ST. PATRICK'S DAY, 1913

Best wishes for St. Patrick's Day! 

Albert Sanders, 1916

Albert Sanders sent this St. Patrick's Day postcard to Irl Dobson in 1916. He undoubtedly purchased the card in Hanna, Alberta. Al's address was Stettler, Alberta.

Al writes: "I guess it is about time I was sending you a card. I have been rather busy since I came home. How are you getting along in school? Have you started to play baseball yet?"

In October 1916, Al would return to Gilbert to marry Aunt Pearl.

This picture was taken March 17, 1913. Myrtle Dobson (Aunt Lynn) is on the left; Pearl Dobson is on the right. I don’t know the young woman in the middle. I suppose they are dressed in green.

My shirt-tail cousin Leah shared legal documents regarding Aunt Pearl, showing that she used "Eva Pearl" as her legal name. I thought she might have been taller than the stated 5 foot 4 inches, but that's still taller than her sisters. 

Myrtle & Pearl Dobson, c. 1912

Pearl & Myrtle Dobson, c. 1912

 

 

 

YOUNG PEARL DOBSON

Of Aunt Pearl’s birth, my grandmother wrote: “Pearl was born on the Pete Olson place [near Troy, Idaho] at midnight of Nov. 3 & 4, 1892. Two neighbor women were there to help me through, and Ma also was there. Ma named her ‘Pearl’ and I named her ‘Eva’ after my classmate, Eva Joseph.” Until I read this, I was not aware that Pearl was also named “Eva.” The family always called her “Pearl,” but now I see her name written as both “Pearl Eva” and “Eva Pearl.” It seems that Ina yielded to her mother’s wish to name her baby “Pearl.”  

The Dobson families – Jack and Ina / June and Bertha – took homesteads on Russell Ridge above the Clearwater River in November 1895, moving the women and children there from the “Potlatch River Country” near Troy in July 1896. Pearl was 3 ½. Her little sister Myrtle was two and little brother Irl was just two months. The route to the top of Russell Ridge in those days was up the steep grade out of the village of Peck, and at the steepest pitch, they all had to get out of the wagon and walk, except Pearl. She was sick, so she got to stay in the wagon. At any rate, Pearl was very young when they began their new life on the farm at Gilbert.

I don’t know much about Pearl’s girlhood. About 1912, the family began to take more pictures. Ina and all of her children, including Pearl, were interested in photography. But by 1912, Pearl was already a young lady in her 20^th year. I’m sure she finished 8^th grade at the Dickson School, but whether or not she attended high school, I don’t know.

The Dobsons tend to be small-boned, short people, but I can tell from pictures that Pearl was taller and more robust than her siblings. It isn’t that she was really tall – just tall for one of us. As time went on in adulthood, she put on weight. I know this problem firsthand, but it appears that Pearl didn’t fight it. Neighbor Pete, whose father was a contemporary of Pearl’s, said that though she was heavy-set, she was the most agile of them all and up for adventure. She loved to fish in Little Canyon Creek. It’s downhill from our farm to get there but a real climb to get back to the top, so she was evidently in shape in her younger years.

And I should mention that her hair was a enviable shade of light red-blonde. I happen to have a lock of it in my collection. And it appears she also had a lovely complexion. KW

CHECKING ON THE FARM

 On this lovely springlike day (Sunday, March 14), Mike and I headed to the farm as soon as we had breakfasted. It felt good to get out just for the fun of it, and we weren’t the only ones. It was great to see people recreating once again.

As we gained elevation on the Gilbert Grade, we saw more snow. The roads were clear except for the last mile, but even there, the snow is disappearing. Our lane is still snowy, but the Jeep had no trouble until we left, and then on the steep pitch below Plank’s driveway we had to use 4-wheel drive. The main Pitch gets a lot of sun, so it was clear.

We arrived at the farm about 10:00 and set to work checking on the house and grounds. We found no mice in traps – not a one – and no mouse activity in the under-stairs closet. However, the outside rodent situation is out of hand. There are rodent trails all over the yard, and the worst of it appears to be on the bank behind the house. I spent most of my time finding and feeding the holes. I was most upset to discover a large hole under the pear tree. I hope it’s not a death knell for the tree because I’m pretty sure it’s living on borrowed time now. I’m also not sure that the rhubarb plant on the bank can overcome the underground city. We’ll see. (It wasn’t too happy on that bank anyway.)

