1935- The Toughest Year So Far

This is the first time "Relief" has shown up in Wilford's account books. And the first time they tried to resell Dorothy and Charlene's school books, a lot more talk of credit; a grim year for Wilford and Cora.

1934 Accounts

1934 Blue and Gold Notebook Entries

The routine continues in 1934; careful accounts of income and expenditures spread out over 3 notebooks and a farm account book which seems to summarize everything.

Wilford is working with horses, working on and off at the Seed House, hauling logs, raising hogs, working for his brother, trying to keep things going. Two of his daughters are in early elementary.

A sampling of representative pagers or pages dealing with his family are reproduced here. Again, if you'd like me to email additional pages, please let me know.

Wilford's Blue and Gold 1931-33 Entries

The Blue and Gold Notebook records overlap with the red journal. There is only one 1931 entry and one 1932 entry in the Blue & Gold notebook. Approximately every third page has been scanned of the 1933 records.

During this time Wilford was having a struggle getting work. The optimism of the young man seen in the red journal has turned to the grim determination of a family man facing hard times. There are notes about milk and eggs from the Berry family, working for his father, and for his brother, Bill.

During the Great Depression...

To set Wilford's journals in their proper historical framework, we quote from History's Timeline: "A great financial crisis swept the world in the early 1930's, causing appalling unemployment. It was triggered off in October 1929 by the New York stock market 'crash'...The effect of the selling was that many lost all their money, banks and businesses closed, and by the end of 1931 more than 12 million Americans were out of work...Drastic government intervention in the United States helped gradually to restore business confidence, and the world's economies were recovering by the late 1930's."

Wilford's Timeline

Well, this looked good when I copied it from my word program, but somehow it blew apart. It's a rough draft of Grandpa's life which I've been playing with since about 2002. I haven't added the footnotes, but all the information has been generated from his personal effects and the family group sheets available to the family. Take it with a grain of salt and let me know when you find errors. I put it and the obituary in now so we can see how the photos and the journal/records fit with his history. We can always go back in to revise and correct. I just previewed it and all the tabs flipped out, so if you down load it into a word program you will need to put them back in. Sorry.

Kathy

Wilford Eckersell
1896-1977
Rough Draft Compiled by Kathaleen K. Hamblin 2002

1896 7 Sept. Wilford is born at Rexburg, Madison, Idaho to James McPhail Eckersell (34) and his wife, Diana Matilda Taylor Eckersell (30). He is the 6th child in a family which would grow to 11. He is the 5th son. The oldest child, a son, was stillborn on 1886. Lauretta is 9 years old, Vel is 6, Bill is 4 and Howard is 2.

The family is living on the farm east of town. His father is engaged in farming and freighting.

1899 18 April Sister, May is born at Rexburg.

1901 11 April Sister, Elizabeth (Betty) is born at Rexburg.

Family sells farm to Mr. Huskinson and move into new brick home built by Diana’s father, Samuel Taylor, at 165 North 1st West Rexburg, Idaho.

1902 27 Sept May (3 years old) dies at Rexburg of diphtheria.

1903 6 Nov. Sister, Vera is born at Rexburg.

1906 30 June Wilford (9) is baptized by P. C. Winter at Rexburg and confirmed 1 July by Mr. Winter.

13 July Grandfather, Samuel Taylor (75) dies at Marysville.

1908 14 Jan Sister, Lauretta marries I. Ward Thomas

28 Nov. Brother, Alfonzo is born at Rexburg.

1909 14 Feb. Alfonzo (3 months old) dies of ...

1911 22 Aug. Sister, Violate is born at Rexburg.

1913 5 Jan. Howard (19) marries Sarah Ann Gold. (Divorced in 1938)

James and Dianas’ family homesteads on Camas Creek. Wilford and Vel haul lumber from Bishop Burns Mountain east of Camus Meadows for the house and sheds.

1914-1918 World War I. Vel joins the Army.

1915 31 Dec. Uncle, Archie Eckersell and family die in house fire at Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho.

1917 6 March Grandfather, James Burrows Eckersell (78) dies at Rexburg.

28 March Paternal uncle, John Eckersell (43) marries.

1918 June Wilford registers for WWI Draft. Is disqualified in Aug because of physical; Bad heart. He always felt the paperwork was mixed up.

1919 25 July Grandmother, Matilda Elvira Kelsey Taylor, (83) dies and is buried at Rexburg.

