Marriage - Bob Greenley and Barbara Becker meet. (Part 4)

Dad arrived home from his army service Wednesday, Dec. 12, 1945.  His mother wrote in her diary, "Bob's Home" ... underlined

Bob Greenley and Barbara Becker,
spring of 1946

twice.  Her words reveal the excitement she felt, of having him back after three years away.  She also captures his pleasure in being home and seeing family and friends.

In January 1946, dad started working for Consolidated Freightways as a truck driver.  Finding a good job was just the first step of the newest chapter in his life.  He soon met 18 year old  Barbara Becker who worked in the office.  Barbara and Ansel (Bob's dad) had become friends, and she had been hearing about Bob and Ansel’s excitement  for his son to be home.  More about Bob and Barbara's courtship here - 70 years ago today

They were married June 23, 1946, in Grants Pass (60 miles south of Roseburg).  Some of the story is revealed in letters.  In the lingo of the time, they ‘had to,’ as mom was already pregnant with Dale.  But no mistake, they also wanted to, even though for many years they never openly discussed that Dale was an "early" baby. 

Later on, mom expressed how naive both she and Bob were.  They wanted to get married, but didn't really know how to do it quickly and cleanly.  Dad's good friend Glenn Nickell helped figure it out.  Glenn helped arrange for the wedding in Grants Pass. (Mom kept the dress she got married in - I still have it!).  Despite the hasty manner of the wedding, their joy shows in the picture taken that spring.

Best Friend - Glenn Nickell

A side note about Dad's friend, Glenn Nickell.  Glenn was very gregarious and friendly -- His laughter and personality filled any room.  Their friendship started not long after Bob moved to Oregon in 1936. My brother Dale remembers hearing how their friendship started when the two boys were classmates.  Glenn was small, and had a physical disability (Dale thought he had a club foot) and other children teased him cruelly.  Dad was a big healthy guy, and was able to intimidate the others to put a stop to it.  Glenn was devoted to Dad after that.

Glenn Nickell - 1951

By the early 1960s, Glenn a made a home in the Eugene area after spending time in Grants Pass, North Bend, and Roseburg involved in radio and TV broadcasting.  He was extremely successful.  He eventually became the general manager of the three sister TV stations, KPIC (Roseburg), KVAL (Eugene), and KCBY (Coos Bay), and was prominent in the Eugene business community.  He and his wife Nadine had four children, similar in age to Dale, Susie and Ross.

Bob Greenley - 1951

Glenn's wife herding the children

The above pictures were the only ones I could find of Glenn and family. These pictures are from about 1951. The two families enjoying a day on the river. Glenn's wife is shown trying to keep them all out of the river. I think she has hold of Ross's shirt. Susie and Dale are part of the group. 

Marianne with her 1968 Ford Mustang
purchased in 1974

Glenn was an important presence throughout our lives. When my sister Susie moved to Eugene in 1968, he helped her find a job.  And even after Dad died, he continued to help.  He helped me buy my first car (a 1968 Ford Mustang for $750) in 1974.  That same year,  he helped Mom buy her house in Eugene.  He also helped her sell the variety of properties we had in Roseburg, and use that money to purchase rentals in Eugene.  She eventually ended up with about 17 rental properties in Eugene.

Dad's service during World War II (Part 3)

1942 -1945

My father kept souvenirs from his time in the army in a small suitcase.  He would bring it out on occasion to show us the items he saved.  I am embarrassed to say I only remember the Japanese flag, which has Japanese writing in the white background. I am sure my brother Lance remembers more  of this than I do. Grandma saved all his letters home, and he saved her replies. I haven't read all the letters ... but look forward to doing so.

Something I recently realized is he must of lied about being a member of the Seventh Day Adventist church.  If he had told the army he was SDA, he would have been placed in a non-combat role (most likely a medical unit).  I don't know if this is when he decided to leave the church, or that decision was confirmed as time went by in the army.  I do know, once he left the army, he no longer considered himself a Seventh Day Adventist. 

He enlisted on August 7, 1942, for the duration of the war, as part of the Engineer Special Brigade in which he was trained as a mechanic on amphibious vehicles. You can read more details about these special brigades in this wikipedia article Engineer Special Brigade.

He was stationed in the South Pacific.  He spent time in the Philippines, Australia and New Guinea.  You can read a summary of the places his unit was located in this document that my brother Lance put together 1458 engineer company 562 maintenance battalion.

During his time in the South Pacific he was awarded two bronze stars.  One bronze star was earned when he risked his life to move critical equipment while under fire.  The way he told the story was somewhat different. He told us that there was beer stashed in the truck that was endanger of being destroyed -- and he couldn't stand the thought of losing that beer.  

The second bronze star was earned by all the members of his unit for getting supplies and reinforcement to troops that were pinned down.  It seems that this type of honor (a whole unit receiving recognition) was frowned on by Pentagon, but the leadership awarded his unit anyway.

I have already written about his journey home after the war in this blog entry (Happy Thanksgiving)

Somewhere in the South Pacific. Bob Greenley is on the right.

