Della's Life p 4

Autobiography of Della Ann Mikesell Binder 21 July 1931 Pocatello, Idaho - 17 April 2008 Spokane, Washington Written November 1988  [Page 4]     You were fast growing up. Betty got married, Jim joined the Merchant Marines and then got drafted later into the Army.  Thelma had finally learned not to listen to everything I said and was a very good girl.  Ernie and Edith married and somewhere in all this happening I ran away with Bud, a man I barely knew, who drove big fancy cars and hung around the theater crowd. He thought I was 18 years old but we were married when I was 14 years old. We went to California where he left me in a hotel in Berkley. I worked at an Ice Cream store. He came to see me now and then and when I told him I was expecting a baby, he quickly lost interest. We got to eat ice cream at the store and we (my girl friend and I) had a few bags of peanuts from tips we got. He picked up my check and paid my share of the rent.   Thelma, Bud and Leslie   One day a nice man told me I should go home and gave me the money for the trip. So I came back to Dad and Mom. They helped me and after Mike was born they tended him while I worked. They were very good to us.   Della Ann Mikesell Walsh, Leslie Arlene Mikesell, Michael James Walsh, Thelma Florence Mikesell, 1947, at S. 424 Haven St., Spokane, WA. 1946, Della at the Big dipper cafe on East Sprague Ave., Spokane WA., Della (2nd from left) was 15 or 16 years old. She also worked for awhile at Fernie's cafe, also on East Sprague.     The year I turned 17, 1948, I married Eddie Binder. The rest is history and well known. Over 40 years of marriage, 5 children and 19 grandchildren.   Eddie and Della Ann (Mikesell) Binder   I have had a good life. I am very fortunate.  I have lived from the days of the cylinder, wind up phonograph to the days of landing men on the moon and bringing them back.  From the days of a well loved, hard to get pencil, that daddy sharpened carefully with his pocket knife, to computers that little children operate skillfully. I have lived through wars and never lost my loved ones in them. I have lived through a Volcano eruption [Mount St. Helens] and had people explain the geological reasons it happens. 50 year anniversary, 1998, during Della Ann's cancer treatments I raised my children much as my mother did. Not realizing for too long, that I couldn't bear all their pains for them but hating to see them hurt so. (Perhaps a lot of this, I will do better at when I finish growing up.)  I remind me of my mother. I got very close to her in her old age, and saw again much of the young girl she had been, still in her. I still feel her very close to me. Dad and Ernie are also gone now, but the bond of love is still always the same. Also because I knew Mama could do anything she had to do, I also know I have that same inner strength, and can do whatever I must do when needed.  I count my blessings everyday, a strong responsible husband with an eternally optimistic attitude, 5 strong responsible children who will direct their own lives as they should, and my loving grandchildren, who I pray will call on their inner strength when they need to.  And for my loving brothers and sisters who have always been there for each other, and especially to you Leslie for reminding us of our heritage. We come from a long line of strong people including you.                                                                       Love, your sister, Della Ann   P.S.  I don't know if anyone else remembers the little boy who lived across the street from us on Haven St.  I remember babysitting him at times, when I was 10 or 11 yrs. old. His step-dad was overseas in the navy, and his mother liked to go out. I remember when I'd go in the house, there would be a terrible smell of combined whiskey and perfume. The little boy was quite crippled and a sweet dark haired little guy maybe 4 or 5 yrs. old.  I never saw her mistreat him in any way, but he was usually in a crib when I was there. Daddy didn't drive and we didn't have a car then. He would watch that woman pretty close and if she took off in her car and didn't come back soon, he would start walking the floor and cussing.  (Yes, Daddy could use some choice phrases when he was mad.) Then out the door he would go and walk up and down Sprague Ave. until until he spotted her car. It was usually parked in front of a tavern and the little guy would be in the car. So here would come Daddy back home, carrying that little guy on his back and we'd wait till his mother came home and got sobered up. Dad sure yelled at her. One night, in the middle of the night, we heard a loud bang. We all woke up and Daddy grabbed his clothes on and ran across the street. He came back with the little guy and called the police. The woman had put a long gun to her head and pulled the trigger. I think it was a rifle. I saw it the next day when we went over to the house. It was laying on the bed and there was blood and something like raw meat clinging to the wall. The step-dad was sent home from the Navy and I heard Mom and Dad say the dad was really good to him and raised him. He also had several surgeries at the Shriners Hospital. I can't remember his name but still can see his face and often think of him and hope he's O.K. I sure laughed when you said that for all these years you've thought it was your fault that I got a spanking over spilling the coffee. You wanted your Ice Cream cone and someway I dropped the coffee and the jar broke. (All coffee came in jars then.) The reason Dad spanked me was because I sent Thelma in for an empty jar and put all the coffee in it. I thought I got all the glass out too, but Dad was still mad. I remember he had hold of one of my arms and I kept running around him, so I think he missed most of the time. I was getting pretty leggy at that time. I really was a trial to raise. I know they loved me, but I'm pretty sure Mom had Dad convinced I took after his side of the family.  All God's Children and no two alike. At least I felt the razor strap more than once and probably needed it more. It never bothered me. If you did something wrong you got punished, and that's fair!   left: Della Mikesell Binder; Florence Allen Mikesell; Jim Mikesell; Betty Mikesell Erlandson; Ernie Mikesell; Thelma Mikesell Winters; Leslie Mikesell Wood. Taken 1962, shortly after Jeff Mikesell's death.   2003      <Back to page 1           <back to page 2           <back to page 3