A Little More of Robert Tibbles

April 26, 2020April 26, 2020 / parmersancestors / 2 Comments

Some time ago, I promised a post with more information about Robert Tibbles was coming soon. Here’s the post. I know it wasn’t really soon after the first post on Robert, but I guess “soon” can be a matter of perspective. Anyway, if you didn’t read my earlier post about Robert and the great Alaskan earthquake that caused a giant tidal wave, as well as a landslide that took Robert’s life, be sure to read it. I’ll post the link at the ned of this post.

Robert Tibbles was born in Lakeview, Montana on March 3, 1913 to Walter Stillman Tibbles and Esther E. Rote. Esther is the daughter of Margie Parmer, who is Samuel and Hettie Parmer’s daughter. Lakeview, MT, which today is near the entrance of both Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, is about 90 miles from Dillon, MT. In 1913, there was no wildlife refuge or national forest, but there was a community of ranchers, railroad workers, and ordinary folks. The Dillon Tribune reported news from the surrounding areas, including Lakeview. I always like browsing through old newspapers. The ads are especially fun to read. I found copies of The Dillon Tribune at montananewspapers.org, which is a website of the Montana Historical Society. The Lakeview section of the March 7, 1913 paper has a short announcement of Robert’s birth, shown below. Small town newspapers are full of gossip. You want to know who went to the big city to go shopping? Just read the paper!

tibbles birth announcement

I have not researched if Joe Buck is a relative of the family, or why they were at the Joe Buck home. However, that name will come up again in Robert’s history. We do know from some other records that Robert’s parents were “squatters” on a home in the area.

Robert is found in the 1920 census, at the age of seven, living with his family in Grayling District, Gallatin County, Montana. He lived next to his great aunt and uncle, John and Lizzie Parmer. It is possible they had lived there for some time because Robert’s younger brother, Howard, was born in the area in 1915. Howard’s birth was not registered until 1941. In the birth registration, he is listed as being born in the rural part of Gallatin County, MT, with Lizzie D. Parmer as the attendant for the birth.

Walter and Esther divorced in 1923 after Walter became abusive and abandoned the family. From the court papers, we know that Walter and Esther had 160 acres they were homesteading five miles West of West Yellowstone. Life in the West was difficult, required hard work, and was subject to the harsh elements of the Montana winters. There were no modern conveniences. I’m sure even at 7 years old, Robert was put to work helping the family with chores and such. At some point, his mother remarried and moved to Wyoming.

In 1930, Robert is 17 years old and living with an aunt and uncle in Lima, MT. He was working as a farm laborer. In 1932, he had moved to Monida, a short distance from Lima, and was worked as a ranch hand for Joe Buck. Remember Joe Buck? Robert was born at Joe Buck’s home! He worked for Joe Buck for six weeks, then he got into trouble. He burglarized a pool hall and stole $24. As a result, he spent two years in the state prison.

We next find Robert in Alaska. I wonder–what took him to Alaska? He must have liked it because it seems that’s where he spent the rest of his life. In 1939, he married Dorothy Pauloff, a Native Alaskan Indian. They were both living in Kodiak, Alaska at the time, and that is where they are found in the 1940 census. He had had appendicitis at some point because his WWII draft registration on January 22, 1941 tells us that he had a scar from an appendicitis operation.

Robert and Dorothy had at least two children, but eventually Robert and Dorothy divorced. In 1947, Robert married Eveline V. Sly. And the rest of the story is told in my previous post at A Tragedy in Alaska

Life can be rough, and have ups and downs, good days and bad days. Robert likely had plenty of bad days–witnessing abuse (and possibly being a victim of it himself), abandonment, burglary, prison time, surgery, divorce, etc. At the same time, I’m sure Robert had his share of good days–friends, fatherhood, wedding days, and eating fresh picked berries. Learning from the bad days, and savory the good, even amidst the bad, is what life is all about. Savor the good, and all that is before you. Today can be anything you make it. What will today be like for you?

Luther in Londonderry

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020 / parmersancestors / Leave a comment

Remember, Luther went to the market to buy a pig and he came home having bought a farm. If you haven’t read about that, it’s at Of Pigs and Farms… The farm he bought is in Londonderry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He bought the farm in June 1926. That’s 94 years ago! Amazingly, the family retained the newspaper clipping of the public sale of the farm. Here it is:

Photo courtesy of Ronald Parmer Scott

What a treasure! We know from this clipping that the house had 5 rooms. You can see a video tour of the house in it’s present state, with commentary by Luther’s Grandson, Ronald, at Tour of Luther and Edna’s Farm Home

Here’s a photo of the property, likely shortly after it was purchased in 1926.

Photo courtesy of Ronald Parmer Scott

In 1926, things were not too bad in the United States of America. The economy and industry were growing and farming was decreasing. So it seems a little odd that Luther bought a farm and began farming. But having done so may have been a blessing. Just over three years later, the stock market crash began on October 29, 1929 and ushered in The Great Depression. The mortgage on the Londonderry farm was just $25 a month, which would be about $360 in today’s dollars. Luther and Edna struggled to pay that $25 mortgage during those difficult Depression years. But they were successful! They farmed. Edna used some of the farm goods to bake cookies, pies, and other yummy baked goods. Then every week they went to the Farmer’s Market to sell their goods–farm produce and baked items. Undoubtedly they struggled, pinched pennies, went without, and were frugal. And they managed to keep the farm. How would their lives had been different during the Depression if they had not bought the farm?

The farm continued to be their home until 1957. It was time to retire from the farm. They sold the farm, and then had an estate sale, and moved to be closer to their children.

Here’s a newspaper clipping announcing the estate sale:

IMG_20200412_103200964

It’s fun to read what they were selling….cows, a hog, a sow due to farrow in a week, furniture and bedding, pots and pans, sewing machine, etc. They had accumulated things that they no longer needed or wanted. And such is life. I think I would have been interested in the kraut cutter!