Wednesday, August 18, 2004
GOODBYE TO 1971....
After our Seattle trip we came home and started the building of our garage and driveway. Louis flew back for business in St. Louis and afterwards drove down in his rental car for a few days. Warren, Louis and dad were on-lookers as Mr. Brownfield laid out the foundation for the garage and began working on the project. It was exciting times to get our little place established and functional. The septic tank was in and the city water running. We were moved in so things were looking up.
Warren’s mother and step-father wrote and wanted us to come for Thanksgiving and to celebrate Warren’s 47th birthday, which followed. (November 30th) We decided to go and arrived in Nampa, Idaho on their doorstep some days later …..when the door opened, I met my in-laws face to face. A woman smiling so big it was obvious she was glad to see her son……..“my precious boy,“ she said over and over as she opened her arms for a big hug. Her husband was greeting us all the while and then we were ushered into their home.
Mom and Dad Gilbert were in their golden years and not in the best of health. Dad Gilbert had farmed most of his life in Kansas and had sections of land that he raised cattle on. When he became too old to farm he moved to Nampa as quite a few of his friends had moved there. He belonged to the Nazarene Church and was a gentle man of faith. He had a family of several children by his first wife who died of cancer some years before he married Warren’s mother.
Mom Gilbert had worked hard all her life as well. She was the only girl in a family of six brothers. She was loved and protected and married her sweetheart, Howard Rosenbaum. Both their parents had migrated inland from one of the Virginia’s and took up farming in Nebraska. Warren was their first child, born in 1924; then came a sister, six years later and finally another boy, Donald in 1934.
They came upon hard times in the 30’s along with everyone else in the farming community. Warren was 10-years old when his father died as a result of a harvest accident. He was on top of a straw stack spreading it out with a pitch-fork which he used to slide down off the pile with. He came down faster than he intended, the pitch fork stuck in the ground and he was impaled with the handle which went up his rectum through his overalls.
They rushed him to the doctor and he lived several days…. until peritonitis took him…..it was a long and painful death (before penicillin). Warren’s mother was devastated. She was left with the three children and their insurance ran out a few days before his death because they didn’t have the money to renew the policy. In short time she was ordered to get off the farm and the bank sold their stock and what little farm equipment they had…..she moved into an apartment with the three children and found work in a store. She suffered depression the rest of her life and would not marry again because she was afraid a step-father would be mean to the children.
When Warren was in the service she moved to Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska to be near church friends. She continued working and later moved on to Nampa where the Nazarene College was. Warren’s sister, Delores, and his brother, Don, attended the college for some time. I don’t know if it was for the full four years or not. After the kids were married and gone, she stayed in Nampa. Years later, she married Dad Gilbert who was very good to her……and she was certainly deserving of his kindness.
Shortly after we arrived, Delores and Don, along with their families, arrived…..we became acquainted and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and birthday together. I was officially in my husband’s family now and would be able to put a face to all their names.
We headed back to Missouri for George Jr. was coming home on leave from the Navy. He would be able to spend Christmas with us this year….and we had quite a house-full. Grandma Strain still lived in Cabool so we went after her, aunt Beulah and Dale, John, George, mom and dad were able to be with us. Warren and the boys drove out in the open range and found a tree to put up and we all had our hand in decorating it. George Jr. wanted a favorite coffee-cake for his December 22nd birthday rather than the usual cake. So, of course, that’s what he got.
The years are so good to look back on…..getting ready for the season with all the baking and candy making, wrapping gifts and anticipating the reactions when opened….the family arriving and everyone talking at once……..the holiday music playing on the record player…..the Christmas cards and friends dropping in. At the time you never realize how much you will look back with fondness to those days or wish for the nearness of your loved ones once again……and so it is farewell to 1971.……………
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
Warren’s mother and step-father wrote and wanted us to come for Thanksgiving and to celebrate Warren’s 47th birthday, which followed. (November 30th) We decided to go and arrived in Nampa, Idaho on their doorstep some days later …..when the door opened, I met my in-laws face to face. A woman smiling so big it was obvious she was glad to see her son……..“my precious boy,“ she said over and over as she opened her arms for a big hug. Her husband was greeting us all the while and then we were ushered into their home.
Mom and Dad Gilbert were in their golden years and not in the best of health. Dad Gilbert had farmed most of his life in Kansas and had sections of land that he raised cattle on. When he became too old to farm he moved to Nampa as quite a few of his friends had moved there. He belonged to the Nazarene Church and was a gentle man of faith. He had a family of several children by his first wife who died of cancer some years before he married Warren’s mother.
Mom Gilbert had worked hard all her life as well. She was the only girl in a family of six brothers. She was loved and protected and married her sweetheart, Howard Rosenbaum. Both their parents had migrated inland from one of the Virginia’s and took up farming in Nebraska. Warren was their first child, born in 1924; then came a sister, six years later and finally another boy, Donald in 1934.
They came upon hard times in the 30’s along with everyone else in the farming community. Warren was 10-years old when his father died as a result of a harvest accident. He was on top of a straw stack spreading it out with a pitch-fork which he used to slide down off the pile with. He came down faster than he intended, the pitch fork stuck in the ground and he was impaled with the handle which went up his rectum through his overalls.
They rushed him to the doctor and he lived several days…. until peritonitis took him…..it was a long and painful death (before penicillin). Warren’s mother was devastated. She was left with the three children and their insurance ran out a few days before his death because they didn’t have the money to renew the policy. In short time she was ordered to get off the farm and the bank sold their stock and what little farm equipment they had…..she moved into an apartment with the three children and found work in a store. She suffered depression the rest of her life and would not marry again because she was afraid a step-father would be mean to the children.
When Warren was in the service she moved to Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska to be near church friends. She continued working and later moved on to Nampa where the Nazarene College was. Warren’s sister, Delores, and his brother, Don, attended the college for some time. I don’t know if it was for the full four years or not. After the kids were married and gone, she stayed in Nampa. Years later, she married Dad Gilbert who was very good to her……and she was certainly deserving of his kindness.
Shortly after we arrived, Delores and Don, along with their families, arrived…..we became acquainted and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and birthday together. I was officially in my husband’s family now and would be able to put a face to all their names.
We headed back to Missouri for George Jr. was coming home on leave from the Navy. He would be able to spend Christmas with us this year….and we had quite a house-full. Grandma Strain still lived in Cabool so we went after her, aunt Beulah and Dale, John, George, mom and dad were able to be with us. Warren and the boys drove out in the open range and found a tree to put up and we all had our hand in decorating it. George Jr. wanted a favorite coffee-cake for his December 22nd birthday rather than the usual cake. So, of course, that’s what he got.
The years are so good to look back on…..getting ready for the season with all the baking and candy making, wrapping gifts and anticipating the reactions when opened….the family arriving and everyone talking at once……..the holiday music playing on the record player…..the Christmas cards and friends dropping in. At the time you never realize how much you will look back with fondness to those days or wish for the nearness of your loved ones once again……and so it is farewell to 1971.……………
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
