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I
come from a
devout Presbyterian family. My Dad’s parents, the Alexanders,
came from Flora, Illinois, to homestead on Cedar Ridge, east of
Kendrick, in 1886. They arrived by train to Moscow, and then relied on
an agent to find the homestead. It took a year to find the right one.
My grandfather helped build the Gold Hills church in 1908. On the other
side, my mother’s parents, the Jenks family, also homesteaded
near Cedar Ridge, so this area has always been special to me. Both
families raised wheat, barley, oats, beans, and had
large gardens. We still use the Jenks
family homestead as a family retreat. From a photograph, Beth
Rimmelspacher recently captured the essence of the homestead in a
wonderful painting.
Mom and Dad married in 1916 and had three children. I am the oldest,
then two brothers (both deceased). Riding horseback, we attended the
one-room Cedar Ridge School with all eight grades in the one room. As
farmers, we survived the depression by being blessed with plenty of
food, marketing the surpluses in Kendrick.
In 1934, we moved to Clarkston so that my two brothers and I could
finish high school at Charles Adams High. We attended First
Presbyterian Church with the Rev. David Brown, as pastor. Also
attending was a cute young man who took my eye. After graduation in
1936, I went to Lewis Clark Normal (now LCSC) and earned my teaching
certificate. We lived on 15th and Chestnut, so walking to LC everyday
was an adventure in itself. Dad worked several jobs during these two or
three years away from the farm.
My first teaching job in 1939-40 was a one-room, 8-grade school outside
Juliaetta, with 15-20 children. Some were from the Nez Perce Tribe. In
those days, duties included chopping wood, building the fire, cleaning
the outhouse, cleaning the school room and, of course, teaching, all
for $90.00 a month. I boarded with a family and paid my own expenses.
The cute young guy I mentioned above was Joe Michaelis, by then also a
teacher, and I married him in 1941, Rev. Brown doing the honors. His
mother too was a teacher, from Iowa originally, and his father came
from Missouri. We celebrated our 50th in Hendrick Hall with many
friends and family members. We had 58 and half years together. Very
early in our married life, however, as I was driving (a car, not a
horse) home one cold afternoon, I heard on the radio about Pearl
Harbor. Joe went into the service within days, the first married man
from Nez Perce County. I followed him later to several airbases in
California and then to Roswell, New
Mexico where he
spent five years of his military time. While he was instructing men how
to pilot B-17 planes, I was learning how to be an
officer’s wife and occasionally substitute teaching. Times were
tough, but we both had our faith to see us through.
At war’s end, we moved first to the University of Idaho, and then
to Forest Grove, Oregon, so Joe could attend Pacific
University’s College of
Optometry.
During his five years of schooling, I continued to teach, and
we
had two children, Joelle, born in Lewiston, and Marsha, born in Forest
Grove.
We returned to our Idaho “roots” to settle for life and
built a house, (which I still maintain with help). Joe established his
optometric office at 10th and Bryden, not far from our home. I
furthered my career by graduating from the University of Idaho after
many summers of course work while teaching grade school in
Lewiston.
My adult life has revolved around my Christian upbringing. And First
Presbyterian has been at the center. Both daughters were married in our
“home church.” I served as a Deacon and Sunday School
teacher, a youth group leader, and VBS teacher. Until recently,
(because I don’t drive anymore—horses or cars!) I enjoyed
the craft Fellowship group and OWLS. Our family functions with our
daughters, their husbands, four grandchildren, and one great grandson
are a joy. As I
write this, a new great granddaughter is due to arrive in January,
2008. First Presbyterian is our second home and all who attend are very
precious to us. Joe and I, from high school on, have lived our
Christian training and have passed it on to our children.
Joe continued to fly after military service, mostly planes out of the
Lewiston airport, many times with his longtime pilot friend, Floyd
Roberts. He was an Elder. He maintained the old Jenks homestead, was an
avid furniture maker and woodworker. The whole family has many of his
pieces. The bible holders under the pews, and items to sell for the
bazaar were his gifts to the church.
Retirement for me in 1979, but later for Joe, was a happy time. We
enjoyed traveling in our motor home to the southwest, to Canada, and to
the Midwest where we did some genealogy work on our two families. We
haven’t found that “ghost” in the closet yet!
My beloved Joe went to his heavenly home on August 21, 1999, his 82nd
birthday. I miss him terribly, but know he is with our Lord and for
that I praise Him. I continue to knit, read, visit with friends, and
“hold down the fort” as Joe used to say. Thank you First
Presbyterian for constantly reinforcing our beliefs and
always being there for us.
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