Vivian Leigh Cox - Life Story

Other Cox Family Histories

Daughter of Jonathan Hiram Daniel Cox and Louisa Isabella Price.
Wife of Jedediah Gooing.

The Story of My Life

Vivian Leigh Cox Gooing

Second edition – 2003
edited by Jennifer Hunt Johnson

I was born November 26, 1896 (at home in the country) in Killen County, Alabama. My parents were Jonathan Hyrum [Hiram] Daniel Cox and Lutie Bell Price Cox (Louisa Isabelle).

My father was born January 3, 1866, at Killen, Lauderdale, Alabama. His father’s name was Martin VanBuren Cox, born in 1836 in North Carolina. His mother’s name was Mary Elizabeth Harrison Cox, born in 1845 in Alabama. My mother’s father’s name was John Henry Price, born in 1834 in Alabama. Her mother’s name was Mary Elizabeth Allington, born in 1837 in Alabama.

I was baptized January 15, 1907 at Kelsey, Upshur County, Texas and I went through the grade school at Kelsey, Texas.

I was the fifth child born to my parents. We left Alabama when I was a tiny baby. Being the fifth child, I was never lonely. When I was two years old, my father and mother were converted to the Latter-day Saint Church by the Mormon missionaries. Being so young, I can’t remember just how long.

My brother, Joseph Lorenzo Cox, was born the 9^th of May, 1899, at Dulaney, Texas. From there we moved to the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, where on May 9, 1901, my sister, Maggie Vaughn was born. I can remember living there and going to Sunday School at my grandmother’s home (my father’s mother’s home).

Back: Jonathan–35, Jessie–12, Evan–10, Lutie Bell–31
Front: Vaughan-4 months, Vivian-5, Estelle-8, Joseph-2

Photo taken about 1901

I remember going with my mother to an old Indian woman’s place. The main thing that I can remember about it is, this old lady put a live terrapin in the oven to cook and you could hear it walking around in the oven. Of course I thought that was terrible—which it was.

Some of the Church authorities—or missionaries—told us of a colony of saints in East Texas where they seemed to think we should go. The place was Kelsey, Upshur County, Texas.

We left the Choctaw Nation in the fall of 1902 in November. I remember that I was six years old while we were on our way by covered wagon. Another family traveled with us. Their name was Bodine. They had four boys, so we kids really enjoyed the long trip.

Kelsey

We were welcomed at Kelsey by a distant aunt and her seven or eight children. My father soon built us a log house where we lived for a year or more. He built two more houses that we lived in. Then, in 1906, a tornado came and wrecked our house. So, this time my father hired a good carpenter to build us a nice big house with seven rooms and two or three porches. My father owned a sawmill, so we could afford to build a nice home.

We lived in Kelsey for ten years, and when my mother told me that Dad had sold out and that we were going to Lovell, Wyoming, I cried and cried. I hated so much to leave my friends, especially one—Ethel Burnett. We had been very close friends since I was seven or eight years old.

My father, mother, sister Vaughn, and three brothers (Marion, Orlan, and Weldon) left in April 1912 for Lovell, Wyoming—leaving me behind with my oldest sister to go with them later to Wyoming.

Jed

To go back a ways—to 1910—Jed Gooing entered into my life. Jed’s brother, Troy Gooing, married my sister Estelle in January 1910. Then, several months later, Jed and I started keeping company, or going together. I was only 14 years old, but I ran around with the older girls, so I guess I felt older, too.

Shortly after my folks had gone to Wyoming, my sister Estelle began to have appendicitis attacks. She got worse with each attack until it was necessary to be operated on. But the doctors, not knowing much about appendicitis at that time and place, let her die on May 18, 1912, leaving a 17-month old baby girl, Ruby Lacolian Gooing.

My older sister Jessie and husband Lemuel Edgar and family, my older brother Evan H. Cox and family, myself, and Estelle’s little girl Ruby, all left for Wyoming the first day of July, 1912, by train. We arrived at Lovell, Wyoming on the fourth of July. Our parents, sisters and brothers were very happy to see us, but grieved that my sister Estelle could not be with us.

