It wasn’t easy for Roy to go on after Mae’s passing. Numb with grief, he went through the motions of life, but deep inside he felt as though he’d died too.

Three weeks after her death, Iva looked at him over the breakfast table. “I told Auntie Hazel I would go over to her house after breakfast to help her and Grandma with the Thanksgiving dinner. Grandpa got a turkey from the neighbor’s farm for us to have. You and Verle are to come just as soon as that football game ends.”

Roy sighed. If he could have his way, he’d send Verle to dinner on his own and skip the day all together. He was in no mood for celebrating. But he knew if he did Hazel would be over nagging at him to be there for his family.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there. Shouldn’t we bring something?”

“I got us covered,” said Iva. “I told them I’d bring a sack of potatoes. And grandma is making her apple pies. You know how you love her pies.”

“I do,” he agreed. Though not even the thought of her tender pie crust and sweet tasting apples sounded appealing. He’d no appetite since Mae had departed from him. Grief hung over him like a heavy winter blanket.

For his son’s sake, he’d agreed to attend the annual Sumner-Puyallup high school football game like they had since the youngster became old enough to understand the game. The two towns had played a game every Thanksgiving since they’d both had teams.

The game began promptly at eleven. It was only nine, he supposed he had time to sit a bit and peruse the newspaper, except he could never concentrate on reading anymore. His thoughts always wandered to Mae and that horrible day 3 weeks ago. Her death had left a massive hole in his heart, one he thought would never heal.

At 10:15 he donned his overcoat and hat and he and Verle headed for the town’s football field.

Roy noticed the boy needed a haircut. I have been neglecting him.

“Daddy, do you think the Vikings will win this year?”

“Well son, that would be nice but their win record isn’t very good.”

Verle kicked a rock down the street. “I know but wouldn’t it be great if they did.”

Roy looked down at his son and smiled. “I reckon it would.”

The smell of roasting turkey mingled with baking pies and bread filled the air when he opened the front door of Hazel’s house. For the first time since Mae’s passing, he actually felt hungry.

Mae’s father, Alex, sat in a rocker in the corner of the front room. “So, boys how was the game?” 

Roy hung his hat and coat on the hook next to the door. “Puyallup lost as usual.”

Iva entered the room, wiping her hands on an apron. Roy noticed it was the one Mae had favored.

 It should be her wearing it and she should be working in our kitchen. Mae always hosted Thanksgiving dinner.

“I’m starving,” said Verle, “when do we eat.”

“Soon,” said his sister. “Auntie Hazel said we’d put dinner on the table as soon as you got here.”

His children and in-laws crowded around the table, loaded with platters of food. Mae’s father gave a simple blessing and began to carve the turkey. A job Roy had always held when they’d hosted Thanksgiving. Suddenly his appetite left him as his thoughts went to all he’d lost in the last three years. A mother, sister, and now his beloved wife.

“Say Roy,” said his brother-in-law, Daniel interrupting his thoughts. “Any word about town on work I might find?”

“No,” said Roy. “Wish I could find more myself.”

The family made feeble attempts at idle chit chat but no amount of pretending could hide the fact the most important member of the family was missing.

Roy decided he couldn’t go through this again at Christmas. He’d take up his half- brother Milo’s offer to spend the holidays with him in La Connor. Puyallup held too many memories of Christmas past.

In January Mae’s parents decided to move back to Puyallup. Roy was grateful they’d be nearby to help with the children. Iva was a teen now and try as he might, there were times when she needed another woman to talk over things with.

The next few years were not easy. It continued to be a struggle to make ends meet. Iva, now in High School had a job in the library which gave her the money she needed to buy clothes and other necessities a teenage girl needed.

He relished summer trips into the forest to fish and hike with his son and brother. Other times he and Verle enjoyed listening to ball games on the radio or when they could spare the time and money took in a real ball game.

In the spring of 1935 President Roosevelt created the WPA as part of his New Deal plan. It gave work to unemployed folks for public works projects. Puyallup got some of those projects and he obtained more regular work helping to construct the town’s Wild Wood Park. Although he didn’t get as many hours as he’d like it did give him a dependable income making it a bit easier to make ends meet.  

In 1936 he and Verle followed the rowing crew at the University of Washington, along with the rest of the Northwest, as they met and won one challenge after another. Now they were in the race for the gold in Nazi Germany.

