Hello Dear Reader,
After Grandma (Mary) Carter arrived in Arizona she and Wes found a shortage of housing. The only place they could find was a big, old deserted house in the town of Fry. Apparently Verl Croft’s wife and children arrived at about the same time as Mary (maybe they caravanned or traveled together) because the Croft family lived in one room, Wes and Mary lived in another room, and yet another couple lived in a back room.
They had no electricity, no heat, no water, and no bathroom facilities. They used boxes for chairs, orange crates for cupboards, and a new garbage can with ice in it for a refrigerator. They bought used bed springs and a table. They lived in this manner for several months. True love!
Love,
Aunt Genni
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Mary Arrives in Arizona
Hello Dear Reader,
I thought you might like to see some early photographs of Wes and Mary. The first one is of Wes sitting on the running board of his 1933 Plymouth coupe playing with his dog, Blackie. The second one is of Wes and Mary when they were a young, newly-married couple. There you go!
Love,
Aunt Genni
I thought you might like to see some early photographs of Wes and Mary. The first one is of Wes sitting on the running board of his 1933 Plymouth coupe playing with his dog, Blackie. The second one is of Wes and Mary when they were a young, newly-married couple. There you go!
Love,
Aunt Genni
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
United Again
Hello Dear Reader,
Fort Huachuca was a Negro army camp and Wes Carter, Verl Croft, Don Davis, and Ren Barney built barracks. In the beginning they lived in unfinished barracks the construction company furnished for their employees. It wasn’t long until Wes and Verl were given the best jobs on the project because they were such good carpenters. They became friends with the foreman, Owen Radford, and his wife.
Wes saved his money for several weeks until he had enough to send for Mary. She drove their old car down accompanied by their half-cocker spaniel, Blackie. That must have been a scary trip for a young wife. It was 600 miles.
Love,
Aunt Genni
Fort Huachuca was a Negro army camp and Wes Carter, Verl Croft, Don Davis, and Ren Barney built barracks. In the beginning they lived in unfinished barracks the construction company furnished for their employees. It wasn’t long until Wes and Verl were given the best jobs on the project because they were such good carpenters. They became friends with the foreman, Owen Radford, and his wife.
Wes saved his money for several weeks until he had enough to send for Mary. She drove their old car down accompanied by their half-cocker spaniel, Blackie. That must have been a scary trip for a young wife. It was 600 miles.
Love,
Aunt Genni
Monday, July 13, 2009
Work in Arizona
Hello Dear Reader,
Grandpa (Wes) Carter was able to save a little money and decided to go to Fort Huachuca, Arizona where carpenters were being hired for construction of a new army camp. He pooled his resources with Don Davis, Ren Barney, and Verl Croft who had all worked with him at the power plant and they left Provo in Ren Barney's car for Arizona.
Fort Huachuca is located below Tucson on the Mexican border. When these men arrived they got work immediately. Wes’s starting wage was $70.00 a week—people back home could hardly imagine that that amount of money could or would be paid a carpenter. While he was in Provo he thought $20 a week was a lot.
Love,
Aunt Genni
Grandpa (Wes) Carter was able to save a little money and decided to go to Fort Huachuca, Arizona where carpenters were being hired for construction of a new army camp. He pooled his resources with Don Davis, Ren Barney, and Verl Croft who had all worked with him at the power plant and they left Provo in Ren Barney's car for Arizona.
Fort Huachuca is located below Tucson on the Mexican border. When these men arrived they got work immediately. Wes’s starting wage was $70.00 a week—people back home could hardly imagine that that amount of money could or would be paid a carpenter. While he was in Provo he thought $20 a week was a lot.
Love,
Aunt Genni
Saturday, July 11, 2009
More Traditions
Hello Dear Reader,
Let's get back to the traditions that Wes and Mary began as newly weds. Sometime during the Christmas season they made candy—traditionally fudge and divinity but sometimes pulled taffy. Wes usually made the divinity. It is one of the few things I remember him cooking and he did it well. Here is the recipe:
GRANDPA’S DIVINITY
2 cups sugar
2 egg whites, beaten until very stiff
½ cup white corn syrup
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Mix sugar, syrup and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and cook without stirring until hard, almost brittle when dropped in cold water. Pour slowly over egg whites, beating constantly. Continue to beat until it creams or until it looses its glossiness and becomes dull. Add vanilla and nuts, if desired. Drop from a spoon. (Divinity is better if kept in a covered container overnight.)
Christmas dinner usually took place on the afternoon of Christmas Eve in celebration of Wes’s birthday. Then there was time for family parties and reading the Christmas story from the Book of Luke before bed. Wes and Mary opened their gifts on Christmas morning and then visited parents, brothers, and sisters to see “what Santa brought,” and exclaim over wonderful gifts. Christmas was always anticipated and the season was full of love and joy.
