The Emersons : According to Ruby

Ed's Day Wednesday

Dear FOLKS,

Each Wednesday I continue to share family information that was provided by my late cousin Edwin J. Ostrom. We now focus on stories and anecdotes regarding Ed's maternal grandparents, Reinert Immanuel Emerson and his wife Dora Elisa Nilson. Last week we learned of the records found for Reinert that I wrote as a report. You can see this report by clicking here.

Reinert was the son of Norway immigrants Raymond Emerson and Inger T. Tallachsdatter. He was born 18 December 1870 on the family farm in Irving township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. In 1898 he and Dora were married and they were invited by Reinert's oldest brother, Ole, to live with him until they found a place of their own. They soon homesteaded 80 acres and built their first home.

The weather was bad so Reinert left Dora with family and went to Canada thinking to homestead there, but returned the next year after living in a shack for the winter. It is thought that the farming
conditions in Canada were no better than in Minnesota.

Soon after, Reinert traveled with friends to Minot, North Dakota looking for homestead property. The Indians had been defeated and moved to reservations. This land was ready for the plow. They found a farm in Torning township, in Ward County, and bought it for $1300 and moved there in 1906. The property had no water so Reinert had to travel to Rice Lake and carry water back in barrels. Dora often complained that the clothes had to be washed in water that was heavy with alkaline that would make the clothes stiff. Later they would dig a well that was over 100 feet deep that Dora said, “never went dry.”

The family information that cousin Ed has for the Emerson family came available in a different fashion than the Ostrom family stories. Ed spent considerable time interviewing his pa, picking his memories of the events that took place for Oscar and Anna Ostrom. His pa passed away in 2007. Ed also interviewed his siblings and asked them to write of their memories.

The stories of Ed's mother's family came about differently as his mother, Alice, died in 1989 and was not available to interview. Alice's parents lived in the Seattle, Washington area and family visits were not frequent while the children of the family were growing up. Not long after Alice's death some of her siblings began to tell their stories in the form of memoirs and Ed was glad to receive copies of these memoirs. I plan to pass along their memoirs starting with Alice's oldest sibling first. Also it will be necessary to limit the use of names for those who are living so a few edits within each story will have to be made. So Reinert and Dora's stories will be told together from stories their children tell.

IMAGE: Reinert and Dora Emerson's first three babies. Left to right,
Ruby (b. 1899), Geneva (b. 1903), and James (b. 1901). Photograph
taken near Irving, Minnesota ca. 1903. From the family photograph
collection of Edwin J. Ostrom.

-------- the story begins --------

11-3-1995

Ruby’s Memoirs
            by her son Virgil B.

This is an abridged account of the life of Ruby Della Emerson as mentioned to her son over a period of several months beginning on November 3, 1995.

On August 1, 1899, Ruby Della became the first born child of Reinert & Dora Emerson on their farm in the vicinity of Irving, Minnesota. She was followed in birth by 12 siblings all of which grew up to be healthy, hardy individuals. They all had the true grit nature of men and women of the fading ‘manifest destiny’ attitude developed during the settlement movement of the midwest and the west. Truly they were all from the youth of their descendants to this time a tremendous inspiration.

[Ruby would tell:] "My first memory was moving to North Dakota in 1906 to a homestead farm near Minot. I was concerned about my red rocking chair and doll bed that Dad had made for me. I was so proud of them. We traveled from our farm to the railroad station in a horse-drawn wagon. There were about three families traveling together to the same destination.

I don’t remember starting school. I do however remember that I liked school and that my parents stressed the importance of school. I was fascinated by my lady teacher’s clothes and wished that someday I would also be a teacher. The first school house I attended was built on a knoll within walking distance of our home. My first teacher of recollection was a man who had arm dysfunctions. I believe that his name was Ed Shirley. To my delight he asked me to write the lessons on the blackboard - this became a repeated process.

At about 12 or 13 years old I had a woman teacher - her name was Dorothy Darling. I so admired her clothing especially one outfit consisting of a gray skirt & blouse and a red scarf. She was a pretty lady - slender and had a boyfriend.

From the time that I began school until I graduated from the 8th grade I was schooled in one-room schools by one teacher in each school. During my 7th or 8th grade I attended a school that was built on Dad’s land. My last teacher's name in the grades was Monnie Anderson and as it was with my other women teachers, I was fascinated by her clothing. In those years we were required to attend grades 1 thru 8 only.

When I was about 11 or 12, I remember learning to dance. We danced at a neighbor’s house as it was of better size for this activity. The music was provided by the neighbor family, which consisted of a violin and a mouth organ. Mom didn’t approve of our dancing, however she didn’t refuse permission for us to go. Dad accompanied us to the dances as he enjoyed watching our gaiety.

My sister Geneva and I were required to assist in the family activities as the younger ones came along. Our chores consisted of keeping house, baking, cooking, ironing, shocking grain, picking potato bugs, picking mustard from the grain fields, milking cows, separate the milk, melt snow for water, churn butter and I suppose other things that I don’t recall.

Our vegetables, which we grew, were placed in the cellar for later use. Meat was canned during the summer slaughter and during the winter the fresh meat was placed in wooden barrels next to the house where it froze.

IMAGE: The is the Emerson house on the homestead in
Torning township, Ward County, North Dakota (ca. 1935). From
the family photograph collection by Edwin J. Ostrom.

