Memoir Monday: 29 Nov, 1958

 

Somehow 1958 seems so long ago. Was I ever that young and kind of giddy when I wasn't depressed and frustrated? LOL! 

 

Nov 29, 1958 -- Saturday?Got up early. Did the chores, Helped Charlie Mike with his toys nearly all morning. In the afternoon mailed the story. Went down to Janni’s to see if she could ride with me. After many interruptions we finally got away. We had a real nice time. Caught up on talking for the first time in ages. Guess who I saw today—“Moose”. He nearly crowded me off he road. Came home and did the chores. The Bryants came by and talked a bit. Tomorrow we’re going with Charley when he rides “Carry.” Something’s gonna give I am afeared. I figured a way to put up some of my pics in plastic. It works swell. Vickie Stratton said “You feel like running up and kissing him,” about Elvis. That’s how I feel about Kelo’s picture. Such a smile—you want to smile too. You feel as if you were sharing a secret. Well, I’ve got to say Adios, Gaye

Not sure what was going on with Charlie Mike's toys--well he was only just  seven at this time, so definitely still in a toy age. Lots of Tonka trucks and play tools and odds and ends like we'd both played with often--'making'  and making up things! The story would have been one of Dad's efforts; he did sell quite a few to outdoor adventure mags for several years; sending one off was a big event and might result in some income.

Janni was Janice Benatz, younger than me by about three years but we were good friends and she loved  the horses and mules. Mot of my girlfriends were younger and of course the guys in my life were mostly older...

Charley Bryant was the local horse whisperer and a family friend. He was a main mentor (mane mentor?) of mine as I worked into my cowboy girl days. He did not drive at all so his wife, Elvie, took him places in their old car when he was not wanting to ride there. He rode mostly though and always had a horse or mule. Carry was a mule he was training for Leo Greenough, another influential friend in the circle I lurked at the edge of, mostly my parents' friends who fascinated me.  This little pitcher had big ears and listened a lot; so much of what I heard popped up later in my fiction.

Vickie Stratton was another lower town younger semi-friend. Of course Elvis was such a big thing about then but  I was totally western/cowboy fan-girl  and right then Kelo Henderson who was in the TV show 26 Men was a huge fave of mine. My bedroom corner study/work place was usually decorated with either photos or later some of my own drawings of various "Handsome Heroes" I was crushing on.

Oh yes, "Moose". That was Marvin Kallsen, then a senior at Mingus--pre Mingus Union Mingus--and was more or less my first crush when we both went to school down at Willard in Bridgeport. I was over that but still kind of attentive to him. Those were the days, eh?

About the photos:  

The first is Charley Bryant with a mule. I do not think this was Carry but probably either Blackie or another mule he got from us in 1959-60.  The next is Kelo; I have a  close-up in a scrap book still but guess I have not scanned it into my files! That show was about the Arizona Rangers who were a  real group in the late 1800s and the episodes were filmed in the Phoenix area.  And last, Marvin when he graduated from 8th grade at Willard in 1955 (?) I think that was the year!! I thought he was cuter as a kid than nearing grown up in 1958! Sadly he is one missing from the MUHS Class of  1959 as he died about 2004. His wife was in the class of 1961,  Connie Nesbitt.

Memoir Monday Nov 22, 1963 The day Kennedy was shot

 For many of my generation, "the day Kennedy was shot" was like our Pearl Harbor day--a huge jolting turning point that we never forgot. For the younger folks, compare it to 9/11. So seeing it was 58 years ago, I had to go back and see how that day went  for me.  

Nov 22, 1963 Fri

I woke about the usual hour and got up to go feed. Last night I dreamed of Dr Joe Hudson—why, I don’t know. We all went out to do the pasture chores and Dad cut two cottonwood trees. I rode Tina down to them. She feels so big. We got the mail and then Mom and Dad helped lead up the animals. It was then we heard the news. President Kennedy was shot and killed by an assassin in Dallas, TX about 12:30. It is, of course, a terrible and unbelievable thing. Poor Jackie was sitting at his side when the shot was fired. We of course had to listen to the news reports most of the afternoon. I did ride Prez for a little and led Chief. Then we drove out and did the evening pasture chores. While we were eating, Evelyn came down. We visited for awhile, talked of many things. She worked on my hair etc. This has been a long and terrible day that will be long remembered in history.