Courtship and Marriage

The winter of 1912 was a highlight in my life. Jed came up from Kansas that fall. Troy was also there. We went to lots of parties, and we played cards here and there a lot. We had more fun! Then, in 1913, the Threet Brothers contracted some work near Billings, Montana, so all of my folks and Jed and Troy went to Billings to work. We lived in tents on the job, so while we were camped, or living by the Yellowstone River near Billings, my youngest sister, Edith Montana, was born. Then a few days after she was born, on July 18, 1913, Jed and I walked into Billings and were married by the Justice of the Peace. Shortly after we were married, we went to Mussleshell, Montana where Jed worked at a brickyard. When this job was finished we went back to Billings where, in the fall of 1913, he went to work in the sugar factory—and again in the fall of 1914.

Jed and Vivian, wedding photo

Then, when that second sugar campaign was over, we decided we’d go to St. John, Kansas to visit Jed’s mother, sister, and two brothers. We lived there for more than a year. While at St. John, our first child was born. Yes, on the 14^th of December, 1915, a baby boy came to brighten our lives. We named him Roy Elwyn. During this time, Jed’s father had gone to Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Bartlesville

He (Pleasant Thomas Gooing) wrote and asked us to come to Bartlesville as there was more work there and he thought Jed could get a good job. So, when Roy was three or four months old, we packed up our meager belongings and left St. Johns, Kansas and went to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. We weren’t there very long until Jed got a good job at the zinc smelters. I believe it was April 1916 when we moved. We bought our home from Jed’s father. We lived there for a few years. On the 11^th day of November 1917, we were blessed by the birth of our first baby girl. We named her Lois Nadine. This made us very happy—having a boy and a girl. When she was two months old, I had the mumps. I was really sick. Earlier, when Roy was 11 months old, I had the small pox. I got the smallpox from Jed, who got them from his father. Roy also got them from me. We had good neighbors, and the lady, Amy Taylor, just loved to care for Roy and Nadine anytime.

Trip to Buffalo, Missouri

When Nadine was 10 months old I took her and Roy and went by train to visit my mother and father, three brothers, and youngest sister Edith—on a farm near Buffalo, Missouri. Then, the next morning we traveled 40 miles by Jitney Buss (car). My father met us at Buffalo and took us to their home in a wagon. My sister Vaughn Schwartz lived near them, so we visited her also. We had a wonderful visit for about two months, I believe. Jed was still working at the smelter.

On the 18^th of November 1919, our second baby boy was born. We named him Glenn Arden. During this time my brother in Wyoming had been wanting us to come to Wyoming to live. So, when our baby Glenn was two months old, we packed up again and traveled by train to Deaver, Wyoming. My brother had homesteaded a place there. We weren’t there long before we took up a homestead. We stayed there about a year—then we traded our homestead for a home in Lovell, Wyoming—and while there—on the 9^th of September, 1921—our third baby boy was born. We named him James LaVern. Jed worked for Threet Brothers again—and had to be away from home so much—we decided we would go to Salt Lake City, Utah where he thought he could get work.

Move to Salt Lake City

Jed went ahead of us—so, after he left, I took the four children and went to Deaver to visit with my brother and family (Evan and Annie) for a while. Then, when Jed wrote for us to come to Salt Lake City, we left from Deaver. I had written to him telling when we were leaving, so he could meet us at the depot. But when we got there, he wasn’t there to meet us. He hadn’t been to the Post Office to get the mail. My distant aunt lived there, so I looked up her address n the city directory and took a taxicab out to her home. Then, the next night my cousin Olive and I went to the depot to see if he would be there—and sure enough he came in. We had Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt’s and stayed there until we could find a house to rent and buy some furniture so we could move to ourselves. We had lived at 252 N. 7^th West almost a year when, on the 6^th of October 1923, our fourth baby boy was born. We named him Jack Willis. Then, four months later on February the 3^rd, 1924, we lost our second boy, Glenn Arden. He died from after effects of measles.

Shortly after this misfortune, I took the inflammatory rheumatism and was in the hospital three or four weeks. Jed’s father was with us at this time, so he cared for the children while Jed worked. After I was in the hospital a while, Jed brought Jack to stay with me—of course, he stayed in the nursery except when they brought him to get his dinner.

