A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Della Ruth Larens
Excerpt from a writeup by Anna Larens Wilson (obtained from Todd Adair Wilson; a few obvious typographical errors have been corrected):
REMEMBRANCES OF MY SISTER DELLA RUTH LARENS WILSON
Della Ruth Larens Wilson was born to Alma Louise Smith Larens, and Harvey Nicholas Larens on April 16, 1911. She was a beautiful baby, and grew into a lovely young girl and woman. She was blessed with a very mild disposition, and caring nature, and loved by everyone. Her mother always said she was such an easy child to raise. Ruth was a little mother to her sister Anna and brother Martin, who were two and four years her junior. The life in the Larens household went very smoothly the first seven years of Ruth’s life. Then at seven, her father was called into the Congregational Church as a minister. So this new job entailed a move to another town. The family rode in the caboose of a train on moving day. The furniture in a freight car. Ruth was so delighted over the big two story manse we moved into.
No matter how large the house or small, Ruth and Anna always slept together. So there was one room we didn’t use upstairs. We found many hats in the closet, so we called it the hat room, and Ruth and Anna spent many happy hours playing dressup in that room, and trying on all the hats, left by former minister’s wives.
Then on September 12, 1918 Ruth’s dear papa, as we called him, and who had been ill for several days with a nurse in a white uniform attending him, slipped downstairs while Ruth’s mother, Sister and brother and herself slept on the floor in the large entrance hall. The stairway went up from that. Papa slipped by us to a coat closet and got his rifle, and quietly returned upstairs without waking us. Then we were all awakened by a terrible blast that we never forgot. Ruth’s mother ran upstairs and found papa dead in the bathroom. The nurse had gone home that night, and we were on the floor downstairs so we wouldn’t disturb him as we got ready for bed. Ruth’s mother could never talk about this, so she grew up never knowing what illness her papa had.
This tragic happening naturally caused chaos in the life of Ruth and her family. Her Uncle George O. Smith, who was Superintendent of the Princeton Schools of Bureau County, and brother to her mother, came immediately. He took Ruth, her sister and brother to Grandma Smith’s home in De Pue, Ill. Grandma Smith was Ruth’s mother’s mother. Ruth watched over her younger sister and brother, and helped them in their confusion. Grandma Smith had a big two story house, and at this time she took in boarders and roomers. Grandpa Smith had been dead for many years. Aunt Nora O’Byrne, who was Ruth’s mother’s sister and had a husband and 6 children, and lived in a little house up on DePue Hill. To help Grandma Smith out, Ruth and her siblings were sent to Aunt Nora’s. Ruth’s mother came in a few days, and so did the body of papa, which was laid in state in the living room. These were awe filled days for Ruth and her siblings.
So many people we didn’t know came, and Ruth was the little mother watching over her 5 yr. old sister, and 2 yr. old brother. The Congregational Church, that Ruth’s mother grew up in was just two doors from her Grandma’s home. Then came the day when the funeral took place. There were so many people. At the graveside, again Ruth was the little mother, taking care of her siblings. In a few days Ruth and the other two children had the comfort of their mother, as we all shared one big bedroom. Ruth and Anna in one bed, and little Martin in bed with his mother.The family drew very close together as life began without papa. Ruth’s mother had to go to work. She was a teacher, but the school year had already started. She worked on the night shift at the Zinc Plant, and had to wear kaki knickers, which was very brazen for women in 1918. Ruth started school, which was just around the corner from her Grandma’s. Ruth had a close friend, Grace Charles, who lived right across the street, and they spent many happy hours together. Her parents were divorced, and she lived with her grandmother.
Christmas came, and everyone was ill with the great flu of 1918. Grandma and mother escaped it, but Grandma helped other people who needed care. Ruth and Anna had it, and were just recovering from it on Christmas Eve. They were allowed to eat dinner with the family for the first time in a week or more. As we sat at the table, Ruth said she heard jingle bells. There was someone at the door shouting “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas”, and who should come in but Santa himself laden with a big bag of toys over his shoulder. He said, “HO, Ho, HO,” and opened the bag and left many gifts of toys and food. As he left Ruth and all the family ran to the door, and there in the snow was a sleigh with jingle bells, and Santa driving away laughing.