On August 14^th Roy rose and put a pot of coffee on the stove to boil. He fiddled with the knob on the radio and tuned into KOMO so it would be ready when Verle got up to join him. He still found it incredible, a device sitting in his dining room could tune into events occurring on the other side of the world. While he had followed Jesse Owens story with pride, it was the rough and tumble boys from the University of Washington Crew team that enthralled him. After all they were Washington working class boys, not so different from what he’d once been.

At 9:15 the voice of NBC’s announcer began to crackle over the airwaves.

“Geez, Daddy.” said Verle. “It’ hard to believe what we are hearing is coming all the way from Berlin isn’t it.”

“Hush,” Roy said.

It was hard enough to make out what was happening over the radio without his son chattering. They heard a lot of wild applauding. Who was it for? Finally they heard the American boat had won by a mere six tenths of a second. He and Verle stood and cheered. As the radio turned to other news, he and Verle went off to do their chores.

In June of 1937, Roy sat in the auditorium of Puyallup High school beaming with pride as his daughter Iva graduated from High School. How he wished Mae could have been there to see this day. The first child in either of their families to graduate from High School. It was just as well she didn’t want to go onto to college for there was no way he could have found the money to help pay her way.

On December 21^st of 1938, Iva arrived home early one evening with her latest beau, Jack Bailey. He didn’t know much about the tall lanky lad standing in the room with her except he was a Bailey related somehow to Mae’s sister’s husband.

“Daddy,” she said,” We have something to announce.”

Roy set the newspaper he was reading down, “Okay, I am listening.”

 Iva clasped the hand of the young man. “We got married this afternoon in Tacoma.”

He rose from his seat. “What? How could you? What do you think you are going to live on?”

I have work, sir,” said Jack. “I am working for the Civil Conservation Core.”

 “And we found a small place to rent in Tacoma,” added Iva.

In shock all Roy could think of was the hard road ahead his daughter had chosen to go down.

He turned toward her. “Well, sister I guess you’ve made your bed, now you’re going to have to sleep in it.”

“We will be spending Christmas holidays with Jack’s folks instead of going to La Conner with you and Verle.”

“It’s just as well,” said Roy. It’s a bit late to spring a fourth person on them.”

As Roy shut the door behind the two love birds as they left to return to Tacoma, He sighed. This was not the path he and Mae had imagined their daughter would go down. He hoped the boy turned out to be a decent sort. Still he feared a marriage started on a shoestring would never last.

Little did he know that the choice his daughter had just made would change the course of his life.

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Authors notes:

1. Although I never got to taste one my great grandmother Martha Phillip’s was known for her wonderful pie crusts. I recall at my first attempt at making a pie crust both my dad and grandpa said it tasted just like hers and the pie soon disappeared as they helped themselves to seconds. I have never succeeded in making a pie crust that good again

2. Iva wrote of having a job in her high school library which gave her the money for a young girls needs.

3. My Dad in his later years, often talked about following the rowing crew of 1936. After reading the “Boys in The Boat” by Daniel James Brown, I realized what a huge this story had been particularly in the Northwest. And yes, Komo radio did broadcast the Berlin race live. If you haven’t read the book I suggest you do, it’s a great read for anyone even the non sports fan.

4. My grandfather often told us how shocked he’d been when my aunt Iva arrived home after eloping. He didn’t know much about Jack and thought the marriage would never last. He said he told her, “Sister you’ve made your bed now you will have to sleep in it.” While Iva later said she regretted eloping and springing it on her dad that way, she never regretted having married Jack..

In early December Roy had the house finished enough for them to move in to before the arrival of the baby. He finally had a place to settle. It was a two-story house with one bedroom downstairs. He’d finish the two bedrooms and bathroom upstairs later. Besides, sewer lines had still not come to their street, so they’d have to rely on the little house back until it did. Mae couldn’t get over the roomy kitchen where he made the counters just right for her 5’ 6’ height. He’d built and painted the cupboards a creamy white.

“Oh, Roy,” said Mae the first time she saw it completed. “It’s even better than my dreams.”  

In the large dining room, he’d built a plate rail for Mae to display her prettiest plates. He also built her glass china closet for the fine china.

Mae opened the cabinet door. “At last, a place to display our wedding china.”

 A long window seat sat in front of two big windows that looked out into the yard.

He showed her the hidden storage he had built under the seat. “I thought you could put seldom used items here.”

From the sears catalog, they selected a large table and chairs to sit in front of it.

 At the other end of the room, he’d built in a sideboard with two drawers at the bottom to keep their linens. And they purchased another Walnut sideboard to sit in front of the window that overlooked the back porch and yard.

For months now he had admired a house near the Scott Hotel with a big cobblestone porch. Every time he and Mae walked past; they admired it.

