COMPANY COMES TO GILBERT, 1933

Shirley Jean with her mother, Ethel

Ina has already told us that the spring of 1933 was cold and wet. The cold stymied fruit development and delayed the planting of crops.

But, if farm prospects were dull, visitors brightened Ina’s mood. Of course, son Earle, a high school teacher in Idaho Falls, spent his summer vacation at the farm as usual to help his dad with chores – planting, harvesting, and maintenance. Then, granddaughter Shirley Jean arrived early in June for a visit, and it’s plain that in Ina’s eyes her granddaughter’s halo shone brightly. Ina writes: “She is quite some child. She reads well and read the Wizard of Oz book through while here as well as part of another Oz book, and Shirley [Ina’s youngest daughter] let her take the Wizard home with her. She was so fond of it. She got the mail while here and did various errands, always with Dick [the dog] at her heels. She remembers you all right. She had a great time feeding little chickens and training the kittens, riding on old Taft as Dad came from work, going after wood and hay with them and driving the team after it was unhitched. She has a good ear for music and a sweet true little voice. She can play America with one hand and seems to have a sense of rhythm and harmony, when she is trying to pick out little school tunes on the piano.”

Early in July, daughter Pearl arrived with her husband Al and 13-year-old son Stanley. “Stanley is much improved,” wrote Ina, “but there’s still room for lots more.” (Stan was evidently spoiled in Ina’s opinion. Hence, his halo was somewhat tarnished.)

Pearl and Al planned their return trip through Glacier Park over the new “Going to the Sun” Highway. Since they were going into Montana, and since Shirley Jean’s parents lived in Havre, someone had the bright idea that Al and Pearl could take Shirley Jean home, which curtailed her visit to the farm. I don’t know how Shirley Jean’s parents intended to retrieve her, but Ina’s words indicate to me that it was not part of the original plan.

“Shirley Jean went back with Al and Pearl,” wrote Ina. “She wanted to go but when the time drew near hated badly to leave and cried and cried over it. Of course, she soon recovered her spirits on the road. Ernest and Ethel [Shirley Jean’s parents] met them at St. Mary’s Lake Camp at the eastern side of the Park. They spent one day together at Babb.” [Pearl and Ethel were sisters.] KW