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Show 10 Vernal Express Wednesday. May 8, 1996 o Cemttemiminal Commiee pays ftiriilbulie tio ihose over 90 by Vicki Feldt Staff Writer V H- f 1 1 ; f I f iff ;f f "There was not money to buy goodies. We learned to be resourceful. resource-ful. To manufacture chewing gum, the milk was squeezed from milk weeds and cooked until it was a thick and stringy substance, then chewed until the bitter milkweed taste was gone, then it wasn't bad chewing. The first real gum I ever saw was in cubes and was called 'New York Stretcher.' It was pink but had no flavor. Whenever we had the chance, we made good use of it, parking it on the bedpost at night, or under the table by our place during meals, and was chewed for days." Going to school in the early 1900s was an adventure in itself in those days. Children watched the signs of each new season, rain storm and snow storm. Estel Wooley from Meeker, Colo., moved to the Uintah Care Center in 1993. She offered her account ac-count of life in the Meeker area. She was born in Meeker, Colo., July 21, 1905. According to her journals, she spent her childhood on her family's ranch south of Meeker. She attended school in Meeker and rode horseback two miles to and from town everyday, starting at age 6. In winter, when Estel reached the Livery Stable someone had to help her off her horse because she was so bundled up she couldn't dismount. dis-mount. After school, someone would set her back up on her horse so that she could return home. Nola Burton, was born July 9, 1903 in Ashley Ward where Burton Lake was located. According to her daughter Merlene, Nola grew up cooking and helping out at the Burton Lake festivities and rodeo, known then as a 'contest.' The lake was forced to close down and Nola's parents later moved to Vernal. They bought a four room, log home at 1 South and 3 West on the south side of the road. She finished fin-ished the ninth through twelfth grades at the Uintah Academy. This was the last year in which the church owned the school. The county took over the school the following fol-lowing year and changed the name to Uintah High School. Dating and planning a wedding took a lot of effort. Readily packaged pack-aged meat was unheard of and meat for the wedding dinner usually had to be raised in advance of the grand occasion. Books analyzing the behavior of men and women weren't readily available yet, so there was less help in determining the behavior of a probable spouse. Leila Osea McCoy Prcece McNaughton was born June 21, 1898 in Alabama. She "grew up with many brothers and sisters in a home that wasn't large enough for the eleven members of our family, but we managed somehow and we all got along very well." She later met a young missionary name Karl Prcece, and when she turned 22, he asked her to come to Vernal so ihcy could marry. She recalls her arrival in Vernal in her journal and wriics. "It was a very hot day in July, 1920, and I had taken the train to Watson, which was as close to Vernal as I could get by train. From Watson, I took the overland Mage for a dusty trip to Vernal. Karl and I had arranged to meet each other in the center of town, and when the stage pulled into town. I saw him standing stand-ing by the Mage depot with another man whom I later found out to be hi1 younger brother Erland Prcece. When the Mage finally Mopped. I expected Karl would come to the M.igc and help me dismount. I low ever, he juM Mood there and although al-though he saw me, he made no effort ef-fort to acknowledge or help me in any way. This so disturbed me, I ordered or-dered the Mage driver id lake me to the nearest hotel. A the Mage rolled don the Mrcct, Karl came running after it and caught up with It where he gracefully helped me W get out. I concluded that Karl a probably a little shy upon seeing this southern belle decked out in fancy hat and suit arrive in thi duMy little weM-ern weM-ern lmn of Vernal. Utah. I Mayed at hi home where he lived with hi family until we were married a few day after my arrival in Vernal" Cher 27 resident who ranged in age XJ to inn yean, attended a luncheon in their honor Saturday. May 4 at the Golden Age Center. Arden Stewart, along with I ' A I I I 1 - : I all . U$' V M n dp A v&. Fred Weeks greets Mary Bolton Johnstun who turned 100 years old in January. Mrs Johnstun and Mr. Weeks are first