Dad arrived home Wednesday, Dec. 12, 1945. In his mother's diary, she wrote "Bob came home(underlined twice) about 1pm.  Lela was outside and saw him coming, when I heard her screams I ran out to meet him in the yard.” The family was as glad to have him home, as he was to be home, after three long years.  

Robert "Bob" Greenley: Early Years (Part 2)

1921 - 1942

Bob Greenley was born in Wagon Mound, in the northeast corner of New Mexico, the first child of Ansel and Mary (Maddux) Greenley. (Read about their courtship here ( Ansel meets Mary). Ansel and Mary were working a small farm with the help of Ansel's brother Joe.  Dad was referred to as "Bobby" in his mother's diary.

The family began to grow, as Lela came along in 1922.  The farm was less successful, and the whole family left for Casper, Wyoming soon after.  They lived in Casper for a couple of years, where Bette was born in 1926. Family history is hazy, but it appears as if Ansel struggled to find work, and Ansel and Mary moved their family to Rocky Ford, Colorado,  When they moved on to Colorado , Uncle Joe and family stayed behind in Wyoming.

Ansel with twins William "Billy" 
and Joseph "Joey"

Mary gave birth to twins, Joseph and William, in January 1929. Only William survived. Ansel and Mary's last child, Everett, was born in Rocky Ford, Colorado, in 1931.

One of the influences on my dad was the Seventh Day Adventist Church.  His mother was raised in the church.  Ansel was not.  I don't think they were completely devoted to the church until 1930, when Ansel, his mother, and his brother Matt, were all baptized.  I wonder if they turned to the church after the death of Joseph.  But that is a guess.  I know that dad and his siblings all went to Seventh Day Adventist schools (rather than public schools) and that Ansel and Mary were devout members through the rest of their lives.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Ansel and Mary struggled financially (Honestly they struggled throughout their lives).  Ansel had jobs as a salesman while in Rocky Ford.  In 1936, Ansel was able to get a job as a cook at the VA Hospital in Roseburg, Oregon. They packed up the family - again - late in June, and two weeks later arrived in Roseburg.  It was instant love. The family called Oregon "God's country".  Finally, they were home

A side note about Dad's Grandma Greenley. She lived near Ansel and Mary from New Mexico, Wyoming, then Rocky Ford Colorado.  They didn't want to leave her in Colorado when they moved to Roseburg. By that time she was ill, diagnosed with cancer. My Dad and his siblings talked about her with much adoration and love. They may of spoken of her to me because apparently I am built she like her. (Thank you Grandma) She was six foot tall. She gave birth to my Grandfather (Ansel) who was 6'8".  So the Greenley tall is her genes doing their work.

Grandma Greenley (Mary Brown Greenley)
at home in New Mexico (1921)

My father attended the Seventh Day Adventist School in Roseburg through 10th grade.  To continue his education, he went to Laurelwood Academy, which was located in Gaston, Oregon, outside of Portland.  He didn't have the money for the tuition, so while in school, he was given a job working in the dairy. He had to get up extremely early, go to school all day, then do homework.  It wasn't long before he became discouraged, and decided to return home.  Remember, this was during the depression -- so money and work were scarce.

In this picture Ansel and Mary with their 5 children. Back row from left: Lela, Bob (behind her), Mary, Ansel. Front row: Everett, Bill, Bette. In this picture, I see a strong resemblance between Bob and his grandson Dodge  

According to the 1940 census, he was 19 years old, living at home, working as a gardener.  At some point, he decided to move back to Colorado, to live with his Uncle Matt and Aunt Eva.  He was successful in finding good work while living there.

He wrote a letter home, on Dec. 8, 1941.  (The day after Pearl Harbor).  He doesn't mention Pearl Harbor at all.  He tells his parents he really likes his job and his boss.  He sent money home to go to help building a new church school.  At the end of the letter he says, "It looks like I'll be coming home to join up."

Picture taken in Denver, Colorado (1942). Along the bottom of the picture his mother had written "new car, new suit, age 21"

Robert "Bob" Greenley: An introduction

This is the first of six (or so) posts about my father, whose 100th birthday would have been February 25, 2021.  Like all good stories, we'll start at the beginning, with a brief introduction and some of my most vivid memories, and then progress through his life.  This blog is a gift to his six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren in hopes that I can capture their grandfather's story,  

My Memories

My father, Robert Ansel Greenley, was born February 25, 1921, and died in 1970, at the age of 49.  I was 13.  My memories are kid's memories, further reduced by time.  As with all memories, certain things stand out.  I remember sitting on my father's lap.  I was tall, and he moved me around so we'd be comfortable.  I remember my face up against his face, feeling his scratchy whiskers.

Bob Greenley with daughter Marianne. (1958

Another memory is sitting in his truck at the A&W, and getting a soft serve ice cream cone (he loved soft serve ice cream).  A similar story is he leaving me in the truck while he went into Anderson's Mart. He returned with Juicy Fruit gum for me (and cigarettes for him, I'm sure)

One other episode that has stuck with me was a trip we made to visit our Uncle Everett and family.  We rarely went to restaurants growing up -- so it was unusual for us to stop on our trip south at a truck stop for breakfast.  I remember how he flirted with the waitress, and how fun to see this part of his personality. I ordered strawberry waffles! 

