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| Pearl & Albert Sanders with Stanley, 1920s |
As Stanley, Pearl and Al’s son, grew older, his behavior became a
challenge – at least, in Ina's eyes. Pearl’s lack of control was the talk
of the family. But beyond that, Stan contracted osteomyelitis (at one time called
tuberculosis of the bone). His condition deteriorated throughout his life and
he became really quite crippled. It was heartbreaking.
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| Albert Sanders and Stanley (l.) |
In July 1933, Pearl and Al visited at Orofino and Gilbert. Pearl was 40, and Al 44. Before the trip, she had been ill, and Ina observed that Al was thin and needed rest. It was tough times on that Alberta farm, and in her letters to my dad, Ina tells about it.
“Pearl is the same old Pearl. It was like she’d just been gone a few months. She was quieter or seemed so this time, and Stan’s behavior has improved though there is still room for lots more. He gets around with only a cane now, but his hips and back are not strong.”
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| Pearl & Ethel, Stan & Shirley Jean, '31 |
Ina continues: “Pearl says she looks for the bank to close them out any time, but it won’t as long as they will stay and dig up for it on the farm, but they can never pay out, and Al is getting fed up on long cold winters and the political game. He does so much for his constituents that he never gets any peace or rest. Pearl is interested in the government work and has a good head for such things, but she’d be glad to let go up there.
“We had a good crop of strawberries, and Al and Pearl surely enjoyed them, both eating and picking them.”
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| Al Sanders & Stanley; Junius & Julian Dobson -- c. 1933* |
A year later, September 1934, Ina wrote: “Got a letter from Pearl yesterday. They lost most of their good crop by hail but will have feed for stock and maybe chicken feed. She said the root vegetables were not damaged though potatoes have been hailed twice and frozen twice. Wouldn’t you just love to live there! Pearl’s health is poor and the letter very depressing.”
December, 1934: “Pearl said she couldn’t send presents. Nothing to sell though they have vegetables, fruit, beef and pork and of course plenty of milk, butter, so they’ll do. Stan seems to be learning to play his guitar and sings some at programs. Pearl taught him that old folk song, ‘The Fox,’ and he sang it and got an encore. (You can listen to Peter, Paul, and Mary’s rendition here.) KW
[I can't identify all the men in the photo. It was taken on the front steps of the farmhouse, probably in 1933. Note the cane in Stan's right hand. And the dog is Dick.]
Al looks so tall in all the photos. Maybe because the rest are not? Or was he just very tall. In the one photo with what appears to be water in the background, it looks like Stanley has a built up shoe. So sad that he had such a debilitating condition. Did he marry as an adult?
ReplyDeleteI don't recall how tall Uncle Al was. Photos can be deceptive, but he appears very tall -- and he was -- next to all the others, who are standing on steps. The Dobson twins were small men.
ReplyDeleteStanley would have been tall, too, had he been strong.
I agree that Stan's shoe appears built up in that photo with Al, which is dated 1930. It doesn't seem so obvious in the photo on the steps. I was thinking he became ill in the early '30s, but it must have been before that. Yes, Stan grew up and married, but they did not have children. Sadly, his life was further impacted by alcoholism. He died in Clarkston in 1996.
Beat me to it--I was also going to comment on Al's height. Really too bad about that condition. Sounds like it's caused from an infection in the body that goes into the bloodstream and then the bones. Something like that, anyway.
ReplyDeleteIronically, one of Aunt Muriel's sons had the same thing. (Aunt Muriel was Al's sister, so the boys were cousins.)
ReplyDeleteThat IS unusual. Perhaps there was some sort of genetic pre-disposition that made the boys susceptible. Really sad--I guess it's treatable nowadays.
ReplyDelete