Two guys would take all the horses, ride one, tie the rest to each others tails and lead them. It took two days to get out there. Bill usually was one to ride out. Elbert took his and Bill’s camp. He would leave the same day, stop and pitch their tent at the half way place, camp there and get on out the next day. Never until the last few years did they ever come back without their deer. I have always loved to fish and hunt, or just camp out, but didn’t start going much until I got my family big enough to take care of their selves and do chores.
But even when I stayed home to do chores, I used to take my pinto horse, she could carry me all day and still jump out from under me if she got spooked. This she did once in a while, but I have never got hurt falling off a horse, or not anything but my feelings. Bill hunted with his old 44.40x for years. Then he got a new 270 and I took the 44. The next day after they left Jim and I used to go up the wash or down on the river. We would see lots of deer, but could never get off in time to hit one. But Jim was like me, loved to ride a horse, and we had fun.
Deer Hunting with Jim
When Jim was about twelve years old, him and I were home choring. We went up the sand wash, north of the valley. I had the old .44, he had the .22. We saw lots of deer, but couldn’t get close enough to kill one. I got separated from Jim and Bruce. They come home, they had got a two‑point. I rode out on one of those sand rock ledge points, got off Patches, set down to watch for the boys, and a big four‑point come out from under the ledge about ten feet from me. Well, I got so excited I fired and missed. Then I didn’t pull the lever clear down and got an empty shell caught in the gun. Couldn’t get it out, and the deer ran across the little draw and stopped under another ledge rock. Well, thirty minutes later he sneaked up the hill with me still trying to get the shell out. Next day we went to Duchesne River, got down there in the tamarack, could see the deer while on horse back, but when we got off couldn’t see them. Jim held my horse while I tried to hit one. When the gun went off he turned her loose. The horse jumped, left me setting in the tamarack.
Well, this is two of the many trips I took. Another time I rode Patches up to the head of a draw and twelve deer were just coming up. They split and went both ways around me. Mort had chased deer on Patches so much, that she took after them and I had a ride of my life for one mile. I lost my hat, as she jumped sage brush. Nearly lost me and the gun several times.
Morton is like me when it comes to stock, especially horses. Both him and Jim love horses. When Mort was growing up he rode his horse every day, winter and summer. If he didn’t have something to do on his horse, he rode it for fun. We had one little black mare that two or three people had taken for a month or two to break, and she just got meaner. They would bring her back. She bucked into a place where the water was running, and fell with Bill and rolled him in the mud. He turned her loose. No one tried to ride her for a year or two, then Mort about twelve years old caught her up. I was scared stiff. Afraid he would get hurt, but in a few months she was broke, and broke good. In a year or two anyone could ride her. She turned out to be one of the best horses we ever had.
All the neighbors used to tell me that Mort, also Jim was going to get killed. They went on a dead run everywhere they went. I used to tell them I did the same thing all my life. Been thrown or fell off hundred of times over the years. I never got hurt. The years before Bill talked me into selling my Pinto horse, she left me in the trail two or three times. Then I was pushing sixty years old. Never worried to much about the boys on horses.
Stan Nebecker told me once when we had that five hundred head of old ewes, and I was herding them and fixing fence, that if he saw someone going on a horse on the run he knew without asking it was Ivy. I still love to ride and I am sixty nine years old.
My Lyon Chase
One time when all the kids had married and left home, Mort, Jim, and Earnie and their families were living in Salt Lake. I stayed home and Bill and Tom had gone to the Book Cliff hunting. I take my pinto horse and go down in those blue clay hills five or six miles north of our old place hunting. I had Bill’s old 44 with me. I see a dust going around Austin Wardle’s west fence, right next to the hills. I think it is a deer. Well, I didn’t know a horse could run down a mountain lyon, but they can. When I caught up with it, it was a lyon. At first my horse was real frightened of him. He was out in a shale scale flat. Well, I stayed south and west of him, and chased him back and forth across those flats all afternoon. He was trying to go back to the hills on the Duchesne River and I stayed in his road. He got so tired that when I stopped to let my horse rest a few minutes, he would lay down. Just like a dog that tired with its tongue hanging out. We used to live down there below Pelican Lake. That flat is six or eight miles long. I kept him in that flat west of the road all afternoon, until sundown. I kept thinking someone would show up to shoot him. I had plenty of good close shots, but that morning I had forgot to bring a long rope for my horse. She was gun shy and I was afraid she would jerk the rains out of my hand and leave me down there with that lyon if I missed him. I drove him up to Jess Jensen’s south fence. When I got home the kids had got in from Salt Lake. But couldn’t find him. When Bill got home he said he was worth $100. If I had known that I would still be after him.
One More Deer Story
I Will Relate, and That’s All
This happened years ago when I was still staying home to do chores. Bill had been to the Book Cliffs with the crowd of men. He got home, we had two days of the season left. I tell him I am going down south of the old place, same area that I saw the Lyon a few years before, does he want to go along. We saddle up our horses. By now I have a new 243. I still have it, a very good gun. We get down next to the big draw. I am on top of the hill. Bill is going around the hill near the bottom covering the small draws to scare one up to me. Well, I ride out to the edge to look down to see where he is and he is following the biggest deer we had ever saw. The horns looked like elk horns, they were so big. But Bill hadn’t saw him yet. There was a saddle in the mountain about a quarter of a mile ahead of the big deer. I make up my mind if I can make it to the saddle first I can turn him and he will go back past Bill and he will get him. Well, I kick my horse, go on a dead run for the saddle. Well, me and the deer both make it to the saddle at the same time. Both on a dead run. The horse and the deer both stop. I go over my horses head land right beside the deer. We are both down. I come up on my hands and knees. The deer is getting up too. I could of reached out and touched him, but he turned back down the hill past Bill. That’s about as scared as I have ever been, but the deer was scared too and turned back when he got up. Bill emptied the old 44 at him and never touches him. I stood and watched him shoot and I never fired a shot. Bill has always been a dead shot, and every time he fired I would look for him to fall. Bill hadn’t shot the old 44 for ten years, and he was used to the 270 and its real fast gun. But he was out of shells for it and took the 44. The hill was steep and blue clay. The deer was jumping thirty or forty feet at a jump. And he couldn’t lead him far enough to get him. He looks up at me and says, “Why didn’t you shoot, there goes your jeep from Ziniks Sporting Goods.” [note; Ziniks sporting goods store had a “Big Buck” contest each year for the Deer Hunt, and would give away a vehicle to the winner, based on points and spread]
Well, we have had fifty years of these kind of things happening. I have only related the ones that I have been evolved in. Then only a few. Roy used to say, “I am going to stay close to mom, she always sees all the big ones.” Then if he did, you would hear me yell, “There he goes Roy, shoot him.”
Another Trip Bill and I Went On
The ditch company were trying to get some one to go back in the toollies, to White Rocks Lake and Cliff Lake to take the drift wood out of the spill way. Bill told them he and I would go. We took two horses in the pickup truck, one saddle bag, one piece of new canvas ten by twenty feet. Folded it for a saddle blanket. Took our double sleeping bag, tied it behind my saddle. Took enough food to last us a week in the saddle bags. It has a pocket on each side. We took tea, sugar, rice, hot cake flour, eggs, packed the eggs in a can and poured the rice over them. Small cans of tomato sauce. Small cans of milk, and a few potatoes and macaroni. I think that’s about all. Had to go to the end of the road and ride back in sixteen miles. We stopped at Grant’s store and Grant wanted to know how many pack horses we were taking. Bill told him “none.” He said, “How long you plan on staying?” “One week” Bill says. Grant said, “You can’t make it, you’ll be back before that.” But we got up there, stretched our canvas over a pole between two trees quite close to the ground, made our bed under that. Of course we had fishing poles. I carried them in my hand. So we had fish to eat. And after the week we had food left.