Love,
Aunt Genni
Let's get back to the traditions that Wes and Mary began as newly weds. Sometime during the Christmas season they made candy—traditionally fudge and divinity but sometimes pulled taffy. Wes usually made the divinity. It is one of the few things I remember him cooking and he did it well. Here is the recipe:
GRANDPA’S DIVINITY
2 cups sugar
2 egg whites, beaten until very stiff
½ cup white corn syrup
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Mix sugar, syrup and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and cook without stirring until hard, almost brittle when dropped in cold water. Pour slowly over egg whites, beating constantly. Continue to beat until it creams or until it looses its glossiness and becomes dull. Add vanilla and nuts, if desired. Drop from a spoon. (Divinity is better if kept in a covered container overnight.)
Christmas dinner usually took place on the afternoon of Christmas Eve in celebration of Wes’s birthday. Then there was time for family parties and reading the Christmas story from the Book of Luke before bed. Wes and Mary opened their gifts on Christmas morning and then visited parents, brothers, and sisters to see “what Santa brought,” and exclaim over wonderful gifts. Christmas was always anticipated and the season was full of love and joy.
Love,
Aunt Genni
Friday, July 10, 2009
More Wedding Details
Hello Dear Reader,
The article in the Evening Herald went on: “A beautiful gown of white satin was worn by the bride, and her fingertip veil of net edged with lace, fell from a crown of seed pearls. She carried pink rosebuds. All the attendants wore dainty taffeta frocks, in blue, salmon, and lavender, respectively, and corsages of sweet peas and rosebuds.
“The bride’s father acted as master of ceremonies, and during dancing, a program was furnished. Refreshments were served all evening. The beautiful gifts were in charge of Mrs. Lois Black of Castle Dale, sister of the bride.
“The young couple are spending a few days in southern Utah, and will return to make their home in Provo.” This last sentence surprises me. If they did go to southern Utah I never heard about it and neither one wrote anything about it in their histories.
Love,
Aunt Genni
The article in the Evening Herald went on: “A beautiful gown of white satin was worn by the bride, and her fingertip veil of net edged with lace, fell from a crown of seed pearls. She carried pink rosebuds. All the attendants wore dainty taffeta frocks, in blue, salmon, and lavender, respectively, and corsages of sweet peas and rosebuds.
“The bride’s father acted as master of ceremonies, and during dancing, a program was furnished. Refreshments were served all evening. The beautiful gifts were in charge of Mrs. Lois Black of Castle Dale, sister of the bride.
“The young couple are spending a few days in southern Utah, and will return to make their home in Provo.” This last sentence surprises me. If they did go to southern Utah I never heard about it and neither one wrote anything about it in their histories.
Love,
Aunt Genni
Back to the Wedding
Hello Dear Reader,
I apologize but I need to go back in Grandpa (Wes) and Grandma (Mary) Carter’s story as I just found a newspaper article giving more details of their wedding.
The heading says, “Many Provoans At Wedding In Spanish Fork.” After stating where and when the reception was held the article went on: “The delightful affair was largely attended and the guests were received by the parents of the bride and groom; Boyd Christiansen of Provo, best man; the groom and bride; Mrs. Lila Madsen of Provo, cousin of the bride, matron of honor, and Miss Mary Ellen Argyle of Lake Shore, friend, and Mrs. Maurita Carter, Sister-in-law of the groom, bridesmaids.
Aunt Rita (Maurita) became a bridesmaid at the last moment because Aunt Angie (Wes’s younger sister), who was supposed to have that honor, had eloped with Morris Cameron and they were in Las Vegas getting married that day.
Love,
Aunt Genni
I apologize but I need to go back in Grandpa (Wes) and Grandma (Mary) Carter’s story as I just found a newspaper article giving more details of their wedding.
The heading says, “Many Provoans At Wedding In Spanish Fork.” After stating where and when the reception was held the article went on: “The delightful affair was largely attended and the guests were received by the parents of the bride and groom; Boyd Christiansen of Provo, best man; the groom and bride; Mrs. Lila Madsen of Provo, cousin of the bride, matron of honor, and Miss Mary Ellen Argyle of Lake Shore, friend, and Mrs. Maurita Carter, Sister-in-law of the groom, bridesmaids.
Aunt Rita (Maurita) became a bridesmaid at the last moment because Aunt Angie (Wes’s younger sister), who was supposed to have that honor, had eloped with Morris Cameron and they were in Las Vegas getting married that day.
Love,
Aunt Genni
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