During the summer and winter of 1918 was a hard and discouraging time. Daughter not well. I had my garden seventeen miles north of town. We had a Ford but I could not drive and she was not often able to take me there. She was living in our small house in town. Her father with us and really a care. I had coal, sugar, vinegar, jars and everything to do with on the homestead. When I had to go alone to take care of my garden I would go out on the trail. Not roads much of the way, but trails winding around the rocks. I would walk until some one on wheels came along to pick me up. Sometimes big wagon built up hitch to haul grain. Very, very few cars. And very little travel.

About six miles north was milk river we crossed on a good bridge. There was one stretch of six miles there was not a house on the way. If I was still walking when I reached the last house I stopped, and stayed all night, so as not to get caught in the night with no place to stop, and got an early start next morning. In Montana you are considered neighbors many miles away. People in such a country are very hospitable to strangers as well as friends and always make one welcome.

When I reached the shack I would do whatever was required in house or garden. Gathered my vegetables and canned them. When all was done I would set my jars away, lock up my house and start back to town same way as I came. Our place was about a mile off the trail to the east. I stayed alone over night when out there and heard the coyotes bark and growl at night. And I did kill several rattlers. One had eight rattles and a button, which I tacked on the side of the house.

One evening, I had worked in my garden alone all day. I came out the door into the yard. Through the wire fence from among the foliage in the garden where I had just been working, a huge rattler came out and hissed right across my path in front of me. I ran backward and fell over a stone. The yard was full of stones. I looked for stones small enough to throw. I hit it and it coiled and rattled. I had cut it about half way in the body. I had to find more stones as could not get the one I had used, and anyway would not like to handle it. I spied a man on a white horse about a quarter mile away. I called to him, can hear far, far away out there. When he came up it proved to be a man I knew. He called, "Are you killing a snake?" I sure was. It was the one with eight rattles. It was only one of several that I killed.

We had a neighbor about two miles away and when we went to Montana the first year 1916 I took some fruit from California. We had no cellar and they offered to keep our fruit and potatoes in their cellar. When we went to get some to use they had used it all. She said you could not expect us to let them stand there when we needed it, so they used it. Was quite a disappointment as we shipped from California. Then when I canned my garden vegetables I kept them under the bed as I had no cellar.

Our dad went to Wisconsin the fall of 1918 to be with our son. He had a light job for a little while but was not able to keep it. After dad left, two sisters came to room with us. They were both telegraph operators at the depot. We enjoyed them very much. They were born in Scotland. When my daughter was lonely and cried, they sang Scotch songs for us. Their names were Ann and Margaret. That was the fall so much serious flu over the world. Ann and myself were among the first cases in our small town. There was but one doctor in the place and he was often called forty or fifty miles in the county. And finally was down with flu himself. I did not get real well after having flu. My son-in-law was in France and such a hard winter. Daughter and I were then alone. It was one of the coldest winters. Once went down to 65 below zero and was 35 few times.

There was no water in the town. In summer we bought water by the barrel. We paid 50 cents for creek water by the barrel. Used it for washing, dishwashing, bathing and so on. The water was hauled miles in barrels. Sometimes would run out of water before they came in with more. Had to take our turn, as whole town had no water. Then we had a second barrel we paid 75 cents to have it filled but came from a spring farther away. Used for cooking and drinking. Every week the barrels must be cleaned and scalded to keep sweet. Was a big job. In winter we bought ice, was corded in the yard and covered to try to keep clean. I had to crack off in pieces I could handle. I would carry the ice into the house up four steps, lift into boiler on top of stove, melt the outside off till pieces are clear, then put into the barrel that had been cleaned and scalded. The more ice I could put in barrel the fresher the water would keep. Then the water in the boiler had to be strained into the barrel as it had lots of dust and specks in it. The top hoop of the barrel lifted up and I put a large dishtowel over top let sag a little and held by hoop. Besides hard work it took almost a day each week to melt and take care of the ice as that was the only water we had to use from fall to spring for every purpose. And had to waste some of the precious water to cleanse the barrel each time.

Besides getting in the ice I had to get into the house all the coal and wood to keep us warm and it took a lot of it. I had two little neighbor boys that would sometimes help me with the coal and wood and would often split my kindling for me. Then I had several chickens. Our coup was built double with double windows. I had to keep an oil stove burning in the coup to keep them from freezing. I parched their corn and took it out hot also very warm water and hot mesh.

I found it too much trouble and so cold to take care of them I killed and dressed them all and had a large box out doors with lock and I put them there to freeze and use as I wanted them. We also had our winter beef and pork for winter we used the same way. Very seldom in winter we would have what was called a Chinook wind (warm wind). It was a pleasant change but too bad in many ways. The horses and cattle out on the range ate the snow for water and could paw it away and eat the grass on which they thrived. The warm wind, usually of short duration, would partially melt the snow, then come a freeze, lasting sometimes weeks. The snow was mostly ice frozen over the grass. The stock could neither eat it for water and to paw for grass brought it up by the roots with dirt frozen in the ice. Naturally many cattle and horses were found dead. A great loss to ranchers.

