Terry Glasco The Forrest Borland Family, Forrest and Mae's Children Remember
At the 1986 reunion several family members remarked that the younger generation had never met Grandma and Grandpa Borland. In an effort to acquaint future generations with the Forrest Borlands, I asked the ten children to write about their parents. Six children replied and I thank them: Lois Swartz, Bess (Bette) Eder, Phyllis McAllister, Audrey Mathis, Keith and Prudence Lau. (Also includes links to Roger and Holly Borland.)
I have attempted to combine the thoughts and observations from the letters, information from newspaper articles and my research material into a sketch of the Forrest Borland family. Although many of the personal observations were the same, you will find some observations that seem contradictory. Please bear in mind that each child's view of the family is dependent on that child's numerical position in the family. As Lois said, "Since I am the eldest, I remember much the others haven't experienced or possibly even heard of. I was there when the other children were born beginning with Bette. I remember Mother and Dad when they were young." Prudy remembers her folks as "as always not feeling good, Dad with his stomach and Mother with her back." Lois remembers her parents as youthful and indeed they were in her youth; but Prudy remembers her parents as old and sickly and indeed they were in her youth.
Forrest Faye Borland was the seventh child of Lonson and Clara (Moody) Borland. He was born 23 April 1889 on a farm west of Fayette, Iowa. The five boys that survived childhood remained very close all their lives. When Forrest was seven years old the family moved to Oelwein, Iowa where Forrest graduated from high school and attended Oelwein Business College.
Wells Fargo Company employed Forrest in about 1908 as a driver and express messenger. In 1915 Forrest went to work for the Chicago Great Western Railroad. He was to work for them for 42 years with retirement taking place in 1957. "He started as an express messenger, later saw duty as a carman, switchman, and yardmaster." Lois said, "Dad slept days and worked nights most of his life. We always had to be quiet, so we cut up magazines and pasted pictures with flour and water paste. Such a mess!"
Several of the children remembered that Forrest was a hard worker and loved his job with the railroad. After the children left home, Forrest and Mae loved to travel by train. Apparently they visited Phyllis several times in Washington.
According to Lois, at one time Forrest "had a pool hall, a barber shop and a tobacco store called the 'Saratoga'. He was in partnership with his lifelong friend, Lou Pepin."
Those years he tried his hand at farming. Of course, each member of the family had chores to do.
In 1914 Forrest was asked to be a Volunteer Fireman. According to an Oelwein newspaper article: Soon after he joined, one of Oelwein's worst fires nearly destroyed the town. A hay barn caught fire, and sparks set fire to a block of livery barns in the block where Knief Rambler Sales is now located. During that fire, Borland and another fireman nearly ended their firefighting careers when they were trapped on the roof of a livery barn by the flames. The department's first truck, a White, was purchased later in 1914. Borland says the volunteers could get aboard, start the motor, drive to the corner of South Frederick and First Street, connect a hose to a hydrant, a nozzle to the hose, and throw a stream of water all in 54 seconds flat.
According to the same article, Forrest was an active fireman for twenty years and an honorary member after that for a total of 54 years with the organization. At the time of the article Forrest Borland was promoting an expanded fire station, "We should remodel now in anticipation of the next fifty years." Forrest's active participation in the firemen's organization included the family. Phyllis says, "I know us kids always looked forward to going to the Firemen's picnic in the summer and the Firemen's Christmas party in the winter."
Many honors and medals were awarded to Forrest for his work and participation in the Masons. After retiring from the railroad, Forrest was custodian of the Masonic Temple until his health failed. Prudy remembers, "Dad spent his leisure time down at the Lodge."
In a 1970 letter from Grandma Borland she said Grandpa had served as an Oelwein Councilman for eight years and was active in local politics. Lois says her dad was a deputy sheriff and mayor pro-tem at one time or other.
Son Keith remembers Grandpa "enjoyed handy work with wood" and "worked in the yard and garden." Audrey said, "he was always puttering, building something, improving the living or making toys, repairing shoes."
Bette remembers that Grandpa liked to hunt.
Almost all of the children described their father as stern. Most mentioned this when describing their "duties." However, Phyllis remembers the three whippings he gave her: #1 was for not cleaning my room and not doing that garden that he wanted done. #2 was for talking back to my mother which he didn't allow any one to do. #3 I called him a S.O.B. Boy did I ever get one then!"
Forrest Borland passed away 30 April 1970 at Mercy Hospital in Oelwein. The service was at the Presbyterian Church and burial was at the Oelwein Cemetery.
Mae Marsh was born 18 December 1891 in Sioux City, Iowa. She was the second of five known children of George David and Cora Luciel (Nichols) Marsh. According to Mae, the family moved to Oelwein in April of 1907.