We were to turn more water in the ditch, and had to go back in ten days so we hide our food we had left under a piece of tin so we could use it when we went back in. Also left our skillet and coffee pot. I forgot to mention, the first night we were there it rained hard most all night. Just about day light I poke Bill and say, “Move over, the water is running under the air mattress on my side”. He says, “Well don’t feel bad.” It’s a good thing we are on air mattresses as I think we are floating.
Another Trip To The Lakes
We used to have a jeep, short wheel base. You could get back to the lakes in it. We bought it when the company was building the lakes, as Bill worked for them with a chain saw cutting trees out of the lake bed. Me and Jim and Bill stayed up there two and a half months then. We still had the jeep. Bill was to take Grant Brough to help him, and I went along. They were to close the head gate in the lake and move some big drift wood out of the spill way. Well, we took our tent this time and camp outfit. We got up there just before sun down. Pitched our tent, made camp.
This was the first week in October and it started to snow just a little bit. The guys said it isn’t going to snow much. You can tell from the sky. So we go to bed. In the middle of the night the tent fell down on us. There was a least a foot of snow, and the wind was blowing a gale. Well, we got the tent back up and build a fire. Went back to sleep. Pretty soon Grant says, “Bill I believe it’s getting light.” So we get up cook breakfast. Still darker than pitch out there, no one had a watch. We set around a while and went back to bed, probably another hour any way before day light. Bill says, “Let’s get up and get out of here. We’ll shut the head gate, to hell with the drift wood”.
We have never had any trouble with the jeep, but this morning it won’t start. Raise the hood, it is drifted snow inside. Bill drains the oil, heats it on the stove, and takes the battery in to get it warmed up. Bill had taken an extra battery. Took it inside to get every thing warmed up. Still no start. Run the batteries both down. Grant said, “Now what will we do?” Bill jacked up one wheel. Wound the lariat rope we had around the tire. I got in it to hold the clutch down if it started. Him and Grant would run with the rope. It would sound like it was started. I push the clutch in. They both fall in the snow. We work at this, it seems for hours. Pretty soon Bill says, “Do you think that you can walk out of here?” I said, “I can if you can.” But Grant says he can’t. So, we start cranking again with the wheel. A few more times and it starts. Well, we hurry and throw the camp in and start out. Well, the snow had covered the big rocks and we had an awful time getting out. Took us all day. But never let it stop or kill the motor till we got home and found out the coil had burned out. Had to have a new one before it ever run any more. But when we got back to Grant Pickup’s store he said, “If you hadn’t got back today, we would of sent some one after you.”
Hunting With Tom
For the last eight or ten years we have went with Tom. Sometimes Dick Williams, his buddy is along, but always Tom. One year we hunt elk with Tom from Bear River to Goslin Mountain, north of Dutch John. The season opened ten days earlier on Bear River and I think we went up every road that went into the high mountains from Bear River to Goslin Mountain before we found a herd. Got two bulls, took us three weekends and one full week.
We go with Tom every year both deer hunting and elk hunting. Some times Mort can make it up from Los Angeles and sometimes Earnie goes along. Last year we had Bryan Wickham, that’s Harlan’s son‑in‑law, Annie’s husband. Had his two boys along. Earnie and boys were there last year. Keithy and Susan, Mort and Virginia, also Chrisz, Tom’s boy. Rodaa Toms other boy was in the Navy. Had about fifteen in our camp deer hunting. We went way out on the head of Bitter Creek, next to the Colorado line. We have had a lot of good trips with Tom and the other boys. As I said before we love to go hunting and camping. Sometimes the last few years we don’t always get one, but love to go anyway. Earnie loves to hunt too, and if it’s at all possible he goes along. He has quit several jobs to go.
Years ago, before Robert Moore died, we were all out in the Book Cliffs, down south canyon. Had about twenty in camp that year. Bill and I, Elbert, Tom, Morton, Robert and Ella, Bill and Marge Stevens, his boss and his wife, Clifford Chandler, Grace and Morton Wardle, and my brother Earnie. We were camped on a stream by a high mountain. Two deer come down to get a drink. Well, about ten or twelve guns started to bang away. Sounded like an army. They didn’t see them until they started back up the mountain. They never got either of them. That’s one of the trips I really remember. We had such a good time picnic‑ing and visiting when they weren’t hunting.
One night around the campfire they got to talking about shells and guns. Robert Moore had a shell that he brought home from the service, about six inches long. It had been fired, and he had made a lead for it out of wood. “Did you ever see one like this?” he said. Some one said let me see it. Robert reached it to him and let it slip into the fire. Well, he sure cleared camp, down over the bank and behind rocks, until someone looked back and saw Ella standing there just laughing.
Another time when Grace and Morton [Wardle] come up, Mort forget his hunting shoes and it was before he got his gun. The first night it snowed four or five inches. Here is Mort, dress shoes, silk socks. Well Bill digs into a grub box, and gets him a pair of woolen socks. Takes him hunting with the old 44. They get up a buck, Mort starts to shoot down one side up the other. The 44 held eighteen shells. He emptied the gun and added some more before he got it. Bill was standing up on a rock yelling, “Hit him Wardle.” Mort would shoot then run to get a better shot and fall down. Shoot from laying down. Finally the deer went down. When they dressed him out he had eleven holes in it before he got a killing shot. Later Mort said he was so tired and Bill kept yelling at him. He said he didn’t know whether to shoot at the deer or turn and take a shot at Bill so he would shut up.
Wyoming Hunting
About twelve years ago we went to Wyoming to help our daughter, Beatrice, and Melvin Davis build onto a four room house that they had bought. We build on to it an made a three bedroom home out of it with a lovely big living room with a rock fireplace. While we were there we decided to go hunting with them. Bill bought a deer license, and you hunt deer and elk at the same time over there. Melvin had a sort wheel base jeep and we had a ball. Got four deer and Melvin had three elk permits. One cow and two bulls. Well we filled up. That got us started and we saw all of the Shoshoni Forest from the back of Melvin’s jeep.
The next year we saw all the Big Horn Forest from the same jeep. It was so much fun to be around Melvin. One time we were about twenty miles north of Mitesto and we had all gone different places to drive them out to some one. Well, there was about six inches of snow and chilly. Well I get up on a ridge and start me a little fire. Pretty soon here comes Melvin, he said, “I am freezing, and can’t get a fire to burn.” We are standing around the fire and here comes Bea, madder than heck. “Why didn’t you shoot them elk I drove by you?” Melvin said they didn’t come this way. Well about 50 yards away was their tracks. Melvin says, “Well I was visiting with mom, hadn’t saw her since this morning.” About that time we hear bang, bang, bang. Well they had gone by Bill. Well this got us started an was the beginning of several years of hunting with Bea and Melvin. Some of the happiest times of our lives was spent with them.