St. George and Las Vegas

After I had been home from the hospital for a while recuperating, Jed’s father thought it would be good for me to get away from there. So, he bought a team of horses and a wagon and fixed a good bed in the covered wagon for Jed and me and also the little ones, and we started out for St. George, Utah. We had a good trip, but got quite thirsty between water places at one time. We stopped at Cedar City for a while and went on a road job up in the mountains. From there we went on to St. George. We didn’t stay there very long as there wasn’t much work round there.

From there we went to Las Vegas, Nevada. We camped at the edge of town for a while. Then, Jed got a job in the railroad yards. We bought a lot and built a frame to put our big tent over. We intended to build there. While we were there in the tent house, Roy became very sick. We called the doctor and he said he had the flu. He almost died, I’m sure. I took care of him alone at night while Jed was working. He slowly improved until he got well.

On to Oregon

We stayed here only a few months when another couple joined us and we decided to go to Oregon. (In the meantime and before we bought the lot, Jed’s father took the wagon and team and left for Oklahoma). We bought an old touring car for our trip west. George and Eva were the couple who joined us. We were really crowded in the car with about all of our belongings, four grownups, and four children. Eva and I each had to hold one of the little ones in order to have sitting room. We had lots of fun on our journey. We made a big long or wide bed on the ground and all slept on it right out under the stars. One night we were late getting into town, on account of a lot of rough road that was under construction. I believe it was raining so we stopped the car under the shed of a filling station and we all sat there and tried to sleep the remainder of the night. That was a long old night to all of us, and especially to the ones holding the little ones.

We finally got to Pendleton, Oregon where we camped for a few days. We were thinking of going to Portland, but Jed and George got a job east of Pendleton where they were going to widen the road in the Blue Mountains. Jed went to work there in May, I believe, and worked until it was getting along toward September and school time for Roy and Nadine.

While we were camped near the highway, we had lunch ready when Jed came in from work. He remarked that he’d been walking home with a man who said he’d never die, and that he had seen kings crowned and dethroned. Jed asked him to come eat with us, but he said he had eaten back at camp. When he told us about him, naturally we looked to see him, but he was nowhere to be seen. It was open country and he couldn’t have hidden—so he just vanished. We stayed there a while longer and Eva and George left us.

Colorado and Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico

When it was time for us to go so place for school, another man by name of George wanted to go with us. So, for some reason or other, we decided to go to Denver, Colorado. We had a nice trop with no mishaps except a flat tire now and then. We rented an apartment and got the kids ready for school. Then Jed and George went out to look for work. Their first job was in the sugar factory at Brush, Colorado. The kids and I were still in Denver. It was while we were in Denver that I went to the New York Dental Company and had my teeth made in December 1925. Jed came home for a day or so and told me we could get packed and go by train to Quinton, Oklahoma where my parents lived, and that he would come later when he got through with his job. Roy, Nadine, James, Jack and I left Denver headed for Quinton just before Christmas. I believe we got there on Christmas Eve. Anyway, my folks were very happy to see us. It had been several years since we had seen them. They had never seen James or Jack.

We stayed with my folks until Jed came. Then we soon found a place to move to and it wasn’t too long until Jed went to work at the zinc smelter at Quinton. Then, on April 19^th, 1926, our second baby girl was born. We named her Billie Evelyn. She was a fine, big, 12-pound baby. We lived at Quinton about two and a half years. Jed’s father lived with us for a while in Quinton. When we left there, we went to Clinton, Oklahoma in the western part. We met my folks there and we all picked cotton around that part of the state. While we were on this cotton-picking spree we met with my sister Jessie’s family. This was in West Texas—and after working around there a while, we all (my father, mother, and my sister Edith; three brothers, Marion and Weldon and their families, and Orlan unmarried—Marion and Opal had one child, a boy Walter Eugene Cox—Weldon was married just a short time before we left there—then Jessie, Lemuel and their family) the whole caboodle of us left Texas and went to Gallup, New Mexico.