Forrest and Mae were married on 2 December 1909 in Dubuque, Iowa at the home of Mae's Aunt. I had wondered why the marriage did not take place in Oelwein, but my notes from a 1974 story told by Bob Borland might shed light on the issue. Bob said that several of the children had a good laugh when they were going through old papers and happened upon their parents' marriage license. Forrest and Mae had apparently lied about their ages on the license. Forrest who was 20 said he was 21 and Mae who was 18 said she was 20. It occurs to me that they might have run away to get married.
All the children mentioned that Mae was a good cook. Doughnuts and pies were at the head of the list of goodies that she produced. Keith especially remembers his mother's meat pies. Lois remembers that her mother baked bread several times a week and "as far back as I can remember she baked cinnamon rolls, biscuits and fried biscuits." Phyllis felt her mother "liked her gingerbread best. She always liked to serve hot gingerbread with applesauce." Apparently Mae cooked a big Sunday dinner even after her big family left home. "Mother never knew how many would be there for Sunday dinner. She usually had a huge pan of meat and vegetables topped with biscuits. She always had a number of pies."
As Mae taught each of her daughters to cook and sew, they assumed some of the work generated by this large family. As children these skills were viewed as "duties" but as adults these skills became valuable assets.
Bette mentioned that her mother loved her flower garden and was active in Garden Club. "She had a section of the garden planted with plants named in the Bible." according to Audrey. However, her huge vegetable garden must have taken most of the gardening time. Lois commented, "We kids pulled weeds, and picked potato bugs. We canned something every day. When each item was ready we ate that particular vegetable or fruit day after day.
Phyllis says her mother had a Cub Scout group "which she would always rope me into helping with." "Mother always had cupcakes for every class at school," according to Audrey. She saw that her girls participated in Campfire Girls and Rainbow Girls. The children went to Sunday school and their mother encouraged them to participate in extra-curricular activities at school.
With this big active family it is amazing that Mae had any time for her own interests. However, she was an active member in Eastern Star and the Switchmen's Club Auxiliary. Audrey remembered, "going to her Guild meeting, a special tea, and she was the guest speaker. She had to give a book report from a best seller. I was much surprised, I didn't realize she had time to read. But of course, with Dad Borland always working nights, she read."
I think Audrey provides the answer to her mother's ability to care for this large family, "I would say Mother was a good organizer, to keep us all fed and well on limited funds." Each child had his own duties. The older girls mentioned caring for younger brothers and sisters. However, Prudy, a younger girl, does not mention caring for younger child Bob; but as a teenager she does remember washing, ironing and cooking with few to help her. This is not surprising, because two brothers, Keith and Hollis, preceded her and one brother, Bob, followed her. Her older sisters were most likely married or working by the time Prudy was a teenager. The boys apparently helped their dad on the farm while the girls helped Mae in the house.
While Forrest was described as stern, Mae was described as tolerant, caring, and loving. Audrey says, "I feel our mother made us all feel like we were very special people. I can remember going to kindergarten, and her taking the time to put my hair up on rags, to make curls, and combing them out one by one so I would have long curls. How did she have time for that with all the others around?"
Mae's last years were spent in the Roberts Nursing Home. Mae died 18 January 1974 in Oelwein, Iowa. She was buried next to her husband of 61 years in Oelwein Cemetery.
Life in this large family certainly was not all work despite the depression and the necessity of providing food and clothing for 12 people on a railroadman's salary.
Lois reminisces: "I remember Mother and Dad when they were young. They had fun like going to house dances, all day trips with another couple, playing cards, etc. We went to Grandpa and Grandma Borland's and to various brothers for pot-lucks. Kids always ate last. We kids and the cousins raised 'cain' with Grandma's house, especially with the oroan and in the bedroom where all the coats were on the bed" The Switchmen's Ball and the Volunteer Firemen's Ball must have been grand events! "It was a major project for all of us to get our clothes ready the day before. The boys polished the shoes and we girls would brush the blue serge suit and get Mom's dress ready and her hair set. It was a family affair. We were left to fend for ourselves. We would have any number of friends in, pop corn and make taffy. If you have ever pulled taffy you know what a mess it is. Of course, we thought we had gotten rid of all the evidence of using the precious staples in the house; but the folks always knew the minute they opened the door to get in. No one remembered to clean the doorknobs, so the folks got sticky every time. They really didn't care too much, but we heard about it."
As I have read the letters, I have come to know Grandma and Grandpa Borland as proud, hardworking, infinitely loving parents. By example they taught their children to share with others, "We were always taught to share everything we had. We lived in a railroad town, during the depression; there were a lot of hoboes knocking on our doors for a meal. We shared. Even clothing." One child concluded, "Emphasize that we were all raised to be intelligent, God-fearing, patriotic citizens with a deep feeling for family ties. I am real proud of my family since we were raised with little money, but with plenty of the attributes money cannot buy."