Iowa Back by Oklahoma A Hitch Hike Trip
One time we decided to go to Iowa to see my sister Vera and Kennie, at Washington Iowa. I wrote and told her we were going to Wyoming for a week or two and after Thanksgiving we were coming to Iowa. Well, Ken drove truck for North America Van Lines and Moving Company.
She had gone to Los Angeles to see my other sister Wanda and Joe. The kids got the letter and called her. She called me at Bea’s and said Kenny was loaded to Rapid City, South Dakota, and they would meet us at Bea’s and drive down together.
Well, the day before Thanksgiving here they are. Well, we go rabbit hunting Thanksgiving afternoon. Hunting is great over there. Next day we are on our way. Snowing just a little, wind a blowing. We have a small camper on our truck, and we sleep in it, also do our cooking there too. Well, we spend a cold night in Rapid City. Vera and I have been driving our truck, Bill was riding with Kenny. The next morning we are getting ready to leave. I come up with, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could load our truck in Kens and all ride together.” No one says a word, but about two miles out of Rapid City Kenny starts to back off into the bar pit. Vera drives up beside him and says, “What’s the matter.” Kenny says, “We are loading Bill’s truck into the trailer.” He has a 60 foot trailer. We just get the tail gate down here comes the cops. He said, “What do you think you are doing?” Kenny tells him, “I am loading this truck into my outfit.” They say, “You can’t do that.” Ken says, “My license says I can haul any thing I want to, and I have a license for South Dakota.” By then we have three or four cops, someone had turned in a wreck. Kenny paid no attention to them, and went right on loading it. They did a lot of squawking, but finally decided to let him go.
Well from there to Iowa we hitch hiked in Kens van. Well, Ken is allowed to take an extra driver if he wants to, and Vera and I rode in the sleeper right behind the two seats. Ken says, “If I say close the drapes, you pull the cord and don’t make a sound if I get stopped.” I told him, “If you get stopped one of us is sure to sneeze.” He said, “You hadn’t better!” Well, we stayed in Washington, Iowa, for ten days. Crossed the Mississippi, and went over to Nauvoo. Also down to the Cartage Jail, where Joseph and Hyrum Smith was killed. Saw all the places of interest while there. Saw the Corn Palace in South Dakota. I forgot to mention we went through the Black Hills. That’s one interesting place with so many things to see.
Well, when we left there, we went down trough Missouri, through the Ozarks. Some beautiful sights there. We saw the Lake of the Ozarks, and the Bagnell Dam. The dam is only 148 feet from bedrock to highway, and it backs water up until it has 1300 miles of shore line and covers 95 square miles. When you get down in that country you can see why they have so much flooding. It’s so flat, no place for the water to go. Then we went on down to Oklahoma to see Uncle Tom Murphy, Grandma Chandler’s [Mary May Murphy] brother. Stayed there four or five days. They took us up to Pawnee, Oklahoma, where Bill was born. Showed us Grandpa Bailey Chandler’s home. It still stands. A nice two‑story frame house in a grove of trees.
We also saw where E.M. and Mamie Chandler lived before they left Oklahoma. Then we come home through the corner of Texas, through the pan handle in Oklahoma, into Colorado. Then we came up into the mountains in Colorado to the Royal Gorge at Canyon City, the highest bridge in the world. It’s 1053 feet above the Arkansas River. It’s a swinging bridge and goes up and down as you cross it with a car. Gives you quite a thrill, but is a beautiful place, and I brought some awful pretty rocks from there for my rock garden.
That’s another thing we have always picked up rocks. We have some quite unusual ones. We also have our home here rocked up, on the outside, with native rocks. I love it, as we have a spring here that keeps our yard green, even on the driest years. And we have a beautiful view from here, looks down over the valley, also Pelican Lake. I could just set and watch it for hours if I had time, but it takes me longer to do what has to be done now. Of course, I still do what I like to do first, and what has to be did comes second. So my yard always looks better than my house. But I try to keep it pretty straight, at least so we can find the bed at night. Sometimes when I get my sewing scattered around my bedroom it’s a problem, but Bill never complains.
Church and Our Part In It
When I married Bill he didn’t belong to the L.D.S. Church, but was baptizedbb the summer after Mort was born. All the time the kids were growing up, we went to church with them. We were all active in the old Avalon Ward. Some of the jobs Bill held was President of the Young Mens Mutual, also Superintendent of the Sunday School. Both these jobs he held for years. He was secretary of the Elder’s Quorum, and Ward[/Home] teacher. We as a family attended all the church organizations.
I was counselor in the Primary, also the Relief Society. Also President of the Relief Society for a while. I also taught the four and five year old’s in Sunday School for years. Taught the Guide class in Primary for years. Also was secretary of the Young Ladies M.I.A. for years. Also a visiting teacher for forty five years.
We tried hard to teach the kids what was right or wrong. Somewhere along the line over the years I failed them. I try to think back now and figure out what I did wrong. I have a testimony of the gospel, but failed to instill it in most of my kids. I tried so hard to make our home a happy home. I have thought since, that maybe I was to insistent that they be in church all the time, but they all went without any fuss. But, as they left home they quit going. We haven’t been active in the church since they moved our ward to Ballard. Not that we have anything against the Ballard Ward, but it’s a long way to go, and we have just got in a rut. Then too Bill can’t hear any more, so that don’t help.
Part of our kids married out of the church. This I can’t understand with Beatrice anyway. She was chorister in Sunday School, Sacrament meeting, also M.I.A. for four or five years. She had a perfect record in all the church organization. Then married out of the church. She took part in all activities in the ward and church, so I feel that some where we must of failed her. She was also Dance instructor.
I miss not going to church now. I am going to get started to going again.
Bill just said I can tell you why she married out of the church, and I guess he is right. He said Melvin was a wonderful guy, and he wasn’t L.D.S. I agree with him. There was only one Melvin. He was one swell guy and fun to be around. He used to tell me, “When you get old mom, you are going to stay with me. If me and Bea had you for a boss to tell us what to do we could do it. I could wheel you around in a wheel chair and you could say, “Mel put that rock there and this one over here”. Melvin lacked confidence in himself. He was afraid to tackle jobs. Afraid he couldn’t finish them. But we all loved him, and have lots of special trips, also hunting and fishing, that bring happy memories of him. Many good times.
Hunting Trips To Remember
For the last six or eight years anyway we have went with Tom and Earnie, when Earnie can make it, both deer hunting and elk hunting.. Earnie has quit several jobs to go hunting. It’s real nice to go with Tom, especially as I am getting older, as he gets up and gets breakfast, then calls us to come and eat. He has a nice camper and we have really enjoyed these trips with the boys. Once in a while Mort makes it up. I guess as long as I am able to get around I will go along. I love the mountains, either hunting or fishing.