“One of those would look great as our front porch.” He put his arms around Mae, “Can’t you see us relaxing in wicker chairs as the sun goes down.”

“I’d love it,” said Mae, “do you think you could do it?”

“Yes, I believe I can.”

She leaned into him, “Sounds heavenly, maybe make one a rocker to lull our babe asleep.”

For now, some wooden steps up to the front door would suffice. It was a project to save for later, after the baby arrived and he’d had time to finish the upstairs rooms.

In the early hours of December 17^th, 1918, Mae roused Roy from his sleep.

“It’s time’ “she said, “I think today is the day our baby arrives.”

 He hurried to dress and went next door to fetch his mother to stay with Mae while he summoned the doctor.

Once the doctor arrived, his mother banished him next door.

“Go on now,” she said as she pushed him out the door. “Go keep your dad company. I will call you as soon as the baby arrives.”

Most of the day Roy paced outside on his parents’ big porch despite the cold December air. From time to time his dad would come out and join him.

“Relax son,” said his dad, “she’ll be fine, your mother birthed seven of you with nary a problem.”   

It seemed an eternity until his mother stepped outside the door. He could tell by the big smile on her face that all was well.He reached his front yard just as the doctor emerged from the door. “Congratulations, Mr. Caple, Mother, and baby are doing fine. Sorry I’m in a hurry, I have another call to make.”

Roy stepped inside the house and opened the door of their bedroom. An exhausted but ecstatic looking Mae held a tiny bundle. She smiled up at him, “It’s girl.”

She opened the blanket to show off the baby. Such perfection he’d never saw. Ten little toes and fingers, a tuft of black hair like her mother’s and blue eyes like his. His heart was overwhelmed, he never had felt such love before.

He leaned over and kissed Mae.

“You can hold her,” she said.

He took the baby into his arms. Such a precious little bundle.

He gazed down at the baby’s sweet face. “What should we name you?”

“How about Iva,” said Mae. “I love that name.”

“Iva,” repeated Roy. And Mae for her beautiful mother.”

The baby yawned and closed her eyes as if to say she liked it too.

The following year of 1919 was a busy, happy one. At the end of the war Roy lost his job in the shipyard but soon found work for a small logging company near Crocker and the Carbon River. He acquired a Model T to make the one-hour commute, enabling him to be home with his family each evening. When he had an extra few minutes, he’d stop along the river and fill two buckets with rocks the right size and shape to create the stone front porch. When spring arrived, they planted a cherry, four apple and pear trees. And he finished the upstairs bedrooms and bath.

In July his sister Lida and her husband George, still living with his parents, welcomed a baby girl they named Blanche into the world. Giving the two families even more reasons to enjoy each other’s company.

Mae’s grandparents along with her Aunt Sadie and her husband Bert Merchant came for an extended stay, renting a house nearby. They enjoyed showing them the local sights on the weekends

 When December arrived, Roy brought home a Christmas tree on little Iva’s first birthday. “Seems like her birthday is a good day to put up a tree.” It would become a yearly tradition.

 He hurried to dress and went next door to fetch his mother to stay with Mae while he summoned the doctor.

Once the doctor arrived, his mother banished him next door.

“Go on now,” she said as she pushed him out the door. “Go keep your dad company. I will call you as soon as the baby arrives.”

Most of the day Roy paced outside on his parents’ big porch despite the cold December air. From time to time his dad would come out and join him.

“Relax son,” said his dad, “she’ll be fine, your mother birthed seven of you with nary a problem.”   

It seemed an eternity until his mother stepped outside the door. He could tell by the big smile on her face that all was well.

He reached his front yard just as the doctor emerged from the door. “Congratulations, Mr. Caple, Mother, and baby are doing fine. Sorry I’m in a hurry, I have another call to make.”

Roy stepped inside the house and opened the door of their bedroom. An exhausted but ecstatic looking Mae held a tiny bundle. She smiled up at him, “It’s girl.”

She opened the blanket to show off the baby. Such perfection he’d never saw. Ten little toes and fingers, a tuft of black hair like her mother’s and blue eyes like his. His heart was overwhelmed, he never had felt such love before.

He leaned over and kissed Mae.

“You can hold her,” she said.

He took the baby into his arms. Such a precious little bundle.

“What should we name you?”  he said gazing down at the baby’s sweet face.

“How about Iva,” said Mae. “I love that name.”

“Iva,” repeated Roy. And Mae for her beautiful mother.”

The baby yawned and closed her eyes as if to say she liked it too.