1920 Wilford goes to work for the Woods Livestock Company. Spencer Idaho and Redrock Montana are addresses in his book.

1921 13 Dec. Brother, Bill (29) marries C. Alvon Kinghorn.

1922 Sept - Dec. Wilford works for the Allen Seed Co.

1 Nov. Sister, Vera (19) marries Hamlet Ray Fisher. (Divorced 1941)

1923 4 Feb. Grandmother, Henrietta McPhail Eckersell (83) dies and is buried at Rexburg.

1924 1 Feb. Works for the Allen Seed Company.

1925 Spring Family sells farm on Camus Creek and in the fall buys a dry farm on Canyon Creek.

3 Oct. Wilford (29) marries Cora Smith Berry (17) at Rexburg. She is the oldest daughter of Charles Christy Berry (37) and his wife, Olive Afton Smith Berry (38) of Hibbard, Madison, Idaho.

15 Oct. Sister, Betty (24) marries George Keith Warenski.

1926 25 Sept. Daughter, Dorothy born at Rexburg. Named and blessed by Bishop Ovard. (DEK)

1927 16 June Wilford and Cora are sealed in Logan Temple.

1928 Jan - March Works at the Allen Seed Company.

17 March Daughter, Charlene, born at Rexburg.

1930 4 April Daughter, Maridawn, born at Rexburg.

1931 June Works for the Allen Seed Company.

1932 3 May “Started today for Sellar” Wilford begins raising mushrooms.

4 Nov. Father in Law, Charles Christy Berry (44) dies unexpectedly.

1933 9 Feb. “Weather colder that ever known. Blizzards from North and from south registering 45 to 55 Below.”

7 Sept. Son, Berry Jay, is born. (Confusion exists because of Feb 5, 1933 entry in red journal concerning Berry's blessing, but Wilford must have meant Feb 5, 1934.)

24 Dec. Set apart as 1st Councilor in 1st Elders Quorum by Alma Larsen.

1936 20 Aug. Father, James McPhail Eckersell (74) dies and is buried at Rexburg.

Wilford is raising hogs.

1940 17 April A son is still-born at Rexburg and Wilford buries the baby atop his father’s grave.

1942 13 May Wilford registers as a private in the Madison Co. Battalion.

Works at the poolhall for brother, Bill.

1944 Dorothy graduates high school

1946 2 Aug. Charlene graduates high school.

1947 Charlene (19) marries Paul Lyle (Joe) Conover.

Wilford and Cora buy family house from his mother and remodel.

1948 Maridawn graduates high school.

1949 3 Sept. Mother, Diana Eckersell (82) dies and is buried in Rexburg.

Dorothy serves mission to California.

1950 8 Feb. Maridawn (19) marries Kenneth Griffiths.

1951 10 Oct. Dorothy(24) marries Forrest Kennington.

Wilford works as a clerk in the Shirley’s Grocery Store one block north of the LDS 2nd Ward Church.

1955 26 June Brother, Bill (63) dies and is buried at Rexburg.

Wilford works for the Boat Club at Island Park.

1959 Summer Yellowstone earthquake.

1964 24 Feb. Wife, Cora (54), dies of a stroke at Rexburg and is buried 2 days later.

1966 28 Feb. Mother in law, Olive Afton Smith Berry dies at Logan and is buried at Rexburg.

1976 6 June Teton Dam disaster; Rexburg home is later demolished.

1977 9 June Wilford (81) dies of a heart attack at Rexburg and is buried in Rexburg Cemetery on June 11th.

Wilford's Obituary

This is a copy of the obituary given by Bill E. at Wilford's funeral. Aunt Alvon helped him pull the experiences together. Mom thought Aunt Alvon would have the most first hand knowledge of Wilford and Cora of anyone left alive when Grandpa died. And she was right. Aunt Alvon added bits and pieces we would never know about any other way. Thanks to both of them for this wonderful account of Wilford's life.

Farm Account Book 1928 -31

The accounts above are a sampling of pages recording expenditures. There are 20 pages of records very much like what I scanned. If you would like me to e-mail the additional pages, drop me an email at kkhamblin@gmail.com.

The Plat map above is labeled 1928. I believe this would be the dry farm on Canyon Creek.

Looks like we're going to need a copy of Wilford's history to refer to as we wend our way through the journal/account books. That's coming up next time.

The last of the Red Journal 1933-36