One time when we were all together out on MCCook Ridge. Well I guess that time we had been all over. Mort and his boss, Paul Gardner, were along. We didn’t do too good. Paul didn’t get any shooting, so when we got back to home here I asked Paul if he wanted to go with me and Tom at daylight the next morning up on the hill. He said “Sure!” We left just at break of day. Went out past George Brough’s old place, turned down towards Green River, out in those rocky red hills. Well, the first thing we saw was a coyote. They get out and start shooting. Was long shots, and he gets away. Then we saw three deer. Paul couldn’t hit them. We drove down to a deep draw, and they saw a mountain lyon. They shoot at him. Long shots too and he makes it to some ledge rock and lose him. Well, Paul got some shooting and had a ball. He said, “What are we doing out in the Book Cliffs, why didn’t we stay home?” Then Paul Gardner stayed around for another week and duck hunted. When he would get several down in the lake he would strip down to his shorts and swim out and get them. Then he picked them and saved the feathers for me. Cleaned them all and froze them. When he got ready to go I said, “Take your ducks.” He said, “I don’t want them, I took pictures of them to prove I got them, you can have the ducks.” When he got ready to go he said he never had so much fun. He had never been around anyone before that could have so much fun with so little. When we went to California he took us deep sea fishing on a charter boat. We got six or eight that were five or six pounds each. I am not sure what they were, but were sure good eating. We went out about fifteen miles, saw lots of whales. Some huge ones with tail fins eight or ten feet across.
Bill and I have worked hard all of our fifty years of married life, and so have all our kids. They were always good to help at home. We taught them how to do everything that there was to do around the house, both girls and boys. We also taught the girls how to do things around the farm. They both learned to milk and do chores. They all helped in the garden and yard. One never realizes how much work there is to keeping up a yard and garden until one has it to do by their self. I am afraid that next year part of mine will have to go back to weeds. The last few years it gets harder to keep up every year. We still like to run around and go sight‑seeing, and when we are gone a few days its nearly impossible to catch up.
I have made a special effort to keep the weeds down this year, as we expect to have so many people here in August for our Golden Wedding. We expect all the kids, most of the grand kids, and brothers and sisters on both sides of the family. Also cousins on my side of the family. Most of my Aunts and Uncles have passed away, but Mother’s youngest sister from California may be here, that’s Aunt Millie.
All the kids and most of the Grand kids were here for a week last year, and we spent most of the time fishing and camping.
Most of my mothers folks when they left the basin went to Northern California. Now the kids have spread to Oregon and Washington. Well, they have a Potter reunion most every year. My mother was a Potter, and we were awful close to each other until her folks left for the coast. About 1975 they had their Potter reunion about forty miles out of Bend, Oregon, on the DeSutes River at the Cow Camp Park. Bill and I took our camper and went. We stayed there four days, sure had a wonderful visit with all. It was a good reunion. Most beautiful.
Then Bill’s sister [Hazel] and husband had just moved from Alaska that early spring to Squim, Washington. That’s out on what is called the Island. You have to take a ferry across from Seattle, and we decided to drive on up there and see her. So we did spent three or four days with her. Ella, his other sister, was there too at the time. We had a real good visit with them. They live close to Port Angeles. It’s mainly a fishing port, and Hazel’s boy went over there and got a big bunch of big fresh shrimp. He come home, made a batter out of beer and other things, then deep fried them. He was asking each one how many they could eat. Come to me, I said “About a dozen.” So the first one he took out of the deep fry he brought to me, and said, “If you are going to eat a dozen you better get started.” I love shrimp so I think I made that dozen pretty small. As it turned out Hazel died late that fall, we were so glad that we had spent those few days with her. We were just gone twelve days on that trip.
One More Trip With Bea and Mel
In all the times that we have been to California, Bill and I have never been to Disneyland. The kids have been several times over the years. But in 1976 Melvin and Bea, their two kids, some friends of theirs, Rod and Della, and there two boys come by and took us to Los Angeles. I had been having trouble with my feet and legs for several months, but when we get down there Elva and all of them insist that we go with them. We get down there, I am limping around, and here comes Bea and Elva with a wheelchair. But it turned out to be for the best, as we never had to stand in line for any of the things. They would say will the lady in the wheelchair please come this way. All of your party come with you. Well, there was 20 of us all together. One attendant said, “Are all these people with you?” I said, “Yes, kids and grand kids.” So she said, “Glad to have you with us.”
Well we went on everything on the Caribbean Cruise, we just filled one boat. We had taken Lynn and Todd with us. We all had so much fun, we didn’t know what we were missing. Glad they insisted on us going. Then we went to the Wax Museum. We had never been there either.
Then I stayed a few days with my sister Wanda. We were down there a week, then come home through Zion Canyon, as the others had not been through.
Had a lovely trip, no trouble anywhere. We all had campers, so we stopped anywhere we wanted to. Bea and Melvin and Rod and Della had one night out on the town in Las Vegas on our way down. My niece Elva Basiel lives in Las Vegas, and my sister Vera was there with her at the time. So, Bill and I took the kids out to Elva’s. Bill and the kids went to bed, but Vera, Elva, and me stayed up all night and talked. Went on into Los Angeles the next day. Vera and Elva flew down the next day and stayed at a hotel in Seal Beach. My sister from Leisure World and me went down to spend the day with them. Elva, Vera, Wanda, and me. We had a lovely day. Then Elva took us to a swanky place to eat. The first thing they brought us was frozen forks to eat salad with. I said “WHAT” so she repeated it, so I took one. The other three really got a laugh out of it, but Elva said, “Don’t feel bad.” In all the fancy places that she had eaten in all her travels and in Vegas she had only been served frozen forks once before. that was one of the special days I spent with my two sisters Vera and Wanda. We had a lovely day together.
In 1977 they had the Potter reunion at North Bend, Oregon, and we went over to Bea and Melvin’s and they went with us. We had spent one and a half years there in 1937 and 1938, so we thought we would like to go back for a visit. This was really a fun trip, as we had Bea and Melvin and Terry then. As I said before Melvin was fun to be with. We were right on the beach there and one of the highlights of the trip was a deep sea fishing trip for salmon. My cousin Laura’s son‑in‑law was a pilot on a fishing boat and they had made reservations for all that wanted to go, had him engaged for two days. Some of them went out twice. The boat was only equipped for eight passengers and all together there were nine salmon caught. I caught two, one twelve and a half pounds and one six. Melvin caught one, eight pounds. Terry caught a big one, but never got it in. The captain said it was probably a small shark, as it bit his steel line in two. Then just as we were leaving Terry caught another one, but never did get it landed either. But we had a ball. We were out about twelve or fifteen miles, and it was quite a calm day.
Then one day we went down the beach with dune buggies, everyone that wanted to. Then one day we had an auction. Everyone brought a white elephant to be sold, and food you never saw the like of. The money from the auction went to buy the dinner, or help with it. Then each night they all got together and had a dance.
While on this trip we spent a day at Crater Lake, Oregon. And spend a few days fishing on the DeChotes River. So you see we fish every where we go.
Again I am glad we took this trip with Melvin and Bea, which was one of the many we had gone on with them. This was the last one with Melvin, as he passed away December 11cc this same year. When Bea called and said Melvin had died of a heart attack, we went over and stayed until the first week in January. There is really nothing we could do for her, it just takes time. Melvin would be a hard guy to replace, and they were such a close family. Bea has two kids: Cindy and Terrydd.
We are so glad that Earnie lives here in the valley close to us. His two boys, Lynn and Toddee, are here every day to see if we need any help or just to see how we are. Then Earnie and Joanff are they are there if we need them. That’s good to know.