By this time I was a full time cowboy girl and the livestock work was my main occupation. I know I have mentioned all these animals before. My mare Tina was now about 2/3 through her first pregnancy so I was not working her much but did ride her bareback some. The mules would eat the green shoots and bark off a cottonwood tree and that gave them something to gnaw on and not chew corral rails, wooden feed troughs etc. Dr Joe was the head doctor at the Whipple VA Hospital where Dad had been a patient off and on. He was a family friend of sorts and a cool guy. Evelyn was of course my friend Evelyn Graves Morales.She was still in high school.

We'd been out to the pasture that morning and were back at home about ready to go in for lunch and turned on the radio. It was certainly appalling news and we  were caught up in it for the rest of that day and a few more. We did not have TV but saw things in magazines and certainly heard much on the radio. Ancient history now but still many clear memories. And it is still really a cold case crime. Did Oswald really do it? And why did Ruby then kill him? That the whole world witnessed, so no doubt there, but mysteries have always piled deep.

An odd bit of background: My late husband was a military police detective in the Marine Corps and stationed at Atsugi, Japan in the later mid-fifties. Strangely, Oswald was a Marine at that time and was also there. He got into trouble, I think with blackmarket stuff like sale of cigarettes etc from the commissary to the Japanese. Jim and his partner worked the case and busted him. Jim said Oswald was qualified with a rifle since all Marines had to be then but was far from a marksman of sniper caliber. He was also not the sharpest tool in the shed and took the fall for what others had conned him into doing. So Jim never believed Oswald had actually done the shooting. I honestly cannot even guess but suspect we will never know the real, whole story. 

A marginally relevant photo or two--Jim Walton--one as he would have looked there in 1957 as an E-4 or E-5 MP Sergeant (can't quite make out the stripe) and one when he was home from Boot Camp in late 1948. Ernest Gabrielson who also went to Bisbee High and graduated in 1948 ,was also in the Marines but they were never stationed together. Ernie got out after one enlistment or right after the Korean conflict and went to college and became an English teacher. Old history to us MUHS alums!

Memoir Monday,, Nov 15, 1960

Back at school after the "Mule Year." I was pulling out of my miniature 'teen rebellion' and  rumspringa  period thru midyear and into the fall. I still missed being outdoors and 'free' but for the most part school was tolerable and a kind of vacation!

Nov 15, 1960 Tuesday

I hated to spend a pretty day like this in school. It was cold but pretty, really pretty. I didn’t miss much yesterday. School was pretty dull today. I was a few minutes late getting home so I threw leather on Trix and took off. I mailed a bunch of letters, my snap order included and did the chores out at the pasture. Mom and CM had done everything here which was a relief. I just saw Gug’s truck once today. Gosh I want to see him so bad. I wish I knew what he really thinks about  me but I’d probably die if I did know. He’s a mean hombre. I wish I had seen my new hero today. I want to meet him. It’s positively a case of love a first sight. I’m going to write to several of the folks who had letters in the “Our Air Mail” column and I am sending them a letter too. I love to write letters and I want to make some more friends that way. I dreamed something about a guy with a real neat car the other night. I hope that is prophetic.  That's what I need to make me get over Gug. And that is one thing I’ve got to do. It’s late and I’m tired so I guess I’ll close for today. Maybe something real thrilling will happen soon. Adios, Filly

Was it really colder then? Climate change or not, it seems to me that the weather has gotten milder though perhaps a few more extremes. Mingus Union sat on a ridge tip out over the valley and it was almost always windy up there which made cold feel much worse--that old wind chill factor. I'd been out in all weather for a year should have been used to it, though.

You have met Trix(ie) before, a favorite little mule who looked like a stuffed toy in the winter--just as fluffy and fuzzy as she could be and coal black with a white nose and a dainty Arabian equine face--bet her mother was an Arab. And yes, it was a real boon when Charlie Mike and/or Mom had done the home chores for me. Did not always happen and for sure it was almost never Dad who did it.

