Show Low

In 1923, the family moved to Show Low after trading their Lakeside property for a place in Show Low. Apparently, not everyone in the family agreed with moving to Show Low instead of Lakeside. This was primarily because they liked Lakeside so much. But, Mother said they had some great neighbors and friends in Show Low. One of the neighbors was Peg Reidhead. Mother's parents bought a piano and while it was still on the wagon in front of the house, Peg came over and played some beautiful music on the piano. After she left, Mother sat down at the piano and played one of the songs Peg had played. No music or noted, she simply played it by ear. This was her first experience with playing the piano. She was able to play songs by ear all her life.

In 1924, Mother was baptized in the river there in Show Low. The weather is normally very cold in October, but on the 4th, it turned out to be a nice day for her baptism.

Life in Whiteriver

In 1922, the family moved to Whiteriver because her father got a job with the civil service. They lived here among the Indians for about two years. Mother was very impressed with the running water in the house, a sink in the kitchen, and a tub in the bathroom. No toilet in the bathroom since this was outside. They had a Model T Ford while they were here and they used this to go to Snowflake and Lakeside. There were no sides on the car, so they had to wrap up well when it was cold.

There was no LDS church in Whiteriver so the children were sometimes allowed to attend Sunday School at the Lutheran church in town. Bible stories and pictures were enjoyed and so were the Indian festivities and dances. The total family really enjoyed the beautiful countryside and they had picnics in many pretty places. However, they did not like the tarantulas that were around here and they had to keep a sharp lookout for them when they played outside the house.

Visits to Grandpa Hansen's ranch were special to Mother. In fact, she felt Grandpa Hansen was her ideal person. She felt he made the best bread in all the world. He always kept the loaves in a small trunk, wrapped in red and white checkered cloth and she loved to see it come out for eating. In addition, Grandpa Hansen raised the best apples in all the world. However, he had a rooster that did not like kids and so the kids always had to be on the lookout for the rooster to come around them. Otherwise, everything was great at the ranch. She felt the bread and butter was always delicious and the milk was always ice cold. And their root cellar was always full of vegetables in the winter time.

During these years, the number of doctors was limited and medical treatment many times was by members of the family. Mother tells of the time that she and her brothers, Ralph and Kenneth, were playing on the baled hay in the barn. The bales began rolling, the three of them fell and Ralph broke one arm. Since no doctor was nearby, Grandpa Hansen set the arm and placed slits of boards onto it to hold it perfectly straight. Later, Mother developed an infection in a sore on her knee which needed some treatment very quickly since it turned to blood poison. It was the middle of the night and Mother was in bad shape. While Mother lay in bed, her sister Ruby and her father and mother used a lantern to search for and find a prickly pear cactus so they could cut the leaf and place this over the infected sore. This treatment solved the problem very quickly.

On October 4, 1916, Emily LaRue Gardner was born in her parent's home in Lakeside, Arizona. Emily was a family name on the Gardner side and LaRue was a family name on the Hansen side.

Their home in Lakeside was typical for this part of the country at that time. Essentially this meant:

No electricity, so lighting was provided by candles and kerosene lamps.

No running water in the house, so water had to be carried from the lake in barrels. Water had to be heated on the kitchen stove and used for all purposes including cooking, dish washing, hand washing, and bathing. After baths were completed, the remaining water was carried outside to water the plants and trees.

Heat was by the fireplace and stove in the kitchen.

Ashes from the stove and fireplace were used to make lye that was then used to make soap and for softening the hard water for use in laundry.

Fruit and vegetables were canned in the summer and fall and stored in the cellar for eating during the winter.

Apparently, the water from the spring tasted great. Mother said she thought of this water many times when she was sick. The area around the lake and spring was beautiful and kids all enjoyed walking and playing there. Mother had very fond memories of Lakeside and of her family members and friends who had lived there. She was very proud that her parents donated the property for the Lakeside cemetary. Church meetings were held inthe schoolhouse. Mother attended the first grade in this same building.

While in Lakeside, most of the traveling was by horse and wagon. When the weather was cold, they made a bed in the wagon and put heated rocks and irons in the blamkets to keep them warm.

Birth

LaRue was born to Frances Hansen and Albert Riley Gardner on the fourth of October, 1916, in Lakeside, Arizona.