Clifford Leon Vandiver Written by his brother, Willis Vandiver

More Options   Print/Save View Pedigree View Photographs

PREVIOUS   1  2   3   4   5   6   7   NEXT

What did Clifford do during the first hours after Mother's brain hemorrhage? Dad sent Cliff to the Lazy A Ranch, the nearest telephone, to call the doctor. He rode Old Nell, a black half-percheron mare, with orders to run her as fast as she could travel. After calling the doctor, Cliff was to go to J. R. Robinson's and bring Willard home by riding double on Old Nell.

The Doctor came but Mother never regained consciousness.

Because Clifford was older than Loree, he, no doubt, could understand the impact of Mother's death on the family to a greater degree. Furthermore, he could see the effect it was having on Dad as is shown by the following incident told to me by Mae.

"I was only four years and ten months old when Mother died. I cried often for Mother during this period. Clifford took me by the hand and led me to a private place behind the house where he got down on one knee and emphatically explained, 'You must not cry any more in front of Dad!'"

Obviously, Mae's tears were very upsetting to Dad. At that time, understandably, Dad was having serious adjustment problems of his own. Needless to say. Cliff was mature beyond his years and assumed unassigned responsibility consistent with his unusual understanding and insight, uncommon in a thirteen-year-old boy.

The fall after Mother died, Dad kept Cliff home from school to take care of Willis and Mae and to do the cooking, washing and keep house. The following year Willard (Bill) would exchange with Clifford. A quotation from Loree's life story describes the situation.

"Cliff went at his new duties with a will. He was soon making biscuits as good as Mother's and frequently made cake too. They were plain cakes with sweetened whipped cream instead of frosting and we devoured them with relish. But in spite of his best efforts it was a struggle at best. The house got dirty; the laundry was never properly done. Dad and the boys wore un-ironed shirts. Our diet was largely beans and meat. Dad was having a struggle to make ends meet financially and keep us fed and clothed. Life wasn't easy!"

There were several occasions where Clifford demonstrated his maturity and sense of justice. One such occasion is recorded in Loree's life story.

"When I was quite small, Herschel was my special playmate, he being next to me in age. Mae was nearly four years younger than I and too small to play with much. As we grew older, Herschel discovered that it was more fun to play with Merrill and deserted me, and I sometimes felt quite left out. After Mother's death, there were times when Herschel was the enemy. Sometimes he delighted in tormenting Mae and me and in seeing how mad he could make us. I remember when Mae and I were playing in our roofless playhouse, he'd come out and yell, 'Come in the house quick, girls. It's gonna rain.' Then he would throw water up in the air so that it came down on us inside. When he had pestered us until we got mad enough to leave the playhouse and chase him, Merrill would swipe our dolls while we were gone. When Clifford thought this sort of thing had gone about far enough, he'd call a halt to it, and the other two were smart enough to listen to him. I considered Cliff my best hope of obtaining justice."

Nothing unusual happened to Clifford during his teenage years. He grew up with his four brothers and Dad working on the farm milking cows, slopping hogs, feeding stock and doing his share of the cooking where again he seemed more adept especially at making baking powder biscuits. Even the neighbor women remarked that none could be made better.

Merrill claims, "We grew up like other kids but better than most." In his view better than most meant that we were taught to take special pride in being morally clean, honest and always more than willing to do a good job at whatever we were employed to do.

Merrill tells this story which gives further insight into Cliff's character.

"One time about 1923 or 1924, Cliff and Merrill were hauling hay from Nielson's place which was located west of J. R. Robinson's. It was fall and there were hundreds, yes, hundreds of sage chickens (sage grouse) around so they took the shot gun along and hunted before loading the wagon with hay. Consequently, too much time had elapsed to do anything else but hurry as they were loading. Merrill was on the wagon loading and tramping the hay as Cliff pitched it up. When Merrill shouted, 'We're loaded.' Cliff, being in a hurry, threw the pitchfork up on the load - tines first. The fork hit Merrill in the shin and one tine penetrated through the bone. (Merrill claimed it didn't hurt until sometime after they pulled out the tine.)

Cliff was so concerned that he had hurt me that he insisted I stay in the house after we got it bandaged up. He did all the milking that night alone. I never even went to the barn."

The years passed and Clifford finished the eighth grade with the highest examination grades in Camas County. He was 15 years old by that time having lost a year while staying out to care for Willis and Mae.

Our family lived over 8 miles from town and never owned a car. If Clifford or any of the older brothers were to attend high school, it would have been necessary to move to town and board, for there was no bus transportation in those days. Dad was too poor to provide the cost of room and board. Consequently Clifford and the older brothers were deprived of further education.

Cliff finished growing up on the farm and at the age of 20 left home and went out on his own the spring of 1928. Bill helped him get a job with the Harder Brothers near Kahlotus, Washington. There he worked either as camp tender or sheep herder for a year or two. In those days, if the bear bothered the sheep, the herders simply shot them. While working for Harder's, the 1929 crash occurred and the Great Depression was on. Cliff was good at managing his money and had a substantial amount in a savings account when the bank closed its doors. I do not know how much money Cliff lost but enough to equal several months' pay.

Merrill told this story of Clifford's confrontation with a grizzly the summer of 1929.

"When Clifford was working for Harder's and was out with the sheep in the mountains of Montana, he had a rather narrow escape. He was carrying his loaded rifle as he was crossing an old 'burn', an area that had previously been crossed by fire. The underbrush was so thick that his rifle could not be comfortably carried in the shoulder sling. He was carrying it in his hands when suddenly a Grizzly reared up just below him and put her front paws on a windfall. Since there was no time to take aim he simply pointed the gun and fired. The bul-let knocked the bear down but she got right back up roaring loudly enough to be heard for a mile and came straight for him standing full height on her hind legs. The next shot knocked her down again only momentarily. She came again to be knocked down again after which she ran. Cliff tracked her until she quit bleeding. He then went back and found where she had slept and found two small hollowed out beds where cubs had slept.

A year later another employee of Harder's, Dutch Grabner, told Clifford and me that he killed a sow Grizzly in that same area. She had a bullet lying on her skull and another bullet scar in her neck. He didn't skin her so the third bullet was unaccounted for. The cubs following her were yearlings indicating that it could have been the same bear."

During times when Cliff was unemployed, he would come home to Greenacres, Washington, where Dad and I (Willis) were batching in the early 1930's. Dad and I especially enjoyed his company. He was careful with his money. Consequently, he always had some in reserve. When he bought anything, he looked for good quality even if at a higher price. Cliff was always "up front" when it came to paying his share when he came home.

PREVIOUS   1  2   3   4   5   6   7   NEXT