                            
Jonathan Hyrum Daniel Cox – 77     Louisa Isabelle Price Cox - 74

We went up into the timberland about 24 miles from Gallup. The men folk worked at a sawmill for a while. Jed, Roy and Orlan and Weldon made some railroad ties. While there we filed on a homestead, but we didn’t stay with it. From Gallup, we went to Manassa, Colorado—again the whole crew of us went together. We had a jolly trip. On the way, where we stopped to get gas, the man told us to take a shorter cut, which was over Wolf Crick Pass, and it was a booger! We wished many times that we’d have taken the longer route. But we finally made it and it was a beautiful route. We didn’t meet many cars, which was good ‘cause in many places if we had, we couldn’t have passed. It was rugged. We found snow up on the mountain pass on the fourth day of July. While at Manassa we picked peas. I didn’t, but the rest of the crew did. Manassa was and is a Mormon town. We soon went to Rocky Ford, Colorado. Jed worked at the sugar factory there.

Arizona

In the spring, Jed and the kids chopped cotton for a while in the Gila Valley of Arizona. We camped at the camping place near a filling station between Safford and Thatcher. The kids went to school for a while at Thatcher. While there we learned that some of our old Texas friends lived on a farm not far away, so one day we went over to visit them. Their names were John Denton ad his wife Pearl Hawkins Denton. They had two or three children, or more maybe. They had a very poor place to live but it was nice and clean. One day, while I was sitting out by our tent, a lady who has passed by several times before just happened to stop and talk with me and, lo and behold, I had known her and her folks when we lived in East Texas. I knew her folks better than I did her, as her eldest brother had gone with my eldest sister back in Texas. Her brothers Frank and Lawson lived near there, too, and I saw Lawson one day at the camp. It was very warm in Arizona. We were thinking of going to Phoenix, but we met an elderly couple who said it was so hot there that the flies all died, so we decided it would be too hot for us there.

Back to Colorado

In July, I believe, we decided to go back to Colorado. We had quite a trip back with some pretty bad hills to climb with a four-wheel trailer pulling back on the old car. I was seven months pregnant. I got out of the car to help push it up a hill and I slipped and fell down and I thought sure the trailer was going to run over me, buy it missed me for some cause or other. Then, another time, Jim was helping push and fell down and the wheel of the trailer ran over his leg, I believe. I was only 34 years old then, or just about 34. Anyway, to make a long story short, we went to Rocky Ford again and pitched our big tent in a camping lot. Jed and the kids weeded onions and then picked green beans for a while. Then, from there we moved over to Swink, about seven miles from Rocky Ford, where on September 17^th, 1930, Beverly was born. She was a darling 9-pound baby. Jed worked at the sugar factory that fall and winter. We had a terrible blizzard one night and day. A man froze to death not far from the factory. The kids were at school one day when a snow blizzard came and they almost didn’t make it home. Jim was the youngest in school, so he got out early before it was quite so bad. He made it home but when I saw him coming across the yard he had his eyes closed and was really grinning. When Dean got home her legs up above her knees were just about frozen. My sister-in-law, Frances, was there and she rubbed and rubbed Nadine’s legs. They ached but were all right after a while. You know, all or a lot of the things I’m telling you about were terrible at the time. But now that it’s all past and 35 years back, it seems kind of funny.

Trouble on the Way to Idaho

We didn’t stay at Swink very much longer. As soon as Jed got through working at the factory, we began thinking of going to Idaho. Jed’s father was living with Jed’s brother, Troy, on a farm near Parma. He had written to us telling us what a wonderful place it was to live and how easy it was to make a living as they grew all kinds of vegetables and fruits. He sent us twenty dollars so I guess he thought we might need a little extra on the way. Beverly was four months old when we left Swink in January. How foolish we were to start out in January, but we did, pulling a four-wheel trailer again with all our belongings on it. We spent our first night in a hotel in Leadville at 10,000 feet elevation not far from there. The next day we went over the Tennessee Pass. The second night we stayed at Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It was a beautiful place right in the canyon.