The following year of 1919 was a busy, happy one. At the end of the war Roy lost his job in the shipyard but soon found work for a small logging company near Crocker and the Carbon River. He acquired a Model T to make the one-hour commute, enabling him to be home with his family each evening. When he had an extra few minutes, he’d stop along the river and fill two buckets with rocks the right size and shape to create the stone front porch. When spring arrived, they planted a cherry, four apple and pear trees. And he finished the upstairs bedrooms and bath.

In July his sister Lida and her husband George, still living with his parents, welcomed a baby girl they named Blanche into the world. Giving the two families even more reasons to enjoy each other’s company.

Mae’s grandparents along with her Aunt Sadie and her husband Bert Merchant came for an extended stay, renting a house nearby. They enjoyed showing them the local sights on the weekends.

 When December arrived, Roy brought home a Christmas tree on little Iva’s first birthday. “Seems like her birthday is a good day to put up a tree.”

It would become a yearly tradition.

After the birthday cake at his parents house Roy carried a sleeping Iva home. He and Mae tucked her into her crib. They wrapped their arms around each other and gazed down at her sweet face.

Mae said, “It’s hard to believe an entire year has gone by since she entered the world, isn’t it?

Roy kissed his wife. “Seems like yesterday, she’s growing too fast. Just think next year she’ll want to decorate that tree in the front room with us.”

Mae laughed. “More like she’ll be pulling all the tinsel off.”

—————— —————-

Author’s notes:

The description of the interior of the house comes from a piece my Aunt Iva wrote of her childhood home, which my dad agreed was just the way he remembered it.

We visited the house once or twice a year when I was growing up. I too remember the built-in cupboards in the dining room and the bench window seat with a big dining table in front.

My aunt told me they always went and got their Christmas tree on her birthday. A tradition she wasn’t overly fond of. She would have preferred the day be reserved for just her birthday.

Roy and Mae picked a day for their wedding in mid August. Roy found a small house to rent. It contained a sitting room, kitchen, one bedroom and all the furniture  needed to start married life.

When Mae’s parents had brought her to Lead to take a look at it. She had thrown her arms around him. “Oh, Roy I love it. It’s a storybook house.”

 Her mother had nodded in agreement. “It’s a perfect starter home.”

Roy had hoped his parents and sister would come to witness the occasion. His mother had written back that she didn’t think his dad was up to the long train trip and Lida had upped and eloped at the end of May just before her eighteenth birthday. Neither the newlyweds nor his brothers could spare the cash to make the trip.

He and Mae decided to keep the ceremony small. Just some members of Mae’s family, able to attend a Wednesday wedding.

When the day of the wedding arrived Roy laid down his new dark suit, white shirt, and dark blue silk tie he’d purchased for the occasion on his bed and went downstairs for breakfast and to bid his fellow boarding companions goodbye. Afterwards donned in his suit he bade goodbye to Mrs. Olsen.

 “We’re going to miss your face at the dinner table tonight,” she said. “I wish you and that bride of yours all the best. And don’t forget to bring her around so I can meet her.”

“ Will do,”  said Roy as he bounded down the steps of his boarding house in a rush to catch the train to Belle Fourche and his bride. He couldn’t be late today of all days.

At a quarter of three he stood inside the vestibule of the Belle Fourche church with his best man and the minister. Butterflies danced in his stomach. Somewhere else in the church he knew his bride waited. Is she as nervous as I am?

 Out in the main church area he spotted his soon-to-be brother-in-law, thirteen-year-old Daniel, seating the guests.

At last, the moment came, an organ began to play music. The minister beckoned Roy and his best man to join him in front of the alter.

Mae’s sister walked down the aisle, and then came Mae looking more beautiful than ever before. She wore a long white dress which danced at the top of white ankle boots. The elbow length sleeves of her dress met long white gloves. Her slender waist was accented by a wide band above which revealed a  bodice trimmed with a white caplet. The heart necklace he’d given her on her birthday graced her throat and in her hands she carried a bouquet of white flowers.

At the altar they locked eyes on one and other.

“You look beautiful,” Roy whispered. And at last they began to exchange the words he’d waited so long for.

“Roy,” said the Minister, “Will you take Mae to be your wife to love and cherish until death to you part.”

 “I do.”

Mae handed her glove to her sister and he slipped an engraved gold band on her finger.

 She the repeated words and slipped a gold band on his finger.

“ I now pronounce you man and wife,” said the minister.

Arm and arm they made their way down the aisle where they were soon encircled by the family wishing them congratulations and well wishes.