My Sis Wanda
This same year my sister, Wanda, passed away in Octobergg. Joe hadn’t called as he didn’t realize how bad she was. He said that they were both looking forward to us coming down to spend the winter. They had both talked to me a little over a month before, and I told Bill she really sounded good. Her voice seemed stronger and I told them we would probably see them for Thanksgiving that year and all get together. So, it was quite a shock when they call to say that she had passed away. Joe said she had just woke up, and didn’t feel to good. So Joe goes to help her to the bathroom. But they never made it. He felt her go limp, and caught her. She was gone. I am so glad that she went that way, as she had plenty of suffering the last ten years. Well, there were nine of us kids, now there is three of us: Vera, Earnie and me.
As I look back now, I will never forget the good times that Bill and I have had with Wanda and Joe. The many places of interest that they have taken us to, and the many nice places they have taken us out to dinner. I have many good memories of my sister and the many things she has given me over the years that has brought happiness to me.
One time when Joe and Wanda come up to spend a couple of weeks with us we took them up to Crouse Res, on the mountain, fishing. We took the camper and let them sleep in it. They really had a good time. We caught some big fish, like one and a half pound and some two and a half pound, as Ivan Sheffer [Bernice boy] had his boat up there. It was something new for them, as they never went camping. This was their first time. As when they went places, even if it was trips to Mexico. They would go to inland cities, Acapulco, and spend a week or two and go to Arizona for a week or ten days. But they always stayed at a motel or a resort. Sometimes to big Bear Lake. She had lots of expensive Indian jewelry, and things that come from Mexico inland. She liked city sights and museums, but she also loved the beach. We used to spend hours walking the beach. For years they lived one and a half blocks from the beach. Went to it every day.
My Sister Crystal Wanothel (Wanda) ‑ Joe Stienfeldt
Over the years we have been in California for some winter months. It’s been ten or twelve years since we started this. One reason for going was so I could spend some time with my sister, as Wanda hadn’t been well for ten or fifteen years before she passed away. All this time Joe was working for pest control, and he made fabulous money. He done some jobs on the side, then he got his license and worked for his self. He used to take Bill with him and they would be gone a couple of hours and come home with two or three hundred dollars. After Wanda had that first major operation, Joe never allowed her to do anything. We always ate out when staying with them. I insisted on cooking breakfast. I made ever so many trips to Los Angeles in the summer over the years to help Wands. Not that Joe couldn’t afford a nurse, but because she wanted me. I would make her get up in the morning, have Joe take us with him or over to Elva’s. Get her tired enough so she could sleep nights. Some of the times I went down for a week or ten days, was when her incision tore out after four days. Then when she fell and broke her ankle. Also when Joe had his wreck and trouble. Many other times for things I won’t mention here. But when Joe would call and Bill would find me crying at night, he would say you better go down for a week.
Bill has always been good to me. Bill knew that when I went down, Wanda would be much better in a week. The winters we spent in L.A.. Wanda would be fine by spring. One thing I must say about Joe, he did everything in his power to make Wanda happy. He would take her anywhere she wanted to go. He loved her dearly. He couldn’t stand to see her suffer. It was nothing for him to call a doctor in the middle of the night and insist on him coming out to see her. Sometimes the doctor would try to squeeze out by saying it will cost. Joe would cut in and say, “I didn’t ask how much, I said come out.” They come.
I sometimes think that I worked a hardship on Bill, leaving him to manage his work and take care of the kids too. When I look back now. I spent six weeks in Hurricane with Bernice, nursing her. Then ever so many trips to L.A. when Dad was so bad. Another six weeks setting up nights with Hurley, before she died. Then ever so many trips to Leisure World at Seal Beach to Wanda and Joe’s.
Then I made one or two to Idaho, Gallis, when my brother Earnie lived there. One time Leona called and wanted me to come up and talk to Earnie, as he was drinking. Bill said I can’t go right now, but you take the two little boys and go up with Ira and Ester Wilson to Lava Hot Springs. Then go on up on the bus. This I did. The next morning Ester brought me down to catch the bus, and I just missed it. So, me and the little boys waited five hours for the next bus. I asked the station lady if we should stand outside with our suit case. She said no, they always stop here. But he was late so he goes on by. Well, she gets on the phone. There is another one coming. We catch it, but find out that it only goes to Blackfoot. I have Earnie and Jim, one suitcase, and a bed role. The agent says where are you going to stay tonight. I say right here. I bought a ticket to Idaho Falls, not my fault he didn’t stop. Well, he gets on the phone, pretty soon here is a bus to take us to Idaho Falls. One ticket one half fare. That’s all that’s on the bus. Earnie meets the bus, no Ivy. Well, when I get there I call a taxi. When I walk in he says how did you get here. Well I tell him about a special bus.
Fishing
Well I haven’t talked much about fishing. But this is something that I have did all my life. I remember going with dad when I was a kid with a line and fly and a willow pole, as dad loved to fish. He always found time to go quite a bit in the summer. One thing we needed the fish for food, but that’s really only an excuse. It’s like hunting deer because you need the meat. But the expense of going and the time one takes off would buy twice that much meat. People that go fishing and hunting go because they love it.
Every where that Bill and I have gone in our traveling around the U.S. or Canada we have fished. The kids are always coming home to take us fishing, but some of the best fishing we have had and the most fun, have been times that we have went to Weaver Reservoir on the head of Hill Creek and Towovie Reservoir., also on Hill Creek. We used to go the Weaver Reservoir fly fishing on the upper end where the water had backed up in the sage brush or catching from a one and a half pounds to three pound fish in that brush on a fly. Probably hook 40 or 50 to get your limit in a bag.
The best trips we took there were with the kids, mainly Elva and Roy, or Bea and Melvin, also Mort and Carolyn. We have sure had some fun trips out there. Go out and camp for a few days. Then too at that time we still had Harlan with us.
One time I especially remember was when Roy and Elva come up on vacation, and brought their neighbors Mary and Bob Growell and family, and we had Uncle Odie and Harlan. We went out an camped three or four days. Did we have a ball, but could of been a real tragedy. We were going on a trail around a ledge about ten or fifteen feet from the water. There was a creek in the ledge, but we had stepped across it for years. Five or six of us had already passed it, when Elva looks back and said, “Where is Dad?” Well the ledge had broken off. Bill had fell into 30 or 40 feet of water. Well, he could swim and only lost his new glasses, but me and some of the others can’t swim.
Another time when we were fishing the upper end of the Lake across to the main channel, he stepped into a beaver hole as big around as his body. He put his arms out to catch him, but had to have help to get out. Mort was with us that time.
Another real nice trip we took was to Weaver Reservoir Aunt Polly and Uncle Gerold Brady come out for my birthday, and Elva and Roy and family were there. They had brought Orval and Norma Ganes and family with them from California and they wanted to have a surprise party for me. Bill took Aunt Polly and Gerold and Uncle Odie and me to Weaver Res, and we stayed all night. Got home the next day about 5 p.m., to find Orval and Roy with two borrowed barbecues getting ready to fry hamburgers. By now Morton and Carolyn and family with a few extras were there. I said, “What the heck are you guys doing?” Orval says, “Getting ready to feed this bunch.” Elbert and Sadie come first and he said I come down to say Hi to Roy and Elva. Didn’t expect this crew. Roy says, the more the merrier, stick around. I didn’t get surprised until someone sowed up that wasn’t a relative. In the next twenty or thirty minutes there were twenty or thirty couples there, and the food and homemade root‑beer and a big birthday cake. Elva said you got home thirty minutes to early. There’s a chair set down. We thought we would have supper ready.