cousins. r . v. IH Centennial Queen Angela Williams and First Attendant Kendra Ruth Walton welcomed the honorees and their families. A dinner of turkey, dressing and all the trimmings was served prior to the awards. John Smith was the dinner speaker speak-er and told of his appreciation for their efforts and for their pioneering parents. Arden Stewart then read a brief history of each person to be awarded, as the Centennial Queen and her Attendant presented each person over the age of 90 with a certificate and a looseleaf book with their stories of growing up or travels trav-els through the Uintah Basin and elsewhere. Hearing their stories brought a sense of recognition to many who attended and grew up, during the early 1900s. The Basin was a farming farm-ing and ranching community where everyone worked hard and adventure adven-ture awaited around every corner. Alice Wall, born in Vernal, July 17, 1901, wrote in a journal of her life abou the second flood she experienced expe-rienced in the Basin. "Dad had leased a place for the hay that he could put up, so my brother, sister and myself had gone to help him with the hay. We had the hay all ready to haul, but during the night my brother Edgar woke and asked if we knew there was water in the house where we were staying. I heard him and told him to go back to sleep, that he was dreaming, but he insisted there was water. He said he put his foot out of bed and put it in water. When Dad heard him say water was on the floor, he jumped up and went to the door. He could see the water was coming in from the creek and from the canal also. "So he and Edgar got the lantern lit, hurried and put everything that was dry on the table and then carried car-ried us girls out to dry land. All of my clothes were wet so I had to wrap up in a blanket. They carried the dry bedding out and made a bed on the ground. Afton and I went back to bed. By this time it was almost al-most daylight so Dad and Edgar built a fire to get dry by. "Edgar fished my dress out of the water and hung it up to dry by the fire and burnt the sleeves out of it so I had to go home without any sleeves." A new dress wasn't easy to come by in those days. People worked long hours for little pay. Entertainment wasn't available at the touch of a switch and children had 10 rely upon their own creativity creativi-ty for some fun. Marie Hall Atwood tells in her journal of being born June 5, 1902 in a dirt roofed, dirt floor log cabin on the banks of Ashley Creek in Dry Fork Canyon where her grandparents grand-parents had pioneered and settled in 1878. She continue to tell of her and her sister LaMar's creative endeavor endeav-or to have a good time. "Tumblcwecd were plentiful and Mackcd very well to make high wall for a play houe, or would perch on the end of a Mick a an umbrella to shade from the sun. or to mimic high fashion. Some of the bcM dirt for making mud pics wa found right in our own dooryatd, When mhed to the tight consistency, consisten-cy, a daub about the mm of a walnut wal-nut Muck on the end of a three-foot Mick and flung against the side of the house would flatten out and Mick 10 the wall in a perfect round pie or chocolate looking candy. 'Modem convenience were still a iioti of the future. Neighbor de pended on the assistance of each other when times were rough. Jessie Virgil Robb, born Feb. 9, 1902, remembers re-members moving furniture in winter win-ter of 1921. "Ranger Albert Blood asked me to take his furniture and belongings back up to the Ranger Station on Dry Gulch. This would help him to be able to get up there earlier. I left Roosevelt with a team and sleigh and a load of furniture. I got within two miles of the station and the load tipped over in five feet of snow. I camped there for the night. The next morning Henry Loranger came by with a load of lumber from the saw mill. He helped me get reloaded and turned around. The road wasn't broke to the Ranger Station. Ranger Blood didn't get moved into the station until June 15." These stories and more were shared during the luncheon. Memories of times and friends gone by were honored in the silence, the tears, and the laughter shared at the Centennial dinner. Pearl Mathis, who lived to see the beginning of the Centennial Year before she passed away at 100 years of age, was remembered. Arden Stewart presented her family with a certificate