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Sarah Virginia Martin Crowell
I was born August 9, 1919, the seventh child of Grover V. Martin and Stella E. McKay Martin, near Jasper, Missouri, in Barton County. I had three brothers just older than me and they spent all of their free time teasing me.
I started school in Missouri in a one-room school-grades 1-8 with one teacher. She told me to go to the black board and "mark" and that was about all she said to me every day. When we moved to Oklahoma, I went to the Coyle School. I had a teacher who had been my brother, Vernon's, first grade teacher so she knew the family and was good to me. The first thing she did was to put me back in primary class so I really started to school in Coyle-and was a year behind for my age. All the grade schools I attended from this year on were one-room schools with grades 1-8 until I graduated 8th grade in 1934.
When I graduated from 8th grade, Momma gave me money to go to town and buy some fabric to make a dress for graduation. I bought a pretty, small, blue print and made my own dress. Then, I found that most all the girls wore white dresses for graduation. When we went to town to meet with the county Superintendent, I was different. I stood out in my blue dress. (Blue is still one of my favorite colors)
I started the ninth grade at Fogarty School in Guthrie, but didn't get along very well with the "city crowd". So, I went to Edmond, Ok to live with my sister, Mary Lee and her husband, Ed, and finished the 9th grade there. When Mary Lee and Ed moved back to Guthrie and I moved with them and cared for their children, Don and Edel. After graduating from 9th grade and moving back to Guthrie, I became independent and took a new job with a family who needed a live-in companion for a handicapped teenage girl. She could not talk very well and could hardly walk alone. She weighed about 75 lbs more than me. I read to her and her mother and I took her for walks every day. The father came home on weekends, so I didn't work for them on Saturday and Sunday.
During this time, I met a girl friend who had already graduated from high school. Her friends were all older than me, but no one ever asked how old I was. I ran around with them on Saturdays and Sundays--my day's off. I still wore my 8th grade graduation dress for dress-up occasions and wore it so much when I was with my new friends that they called me "the lady in blue". We spent quite a bit of time at a Road House south of Guthrie, dancing and having fun. I began dating J.B. Davis, a young man I met at the Road House, who's home was in South East Oklahoma and who had some kind of income from his family so he didn't seems to have to work. We were married in a ceremony with three other couples at a party at the Road House. But, I found out later that it was not legal because we did not have a marriage license. Someone had said, "Oh, you can get that later, but we didn't. He was soon spending all of his money and my money, too. I thought I loved him but soon found he was not all he seemed to be. Realizing this, I moved to Chickasha to live with my brother Vernon and his wife Marian. My daughter, Cecilia Kay, was born October 23, 1936. (Kay is retired from the accounting department of Morrison Knudson Engineers and today lives in Missouri). After Kay was born, I worked for a short time in a beauty shop learning to give permanents and haircuts, but although I think I would have liked being a beautician, the owner of the shop gave her "girls" very little training and wanted them to talk customers into services they did not want and ones that cost more than what they wanted. Marian went to California to visit about this time so I quit this job and I took care of the house for Vernon and cared for my daughter, Kay.
In the spring of 1937, I met "Blondy", Alton Alexander Crowell. He was 15 years older than me, (He was 32 and I was 17) but we developed a friendship and he fell head over heels for Kay-and me. There was nothing he wouldn't do for us and loved to walk Kay down the street to show her off. When Blondy asked me to marry him, I was still taking care of the house for Vernon while Marian was in California. Our plans became a whirlwind--Marian was coming home August 5th, we got married two day's later on August 7, 1937-two days before my 18th birthday. After we were married we moved to Blondy's folks house and lived there for several years in their upstairs rooms.
At that time Blondy was making good money working for a man named, Mr. Dale Crawford. And, May 9, 1938, our second daughter, Virginia Alice was born at Mom and Dad Crowell's home. (Today, Virginia is retired from teaching and working in a family business, Avest LP).
Shortly after this, Blondy's boss, the owner/manager of the Chickasha Mattress Company, Mr. Crawford, let us know that the business was near foreclosure with the banks. Blondy had been working for them for a number of years, but the son-in-law of the owner had taken over as a manager and was somewhat of a playboy. He thought the bills would take care of themselves and spent the income on his own interests.
He had a farm out north west of Chickasha with cattle and Polo Ponies. The man who was taking care of the farm let the house burn down and just disappeared. Blondy was always the one Crawford called when he had problems. For a while we drove out early each day to care for the animals-20 head of cattle had to be milked-the milk truck came by and picked up the milk. We usually had about four big cans-some from the evening before milking. Soon we were spending so much time out there, Blondy built a "cabin" of sorts. It was a frame with screened sides and a tent roof. We sometimes slept there and the girls, Kay and Virginia, played there while we were out milking and taking care of the livestock. We fenced a small yard area so the girls could play safely-guarded by our large German Shepard dog--while we were busy. He was so good at watching over the girls. Blondy's cousin, Bud and his wife Ina Mae would come out sometimes in the evening and for fun, we rode the polo Ponies. The boys would slap their horses and take off and the ponies we girls were riding would take off like a shot too-like they were in a polo game. I was sure I was going to be dumped-but it was so much fun! We drove back to Chickasha in the evening to Blondy's folks home where we were living.