Mike wanted to shoot targets, and that’s one of Bess’ all-time favorite activities. Once he got the thrower out of the shed, she was impatient for the action to begin.

We left a few things in the house, and we picked up a few things to bring back to town. This year Mike discovered that pinecones make excellent fire starters, and I picked up a crateful for use in the town stove. I selected a few books and pulled a couple of fabrics from my stash.

We will have a lot of work to do to make the house livable again, but we didn’t worry about it today. We were back in town around 1:30, and after a brief rest, Mike washed the Jeep. KW

Pearl Dobson Sanders #1

The Julian and Ina Dobson Family, c. 1912

I enjoy reviewing my dad’s family in a way that I wouldn’t be comfortable talking about others. To me, they are just wonderful characters who came out of an age that fades from collective memory. I consider it a privilege to have memories of them, but they come to life in my imagination because life at the farm constantly reminds me of them.

I’ve already told about my dad’s sister Myrtle Dobson (Aunt Lynn) and his brother Earle. Now I’ll tell you about Pearl, the eldest of Jack and Ina’s children. (Obviously, I’m not taking them in order.) Of my dad’s five siblings, I know the least about her. She died when I was three, so I barely remember her.

But I DO remember her. I met her just once, but that meeting so impressed my young mind that I remember it. We went to Seattle to see her. She had a heart condition and was an invalid at that time and mostly bedridden. She came out of the bedroom for supper, walking unsteadily with her husband, Uncle Al, supporting her on one side and the wall on the other. She said, “Hello, Kathy!” And I wondered how she knew I was Kathy. She died November 2, 1952, just a day before her 60^th birthday.

So, in the next few posts, I’ll talk about my Aunt Pearl. And by the way, if any reading here feel that this is just Dobson genealogy, be aware that Aunt Pearl also appears on my mother’s family tree (Sanders/ Portfors) because her husband, Albert Sanders, was Mother’s uncle. KW

[Photo -- Back row: Ethel (14), Myrtle (18), Earle (16), Pearl (20); in front: Julian (Jack) and Ina, Shirley (2), and Vance (8). The ages are approximate, not that it matters.]

 

SPRING ON THE HORIZON

Last week was one of beautiful springlike days, albeit cold mornings. Our thoughts turned to yard clean-up and planning the garden on the farm. 

 

The kid rides again!

On a beautiful Wednesday afternoon (March 3) Mike and a friend made a circuitous loop from the valley to Moscow and back, the first motorcycle road trip of the year. It’s a different world in the upper country, where snow still lingers -- at least on that day.

On a sunny day, Bess naps outside on her rug. Then she comes in to get a drink, even though she has water in her kennel, and goes right back out. The in-and-out drill seems never-ending, but what do I care when my goal is 250 steps per hour?

I spied a crocus blooming in the yard today and the daffodils will bloom soon. But there’s a lot of dead vegetation out there that needs to be cleaned out. We started yesterday by pulling out a couple of sages.

We’re now lighting a fire in the little stove in the mornings to take the chill off the house. It’s tough to start a fire in the evening now that it's warmer. (The little stove doesn't draw well unless it's cold outside.)

And now, as we segue into spring, let me remind you that next Sunday, March 14, is our return to DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME. You might want to think about it from time to time during the week so that it’s not entirely a shock to your system when it happens. KW

SLUMGULLION HASH

When I lived in Boston – 50 years ago now – I shared an apartment with a dear friend, Marcia. We took turns cooking meals, and her signature dish was “slumgullion hash” – ground beef and spaghetti smothered in ketchup. We also had tacos frequently, but no salsa for us! Marcia taught me to use ketchup.

Marcia seemed straightlaced, prim and proper, so it seemed totally out of character that no matter how fancy the restaurant, she would ask for ketchup. She put ketchup on everything. And while I certainly wouldn’t do that, I did like the slumgullion hash and ketchup tacos.

In 2000, Marcia came to see me, and we reminisced about those years in Boston as if they were yesterday. “I’m not much of a cook,” Marcia said. “Anything good, you made.” Who knew?? (Certainly not my mother, who always felt that she had failed to teach me to cook.)

“Ah! But you made slumgullion hash,” I said. KW