Written by Linda Farroh Eder June, 1988
Jean's Memories, July, 1988
Now that we are mature enough to look at ourselves and see who we are, what we are, and what we have accomplished, we are more able to evaluate our parents. It took two very dedicated, intelligent, caring, ambitious people to present to the world this group of men and women of whom they were most proud. Of course, we each had our flaws, but nothing that we were unable to cope with.
Dad worked nights, as well as many days, to provide for us.
Mother planned, supervised and worked from morning to night only for love. She also earned many dollars with produce from her garden, such as picking red raspberries for the grocery bill, raising chickens to clean and sell, as well as the eggs. The surplus fruit from the orchard and produce from her gardens provided much needed cash at times. Most food was raised in the gardens or the fields and orchards. Root produce seeds were planted at one time of the moon and leafy produce seeds planted at another time. We were taught to pick the pea pods with peas in then, saving the undeveloped pods for future picking. Selecting sweet corn took skill. The silk had to be brown, the ears filled to the end of the cob, discovered by pulling back a few shucks and then sticking our fingernails in a kernel to see if the milk would squirt. It was to be shucked and cooked three minutes in boiling water and eaten. The canning process was not just packing fruit and vegetables into jars, but selecting and preparing the produce, and washing and sterilizing jars and lids to prevent spoilage. These are a few lessons taught by caring parents. Of course, all of the extra condiments - jams, jellies, relishes, pickles, horseradish, ketchup, chili sauce, dried fruits - were prepared and processed at their proper times. We all remember the breads, rolls, tea biscuits, cinnamon rolls, cakes, pies, doughnuts, cookies and so forth, that came out of that hot, wood burning stove.
The hot water tank gave us hot water for the Saturday night bath and the laundry. Summer gave us some relief with the oil stove. Can you imagine doing the laundry for twelve people with a hand propelled washing machine and ironing with a heavy stove-heated iron? In winter, clothes were hung outside to freeze then brought in to thaw and dry behind the stove. We had to be clean bodily for school and Sunday school so back of the heater in the 'other' room a 'bathroom' was established - a large round tub. Can you imagine once more - seeing that ten children of various ages became clean? I wonder when were Mom and Dad able to have theirs?
In this large organization of people, everyone had responsibilities. If someone failed to carry out theirs, they heard from the top. With the family having three distinct age groups, older ones were responsible for younger ones. Some were in food preparation, some in housekeeping, some laundry and some gardening and field work. The younger ones having the opportunity of learning from the older.
Naturally, all the babies were a special job, with formula preparation and care. We knew that a new arrival was about to be presented when Grandma Hunt made her presence known. We never saw our mother or baby for a week if things progressed normally. If things did not go right it was a longer time. We had the experience of sharing the loss of a tiny, darling little girl, Beatrice Mae from May 17 to September 29, 1925. We had the care of for the 2am formula. We observed the responsibilities of parents in providing health care for family members, realizing the ache in their hearts for their child's blemish.
We really remember the fun times allowed us in our busy lives. Our horse 'Star' took us on picnics to the creek. Mother had the time and love of preparing the lunch and sent us on our way. Sometimes we went to gather hickory nuts. Then we could shuck them, crack them and have them in candy, cookies, etc. When we were older we had a riding horse. That was not as much fun for us, but the 'town' kids enjoyed it. When the relatives came to the farm to gather whatever produce was available, we provided entertainment for them by letting them ride down the haymow hill in a driverless wagon, crashing into the apple tree, shaking green apples off and knocking one boy unconscious.
In the fall we would rake leaves and make leaf houses or play fox and geese. There were enough of us to play group games which were great for all.
Our holidays were always a big event especially Christmas. Mother spent many evening hours making dolls, clothing, and whatever. We always hung a stocking and found it in the morning filled with animal crackers, candy, oranges and apples.
Easter was a time to dye eggs and hunt for candy. It also meant new spring clothes for Sunday School.
We always made and delivered May baskets filled with flowers or popcorn.
The fourth of July meant firecrackers at Uncle Arts and ice cream cones at Stebbins.
Grandpa George Marsh came to our house each year to completely paper, paint and put up window shades. He always brought fireworks, candy, fruit and gifts.
Summer time was for band concerts and free movies on Saturday night and trips to the lake. Many times after we had completed a task, Dad would go to the ice cream factory for a gallon of ice cream for a treat. Other times, Mother would make lemonade and cookies.
Many evenings we would drive in the country and stop to see the Wrights. They were special friends of the family and would stop by the house with some of their excess produce such as a dishpan full of strawberries.
Our school years were very busy, not only because we did our lessons well, but because we always went to the plays, the musicals and the athletic events. Dad was DeMolay Dad, Rainbow Dad, football coach, church trustee, Mason, Shriner, City Commissioner, Mayor, School Board and Democratic County Chairman, besides working for the railroad. Mother, after rearing most of us, had time for Women's club, Auxiliary, Eastern Star, and her church.
I think that we were such a great family because we had such great parents! How many of you learned to drive in one lesson on a rutted dirt road under the supervision of Dad!