I think it was the morning we left there that we were going on a snowy and slick mountain road downhill when we came to a curve. When Jed tried to make it, the trailer began skidding toward the rock railing. He couldn’t put the brake on to stop it so he just turned the car into the other side of the road against the embankment or wall on the mountain. The trailer hit the rock railing, which caused our mattress, iron bedstead, and rails to be thrown off and they landed so far down below and by the railroad track, that the mattress looked like a pillow. A salesman came along while the car and trailer were jack-knifed there. Of course, he couldn’t get by, so he had to help us get straightened out—as bad as he hated to. Then Jed and Roy climbed down the hill and carried the bedding back up, but just left the bedstead and rails down by the track. I was almost scared to death, so, naturally, from then on I was nervous as could be. We had a snow floor all the way and lots of it was slippery. I surely think we were helped by a higher power than ours to get there safely.

Apple Valley (Parma), Idaho

We arrived at Troy’s in Apple Valley, near Parma, Idaho, the 28^th day of January. I knew then we’d never make another long trip in the dead of winter.

We lived with Troy for a while. Then we found a vacant house and we moved out. We lived at Parma, or Apple Valley, better than two years. While in Apple Valley, our youngest child and daughter, Donna Lee, was born, July 1^st, 1932. But, before that, on February 3^rd, 1932, Jed’s father passed away. He was living with Troy, Jed’s brother. While Donna was a little baby, Jed’s mother and brother Mack came from Wichita, Kansas to visit Troy and us. We enjoyed them very much. We stayed there until April 1933 when Jed decided we should go to Twin Falls, Idaho, as there was more work there and he could work in the sugar factory. But to go back a ways, when Beverly was 10 months old, my brother Marion, his wife Opal, and their two children came to us at Parma from Powell, Wyoming. At about the same time but sooner, my brother Weldon and his wife Frances came. Then, in the fall, my parents and brother Orland and sister Edith came from Powell, Wyoming. All of them stayed at Parma until my father and mother both died. My father died October 10, 1945 and mother died June 19, 1948. My sister Edith died July 8, 1939 from tick or spotted fever, leaving two little girls, Joyce and Carol Ann Dice—also her husband Howard Dice. Joyce joined the LDS Church when her oldest son was quite young. She has two boys and one girl. She has been working with genealogy every since she has been a member of our church and she is very good at it. Her husband’s name is Bruce Owen.

Twin Falls to Parma, Idaho

Again, to go back a ways, we lived in Twin Falls, Idaho near six years. We bought a home while there. Then we heard about the new sugar factory in Nyssa, Oregon, just across the river from Apple Valley. They were going to process their first crop of beets that fall of 1938. So Jed and Roy sent their applications in to the factory. Soon they got cards telling them when to come to work. So Roy, Jed, and Nadine came on over. Nadine came along to cook for them. They stayed at Jed’s brother Troy’s so she had three to cook for. Then in January of 1939, Jed traded our place in Twin Falls for a place in Apple Valley between Parma, Idaho and Nyssa, Oregon. Troy brought his pick-up over to Twin Falls and he and Him and Hack loaded up all they could get in it and brought it over to Apple Valley. The three younger girls and I came over on the bus. We stopped at Boise and stayed over night with my sister Vaughn Schwartz and family. In the morning, Paul (my brother-in-law) took us to the bus depot, so we boarded the bus that brought us to Parma and our new home where we have lived ever since. This was January 16^th, 1939 when we arrived at our new home. It consisted of 15 acres of land, a house of six rooms, a barn, chicken house, granary and a shop building—not too good. We soon got some cows. Troy had a team of horses and he moved in with us so he was the head farmer while Jed was working at the factory where he worked for five campaigns. During these five years, we bought 47 acres more of land. We sold the forty after a few years to Cloyd Sample. We still have 22 acres or more and still are at the same old place.

Nadine

Our daughter Nadine and her husband Vear Haile bought the “40” from Sample and still have it now in 1968. Nadine and Vear Haile were married on our anniversary July 18, 1941. Their first child, a boy, and a fine one, was born June 18, 1942. When this baby boy, Perry Dean by name, was two months old, they moved to Seattle, Washington where Vear worked at the shipyard. In the first part of 1946, they moved back to Apple Valley and bought a home. Two more baby boys were born to them, Terry Glenn and Robert Vear, both lovely boys. During this time, they bought three more places in Apple Valley. Then they bought the Rainbow Hotel place in Nyssa. Vear works in the sugar factory as head welder so that made it nice for them as it is just across the hiway from the hotel. It is now 1968 and Terry Glenn is on a mission in Canada. He has been gone 13 months, just 11 more and he’ll come home and get married—a temple wedding of course. Nyssa is only four miles from our home.

