MY MAMMA- MARGE GROVES BOYCE
As told to Jeanmarie (Bebe) by Grandma
Cora Groves sometime in the 1960's:
The third child of Ross Isaac and Cora Ethel Keefer Groves was born June
20, 1914, in the small, one-horse town of Falks Store, Payette, Idaho.
This town consisted, I am told, of the store, Falks Store, naturally and
a few scattered houses. Today nothing remains except for a couple of old
broken-down shacks and a railroad track.
Marge,
as she was called, was more or less a mischievous child, often getting
herself into to hot water. Once she says, her grandma Groves had a very
sore toe and had it all bandaged up. Marge acted very sympathic about it
and asked in a whispering voice, " Grandma, which is your sore toe?" The
toe was indicated and without further warning she lifted her foot and stamped
on her grandmother's sore toe. Grandma Groves let out a yelp and hobbled
after Marge as she darted away. It wasn't log though before Marge had received
her just dues and was yelping, too.
One
Christmas Day, Mildred, her oldest sister, has received a glass doll, whereas,
Marge had only receives a rag doll. She minded her own business until Mildred
left the doll alone for a few minutes, then in her jealousy, grabbed the
doll and threw it against the oven door breaking it to pieces. Much confusion
followed and Marge received another spanking for her pranks.
About 1917,
the family moved to Pearl, Idaho until Marge reached school age, then they
moved to Emmett, Idaho especially to enroll her in school. She attended
Ordwell School, now being torn down, until she was 12 years old, then they
graduated from the elementary in May 1927.
Being of an
adventurer, she enjoyed climbing hills and exploring old caves and caverns.
Often she was found riding the horses with her friends. Indoor activities
were spent in helping her mother houseclean and playing the piano.
She
attended two years of high school, studying the common required subjects.
She was very enthusiastic about sports, entering, whole-heatedly, into
the pep rallies and snake danced through out the town. Often the group
would charter trains and travel to the different towns to participate in
the sports activities.
Employment,
as a young girl, varied from picking fruit to baby sitting for the neighbors.
She met William
Henry Boyce while going to high school. "He was plumb good-looking," she
claims, "with such blue eyes that I just couldn't resist him." Their courtship
involved all the movies that came to town and even those out of town. "We
never missed a one," she proudly states.
Time quickly
passed and the romance thickened. One day as they were out walking through
the park, he stopped and turned to her, she back at him and "That's all
there was to it," she said.
On November
26, 1931, the two of them summoned their parents, not one word spoken,
and went to the furniture store of Mr. Clarence Yeates, a Mormon Bishop,
who took them upstairs and began the ceremony. Before the wedding was complete
their parents soon caught on to the fact that their children were, indeed,
getting married.
They
first located in Emmett where Hank was employed on a ranch as an irrigator.
Marge worked too as a cook for the ranch hands and also housekeeper for
the landlady. Their wages were then, $25 a month.
Lucille, their
first child was born October April 10, 1933, and two years later, August
29, 1935, was followed by another girl, Sheridan. After the birth of the
two girls, they farmed on the Carrolle Ranch on the Emmett Bench.
In May 1936,
Sherry being nine months old at the time, they moved to Horseshoe Bend,
Idaho, framing there also. From there they moved to Montello, Nevada where
they worked for the Utah Construction Company on a large bull ranch. The
situation was a peculiar one, as the house was in Utah and the yard in
Nevada.
Marge recalled
many terrorizing experiences of watching bull’s battle with each other,
bellowing, snorting and finally the life of one or the other bull.
In April she
returned to Horseshoe Bend before her husband, giving birth to Darlene
June 4, 1938. He joined her then and remained, finding work with The J.
R. Simplot Company at the sawmill. Toni another girl was born June
22, 1939, and two years later on July 10, 1941, another girl, Wilda (or
Bebe she was called) arrived. The last of the all girl family Louise arrived
July 6, 1943, making a total of six girls.
On Saturday, November 9, 1946, Marge learned of the tragic death of her
beloved Hank. He had been operating a jammer loading logs. The hook broke
loose, causing the jammer to buckle. A metal rod was driven thru his neck
and skull, killing him instantly. Services were held at the Robinson Chapel
in Nampa on Wednesday, November 13, 1946. He was buried at the Kohlerlawn
Cemetery.
On July 3,
1948, Marge married William Ranft. They lived in Horseshoe Bend until their
divorce. Marge then moved with the children to Boise, Idaho in 1951. Some
time in 1948 or 49 Lucille gave birth to a son whom she named Stephen Henry.
In 1952 Sheridan and the three youngest children, Toni, Bebe, Louise and
Lucille's son, Stephen, were placed in an orphanage in Boise. Marge lost
custody of the children and soon afterwards they were placed in foster
homes, all except for Louise who was adopted first.
Marge moved
back to Horseshoe Bend with Lucille and Darlene, who had not been taken
away by the state. Both were of legal age. On December 5, 1953, at Emmett,
Idaho she married Robert Roscoe Ashlock-----upstairs again-----in the office
of the Justice of the Peace. Robert Ashlock was employed in the lumbering
industry as a "pond-monkey" at the sawmill.
In the following
years Marge took care of Stephen Henry, acting as the Den Mother or the
Cub Scouts and also becoming a member of the PTA
She made a trip to San Francisco, California
for a few months visit with her parents and relatives living in Richmond,
a city just across the San Francisco Bay.
Toni left
her foster home and family in May 1957 and reunited with her Mother. In
1959 Louise left her adopted parents and returned to Hose shoe Bend By
the end of 1960 five of the girls had returned and were married, the sixth
child, Bebe, now known as Jeanmarie, had remained with her adopted family
and was attending the Brigham-Young University in Prove, Utah.
On April 14,
1961, the Program Bureau of B. Y. U. Took a verity show to the Northwest
making Boise their first stop. Bebe was a member of that tour and as a
result was reunited with her family after nine years separation.
Marge's future plans are to retire,
relax with such outdoors sports as camping, fishing and to also remodel
their house.
**Leada Marjorie Groves died on December
19, 1972 of pneumonia and a heart condition. I myself do not know if she
ever attained her desire to" retire and relax".
But this past July while visiting in
Idaho with my family, we got a headstone for Mamma and it was set the first
week of September. Now I feel my Mamma is at peace and has an "address",
so to speak.
To my sisters who helped, physically,
emotionally and otherwise................
THANK YOU and I LOVE ALL OF YOU"!!!!!
** Katherine Louise aka Weezie