Dalling History

Thanks giving is past and now we look forward to the best season of all the year when we find that the things of great worth are not things at all, but family, and those who are so precious in our lives! We would like to have a family Christmas dinner at our home in Gladstone on Saturday, 21 Dec. and eat about 2 PM. We would love to have you join us if you are able. Will you please check your social calendar and see if that will work for you? We know some are so far away, but you will be in our hearts! If you can come, please let us know so we can organize the meal; we want everyone to get fed! We will get some more details out as soon as we get a count. If I do not have all the kids emails, tell them they are included!We send our love to you and our fervent wishes that this will be your best Christmas ever!

The caption on Facebook is “You can’t pick your relatives!” 

  Doyle and Jo are a beautiful couple and will always be!   

Doyle found this picture in his collection and gave it to us. It was obviously before young Dennis was born in 1969. I love Mom’s hair and pretty little apron, Daryl’s rubber boots and bright red hair, David’s pose, Dan’s a bit detached, Janet just looks pretty, and Julie’s cute boots and cute tongue! Dad just looks a little amused. Oh, the good old days!   Love you all

This picture from Uncle Doyle Dickinson’s archives is from the summer of 1946 and brings a flood of memories of one of the most interesting chapters of my life. After WW II had ended, Grandfather Dickinson bought an old hotel and 360 acres of sagebrush in the remote area of Ft Bidwell, CA, from his sister. We all moved from Portland Oregon in the hopes of forming a kind of family pioneer united order. The picture shows two malnourished urchins, forced to work in the woods cutting cedar posts, in the Modoc forest above Ft Bidwell, CA. We worked with our four uncles, Doyle, Max, Vern, and Dick, who was about our age.  We do look happy, as if we did not understand how hard life was! I was 12 years old and younger than my brother Frank, but always a bit larger in stature. We always were best friends growing up and that made everything we did more fun! The trees were cut and bucked with a two man crosscut saw that was taller than me. It was a trick to pull and push at just the r...