 
Nadine (Dean) Gooing

Roy, James, and Jack

Roy was drafted into the Army in 1942. He was in the medics when he met Barbara Bigelow in San Francisco. Then on January 10, 1944 they were married. He brought her home in May where she stayed when he was stationed in North or South Carolina. While she was with us, their first child, a baby boy, Vance Elwyn (Rusty) was born September 14, 1944. Later, Roy went to Japan where he was still in the medics.

James joined the Navy and Jack the Marines in 1942 so we had all three boys in the Service until they were released in 1945. James went to Seattle and has been there since. He has a business of his own and in unmarried at the present date.

Roy came to Parma and worked at different towns for Idaho Power on the Hiline. While close around here they had three more children, two boys, Joel Allen 1946 and Dennis Wayne in 1948—also a girl between the two boys. Her name is Nancy Lee Gooing. She was 21 years old December 29, 1967.

Then there was a land drawing for the veterans and Roy was lucky to draw one at or near Tule Lake, California. In March or April of 1949 they moved on to their homestead. They are now buying a home in Klamath Falls, Oregon and they live there. Jack stayed home when he got out of the Service and is not married yet.

Billie

Billie went to the University of Idaho at Moscow where she met a very nice young man (LDS) whom she fell in love with and they were married on June 27^th, 1948. She had a lawn wedding at home. They went back to Moscow where William Donald Hunt, her husband, finished his education. Their first son was born while they were at Moscow on May 26^th, 1950 (Larry Alan Hunt). Then they moved to Hazleton, Idaho where Donald taught high school and coached. While at Hazleton, three more lovely children were born to them. David Ray was born October 22^nd, 1951; Jennifer Lee was born May 2^nd, 1954; Tony Wayne was born September 4, 1956. Three boys and one girl (like Roy and Bobby). Tony will be 2 years old next September. Billie and Don and family are at Baker, Oregon and have been living there quite a few years—since Tony was a year old.

 
Billie Evelyn Gooing

Beverly

Now about Beverly: she was married to a nice young returned missionary, Willis F. Hansen, on November 8, 1949, in the Idaho Falls Temple. They have five lovely children, 4 boys and 1 girl. Steven Ray was born May 12, 1951 at Boise, Idaho. Scott Glen was born on my birthday, November 26, 1953, at Boise. Scott Glen was born on my birthday, November 26, 1952 at Boise. Gary Wayne was born July June 25, 1956 xxx at Kalispell, Montana. Tracy Wade was born February 13, 1960 at Nyssa, Oregon. Dianna Fay and Ladena Vivian (twins) were born August 22, 1962. The twins died the same day they were born, as they were quite premature babies. Juliet Lynn was born June 5, 1964 at Nyssa, Oregon.

 
Beverly Gooing

Donna

Then there’s our baby girl, Donna, who married a nice young man of Parma by name Lester Rookstool. They were married June 8, 1950, in an LDS church. It was before the church was finished, so they were married in the Relief Society room. He isn’t a member of our church yet, but I’m living in hopes he will be sometime. They have four lovely children, 2 girls and 2 boys—a perfect family sex-wise. Jeanne Lee was born February, xxx 1952. Lezlie was born January 12, 1954. Chris Lester was born June 19, 1957. Jack Lester was born May 1, 1959.

A New Generation

Now, February 17, 1968, we have three great-grandchildren. Roy’s eldest son, Vance, has two children, a boy and a girl. Nadine’s eldest son Perry Dean (Fritz), has a nice baby girl. Donna’s oldest daughter, Jeanne, is married now and has one girl and will have another about next September, so you see, we’re doing O.K. for our ages. Jed is 76 years and I am 71 years old.