certifi-cate and book. Two other ladies who are cele brating their 100th birthdays during the Centennial Year are Mary Bolton Johnstun and Bessie Williams. Mary McKowen Bolton Johnstun celebrated her 100th birthday on Jan. 15. She was born in Naples in a log cabin. She moved to Bennett when she was just 8 years old, and she walked and drove cattle on the way to their new home. First Attendant Kendra Walton presented Mrs. Johnstun with a certificate and a book. Bessie Williams was born May 31, 1896 at Paradise. She kept a diary di-ary and writes, "When I was just a baby, my mother was ironing my clothes and a gypsy came to the door and told her if she would give her the fancy petticoat she was ironing, iron-ing, that the baby would always have good luck. My mother was frightened of the gypsy, so she gave the petticoat to her." In a moment to remember, Centennial Queen Angela Williams, presented the certificate and book to her great-grandmother, "It was a real re-al honor for me to give my great-grandmother great-grandmother this special award" says Williams. "She was very moved by the expression of appreciation." "... s First attendant Kendra Walton presents certificate to Mary Bolton Johnstun who is celebrating being 100 years of age in 1996. ' '.--V7 Lela McNaughton contemplates her life in Utah during the Tri-County Tri-County luncheon for the Utah Centennial. Dancers celebrate spring at Todd Pow Wow 1 byVlckl Feldt Staff Writer Over 100 people turned out for a day of spectacular color, crafts and food at the yearly Pow Wow at Todd Elementary on May 3. Lynn Chcrvick, Pow Wow organizer, orga-nizer, says, "I used to teach at Rangcly and we would arrange our field trips to Ft. Duchesne. They didn't have much for us to do. I came to Todd Elementary the next year and said 'Let s do something Indian!' The students began to celebrate cele-brate the Indian culture and the Pow Wow has since taken over as a life of its own. This is the ninth year we've had it, and it just keeps getting get-ting better and better." Exhibitors gave demonstrations of their crafts during the morning hours. Joe Gondcck was a Mountain Man, and speakers came from the phosphorus plant. Kent Oviatt demonstrated wood carving and artwork, and the Chapter 1 teachers exhibited a quilt made for Mattie Myore. Wayne Gardner shared his flute magic, and Jcnice Allied made butter. but-ter. The children made candles with Nclda Bolton, and then spent their spare time petting the llamas at the petting station, while the smell of homemade fry bread and Indian lacos filled the school hall a several sev-eral ladies served authentic Indian food for lunch. Raphael Knipp called everyone to the circle and the dancer prepared for their performance. The costume cos-tume were designed with bright colors, feather, leather, jingle and extensive beadwotk. Alvin Longhair gave the prayer and the Red Spirit Singers sang a native song in honor of the flag. Red Spirit Singers beat out a rhythm on the large drum and began be-gan to sing as the dancers padded their way into the circle. The Boy Scouts posted the flags and the dancing officially was under way. . The ladies of Indian royalty were honored as they danced in a rainbow rain-bow of colors before the crowd. They are Lauri Patterson, Miss Uie Tribe; Kerry Cesspooch, Union High Queen; Waylcne Reed. Union High First Attendant; Faclcne Taveaponl, Union High Second Attendant; Rossic Longhair, Junior Miss Ute Tribe; and Natasha Compcach, Little Miss Ute Tribe. After several round dances, including in-cluding jingle dance and fancy shawl dances (he Red Spirit Singers changed their percussion instrument to an aluminum table and notched sticks to Imitate the sounds of a bear scratching the trees in early spring. Men and ladies picked new partners and took the center of the circle for the Bear Dance. The Bear Dance is a celebration cele-bration of spring and the renew al of life. Thi wa the first year it a performed at Todd Elementary, and adult and students alike danced the Bear Dance well into the afternoon. "The money we made from pop and candy sales will go to purchase nest year's art supplies." say Chcrvick. "It turned out well. We'll have to do something really big for our tenth Pow Wow " III ! i ! -; - j w .1 x at So Dancers pagt 11 jingle dancer catches the rhythm of the winds at the annual Pow Wow al Todd Elementary. 7 |