While I was still at Kennedy's I got a call from Lawyer Owens to come in on the next Saturday. He had a letter from my Dad stating that he and Mother had never been happy and he would like a divorce, to "talk to Doris--she would understand". Yes, I understood alright. I told the lawyer about us hearing how Lula Barber was out there, too and certainly did not take my Dad's side. We decided that Mother should see Dad, so I bought a Ford coupe, and mother, Maude, who was about 8, I think, Lorraine and I headed for Wyoming in my little Ford. We set a little wooden yeast box on the floor at Mother's feet that Maude was to sit on. That wasn't a very good place for a kid as she couldn't see much and I think she was on Mother's lap most of the time. What a trip. None of us had even been in the Black Hills, leave alone mountains. And we had little money to spare. One night Mother and the girls slept on benches in a community log cabin and I curled up in my car, best way I could. We were half scared to death going from Black Hills to Sheridan. The roads were not good like they are now. One place we met another car just as we came around the mountain, and met another one with two older men and a lady in it. The road wasn't very wide, and I couldn't see how we would meet. Both stopped and the men had the woman drive close to the edge against a young tree--sappling--and they, hanging onto the tree held the car there and let us drive to the inside! When I got to Sheridan I was so fearful I didn't think I'd dare drive home again. But Clifford and Marie Clark soon got me over that. They got their friends and really took me for rides on mountain trails. Their fast driving in the country scared me stiff. At first I'd just yell! After I got used to it I loved it.
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| Harry Sisson and Delia Johnson Sisson (September 11th, 1898) |
We were there and Dad and Mother made amends and made plans for the next year. She and Harvey were to farm another year, till spring. Then Clarks and Mom and the kids were to join Dad in North Dakota, where all would go into farming again. And so we started for home much happier.
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| The Sisson Family - Lorraine, Harry, Delia, Maude, Doris (Sheridan, Wyoming - 1925) |
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| Harry Sisson (center) - Chef in Veteran's Home (Sheridan, Wyoming 1925) |
Mother wondered why she didn't hear from Dad after several days. Finally she did, he said he couldn't go through with it--he wanted "out". Then he had suit for divorce delivered on their wedding anniversary! But lawyer Owens took her side and said he'd really hurt Dad if he didn't buy the old home in Colton for Mother. He did, and Mother moved the next spring, after having her farm sale.
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| Doris and Lorraine (Colton, South Dakota - circa 1913/1914) |
I am glad you added these pictures. I don't recall having seen them before and they add so much to the story. I especially like the photograph/portrait of Delia and Harry. What a trip that must have been, and all for naught.
ReplyDeleteI love these images. Everything else I've ever seen of Delia is that picture where she is very much late in her life. And, don't consider the trip totally for naught as it surely did bring closure and aggresive action toward a better life for Delia. No more sitting in limbo for her.
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