Temple Marriage and Golden Wedding Anniversary

 Vivian and Jedediah – 50^th Wedding Anniversary – July 18, 1963 – Parma, Idaho

1968

February 28, 1968: Today is a beautiful day. Guess I’ll write some more now.

Today is the first day of March, 1968. It’s kind of windy out. I worked out in the yard and garden (raking) the day before yesterday. I guess I did a little too much. Anyway, I have a coughing cold today and last night, too.

My oldest living brother, Marion, and wife Opal still live at Parma, Idaho. Also, their son, Walter Gene Cox, and family live near us at Parma. My next brother, Orland, and wife Winsome (Winnie) live at 156 Sun Street, Santa Nella Village, Gustine, California. Of course they are likely to move at any time, as his job is heavy equipment construction work. They there’s my brother, Weldon. He and his wife, Frances, live at Hermiston, Oregon. One sister lives at Boise, Idaho by name, Vaughn Schwartz (Maggie Vaughn).

Jack Injured

(April 9^th) Our youngest son Jack is still with us, by chance. The 3^rd of March, 1968 he fell down the stairs at Nyssa City Hall and got a very bad skull fracture. He was in the hospital for 15 days and only remembered about three of it. We had to sit day and night for the first eight days. Then I visited him three times a day until he was released the 15^th day. He is far from well yet, I’m afraid. he has to go to the doctor the 15^th of this month (April) for an x-ray on his skull fracture. Donna and Barbara (Roy’s wife) came over from Klamath Falls and stayed a few days with us. They helped sit up with Jack. Today, Tuesday, is a lovely day. Though the nights are cold, we have nice warm days.

Donna, Les, Lezlie, Chris, and Jack will be over to see us the night of April 19^th, I believe.

Roy’s youngest son, Dennis Wayne, was married to a sweet little girl of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Her name is Susan Jones Gooing. They married the 22^nd of December, 1967. Dennis is now in the Service. I guess he will go to Viet Nam and I don’t like that a bit.

Today is work day at Relief Society but I stayed home with Jack. I went over and paid his hospital bill, $601.60 and his doctor’s bill, $150.00, yesterday. His union insurance paid it for him.

I’m just about to come to a focus on this until I can think of something more to tell about.

Autumn 1968

September 28, 1968: Well, this is my first appearance since April and I guess I still don’t know much to write about. Jeanne and her husband, Rod Blackman, visited us in June and July. In fact, Jeanne stayed for four weeks with us while Rod was going to heavy equipment school at Weiser, Idaho. They left here the 16^th of August and her baby was born the 19^th of August at Klamath Falls, Oregon—a beautiful little girl and our third great-granddaughter. Our eldest daughter, Nadine, and her husband, Vear Haile, are all ready to go to the Temple. I was so happy for them to start going to church and become active.

Jack still isn’t well but he is painting for Dean and Vear. I believe he and Dean have just finished their old home place house yesterday. So, Jack went to town for a haircut yesterday about noon and got back home about 1:00 a.m. this morning.

1970

This is January 10, 1970. Lots has happened since I wrote last. Dean, Vear, Dad and I went to the Temple with Terry and JoAnn to get married the 27^th of December 1968. We had Nadine sealed to us and I was sealed to my parents so we accomplished a lot for one day. We went to the Idaho Falls Temple. Jim was home for Christmas so he stayed home with Jack. Then, just one year and three months after his skull fracture, (on May 10, 1968) he was killed in a pickup-train accident east of Parma. That was a very sad affair for us. I know he is better off now than we are, but we really miss him so much. A week or so before Christmas 1969 I got sick and was sick or disabled through Christmas, so Dean and Jim had to do the cooking, or most of it, for Christmas. We had company from Klamath Falls, Oregon. I didn’t feel like eating but we had a lovely dinner.

Jim Moves Back Home

Jim moved down to stay with us shortly after Thanksgiving. He is working at Caldwell at present, until he gets a shop of his own [detailing cars].

January 14, 1970. Beverly’s little girl, Julie, is staying with us, as Beverly is nursing at the Malheur County Hospital—at Nyssa, Oregon. We have been having wet weather for several days. I’ll be glad when it quits drizzling rain. Maybe it’ll dry off and maybe it’ll get cold and snowy—who knows?