My son-in-law owned a transfer and dray line. He had one truck and several teams and drays. He left a man in charge of hauling, and I did the collecting. One morning in January, 1919, a man came to the house to tell us our man was down with flu. Of course he did feeding and watering of horses and had full care of them. The horses were kept in a stable in north part of the town. My daughter and I lived in south part of town. No telephones. We received this word before daylight, I am sure the coldest night I ever saw.

I dressed and started out to find someone who could feed and water the horses. All the younger men in the community had gone to war. Older ones were mostly out on their homesteads or were sick with flu. I finally found a man just starting to his homestead and told him my trouble. He got out of his sled and said for me to go home. He would find someone to feed and water our horses or would come back and do it himself and for me just forget it. So they were cared for. I started home. When I got there it was about 10:00 am. It seemed I had fallen down many, many times. So much ice. My daughter was in bed just taking flu. Neither of us had any breakfast. As soon as I could I got our breakfast. A little later she fainted. Several women in her condition had died. I was so frightened I bathed her face and got camphor in her eyes. Then I called my neighbors on both sides. They both had children and had been afraid to come in. They came and one sent her son for the doctor. She recovered nicely.

Her baby² was born February 5th, 1919. A fine boy. The same morning a neighbor came and brought a large three layer cake, two dozen fresh eggs, a quart of thick cream, two pounds of fresh butter and some cookies. She said she brought them for the baby. The minister and his wife came the same morning also.

There was no hospital near us so the baby was born at home. A lady came for two weeks and bathed and took care of both mother and babe and I did the rest as was all alone. The day before the baby came I cleaned the house and floors. Dressed two chickens, had kettles of water on the stove at night and had a good hot fire, both in living room and kitchen. The inside doorknobs would be covered with frost till twice the size also the keys. And frost on windows an inch thick all winter, caused by intense cold outside and warmth and moisture inside.

Our neighbors were wonderful. Some of them had no one in service. They brought everything to eat and to help us. Everything nice and so much of it, we could hardly use all, and had to tell them so.

The daddy came home May 5th, 1919, the day the baby was three months old. Soon after he came home he broke his leg, and was laid up a while. As soon as he was able and could help some with baby and the home I went to Wisconsin to be with my son and his dad. Dad went to a sanitarium for rest and died the following summer. Then I went back to Montana for a few days and took my trunk and clothes and came to California. I arrived there November 11, 1920.

Soon after I came to California I was taken with flu and erysipelas. Was taken to the county hospital where I was not expected to live for a time. When I recovered some dear friends came for me and took me home with them until I was able to take care of myself.

In May I went back to Montana. A dear friend there had been accidentally burned in March before. Most of her body, her hands nearly burned off and her face terrible to look at. She was in a hospital about forty miles from our home. I spent a day with her a couple of times a month. She was terribly discouraged. She had three children.

She was warming the milk for the baby when the gasoline (which she had just finished filling the tank on her stove) fumes caught from the lamp on the table and her clothing caught fire. We and all her friends took care of the children. She was taken to the hospital. Her sister and father came from the east. They took all the skin they dared from sister, father and husband to graft on her. Her chin was burned off. She recovered and would have lived but when her children saw her they were afraid of her and cried. She felt so badly about it and felt her husband would be ashamed of her. She was burned in March, 1921. The following December 10th, 1921 she went near the railroad and when the limited came along she threw herself in front of it and was cut in two. I went with her husband to the undertakers to plan for her burial, and to send her back east to her people.

January 1st, 1922 I left Montana and went to my Mother in southeast. She was past 80 and she lived alone with a blind sister. Both were sick. I stayed with them nearly a year then as my home was in California I decided to bring them here to live. My mother was willing to come but my sister decided she wanted to stay where she had many friends and did not come. After about a year she decided she would come the following June with some relatives who were coming to California. In March she had a stroke one night and died the next morning. So she never came. She had or (we) two brothers back there who took care of everything and she is buried beside her husband.

Mother lived to be 87 years and four months. She was very little trouble to care for. She was totally blind last three years. Was never sick in bed. And passed away June 12th, 1926. She was buried June 15th, 1926. My father died June 12th, 1890, 36 years earlier.

After mother died I rented my home. Have never lived in it a day since. I roomed a few months. In December I went to Hennessey, Oklahoma and visited with my aunt who was a widow and her brother (my father's sister and brother) until March. Then I came to California and rented an apartment for about fifteen months. Then I moved into a little cottage of my own. I still hold it as my home but don't stay there all the time. I spend a lot of time with my daughter.

I am now nearly 81 will be January 19th, 1946. I now have my Kodak pictures enlarged. Mostly 8 x 10 and tint them and paste them in books. I also have several scrap books which are very interesting. I had three grandsons in service in World War Two and a grandson-in-law. Three are out of service now. One grandson is still in service.

The oldest grandson³ enlisted July 27th, 1940. He was in service five years and four months. Most of the time a pilot instructor. But later was sent to Iwo Jima.

The grandson-in-law⁴ was pilot on a bomber. Was in North Africa, Sicily and Italy sixteen months. Was with Doolittle when bombed Rome. He flew over Iceland, Greenland, England and Ireland.

Two younger grandsons⁵ in training as Navy pilots. Never out of this country.

My Granddaughter⁶ has a baby girl 14 months old,⁷ and my grandson⁸ has a little daughter⁹ two months old.