Things were still not going very well for Mr. Crawford so he decided to load up the business equipment and get out of Chickasha. He asked us to go along. We agreed so he made a trip to the northwest states to find a location. When he came to the beautiful Boise Valley-that was the place.
He came back home so excited and we hurried to get rid of stuff we could not take and prepare for the trip. Blondy drove me to Guthrie and I took the bus to Tulsa to see my Grandmother and namesake, Sarah Virginia Martin-just for the day. She was so frail--I knew I'd never see her again. But, she understood what I told her of our plans and she said, "Yes, it was a good thing." She was sure the northwest was a good place to live. We were so excited--it was a "great adventure". We kissed Bondy's folks, Samuel and Cassandra Crowell, "good-bye" on September 16, 1939. Blondy's dad came out in the yard to see us go and he cried. Granny would not come out of the house-she couldn't bear to see us go. We began our long trip-a long, slow trip and not without problems.
The trucks had seen better days, plus we were each pulling a trailer. The largest truck, which was being driven by Blondy's cousin, Bud Claxton, was really over-loaded and had a small trailer. The GMC pickup was a 1936, I believe, and Blondy and I had a trailer with two polo ponies in it. When we loaded the ponies in Chickasha, we strung ropes through the front of the trailer for me to hold and guide the ponies into the trailer. The fellows slapped them on the rear to get them into the trailer and everything was going as planned until they saw me. Then, they reared up pulling the rope through my hands-I left Oklahoma with very sore rope-burned hands-but still excited about the adventure.
Seven days later, on September 23rd, Blondy's birthday, we had made it to Rawlins, Wyoming. By then, we had to put the ponies in a feedlot to rest. The motel we rented was across town from the feedlot, so we went over each a.m. to see if they were O.K.-and that is when I lost my purse. (Most of that is another story...) but, I had all of our special papers in it and about all the money we had left. I think I laid the purse on the fender of the car-but we never knew for sure. The Crawfords had gone on ahead of us and we couldn't reach them until they got to Boise. Blondy began selling mattress innersprings and materials to get enough cash for the motel rent and money for traveling so we could get underway again. At Soda Springs he tried again to reach the Crawfords with no luck. So, he sold more supplies. We reached Boise about October 2, 1939-after sixteen days on the road. Thankfully, Dale Crawford had an apartment waiting for us in Boise.
The winter of 1939 in Boise was a cold one. The business was slow in getting started, but before the summer of 1940, we were doing well and building ourselves a little house along the Boise River. Blondy built the house out of river rock from the Boise River and we surrounded it with a fence and fruit trees and our German Shepard still watched over the girls. People in Boise were nice, friendly and helpful to us "Okies".
Alton Alexander, Jr. was born June 20, 1943. (Al has a commercial upholstery shop in Boise, today, and two of his son's work with him.) I was not well after he was born. A man and wife came to our place and wanted to buy our house and waved cash in front of us-so we sold the place to them, bought a better car and decided to drive to Oklahoma to show the family Blondy's "boy"! Grandma Martin died about the same time, and we were fortunately in Oklahoma for her funeral. After three weeks we realized that we needed to go back to Boise-we couldn't find good work in Oklahoma. Blondy always had a job waiting for him in Boise. In 1944, we bought more property in Boise and during the summer built another house. This time we used concrete blocks. I helped Blondy--lifting the blocks up so he could reach them rather than climbing up and down the ladder. By September, I was sick again; my hands were so swollen, I could not use them and my feet were so swollen I could not wear my shoes. We put out the "for sale" sign again, thinking I had arthritis because of the cold damp weather in Boise that fall. I was sore all over; I couldn't stand anyone to touch me. A man came to buy our place -he had had arthritis and told us he had been advised to drink pure lemon juice mixed with pure honey in hot water or just by the spoon full. I was ready to try anything-and it did begin to help me. He bought the house and property-we sold nearly everything else and took the bus to Phoenix. We stayed there with Blondy's cousin, Bud and his family and Blondy went right to work. I didn't like Phoenix, so I took the children and went by train to Guthrie. I rented an apartment there and put the girls in school. I was still suffering from arthritic type symptoms.
I heard about a clinic in Oklahoma City that might possible be able to diagnosis what was wrong with me, so I went there by the Interurban Transit. They did help me, but said, I needed to have my wisdom teeth and tonsils removed and get rid of infections in my system. So, I did-1945 was a miserable time for me, but my health gradually improved.
1947 found us back on the road to Boise. We stayed with friends until we could build a small house (with an upholstery shop "Crowell's Upholstery" on the back of the lot) at 2623 Lemhi Street and guess what--we lived there for the rest of our married years and Blondy's life. It grew around us as Blondy added rooms and an upstairs. We must have finally gotten the wonder-lust out of our souls.