February 16, 1970. Here I am again. I was sick a lot this winter—sick through Christmas. I had company from Klamath Falls: Son-in-law Lester Rookstool and three children, Lezlie, Chris, and Jack—also is daughter Jeanne, her husband, Rod, and baby girl, Likelee One Blackman. I wasn’t able to eat of our big Christmas dinner. Dean and Jim prepared the dinner for me. Also, Dean and Beverly brought lots of food over.

We have lived here at Apple Valley near Parma, Idaho for 31 years, so I guess we’ll die here.

[Editor's note: Jim was married around 1944 to Mildred Musick. Add to this, two children: James Lavern, Jr. and Norma Jean.]

April, 1970

Today is a lovely, sunny day, and we need more of this kind of weather. Jim is over at Dean’s helping her put the finish on the walls of a cabin that was burned out earlier this year.

Les, Donna, the boys and Likelee came over last week. They got here at 2:00 a.m. Thursday and stayed until Sunday A.M. Of course, they spent half of their time with Mrs. Rookstool. Now I have a cold again and couldn’t go to Relief Society this morning.

We had another great grandchild March 31, a darling little boy. His parents are Terry and JoAnn Haile, and his name is Jedediah Troy after his grandfather Gooing and Uncle Troy.

 Jed and Viv – Apple Valley – Parma, Idaho

November, 1971

November 29, 1971 and here I am again. Thanksgiving and my 75^th birthday were the 25^th and 26^th of November. We had a very nice and peaceful Thanksgiving—a big dinner with all of our children home except Roy and Donna. There were 23 of us here: Dean, Billie, Beverly, and I sang a lot of old songs. Jenni, Larry, and Tony (Billie’s children) sang with us also. We had a jolly old time.

New Living Room

Dean, Jim, and I gave our living room and dining room a face-lifting job. After we got it all painted we got traverse rods and put up nice drapes on the three large windows. Then we bought a lovely wall to wall carpet (nylon). It was laid two days before Thanksgiving, so I call it my birthday and Christmas present (also Dad’s).

We all are quite well around here. I should quit and put my dress on. I’m still in my nightgown and robe.

Sister Jessie Dies

I had a sad experience in October. My sister, Jessie Edgar, age 82, died in Salt Lake City. It was very sad. Jessie had a stroke in June 1971, and was hospitalized until she died the 8^th of October 1971. She had suffered a lot, so it really wasn’t so bad for her to go. That will be a year ago the 8^th of this month.

October 1972

Well, I am late again with my story. It has been nearly a year since I wrote last. A lot has happened since then, and I’m sure I can’t remember it all, so I won’t try to. Today is kinda gloomy, looks and feels like it could rain. We haven’t had any rain for a long time. I hope it won’t be a wet and cold winter.

Heart Attack

In March of this year I had a heart attack. All of the kids came home that live away from here. They were Roy and his wife Barbara, Donna from Klamath Falls, Oregon, also Donna’s daughter, Jeanne, and son, Chris, of K.F. Roy and Barbara stayed two days and had to go home, but Donna stayed eight days with me. I really enjoyed her being here. Dean, our oldest daughter, lives near us, and she was here with me every day for quite a while. I didn’t think I’d be able to work in my garden, but I got better and the doctor said for me to work as usual, but rest when I got tired. So I planted and worked but not like I usually do, because I didn’t feel to. That has been almost six months ago now, and I’m just getting over a bad spell of Sciatica. I was in so much pain for a week or more—and couldn’t do any work for three weeks. It is so good to feel like working in the house now. I’m slowly improving. Hope I never have anything like that again. I think I’ll quit writing now and get ready to go to Nyssa to get a few groceries and pay a doctor bill for Beverly. She is still nursing at the Malheur Hospital.

1973 – Jed Dies

October 9, 1973. Well, it has been a year since I wrote about anything.

I t has been a sad nine months for me. On January 15, my husband Jedediah (Jed) had a heart attack and went to the Nyssa Hospital on January 28, 1973, and was there 42 days. He was 81 when he died on the 11^th of March, 1973. He was buried on March 14, 1973.