Show I a r r r ft kr tb a aw ERNEST AND BilLIE doing what they like to do best-admiring best the fossils of this area Exhibit Is one of many found I In n the Utah State Field House of Natural His His- tory Most of the exhibits In the museum are are attributed to lathe the hard work of these two outstanding paleontologists Billie Highlights Life History in Vernal Following her attendance at atthe atthe atthe the Little White School In Ashley her Ashley her first teacher was washer washer washer her aunt Sue Ruple Ruple- Billie went to Union Ward School for her third year Her teacher there was Stella Richards Rich Rich- ards The rest of the elementary elementary elemen elemen- tary tory years were spent at the Central School or studying at home at the Island Park ran ranch h hunder under her mothers mother's and fathers father's tutelage She attended attend attend- ed high school at the Willcox Academy and placed second in her graduating class Her lIer favorite sports were basketball horseback riding and target shooting Basketball Basketball Basketball Basket Basket- ball was often played by boys rules so the games were strenuous and exciting Her close friend Lois Martin McCoy frequently visited her herat herat herat at Island Park ranch and much time was spent playing cowboy and jumping on and falling off their horses and roping calves at branding time Target practice was a featured pastime when Ernest Jr visited the family BILLIES BILLIE'S sophomore year at high school was spent in Newcastle Wyoming where she lived with her aunt and uncle Mr and Mrs W. W J. J Hanna Manna and son Bill During her senior year she lived at atthe atthe atthe the Downey home In Vernal where she worked for her board and ard room and earned her books and tuition by doing janitorial work in the home economics department of the school The closing of this school year 1924 was also the permanent closing of the academy academy acad acad- emy and the Downey family left for southern states where they were to continue teach teach- ing During the summer of 1924 Ernest Jr whom Billie had known since his arrival in Vernal Vernal Ver Ver- nal nalin in 1920 returned to Island Park ranch from his work and studies in California for a visit and he and Bill Billu engaged That winter she entered entered entered en en- freshman college at the University of California at Berkeley taking geology as a major and paleontology as a minor In August 1925 she and Ernest Er nest were married In San Francisco Fran cisco Ernest was also a young geology and mining student and together they continued their studies in these scientific subjects They were particularly particularly particularly interested In future field fieldwork fieldwork work mapping and fossil huntIng hunt hunt- Ing tog Following her he graduation at atthe atthe atthe the university Billie was appointed appointed ap ap- pointed curator of the Geology Museum on the Berkeley Campus Campus Cam Cam- pus a position she held for a period of five years During this time she studied for her Masters Degree One of the special projects was a study and mapping of the Wildcat Fault a branch of the Hayward Fault in the Berkeley Hills IN 1936 1934 the couple joined Billies Billie's parents Hod and Lilly Ruple Rupie and sister Wanda at Island Park They hoped to begin begin be be- gin geologic mapping of the area at that time but death of her father changed the family family fam fam- ily plans pians and the moved to i Oregon where they purchased property near the town of Medford Here lIere they remained until 1943 at which time Daniel B B. B Beard superintendent of Dinosaur Dinosaur Dinosaur Dino Dino- National Monument learned learn learn- ed from BilUe's Billies mother that the were interested interest interest- ed in doing geological work in inthe inthe the the Uinta Mountain country AS A RESULT he offered Ernest Jr a ranger opening opening with the request that as time permitted the two l lb would map the geology of the b 11 Monuments Monument's square miles Park Service funds were not available for a geologic study as such so the Ranger subterfuge subterfuge subterfuge sub was used Billie was not on the payroll payroll pay pay- roll at this time but she site helped helped help help- ed Ernest with Ranger Naturalist Naturalist Naturalist alist duties Some days during the heat of summer as many manyas as a dozen groups of people per day were guided up thelong the thelong thelong long hill from the temporary museum at Bug Gulch to the Dinosaur Quarry The Unter Voter manns manna worked with the schools on many projects and were were also consulted when the Utah Field House idea was initiated ed IN 1944 Daniel B. B Beard entered en the Armed Services and Jesse H H. H Lombard was appointed appointed ap ap- ap pointed new superintendent Ernest remained as ranger forthe forthe for forthe the next two y years ars and he and Billie continued their mapping mapping map map- ping in their spare time They were always id by their old English sheep dog Nickle Nickie and the three had many exciting experiences together In 1946 was earmarked earmarked ear ear- marked for the construction of the Utah Field House of Natural Na Na- tural History in Vernal and Ernest Jr was asked by the local museum committee to take over the project as director director dir dir- ector and to work up floor plans for the new museum Many hurdles had to be clear ed before construction could begin Other state organizations it seems al also alto o wanted wante the AT TIMES the Field Hou House e project seemed almost a losing los los- ing battle But determination and won out in inthe inthe inthe the end The museum buildIng building build build- ing became a reality In July 1948 Billie meanwhile had gone gap back to Dinosaur National Monument