Grandma Shirley's Early Childhood

Who is the person we call Grandma Shirley? I thought each of you should come to know and love my parents as I do. Jenna asked if I would contribute some of the histories I have in small doses so as not to induce a coma. The first is from Grandma Shirley's childhood. Believe me, it was hard to get her to talk about herself. Here goes: I was born to Eberhart Welton Ward and Wiliminah Catherine Smith, on Sept 14, 1921. This was a second marriage for my mother. She had one daughter by her first marriage. It was the first marriage for my father. My older sister’s name was Rayola. Dad had gone on a mission to Denver Colorado earlier and mother had Rayola, then she and her first husband divorced. (Editor's note: He said he was going to California to get work and that he would send for her. He never did.) She met Dad through her sister Aunt Mable, who was teaching school, who was living in Riverside. Dad was born on a Washakie Indian Reservation. My Grandfather was in charge of Indain affairs and was also a Bishop on the reservation. That is where my dad spent his childhood. They moved from there to the little town of Riverside Ut. To learn more about the Washakie Indian Reservation and see how Brigham Young and the Mormons played a role go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washakie Comments from Scott: Mom had two other siblings named Mary (1919-1920) and Verle (1917-1921). Mary was the apple of her mother's eye and was an exceptionally beautiful child. She contracted diphtheria and suddenly died. The house was quarantined and a funeral was out of the question. Grandma Ward was never able to bring that loss to closure. She often commented how sad it was to have a child "carted away to the cemetery without a funeral." Mary passed away a year before Grandma Shirley was born. People would say, "Well, you see, you got another daughter to replace little Mary." Grandma Ward told Margie that she was not a replacement for Mary, but Margie continued to feel "second fiddle." The first December after Grandma Shirley was born, her brother Verle became ill and passed away. It has always been a wonder to me that Grandma Shirley could always maintain such a positive attitude in spite of the difficult circumstances, poverty and adversity into which she was born. To see the listings of Mary and Verle in the Riverside Cemetery, go to http://www.lofthouse.com/boxelder/cemetery/riverside.htm or just click here. Scroll to the bottom and search the names under "Ward."