The Deeds Girls

What a wonderful picture of Grandma Golden (glasses) with her sisters Zola and Pansy (far right) and three of her daughters, Neva, Marguerite (GG is the littlest one, about three years) and Pearl. The car is an Overland, one that Grandpa Deeds bought during good economic times and continued to drive during the Depression years. It was fortunate that Grandpa was a mechanical wizard and could take most anything apart, repair it and put it back together. Most of us bog down after step one. Friends and neighbors brought their broken watches and tools and mechanical items to Grandpa. He studied them awhile and then set the items right, often drawing on his stock of spare parts (junk pile to us today). Grandma Deeds was often annoyed with him because he refused to charge for his services.
I am relying on GG to tell me more about the things we see in these old pictures. These writings can be edited at any time, as often as new or better information is made available. I also want to talk to cousin Shirley, Pearl's daughter, and obtain her comments for use here. She may remember things her mother told her that will be of interest to later readers. She may also have pictures to share.

Unfortunately the horse is the only recognizable critter in this picture. But I am fairly certain that the long-legged one in the middle is Neva with Marguerite (GG) on the rump of the horse. The other two may have been Young family cousins (from Aunt Zola or Uncles Bernard, Lambert and Ralph). We don't know much about the Youngs, although Diana Deeds, Uncle Art's only daughter, has done some geneology work on the Deeds and Longfellows (her mom's family) and may be able to tell me something.

I am guessing that Neva is around nine, GG four, and Pearl eleven when this picture was taken. Grandpa and Grandma Young owned a dairy farm in Fruitland, ID (in addition to the orchards) which was very modern. Walls were made of block and floors of concrete. The block wall Pearl is leaning against may have been the dairy barn. Grandpa and Grandma Deeds still lived in the Fruitland area, although Grandpa worked at various sawmills during the late teens and early twenties. The family moved from Fruitland to Emmett to Horseshoe Bend during that time, and visited the Youngs often.

Aunt Pansy, Pearl, Neva (in hat) and Aunt Zola. This was taken around 1926 or so, Pearl was about twelve and Neva around ten. Times were still good. GG (not in this picture) would have been around five and Uncle Art was probably a baby, or still in Grandma Golden's tummy. Grandpa Deeds was a young man working in the sawmill, a manager by now with a bright career ahead of him. Grandma Golden was a stay-at-home mom, keeping house and caring for her three daughters and (at last) a new baby boy, your great-uncle Art Deeds. Grandpa Deeds had not yet discovered the beautiful timber country of central Idaho, nor its rivers and streams with abundant fish and game.

This is a great picture of all four Deeds girls. Pearl, Neva, Marguerite (your GG) with Helen in front. Hard to guess how old they are, but Pearl is perhaps 26, Neva 24, GG 19 and Helen around 13. They have endured economic deprivation, cultural isolation and episodic starvation to become four grounded and determined young women. Our society has benefitted greatly from the women of this generation; forged in Depression era fires, they brought lessons of reduce, reuse, recycle, and do-without to their children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren. While each succeeding generation has been somewhat less enthusiastic to apply the lesson learned, the message is still out there. The current economy and its downward spiral may provide an opportunity to practice frugality yet again. And of course those who are already frugal have a great advantage over those of us who must learn that discipline.