Della's Life p 3

Autobiography of Della Ann Mikesell Binder 21 July 1931 Pocatello, Idaho - 17 April 2008 Spokane, Washington Written November 1988  [Page 3]   The war in Europe was expanding and when they declared war here, the factories were starting up. So Mom and Ernie left us in Dad's care and came to town [Spokane] to get jobs.  So now you know why I love the mountains, trees and streams that you probably don't even remember. I thought the most wonderful thing in the world was sleeping outside and watching shooting stars.  And I learned to love western music from Uncle Carlos and Aunt Nellie and the kids.  Although I never could yodel like they told me.  LaRaine and I spent hours on the outside toilet (you know where mostly all the bees stayed) waiting for the dishes to do themselves but they never did. My best friend in Chattaroy School was Marily Werner. Her dad was the principal of the school. One time, I got to go fishing on the Grande Ronde River with them. In the second grade, Marilyn and I got up a petition to have the teacher fired. For some reason, none of the adults liked it. We couldn't figure out why because we got all the kids to sign it. Another of my good intentions and causes went down to defeat. When they could, our folks always canned and put away everything they could for winter.  Even to this day when I live 1/2 block from a large store, as the first chill of Fall comes, I try to fight the Chipmunk urge. I find myself buying and canning and storing food for winter. Up on the Mt. the neighbors got together and butchered hogs.  We got to have fresh ribs cooked and they dried the bladder and we blew it up and played ball with it.  We raised rabbits and other animals, but you can't butcher your kid’s best pets, and no one would eat them if you did.  They were all pets.  Lots of times our lunches were bread with lard and salt and pepper on it. Some of us traveled and picked hops in central WA. somewhere. We picked all the wild berries and fruit we found and we thrived. At least I did - happy, healthy, secure and totally without fear of anything. Good family, good relatives, good friends, and for me it was a good life. But we had to move in to Spokane and start a new and different life. When Ernie and Mom got jobs and a house for us we all moved down to 709 S. Freya. It was a 2 room house and pretty crowded for all 8 of us. The wood stove in the kitchen had a water heater in it. One time that winter, the thing blew up and Ernie had to run out in the snow in the back yard, (in his shorts) and shut the water off. I didn't like the town very well then. Before long the Kiwanis Club of Spokane (mainly Mr. Seiverson) helped us by renting us a big house at S. 424 Haven St. for $25.00 per month.   Dad was getting worse and had to go to Edgecliff  Hospital. We were all scared and I remember us kneeling on the kitchen floor praying for him. As soon as anyone was able to find work, we all did. I think I must have been about 10 or 11 when Betty and I worked at a nut factory a couple of  blocks away. Mom worked at Galena (the war factory), then Ernie went into the Army Air Force. Jim worked in the Forest Service my first year at Libby Jr. High (7th grade). The reason I know that is because Phyllis Wahl, Dolly Whiting and I skipped school and hitchhiked to Coeur d'Alene to try to see them. Of course we wrote our own excuses and got caught. I don't know how long or how many times we had to wash the school cafeteria windows, but one whole wall was glass. We didn't do it again. I didn't do a very good job in school that year. Dolly and I were babysitting that spring and were attacked by a man who cut the phone lines and broke in the door.  We ran away fast and he chased us.  I got hit on the head just as someone looked out the window to help us.  The guy got away but was captured later on.  I woke up inside on the daveno with cops all around.  They took us home and told our folks what happened to us. From then on, I was afraid to go to sleep and started shaking and crying all the time. Dr. Luger put me in St. Luke’s Psychiatric Ward with a nervous breakdown. They gave me shock treatments (electric).  Another little girl was also in with me.  She was the sole survivor of a train car wreck that killed her family.  She also had shock treatments.  They said that for a while we would forget things, but when the memories returned we wouldn't be scared of them anymore.  Believe me, it doesn't work that way. I was scared most of the rest of my life. I'm sure a lot had to do with the times we lived in.  Life moved faster and faster.  I worked with adults, shining shoes and in theaters and soon lost the little girl in me.  At 12 or 13 I did all the things adults did so I quit school shortly after starting the 8th grade.  At that time, I worked at the Orpheum Theater and was getting a lot of attention and making steady wages.  I know I caused my folks a lot of heart aches and I'm sure they couldn't figure out what to do with such a stubborn child. But it seems I was on one straight course to do everything in a hurry especially to run my own life. The only thing wrong was that good judgment didn't grow as fast as the rest of me. Again, I never intentionally hurt anyone.   about 1943, left: Edith [Ernie's wife]; Ernie; Della Ann; Thelma; Dad Jeff; Jim [in Merchant Marine uniform]; Leslie [in front]; Mom Florence; and Betty. In front of Mikesell home, 424 S. Haven, Spokane WA.       <Back to page 1           <back to page 2          continued on page 4>