World War One was over Nov. 11, 1918, and Ruth’s Uncle Jesse was coming home soon after Christmas, and the house was a buzz with excitement. There was a blackboard hanging on one Wall of the dining room where Ruth and Anna used to draw pictures of the Kaiser, and our soldier boys at war. Ruth had us all excited about Uncle Jesse coming home and maybe bringing a gas mask. The day arrived, and he did have a gas mask, a horrible looking object. He stayed with us a couple of weeks, then left for California to find work. He worked on the roads at Yellowstone before going to California where he did the same line of work.
Ruth started piano lessons, and progressed rapidly. She had lessons for about two and a half years.
When Ruth was 8 yrs. old Grandma Smith died. Consequently Uncle Con and Aunt Nora, and their six children moved in Grandma’s house with us, so Aunt Nora could care for Ruth, Anna and Martin, while Ruth’s mother worked. This was a lively household with 9 children, and the oldest 16 yrs. of age. When Ruth was 9 yrs. old, her mother was called to teach in the Bureau Elementary School, 6 miles from De Pue. Ruth, her mother and siblings first lived in a big duplex near the railroad tracks. Bureau was a town of 300 population. The next year a little house next to the school was for rent, so Ruth’s family moved there. In the fall black walnuts were gathered in the woods, and we would have a picnic the four of us, and it was an enjoyable time. Sunday, all through the years, was a time to go to Sunday School, Church then back to church in the evening for that service. Martin had a little red wagon, and Ruth and Anna took turns pulling the wagon with Martin asleep in it after the evening service. We were happy to do this, as great love existed among the four of us. In the winter the entire town on a Friday or Saturday night went to the Town Pond that was frozen over and ice skated. We would take hot dogs and roast them in the huge fire on the shore the men in the town had built. These were happy times, and Ruth’s mother had the entire town loving her and her family. Ruth made friends with a girl on a farm, and they delivered milk to the homes of Bureau. Ruth was thrilled every time she was asked to accompany her friend Mavis on the milk wagon, and deliver milk to the homes. Of course the milk wagon was pulled by a horse. Ruth and her siblings spent many happy hours at the Spute farm playing in the barn, the fields, and riding ponies.
One day in summer, Ruth’s mother had to go to a Teacher’s Institute in Princeton. She had to leave early in the morning on the inter urban, or street car. No one had cars then except the wealthy. Ruth had to get breakfast for her sister and brother, and she cooked hot cereal on our kerosene stove. When she turned the burner off it didn’t go out, not knowing it burned until all the kerosene burned, so she poured water on the stove, and it did go out. When her mother returned she told Ruth how to operate the stove. I guess she thought she knew from observation.
In October 1922, Ruth’s mother was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. Her only symptom was the loss of her voice. Nevertheless, after being checked and rechecked, she was sent to a T. B. Sanitarium in Springfield, Ill. where they kept her for 1 yr. Uncle George and Aunt Ella took care of Martin, who was 7 yrs old. Anna lived with a Catholic family, who had the biggest farm in the Bureau area. Ruth lived with a farmer and his wife who had no children, so she had many lonely days, although the couple were very good to her. Ruth would see her sister Anna at school, and that was her only contact with family. In October 1923 when Ruth’s mother was declared free of T. B. Uncle Jesse contacted her, and invited her to come to California and he would make a home for her and her children. So October 1923 found Ruth, her mother, sister and brother on a train headed for California. We arrived in Roseville, Ca on Oct. 23, 1923. Uncle Jesse met the family, and drove them to Red Bluff, Ca. Where he had a duplex he rented. He was working for the State Highway Dept. on the road to Mineral. In November he changed jobs, and moved the family to Redding, Ca. where he became a car salesman for Star Auto Sales. Ruth was 12 years old, Anna 10 and Martin 8.