At Weaver reservoir we had all filled our licenses with two and three pound trout, cut throats. Odie and I caught our limit on flies in the upper end, Gerold caught his and Bills off the dam an minnows. It’s a beautiful place can sit under pines on the east side and catch your limit, and we saw several big elk and lots of deer.
The next night all the relatives stayed but Elbert and Sadie. Around twenty five or thirty, and Elva had cooked a pressure cooker full of spaghetti, also corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes. We lined them up at the front door kids first gave them a plate and cup filled it as they went through the kitchen. Aunt Polly wanted to know if she could get in with the kids. She said the line was so long she was afraid they were going to run out. That night we had beds and sleeping bags all over the place, but Mort and Carolyn, Elva and Roy, and Orval and Norma stayed up and played cards all night. By the time we got up about six they had got to the giggling stage. Aunt Polly never forgot that trip as long as she lived. She said how come Gerold and me got a bedroom all to ourselves when she had to wind her way between sleeping kids everywhere.
Another time we were out there with Elva and Roy, Roy and me were fishing down the stream, I said, you know Roy I would like to stay out here once until I got tired of fishing. He laughed and said, I can see you now coming down the bank with a cane in about twenty years. So I was always the last one off the stream to go home.
One of the first long trips we took with Melvin and Beatrice and their two kids and Bill and I went to Washington to go Salmon fishing. We went to Lillie and Jerry Dougless. Some friends of Bea and Mel’s. We went down the Columbia river across the bridge at Portland, they lived about sixty miles into Washington at Kelso. But we were about two weeks to late into the year. The Salmon had moved up the river. Was just a few Salmon and some steel head trout. We fished hard for what we got about two salmon eight or fifteen pounds and two or three steel head trout. We canned the fish before we started home. But we had a lot of fun and saw a lot of new country. Stayed one night near the snow line at mount Rainier, Washington. This was one of the Prettiest drives we ever took. It was steep and crossed the mountain then back down to Yakima then back down to Spokane. Then back down to Lewiston Idaho and on home. It was a fun trip. We all went in our truck and camper. The one we had then would sleep six so we managed real well.
Another trip Bill and I took elk hunting up past paradise park. We drove the truck to there with two horses. We unloaded the horses put everything we needed on them, We had a sixteen by twenty ft of canvas we used for a tent. This we folded and used it for a saddle blanket, we had a double sleeping bag, we rolled it up and tied it behind my saddle, then we had a pair of saddle bags we packed our food in and we had a small fishing pole in one of them. Well we went north from paradise, this put us high near the timber line. Where Dry Fork river heads. It was just a small stream. Well it hailed four inches about noon and it was cold. We decided to camp here on the stream near a meadow. Bill staked the horses built a big fire, then he went scouting around. I went fishing. Found a big hole where the stream tumbled down a steep rocky place, at the bottom a big hole. I climbed up on a big rock and caught six nice fish. All at once the rock tipped, I went into the water and was it cold!! Lost my fish, but finally rescued two for supper. Got back to the fire just at sundown no dry clothes. Good thing we had this place all to our selves. I had to strip down and dry them over the fire. And we never did see any Elk. Came back down on the east side of white rocks river up above red pine canyon we saw eight head. Bills gun jammed and I couldn’t hit them. Never got a thing. That’s normal for me.
I can hit a target every time but when I see an elk or a deer I can’t hit it. Have killed quite a few deer over the years, hit an elk once through the lungs but it was just before dark and we lost him. It would take another notebook to write down all the special good times we have had over the years. Tommy an his boys, and his buddy Dick Williams and his boys, have come out several times each summer to go fishing, but haven’t saw much of him this summer as he is building him a new house. Have gone a few times with Earnie and family an a few times with just Bill and I and the boys. But I still love to wade in the river to fish. An with a fly pole. I don’t suppose I will do to much more fishing as it is getting harder for me to get around in the rocks and wade without falling down. But I have always did that.
Last time we were up on the Uintah, I started across with a stick, Lynn says here Gram hold on to me I never fall down. So we get right in the middle and I slip off a rock an fall down and pull Lynn too. Setting down it’s about up to our necks. But if I can’t fish the streams with flies I don’t suppose I will do much more fishing, as I don’t care much for worm fishing. I like to use spinners in a lake. But the past few years Tom has been trying to get me interested in trolling from a boat. I am not to crazy about it either, not enough action. But I do love to boat ride.
One time we took Vera and Ken, Elbert and Sadie up to cart creek before they closed the stream and fished all day. Each of us had a gunny sack we were fly fishing, we put them in the sack in the creek. If we caught a big one we took out a smaller one. By night we had our limit of big ones. The next day Kenny was supposed to leave, he said let’s leave here at daylight and go back fishing for a couple of hours. So the four of us went again. They weren’t biting as good, we stayed all day, Kenny kept telling Vera just one more fish. We got home at dark a day later.
Barryhh and Elva still come up on their vacation and stay two weeks or a month. Some of Elva’s kids with their small families come too, and we go fishing and camping. Elva is as bad as me for fly fishing and we still have a ball. Barry has never done much stream fishing, he would rather fish the lakes, but we are trying to make a fly fisherman out of him. He loves the mountains and likes to camp out. Now they have a nice truck and a nice camper, its eleven or twelve foot, really nice.
Longest Fishing Trip
The longest fishing trip I ever went on was in 1957 for two and a half months when the Ouray valley started to build their first reservoir in the Uintah mountains. That was at Whiterocks lake and Cliff Lake. Bill took the job of cutting the timber out of the place where the water would be stored. We bought a short wheel based Army Jeep, that was the only way we could get in or out. We loaded up our tent and grub box and sleeping bags and moved to the mountain. Morton and Carolyn were living with us at the time, and we left Earnie to help Mort chore and took Jim who was about eight. We came down every couple of weeks for groceries and to see how things were going at home.
Just before dad got done Morton and Carolyn moved out, left Earnie to chore alone. I came home to help him. Me and Jim had fished all the lakes within four or five miles of Whiterocks, there were five or six of them. We fished someplace everyday. We gave our extra fish to the cook shack.
We moved to Cliff Lake and started there. We were up there about two and a half months.
While we were at Whiterocks we were fishing the lakes one morning, Jim had waded out about fifty yards on a sand bar and climbed up on a big rock. He caught a fish about a foot long, jumped of the rock and got tangled up in the line. The fish went around his legs and he lost it so he climbed back on the rock and started over. The next one was about fifteen inches long. He jumped off the rock and this time he put his pole over his shoulder and started for the bank rewinding his reel all the way. The water was about fifteen inches deep and he would fall every little ways, get up and go on. I was to far away to help him, but he landed it anyway. Dad took his picture with it he was one proud boy. He wasn’t quite nine years old yet. Another interesting thing that happened there was a young surveyor working there waded out to the same rock before dark one night, stayed there until after dark. He couldn’t remember which way the sand bar went to the bank and he couldn’t swim. He was about half a mile from camp and he stared to yell for help. Everyone from camp ran to help him. Young Ronnie Phillips was the first one to him. Everyone expected to be fishing him out of water over his head instead of him sitting on a rock, well he couldn’t live it down, any time anyone saw him they would yell help. So after two or three weeks he quit and left. Ronnie Phillips fished with Jim and me and one day he caught a seven or eight pound one on a fly and a bubble with water in it. We caught a lot of fish up to three or four pounds. It was a fun summer. Some days we went with Bill to cut trees, that’s were we found the tree root that we made the clock on the fireplace out of. Jim is to have it as he was along.
