Memories

Joe and Marj Schallenberger

Joe continues his Shifting Scenes article with the statement: “in 1933 Mother passed away and with Floyd and Mildred married and Clyde working outside, he, his dad, and Etola stayed on the ranch.”

Hard, tough years: “1934 caught us out of feed both in the stack and on the ground and we along with the majority were forced to sell our stock to the Government. Good cows brought $20.00 each and the poorer ones $16.00. They had to be delivered to the railroad at Marmarth, North Dakota — about seventy miles away — so the ranchers went together and drove them there — taking as many as 1,500 head in one herd.”

Joe reports the thirties were depression years and the government set up what was known as the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) and provided jobs for a few people. The pay wasn’t great, but it did keep food on the table.

I remember my dad, George Townsend, Fred Yates and Carter Elmore being a part of the group.

“The Winter of 1936 was bad and toward spring I was down about six weeks with scarlet fever. We lost one of our work horses and borrowed one from neighbor Pangburn in order to get supplies from town. I made the trips — bringing supplies for both families.”

Joe also writes on family, marriage, children, school years and life on the ranch. On September 14, 1935 Joe married Marjorie Powell and I will have some more later on that in another article.

The next few years the family grew to four with the births of Betty and Wauneita. His dad decided to sell the ranch to them, but continued to live with them.

School time: “Our girls went to country school until the sixth grade when the school closed down — forcing us to board them in town where they stayed with their grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Ora Stain.”

Because of cold and snow there was little contact with the girls in town for a long time until Oscar Quam braved conditions and brought mail and information to them. Also during those bad winters, a fellow who owned a place would drop the mail to ranchers in the area.

More children: “As time went on, our family increased by the addition of Linda Kay, and twins, Gary and Gail. With no school in the area and with some health problems and a desire to be with the children, we decided to sell the ranch, farm and move into Ekalaka. In 1956 we purchased the Midway Motel and operated it until 1979.”

It was reported that Joe and Marj attended country school and graduated from Carter County High School — Joe in 1927 and Marj in 1934. Joe was valedictorian.

Besides operating the motel, Joe was County Assessor for four years, a Farmers Group insurance agent for twenty-three years, secretary of IOOF Cemetery, a fire department volunteer and worked with Stevenson Funeral Home for many years. Marj was involved with several clubs which promoted garden and yard activities.

Still more to come on this family next time.