I joined the Ada Rebecca Lodge in 1950. I went through most of the lodge chairs several times and then in 1978 became Noble Grand for the first time. In 1980 I served as Noble Grand again and later became State District Deputy President. I made many wonderful friends in Lodge and found a dear friend, Maude Lavender, whose birthday was the same day as mine-only she was 30 years older. I am still an active lodge member and received my 50-year pin in 2000.
Our last son, Gary Allen, was born October 4, 1951. I was 32 and Blondy was 47. (Gary filled our lives with visions of space and rockets and is an engineer for Micron today.) I had started to learn to drive in 1938, but Blondy said, "You're too nervous to drive"-but it was really he who was "too nervous" when I drove. (I wish I'd written down all the things Blondy said-they were so funny because they were usually the reverse of what he was saying.) But, I remained "too nervous" until 1957 when I finally decided it was time to get a driver's license. I'm still driving. By 1960, our nine year old son, Gary and Blondy had found a mutual interest in bowling and they bowled a lot-evenings, weekends, whenever. Blondy and Gary were both good bowlers. They made it seem like such fun that I decided to take a bowling class and bowling league--all without telling Blondy or Gary. And I found that I was not too "nervous" to bowl-and enjoyed it a lot. That began a fun era of bowling for all of us.
As our children got older, I went to work at a local bank in the cafeteria and later worked as a salesperson at Falks department store. Our son, Al, who had joined Blondy in the business when he got out of the Air Force, ask me to quit these jobs and to come to work for them in the upholstery shop. I wasn't sure what I could do in the shop, but soon found that I could take the fabric samples into customer's homes and take orders for jobs. I loved working with the fabric and helping customers decide what they wanted and found I was good at it. I worked for Al in the shop until 1981. I quit at this time, and although Blondy still went to the shop most days, he was retired, too. I always thought Blondy was the "traveler", but I've traveled quite a bit on my own in the last 50 years. I've been to Canada three times, to three World Fair's, and to Oklahoma many, many times by airplane. I've also taken a ride in a Hot Air Balloon-(It was great fun!) and gone deep sea fishing. I came home with a salmon from the fishing trip but I didn't catch it. The fishing and ballooning were great fun but I'm not going again!
Blondy and I had a good life together. We especially liked fishing with our two boys, Al and Gary, when they were young. Our favorite spot was the Salmon River in Stanley, Idaho, but we fished the Idaho City and Grimes Creek areas, too. Blondy was still "going to the shop" when he was in his eighties and only quit after he had a fall that left him an invalid for the remaining eight years of his life. He died in April of 1993 at 89 years of age.
After Blondy's death, I found work as a housekeeper for St. Johns Rectory, trying to keep myself busy and recover from the many years of caring for Blondy. Finally, four years later, in the fall of 1997, I sold our family home and now live in a Senior Mobile Home Park in Boise. Blondy and I had our share of problems, but we were always able to work through them. Blondy was such a hard worker and a cheerful optimist for most of his life.
I will be 81 this August and keep myself busy buying small items at garage sales and sorting through all my keepsakes to stock my Antique Space in the Antique Mall, "Memory Lane". I also play pinochle with friends, attend the Friday Night Socials at our park clubhouse and attend family get-to-gathers. All my children except Kay live here in Boise. (Kay recently moved to Missouri.) I have 4 children and 15 grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren and 1 great-great granddaughter.
I also spend time these days caring for my two "Yorkies", "Candy" and "Teddi", and gardening and taking care of my lawn. My farming roots are deep and I can hardly wait each year to set out my tomatoes, and tend my Nectarine tree, raspberry bushes, and flowers.
I'm interested in this new age-I even took a computer class recently and learned to play poker with a "mouse". I love hearing from all my family in Oklahoma and other parts of the country and look forward to the bi-yearly family reunions and the family Christmas Dinner at James and Maryanna's. I could write more, but I've decided some of my stores are really unbelievable- Ha! I'm looking forward to reading my brothers and sister's histories.
Grand Children: Great Grand Children:
Kristie Marshall Katrina ( )
Anthony Grubbs
Joseph Scott Pulley Elliot Pulley
Dayla Pulley
Tyler Pulley
Dayla Hamilton (deceased) Melissa and Felicia Hamilton
(twins) One of the twins has a daughter
Marina Hamilton
Michael Hamilton
Ginger Pulley Ginnette Pulley
Jimmy Crowell McKenzi Crowell
Mitchell Crowell
Mason Crowell
Anthony Crowell
Kathleen Allen Weber Kenzi Weber
Marshall Weber
Shawna Allen Haggett Blake Haggett
Zachary Haggett
Vonnie Allen Dagher Tareq Dagher
Modena Dagher (Sept 00)
Eric Crowell Brandon Crowell
Christian Crowell
Sara Crowell
Gary Crowell, Jr. Clara Elise Crowell
Cassandra Crowell
Douglas Crowell |
