Great Grandma & Grandpa Beard's History Part II

I cooked for the mill hands that winter, I only had one complaint on my cooking, that was Eserrel Clark. Will and Tom cut and skidded logs with the oxen that winter, 1913. They did all their work with ox team, very interesting the way they handled them.

That spring we moved down on Grandpa Beard's (James T. Beard) hay ranch to help put up hay. We lived at the ranch in the summer. The house still stands where we lived. Henry Beard lives there now. We lived at sawmill in winter, to keep logs cut ahead to saw in summer, we loved the work.
Will worked in sawmill through his childhood days. He worked while the other kids went to school and none got much schooling.

We had a family of eight. One died at birth (May), we had five girls and three boys.

Our first child, Deloris Jerrine, born 29 Dec. 1914. Dr. Keith was her doctor.

Second child, born 10 Jun 1916, William Richard, by Dr. Roseman down on old fish hatchery ranch. Uncle David Beard bought this ranch later.

Third child, Ella Maxine, born 23 Sep 1918. We went to my brother's, Rhode Jackson, to help hay and harvest their crops, there this child was born, in Pratt Ward, Wyoming. Dr. Smith was her doctor and Grandma Jackson was midwife.

Fourth child born, Mary Opal, 1 July 1920 at North Leigh on the old Beard ranch by Dr. Coulbertson.

Fifth child born was May on 1 May, 1922. She died at birth.

Sixth Child born, Margie Rose, 19 April 1923 by Dr. Martin, on old Flam place where Aunt Pansy and Jim Beard now live.

Seventh child born, Mirt Wallace, 6 March 1930 by Dr. Andrews on old Beard ranch.

Eighth child born, Gail Merrill on 16 September, 1937 at Driggs.

Grandma Beard was a midwife for all the children except Maxine and Gail.

From 1913 to 1927 we worked for Grandpa Beard. In 1927 rented the old Jackson ranch. In the latter part of 1928 we bought Charley Williams homestead. Three hundred and sixty acres, north of Jackson ranch on Wyoming line, four miles, we were so happy to have something of our own. We lived in a one room cabin with an upstairs, so we did have room to sleep and eat.

We enjoyed our family very much, and was real close. We did most everything together. We picked huckleberries, wild strawberries, choke cherries, gooseberries, wild game. We went fishing a lot, when we were at the mill I would go and catch enough fish to feed the mill-hands.

Eserrell Clark built a two room cabin near Grandpa Beard's cabin, he lived there for a while, then they assigned the cabin to Will and I, we lived there every summer to help in saw mill.