The minister directed him over to the parish office to sign the register. Roy dipped the pen in the ink well and signed his legal name William Roy Caple upon the certificate. He handed the pen to Mae. Her her face radianting like the warm summer sun. She dipped the pen into the ink and signed Mae Edith Phillips, then passed the pen to her sister and the best man to sign as witnesses. Then the two of them returned to the church to have their formal wedding photo taken.

Outside they joined the group waiting and strolled the few blocks to the Phillips house where a celebratory dinner had been made. Afterwards they checked into the Belle Fourche Hotel to spend their first night as a married couple.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Six months later, a blast of frigid air hit Roy’s face as he emerged from the homestead mine. What, he wondered, had happened to the warm start of the day? Why the thermometer on the front porch had registered sixty when he’d headed off to work. Now it felt cold enough to be zero.

He huddled his chin into his light jacket and hustled home.

Mae opened the front door as he reached for the handle. She threw her arms around him in a warm embrace. “Goodness, you must be half frozen to death. This morning felt like spring and now it’s winter again.”

He nuzzled himself inside her warm arms, “I didn’t take the time to notice the temperature before I came in. Did you look?”

“I did, it’s twenty. That’s South Dakota for you spring one minute and winter the next.”

He shivered, “I believe that’s the biggest temperature change I have witnessed, in all my life, in such a brief time. And here I thought I thought I’d relish a warm stroll in sun on the way home.”

Mae took one of his icy hands in her warm one and led him into the kitchen where a pot of soup bubbled on the stove.

 She put a blanket around his shoulders and poured him a cup of hot coffee. “This should warm you up.”

Roy greedily sipped the warm coffee as the warmth of it and the cook stove gradually unthawed him. He observed his wife as she stirred the pot of soup. She looked as beautiful today as the day they’d wed. Had it really been 6 months since that day? He glanced at the room; Mae had added touches to make it feel like home. A picture of her old homestead hung on the wall along side a photo of his parent’s house in Puyallup. Red gingham curtains framed the windows reminding him of the ones his mother had hung in their Oklahoma Soddy as did the big, braided rag rug under table. The only difference was here a crocheted lace cloth graced their table where they’d had a piece of old oil cloth instead.

He sniffed the air. “Something smells delicious.”

“I thought you’d need something to warm your innards tonight so I made potato and bacon soup and crusty wheat rolls.”

She ladled the soup into two bowls and placed them on the table along with a basket of hot rolls. Then she joined him.

Blowing on a spoonful she set it down. “It needs to cool to cool a bit. Just think, next March we’ll be in Puyallup. I doubt we’ll find it so cold there.”

Roy reached for a roll and slathered it with butter. “Warmer, but wet. Are you positive you’re okay with leaving your family.”

As much as he longed to return to Puyallup and leave the wretched gold mine behind, his wife needed to be content too. They’d talked of moving ever since they got engaged last May.

She got up to pour him some more coffee. “I’m positive. I can’t wait for you to build our dream home.”

He swallowed a spoonful of soup. “I’d feel better if this blasted war would end. There’s talking of upping the draft to include my age bracket. ”

Mae reached for another roll, “Surely it won’t come to that. And if it does, your parents would be next door to help if needed. I’d be fine, it’s you I’d worry about.”

Roy reached for another roll. “Are you sure you are okay with moving?”

“Roy, I will miss my family but I don’t like you working in that gold mine any more than you do. There is no future for us here. Besides, I have family in Puyallup. Maybe not Mama and Papa, but they’re family just the same. And your brother said he could you a job at the shipyards in Tacoma. You’re better suited for that work and it’s safer too.”

Roy looked into her determined eyes. “That settles it. What do you say we leave in May just after your birthday?”

She smiled, “That’s a splendid idea. We can throw a birthday-going party at the same time. She got up and went to the stove. “Let me refill your bowl. Stop worrying about taking me away from mama and papa. I’m not a kid anymore, I know moving to Puyallup is the right choice for us.”

________________________________________________________________________

Author’s notes:

My grandfather often mentioned the sudden temperature drop he experience while working in the gold mine in Lead. He worked deep in the mine and was surprised when he emerged at the end of the day to find it well below freezing when it had been a warm spring morning when he had left for work. I chose to include it in here in this story.

I am not sure when they moved to Puyallup but a local South Dakota newspaper mentioned they had gone to visit Mae’s aunt Sadie in late april of 1918 most likely to say good-bye. By September when Roy had to register for the draft he is working in a Tacoma Shipyard. So it had to have been sometime in the late spring or summer of 1918.