Our involvement in the family activities were not by choice, we did that which we were instructed to do by Dad & Mom who loved us dearly and we obeyed them.

From the time of my 8th grade graduation until I was about 18, my memory is somewhat vague however, I worked in Minot at a eye - ear & nose Doctor’s house. There my job was house keeping and got room and board. The doctor’s wife recognized my interest and talent in teaching and encouraged me to pursue a Teaching career. Dad’s remarks to this were that I’d no more than get started in teaching than I’d get married.

While at home after I graduated from the 8th grade my activities consisted mostly of helping Mother with household chores. Geneva and I collected cow chips in gunnysacks for drying which were used for heating the cook stove. Water was hauled about 1/4 mile from our neighbors the Petersons for household use. Attempts at well drilling failed to provide water on the home place. Livestock drank water from the sloughs, which dried up in the summer. The stock was then driven to the neighbors where water was of ample supply. Water was finally reached on the home place not long before I left for Minot for my teaching education.

The school I attended was termed Normal School, which would now be called Teacher’s College. During the time that I was schooling I lived in Minot at a private home where I received room and board for helping with washing clothes and house cleaning. Mom placed a good deal of importance on my education. She & Dad would bring to town cream, eggs and other items from our farm to defray the cost of my schooling.

On entering Normal School I was interviewed by Miss Winstad (of Japanese descent) who after hearing of my teaching ambition prescribed my study subjects.

My first teaching job was about 3 miles from home the term of which was 3 months because of the weather and also that the township could not afford to furnish fuel to heat the one-room school.

At the beginning of the following year I got a job teaching grades 1 thru 8 at the Birklid School at the edge of the Sheyenne Valley where I taught for one year. I stayed at the home of Chris & Mabel Rufsvold.

On completion of that year I thought of changing my career to business but reverted to teaching and asked the school board again for the Birklid School but the job had been let. I was given the Libuk School within the same township in the Sheyenne Valley. In those days there were those who lived in close proximity to the schools who were willing to house the teachers. While teaching at the Libuk school I stayed with the Neals who lived about 1 ½ miles away at the Standing Rock Farm.

The route was hilly but I loved to walk and enjoyed the twice-daily trek. During the winter we had many days of sub-zero weather. I wore skirts and cotton stockings as the custom was, which provided little comfort in such cold temperatures. Arriving at school I started the fire but we hardly realized warmth until it became time to dismiss classes for the day. Elections were held at the schools. Most men chewed tobacco and during the election would spit into the stove but some aimed poorly and their spit would dribble along the stove sides. This I put a stop to.

During my 2nd year (1920) at the Libuk School I met Morris at a birthday party at the Neal’s for their only son Raymond. The party consisted mostly of card playing amongst the men. Morris was having the time of his life, which led me to believe that he was nothing but a smart-alec. Nevertheless, I accepted his invitation to the next Saturday night dance. From that time we dated for the next 70 years except for a brief separation for reason that Morris concluded that I was more attracted to another man. He told his Dad that he was selling all his holdings and was going to move to Alaska or Canada. Morris’ father Frederick sternly scolded him and said that he would never find another like Ruby.

Morris & I were married November 29th, 1922 and moved onto a farm near Eastedge. At this time I was teaching. The following year provided a bumper crop so Morris hauled a load of grain to Eastedge and from the proceeds bought a new Model T Ford. Prior to our new car, our conveyance was by horse drawn vehicles.

From the Eastedge Farm we moved to the Standing Rock Farm where our first son Dwaine was born. From Standing Rock we moved to a farm just out of the Sheyenne Valley owned by Chris Rufsvold. There our sons Willard, Marvel, Virgil and daughter Aloris were born. This was the time of the beginning of the great drought and also the great depression. Having little for the future there we sold our livestock and machinery and moved to Storden, Minnesota in 1934 where we rented a house and Morris was involved in several occupations struggling to provide for our family.

The great depression was coming to a close but the area of Storden seemed to offer little opportunity for our growing family so we looked to the West - Seattle where my parents and others of my family were living. August 1941 we put all of our belongings into a small trailer attached to our 1936 Ford sedan and began our westward trek. The car was compacted by Morris & me, our five children, our dog Rex and a guitar which even with our crowded condition was played to the song fests of the children.

Along the way we stayed at friends and relatives as often as available and when we had to stay in a cabin I always inspected for bed bugs which were common then. We used our own bedding.

The trip turned out to be a grand experience and revelation of the changing scenery west of the Great Plains. We settled briefly at my folk's home then bought a partially finished house not far from Dad and Mom’s. Dad became a frequent visitor as he walked a lot. World War II came, Morris was building B-29 bombers and our three oldest sons went to war. At the war’s conclusion, the boys returned home unscathed.

Subsequent years brought forth the fruits of our efforts - our children went off to their interests and Morris & I did considerable traveling through the United States and Canada.

I’ve had a wonderful life, thanks to Morris, my family and friends and many acquaintances."

Ruby Della B.

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I want to thank those who helped to share Ruby's story. The story tells us that it was her son Virgil who was instrumental here. It is appreciated that Ruby's memoirs have been made available for those of us to learn what life on the plains of North Dakota was like for those that were there to live it.

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