Chandler and Moore Reunion
A few years ago we were going on vacation for the winter we went to spend it with our kids Earnie lives here in the valley. So we went to Wyoming spent a month in Worland with Beatrice, Melvin & kids. Then we went to Salt Lake an spend a week with Tom and Leah an family then on to Los Angeles California where we spent two months with Elva and Barry Dean an Jim, Morton Chandler. also my sister Wanda an Joe Stienfeldt while in California we attended a Chandler reunion at the home of Bob Moore in Pasadena California, sponsored by the four kids of Robert and Ella Moore. Ella was the honored guest. Bob barbecued a 500 lb. of prime beef whole in his back yard, Ella has four kids Marie, Junior or (Moses) the twins Bob & Bert.
They all helped with the reunion. The beef was on a spit that they all helped turn. Bob is married to a Hawaiian girl they have eight girls and one boy, these children are real talented, they put on a Hawaiian show with dancing and singing, was really outstanding four of Bills sisters were there. Ella Moore, Stella an Darwin Neilson. Grace Wardle an Blanch Halloway with all of their children an grand kids. Beatrice flew down from Worland that made four of Bill and Ivy’s kids there, with, all the grand kids that lived close, many friends and relatives from both sides of the family attended. There was a total of nearly two hundred in attendance.
We are expecting Barry and Elva in the next day or two, as this August 17 will be our Golden Wedding Day. We expect all the kids, most of the grand kids, our brothers and sisters on both sides of the family. My sister Vera called from Iowa, and said they would be here with some of their kids. Some of the Sheffer boys and their families will also be here.
This will be fifty years of married life. We have had a full and happy life. We have always taken time out to do some of the things we want to do, and see some of the country while we were young enough to enjoy it. We have also taken time for our church work. I think to make a marriage work one must learn to GIVE AND TAKE. Also, everyone needs a balanced life with some of all three of these; WORK, PLAY, AND CHURCH.
As our fifty years come to a close. I want to add here that I don’t want to leave the impression that we never had any disagreements or trouble. We did, as I think everyone does. I think that most marriage problems can be talked over or settled if both parties try, but it can’t be one sided, both have to learn to give as well as take. The main thing is to bring out into the open and talk it over. Most misunderstandings can be cleared up if talked about. If both wait for the other to make the first move it can get bigger and bigger. I think that everyone should learn these three words “I AM SORRY”. Learn to use them, But it takes both of you not just one.
Over the years we have had as many problems in our marriage as most anyone, and we have had financial troubles too. Bill worked as a pumper for Dekalb for five years or more. I took over the irrigating and what ever I could do, he did the rest on days off or after work. If things got to bad I would work a few months for Hormstrom’s motel or cafe in the kitchen. I always found I had to much to do at home to work to many months at a time. I never had to look for work after I once worked for Hormstrom’s. Bill and I had both done anything we could to make ends meet, but it seems like we always managed somehow.
I say hard work never hurt anyone, of course there are exceptions to this rule, like one’s health or back trouble or heart trouble. One can still work hard at something different.
I think in this day and age people can live were ever they want, and still find work they like if they aren’t afraid to get out and look. Now days the young married people expect to have as much as their parents have. They forgot that their parents have worked for years to get what they have. I think that everyone should try to get out of debt. I am afraid that hard times are coming. I don’t know what this generation that has always had everything they wanted will do when we have another depression. It will mean from riches to rags from plenty to nothing.
Golden Wedding Anniversary19
Our Golden Wedding Anniversary turned out pretty good. Elva came up about the 5 of August to help me clean the house and yard. Bea came over about the 10 of August. Between the three of us we really shined the shack and yard.
We were having an Open House on Friday August 17, and a family reunion on Saturday August 18. The reunion was a huge success both days. We didn’t have to many that was not relatives on either day. Tom brought his big grill and we served sourdough hotcakes both Friday and Saturday to over eighty seven people day. For dinner we served grilled burgers, corn on the cob, tomatoes, cukes, cabbage slaw, and a few salads thrown together.
We had Bill’s seven sisters and one brother, and some of their kids and grand kids. My brother Earnie and my sister Vera and their families and family members from California, Iowa, Idaho, Nevada, and as far away as the Caribbean Islands came to the reunion. There was about ninety five relatives here for Friday, we have a real good time. ten or twelve went home Friday night. On Sunday and Monday my family cleaned up the mess, then went fishing. We fished up Uintah canyon for two days, then we went to Towovie on Hill Creek and caught sixteen big ones, one and a half to two pounds, then filled up with ten inch ones. We then went to Jones Hole and took Vera and Ken before they left. They have a ball there.
On Friday August 17 and Saturday August 18 in the evening Marvin Wardle entertained everyone with his singing and guitar playing. We roasted winnie’s. There was a total of a hundred and thirty eight on Friday for the Anniversary. We were quite happy with the reunion. Elva and Joe came from the Caribbean Islands she was the farthest away. My brother Earnie Turner and his daughter Sybil and her husband Cleo and there family came from Idaho. This takes care of all the brothers and sisters. All of our six kids and all of the twenty one grand kids but three, and all eight great grand kids. There were nieces and nephews and cousins to make up the eighty seven we fed two meals to.
We were a little worried about how it would go over. But was real pleased with the results. We saw some folks we hadn’t seen for years. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and we had a really lovely time. All the kids helped to make it a success. And a good place to end my story.
Additional Notes added By Herself
Written After the main book was completed and inserted in as loose sheets
My Old Home Place on Deep Creek
When Morton was up in the spring of 79 we went up on Deep Creek to see the place where the Johnson’s hayfield sunk. It was half mile long and five or six hundred feet wide in places and twelve to fifty feet deep. It’s quite a site, the sides are straight up and down it looks like it had been sliced. There are Islands in the middle sliced around to. On the way back we took over to my old home place, I hadn’t been back for fifty years. I had been back to Deep Creek but not my old home place. Well, the old house is still there, at least part of it. Two rooms were sawed logs, they are still there. The frame part is gone. The thing that shocked me was the creek. The creek bed was from fifty to a hundred fifty feet across, full of willows, birch, hops, currents, choke cherry bushes and gooseberry bushes. After a rain mom would send us out with a three gallon bucket to gather mushrooms to can. The mushrooms grew along the creek where the cows would shade up under the willows. Now, as far as I could see anyway not a green thing, only sagebrush. The farm land was green looks like picture grass but I could not believe the shrubs had died. I had thought that wild roses and willows never died out. the hills don’t look as big to me as they did then, but if I had tried to climb them they would have been twice as high I’m sure.
Morton and Virginia
Morton and Virginiaii have been up several times the past year. We love to have them come anytime they can. We expect them any day now. Virginia is a really nice and sociable person, she seems to fit in pretty good. She likes to go fishing and hunting and camping. Morton still likes the farm. When he was here at Easter time he did leveling with the tractor. And he always rides the horses. I think as long as he lives he’ll love the horses, I guess he and Jim inherited that love of horses from me. I still love to ride. I have loved horses all my life and spent lots of time on them. Forty-five years ago I used to go Relief Society teach and take Tom behind me and Elva in front and make the rounds to see four or five families. That’s quite a ride in this country. I also used to ride my horse to Relief Society every Tuesday. Most of the other ladies either walked or came in a wagon. I would put Tom up behind the saddle, put Elva on the wagon, climb on and ride by and pick up Elva. Sometimes I had two behind the saddle, but I never had any trouble.