Who was the new hero I spoke of? Haven't a clue but I suspect it was a CTI driver that I had not seen before who caught my eye and piqued my fancy. And this was the beginning of my long-term pen pal  project. In the end I probably got 250 letters from my entries in a couple of magazines and answered half or more at least once. That sifted out to maybe 4-5 long term gal pals and a ha;f dozen guys that ebbed and flowed as favorites over the course of some 4-5 years. Postage money--at 3-5 cents per letter  most of the time-- was not easy to come by but Charlie Mike and I did nab or scrounge hundreds of pop bottles which we could turn in for a few cents.

Not much photo stuff here: My "office" corner in my room which by this time did have a table Dad had built for me, a smaller edition of the big dining table we began to use about 1955. I used the boxes on top then as shelves, I still have both tables. Charlie and I use the big one for our dining table and my smaller one is currently in the garage and part of my jewelry shop set up. One thing Dad did well was build stuff. Charlie Mike inherited that skill and many of our large shelf units are his work. I am a rougher 'carpenter' but can whip up a feed box or other outdoor fixture when needed. And oddly, school buses have not changed much! Here is a recent 'Blue Bird" in our area! It looks very much like the one I rode up the hill!  I rode it the most and it was mostly driven by Mr. Pirtle. I just remembered that. Actually the CTI (Cement Transporters Inc) trucks have not changed a lot either; they are based in Marana, north west of Tucson along I-10 as they were then..

Memoir Monday, Nov 8. 1961

 The fall of my senior year.  I was half past eighteen now and for the most part pretty serious and practical. I still had my pen pals but otherwise social life was a flat zip. School was a respite of sorts most of the time and with Maureen Jewell for my school BFF at that time, it was mostly pleasant enough. No difficult classes and most of the guys I had been bullied by were gone.

Nov 8, 1961 Wed

I woke up early with the curse, worse luck. I took my pills though and went primly off to school trying not to show my misery. The day passed rather rapidly, thank God. ‘Reen and I ate in the gym and watched a wrestling match at noon. I even got a seat only four back in the bus; luck was with me. No mail. Charlie Mike and I did the chores here and then we drove out to the pasture. The witch tree is gone—not a trace of it left. ‘Reen of course was very sympathetic when she heard of my troubles. Tomorrow I mustn’t forget that I have a mare for sale. I played cards with Charlie Mike. He taught me how to play casino and then I wrote a letter to Shirley C. And so ends another day. I’m not in much misery actually now. Its raining and I should … I guess I’ll get another vacation on Friday to go hunting. Shall I be glad or sad?  I wrote a rather screwy letter to Wayne. I think I should try to get rid of him but I really don’t want to. How about HJ  (Jose Cazador) He promised me a long letter. Maybe I’ll remind him. The other day I concluded that I wanted to remain a "little girl" for a bit longer. Hasta!

I suffered from severe monthly cramps from my early teens on. I later found out I had very bad  endometriosis and a few other problems but at this stage I just knew I'd be miserable for about 24 hours every 26-28 days or so. I never wanted not to be female but it was a burden, especially when I needed to be active and busy every day regardless.  I hated to ride near the back of the school bus--the only time I would get semi-carsick as the big old vehicle wig-wagged  down the curvy road from Jerome to Clarkdale. Going up was not as bad.

The "witch tree" was a smaller mesquite that sat near the middle of one of the big pens at the pasture. We often had a jack burro chained to it. They had to be kept apart so as not to fight and also away from the mares or jennys in season. After  a second animal died there in tragic accidents, Dad took a chain saw to it and cut it off at the ground.  I had found one jack dead there the evening before; he got tangled in the chain and apparently had a hassle with a mustang gelding we had. Chili was one we all liked and kind of a favorite, and a  mule colt he had sired died there the past June. It was a cursed tree. 

I was rather cynical much of the time, and at least somber; not despondent but not often super happy. I'm not sure what triggered the "little girl" notion but I did have a slight Peter Pan complex off and on. Was "growing up" all it was cracked up to be?  Likely not... "It's raining and I should? " Not sure what thought I never finished there!  Maybe interrupted...

I really do not have good photos of Chili the burro or Sugarfoot the mule colt and I've featured Wayne and Jose in photos before. But did find one--this is Chili--he was a paint--and I was holding Tina. Lady II in the trailer was the one who had the mule colt he sired. She had lost colts before; just a bad luck mare. Not long afterwards, I sold her to Maureen who had her until she died, probably at about age 18-20.