The family lived in an apartment in the Del Monte. The next summer they moved into a duplex on Butte St. east of Market St. Ruth and her siblings attended Pine St. School in the fall of 1924. In the other duplex lived the Kite family. Ruth became fast friends withTeddy and Virginia Kite, and their friendship lasted through the years. The next summer of 1925 the family moved across the street into a 6 room house. The former landlord found Ruth, her siblings and neighbor friends playing mumblety-peg on the lawn. The next morning when Uncle Jesse went out to pick up the paper he found carpet tacks strewn all over the yard. It made him so angry, that he immediately moved the family in the house for rent across the street.
The depression was beginning to be felt, and car sales went down to nothing. Ruth’s mother was able to get an afternoon job at the Shasta Sun, a newspaper in Redding. Her small salary kept us eating, and helped pay the rent. Uncle Jesse about this time fell in love with Margaret Murphy, a nurse. He was courting her when Ruth’s mother felt she needed to free him of his commitment to her. She took the Teacher’s Exam, and asked us all to be in prayer for her that she would pass it. Well, needless to say many heartfelt prayers went up to God, and He heard them, and Ruth’s mother passed the exam, and was hired by the Round Mountain School District to teach the Round Mountain School. It was a summer school beginning in March. So once again as a family, we were divided as Ruth is now a freshman in high school. She lived with the Shipley family, and worked for her room and board. Ruth’s mother and siblings moved to Round Mountain Mar. 1, 1926. Ruth continued to stay in Redding, and visited her mother and siblings during holidays. She worked in the summer at Wilson’s Confectionary, and Mc Call’s Soda Fountain. In the summer of 1928 Ruth’s mother took a teaching job in French Gulch so all the family could be together. It was a joy to all be together again. There were many young people in French Gulch, and we all rode the school bus to Shasta Union High School. Martin is still in grade school having his mother as his teacher. All the young people congregated at our house, and I always thought my pretty sister Ruth was the attraction. Great times were had, and lots of fun. Dances were held on many Saturday nights to benefit the school, so everyone went. Ruth’s boy friends Henry Ronlake and Adair Wilson would attend, and if there wasn’t a dance they’d come out Sunday to take her riding or take her into Redding. Then in 1929 due to a school board member wanting her relative to be the French Gulch Teacher, Ruth’s mother lost her job. Luckily Kosk Creek School in Big Bend was available, and it was a summer school, so in June the family moved to Big Bend, all but Ruth. She lived with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Jesse that summer, and worked at Mc Call’s Soda Fountain.
Then in the fall Ruth lived at Gilzeans working for her board and room.Ruth is now a senior in high school. Anna is also working for her board and room. Ruth graduated from Shasta Union High School June 1929. She is now going steady with Adair Wilson, and she is working at Firth’s Dry Goods, and lived this summer with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Jesse. In the fall Ruth’s mother rented an apartment at the Del Monte, so Martin could go to high school. Anna was working for her board and room with a family named Forrest. After Christmas, however, Mother had all of us with her in the apartment until March when she resumed teaching at Kosk Creek, so Ruth took care of her 2 siblings in the apartment, and worked at Firth’s. The summer of 1930 Ruth’s mother rented another apartment in the Brickwood Apts. near the high school, and Ruth was still working at Firth’s, and lived there alone until her sister and brother joined her in September to go to high school. They had spent the summer with their mother in Big Bend. The family lived there through the summer of 1931, as Ruth’s mother was called to teach the school at Montgomery Creek, and that school ran from September until June. Adair and Ruth are still going together, and as she is working in Redding, she didn’t come home very often due to no means of transportation. On Sept.12, 1933 Ruth and Adair were married in Reno, Nevada. In California you had to wait 3 days to get a marriage license, in Reno you could get married immediately. No one had enough money for a church wedding, anyhow. However, they were married by a minister in a church. Adair was working in Arbuckle for the Union Oil Co., so that is where he took his bride….
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
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