from 1946 to 1948 as ranger naturalist and was one of the few women ranger naturalists In the National Park Service at that time Father Ernest Sr returned to Vernal In 1946 and for the next 10 years served served ser ser- ved as museum artist without without with with- out salary during which time he contributed well over paintings depicting scenery from the Uinta Mountain country country country coun coun- try and restorations of its fossil fossil fos fos- sil plant and animal life me GENERALLY he furnished his own art materials For his work in this area he became known as Artist of the Mr died in 1956 and his generous generous generous gen gen- erous help in the museum was greatly missed Billies Billie's mother had died in 1945 and with the Field House project now occupying most of their time she and Ernest sold their interest in Island Park ranch Her sister Wanda and family retained their share of the property Island Park is still a favorite spot with all the Ruple family AS SOON as the museum museum was completed Billie joined Ernest Jr and Sr at the Field FieldHouse FieldHouse FieldHouse House where she became staff scientist and they began the task of building a museum She and Ernest Jr Jr also served served ser ser- ved as curators The first event that took place in the new building was the meetings of the Upper Colorado River Basin Commission Commission Com Com- mission at which time the water of the Upper Colorado River System was divided among the Upper Basin States The were elated to have this historic notable event take place in the new museum muse building b FOR THE NEXT 21 years the devoted their time to the development of the mu museum eum with the aid of their staff At first there were four staff members including the tile cu custodian For many years there was no receptionist and andaU andall andall all aU served In n this capacity At present there are five Besides the their very fine assistants are Ivan Hall Thelda McKee receptionist receptionist re reo and Clark Goodrich custodian Hilda Morgan has for many years been an excellent excellent ex ex- night receptionist during during dur duro ing summer months All AU work in fine harmony as one big family Building Budding a museum meant creating and developing all phases of ot Natural History at atthe atthe atthe the same time time- geology mineralogy mineralogy mineralogy min min- paleontology fossils archaeology modern plant and animal life We and an many other related relate subjects In addition sizable study collections of rocks minerals and fossils were accumulated including also a large herbarium of pressed wild flowers and shrubs of the Uinta Mountain and Uintah Basin tara Sara Perry contributed a B beautiful collection collection tion of small wildflower paint paint- ings logs of mountain and desert areas and she also contributed ed largely the background painting for the SO foot 50 foot diorama diorama dior dior- ama of life zones DR J. J LeROY LROY Kay of Carnegie Carnegie Car Car- negie Museum furnished the molds for casting a 76 foot 76 foot Diplodocus Dippy hauled to Vernal by Grant Southam Southern Later a group of three dinosaurs dinosaurs dino dino- saurs was added created by bythe bythe bythe the famous sculptor Millard F. F Malin of Salt Lake City A Utah Room was made madea a central feature of the museum mus eum giving a cross section of the scenic and recreational features and resources of the State in order to attract tourists tourists tour tour- and encourage them to spend more time in Utah Through its information desk more than pieces of Utah literature are placed in the hands of Interested Inter travel travelers ers each year THE have been very active In school programs elementary to college college col col- lege level with students In Utah and those coming from front many other states They also gave many illustrated talks and enjoyed encouraging c young ng people in their scientific interests They were always glad giad to Identify student collections col of rocks and fossils This work with the schools covered a b period of 26 16 years and in 1967 they received an sn award for their service During their spare time they mapped the geology of Dinosaur National Monument and wrote a technical book entitled entitled en en- titled The Geology of Dinosaur Dinosaur Dinosaur Dino Dino- National Monument and Vicinity pubU published bed Ii In iq 1954 1034 Since that time they mapped the unmapped portions of Uin tab County and compiled c the geology of the whole county which was published In 1964 with colored map IN 1961 th the new colored colore 11 map of the geology of Dinosaur was also printed Both books were published by the Utah Geological ical Survey Dinosaur Nature Association and the Utah Field House of Natural His tory At present two popular booklets one on the geology of Dinosaur National Monument ment and the other entitled Dinosaur Land and the Unique Uni Vol que Uinta Country are awaiting awaiting await await- ing publication In 1955 Billie BlUIe wai wail honored outstanding woman an of County by the Jr Current Topics Topic Club PUlle Billie has also been active in the Uintah County Daughters Daughters Daugh Daugh- of Utah Pioneers Pioneer serving sery ing ins as Relic Rell Chairman since 1960 1000 and as co co- chairman chairman co-chairman with T Thelma elma Oaks on the Pioneer Museum building committee since 1961 96 ane and has enjoyed her association with this ma I tory seeking organization very much DURING TWO consecutive years 1965 and 1966 Ernest was nominated and was run per ner up as outstanding State employee The do not Intend intend In in- tend to let their retirement be the end of the their active life in their field They will al also o obe be volunteer workers at the museum as long as they live Uve |