When one lives in the country you learn to do what is necessary to get by. I have never been afraid of horses or afraid for my kids to ride them. But the ground must be getting harder or bones softer as now a days some one is always getting bones broken, if I had a nickel for all the time I have been thrown off a horse. I would have enough to go on another long trip, never hurt anything but my feelings.
Craig MCKee / Kevin Wickham
Craig is Elva’s oldest boy and we are quite proud of him he is a Volkswagen mechanic and Volkswagen has what they call a Bug‑in, the year Craig entered, it was the eighteenth year that they had the contest, as it was called a Bug‑in 18, its a one man engine pulling contest, sponsored by Yuko International. Each man entering is given a new VW sedan, he must remove the engine drag it ten foot and over a line an back to the car reinstalling it, then start the VW backing it across the same line. Norm Batchelder won Bug‑in 17 by doing this in a mere eleven minutes and four seconds, at Bug‑in 18 there were several ready to challenge Norm. The results was that Craig MCKee a new comer to the event, had a unbelievable clocking of seven minutes seven seconds Craig MCKee efforts was truly phenomenal, this is a world record for this event. Craig we are proud of you.
We have another champion in the family my brother Harlan’s grandson Kevin Wickham hold the state record for weight lifting in the 155 lbs class, dead lift 505 squat 374 an press 266, total of 1145 lbs also first place in the total of three lifts, we are proud of you Kevin. Kevin is the son of Bryan an Annie Wickham or Randlett Annie will be remembered as Annie Turner.
Elk Trip 1979
We are all ready planning and looking forward to going elk hunting this fall, with Tom and any of the other boys who can make it. Probably Chris, and maybe Dick Williams. Dad bought a three wheel bike this past spring, he is planning on taking it hunting this fall, he thinks it will save us some steps. He has worked on it all summer putting it together. He has only got to get the license now. Never can tell about fishing or hunting. Don’t know if we will get anything or not, but it is always fun to try. Then we love to camp out, and being in the mountains they are very lovely this time of year.
I haven’t put in anything about Barry Dean. The first time Elva brought him up here we really gave him a workout. We took Bills truck and a camp outfit and started for Jolly’s corner to fish and spend the night. Elva and Barry, Cort and me. We got to Fort Duchesne and Barry says it would be awful to be this close to flaming gorge dam and not see it so we decided to go there. We went down that old dirt road above the bridge on cart creek. Barry didn’t think we would ever get out, and we nearly didn’t. Then we came back on top of the mountain and camped on the head of cart creek. We pitched our tent, Cort and Barry are not used to the mountains and didn’t know if they liked our camp spot or not.
The next morning, early, I get up and go down to a beaver pond, an catch four nice fish about a foot long then after breakfast we all head down. Never get another fish we pack up come back to Vernal, we stop at a grocery store get some ice an a few things, when we left home no one took a purse as we didn’t intend going to town. Then Cort starts to complaining he didn’t get to Jolly’s corner an didn’t catch any fish. So we decide to go from Vernal to LaPoint an on to Jolly’s corner. We get about a half mile from Jolly’s corner and Barry says we are out of gas. It was full when we left an no one had thought to put any more in. I said just as well be out of gas at the corner as here so we went fishing.
It rained, Cort and I fished in the rain Elva and Barry set in the car, It finally let up and we start home, still registering out of gas. So we pull over to hilltop, gas is about twenty nine cents then. We had all looked through our pockets and the jockey box and came up with fifty seven cents, Barry says put in a gallon of gas. I say make it fifty seven cents worth I about embarrassed Barry to death. Never again would he go anywhere without his wallet. He’d rather have it wet than go through that, but I thought it was quite a fun trip.
Family Breakups
After twenty years our family circle began to break up, three of the kids got divorces [Elva, Morton, Earnie, and Jim], and we have a new set of in‑laws. During this period Elva worked real long and hard hours to make a living for her family. Mort moved to California and Jim went on a work strike for a while. Several years before Roy and Elva separated Bill and I started to go to California during the real cold weather here. At this time Bill had two sisters and one brother in L.A., and I had my sister Wanda, they all lived in the same area.
We have always spent most of our time with Elva or my sister, but now my sister has passed away and Elva and Barry have moved to San Pedro, it makes it a little more difficult to stay with Elva and visit with the rest of the family, especially since Bill is older and he doesn’t like to drive in the traffic in L.A.. Ever since we got hit a few years ago he doesn’t like to drive down there.
Additional Editors Notes
In 1981/2/3?? Ivy was admitted to Holy Cross hospital in Salt Lake for an operation to remove a brain tumor. Her only complaint was she got dizzy standing up. The Doctors believed they could take part of the tumor and come back later for the remainder. When the operation was preformed the tumor, although it was not malignant, it was so soft it fell apart necessitating a complete removal. The resulting shock to the nervous system was similar to a stroke. She lost the ability to speak and walk. Though many long months of effort, she again regained the ability to speak and then to walk. During this trying time her husband Bill continued to be not only a great support but much of her motivation and inspiration until his death in March of 1991.
Obituary and Funeral Services
Obituary from Vernal Express June 5, 1996
Ivy Turner Chandler, age 85, of Avalon, died June 1, 1996 in the Uintah Care Center. She was born Aug. 13, 1910 in Deep Creek, Uintah Co., to Ivan Vane and Henrietta [Harriot] Elva Potter Turner. She married William T. Chandler August 17, 1929. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple in 1946. He died March 4, 1991.
Ivy loved to fly fish, hunt and ride horses. She was an especially good camp cook and enjoyed outings into the mountains with her family as often as possible. She was active in the LDS church and served in many teaching and leadership positions.
She is survived by sons and daughters, Thomas Chandler of Sandy, Elva MCKee of Randlett, Beatrice Davis of Worland, Wyoming, and Earnie Chandler of Ibapah; 20 grandchildren, many great grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren; sisters, Vera Weidner of Vernal, and Earnest Turner of Idaho.
She was preceded in death by sons, Jim [James] and Martin [Morton].
Funeral services will be held Wednesday June 5, 1996 at 11:00 a.m. at the Randlett LDS church where friends may call one hour prior to the services. Burial will be at Avalon Cemetery under the direction of Hullinger-Oplin Mortuary, in Roosevelt.
Funeral Service; Family Prayer- Reed Bailey; Musical Selection- Reed and Carolyn Bailey; Opening Prayer- Willard Wall; Obituary- President Jarman; Speaker- Leo Jorgensen; Speaker- Rod Chandler; Musical Selection- Marvin Wardle; Closing Prayer- LaRue Pickup; Pallbearers- Lynn Chandler, Todd Chandler, Craig MCKee, Court MCKee, Chris Chandler, Eric Vanamen; Honorary Pallbearers- Bob Taylor, Darrell Jenkins; Dedication of Grave- Keith Chandler; Burial Avalon Cemeteryjj
Notes for Ivy Turner Chandler
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William Thomas Chandler Sr |
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Ivy Beatrice Turner |
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Ivy Beatrice Turner 2 |
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