By the time I was eleven or so, all my older siblings were out of the house.  My father bought a sedan to replace the station wagon.  The sedan had a big engine, and was fast. (Side note - the car had an 8 track! We thought we were just the coolest to have such a luxury. The 8 tracks he bought: The Irish Rovers, and a country western singer) He was driving along a straight stretch of highway outside of town, and speed up to see how fast he could go -- we went over a small hump in the road and he went airborne!  Mom was freaking out - and Lance and I loved it! 

A Christmas letter from 1864

One of my favorite treasures I've collected while researching Greenley genealogy is this Christmas letter written in 1864 during the Civil War.

It is written by Richard Greenley. (Here is the Greenley story I wrote a while ago that helps explain how we are related to him.)  The letter (or poem) is written to his brother, George Greenley, who, at the time of the Civil War, was still in England.  He moved the United States after the war.  But his adult sons had already moved to Iowa.  And they were both serving in the war.

Richard and George's brother, John, is who we are descended from.  John (and family) is mentioned in the letter.  What is not mentioned is that John's son, William, is also serving in the war. (William was our grandfather, Ansel, grandfather)

My words are not so elegant, but wish for all a very MERRY MERRY Christmas!

A Christmas Letter

70 years ago today ...

Bob and Barbara (Becker) Greenley
1946

70 years ago – June 23, 1946, would be my parents 70^th wedding anniversary. They meet after my dad had returned to Roseburg at the end of WWII.  My mother was working in the office at Frieghtways, where my grandfather had a cold storage unit for the dairy product he sold.  When WWII ended, he would talk to my mom how excited he was to have his son, Bob, come home after 3 years away. 

My father arrived home Dec. 12, 1945. Quote from my grandmother’s diary:

“Bob came home (she underlined it twice!) about 1 pm.  Lela was outside & saw him coming, when I heard her scream I ran out too & met him in the yard.”

                                                                                         

My father got a job driving truck for Freightways, and they met.  The “courting” started when my mom purchased a car – but didn’t have her driver’s license, and didn’t know how to drive.  My dad offered to give her driving lessons.

It was pleasantly surprised to see their courtship unfold in my grandmother’s diary:

Feb. 2, 1946 (Sabbath)

Such a happy day, Lela, Austin & Bob all off to S.S.(Sabbath School)) & church, daddy did not go, had nice dinner. Lela & Pat went to sleep. Lela is all in for sleep & rest. All went skating in eve. Bob took Barbara Becker skating. (Barbara is the office girl at Freightways, pretty)

Sunday, Feb. 3, 1946:

Bob and Barbara (Becker) Greenley
circa 1946

Had busy day, Lela & Pat came down from Oakland & we washed, Lela packed for her & Bill, they left about noon. Pat wanted Grandma to come along. Bill is 6ft 33/4 in. tall.  Bob brought Barbara to see us, teaching her to drive her car.

Wed. Feb. 6, 1946:

Made Lela an apron & cookies & sent a pk. to Lela. Bob went out with Barbara & did not get to bed till 11:30. Gave him 4 hr. sleep.

Sun., Feb. 10, 1946

Snowed & sunshine, Bob worked forenoon. Bob gave Barbara driving lessons in afternoon. Glenn & Nadine came. Glenn ate dinner. I wrapped a bundle of papers to send to Philippines.

Sun. Mar. 31, 1946: …. “Barbara has her driver’s license.”

Tues., April 23, 1946:

Everett started back to school, from measles. Daddy went north; getting all the cheese he wants sold 900 lbs. He can make $100 a week. I ironed; Barbara came for dinner, getting lively & happy.

My father also started building his first house that spring.  The first diary entry to mention “Bob’s place”was May 21, 1946:

My parent's first home. A version of this house is still there at
2722 W. Bradford Ct., Roseburg

“Ironed a  big ironing. Bob & Bill went out to Bob’s place and cut a drive way to his place thru poison oak & got poison oak.” My dad had a horrible reaction to the poison oak – and suffered from it for more than a week.

And two short months later:

July 24, 1946:

"Ironed & mended. Billie & I drove out to see Bob's house & to see Bob & Barbara in their new home. have lovely refrigerator & iron."

Grandma's Popcorn Balls

I recently had the pleasure of re-connecting with a childhood friend.  No matter how many years pass, Peg and I always have lots to say to each other.  In our conversation, she mention how fondly she remembers coming to our home because "your mom always was doing something fun, like making popcorn balls."  This surprised me - because, honestly, never had thought of my mom as "fun".  But I had already planned on writing a post on Popcorn.

I am a huge fan of Popcorn.  The family story, from my mom, popcorn bribery is how they got me to walk at one year old.  When my brothers and I were cleaning out my mom's home after she had moved into a retirement home, we found the following:

These items universally brought huge smiles to all our faces.  The pot, according to my oldest brother, started life as a stove top pressure cooker.  But our memory of it is as a the popcorn maker.  A lid that didn't fit well - so we used a paper towel between the lid and pot - the towel served to soak up the oil and also allowed the lid to fit a little tighter.  The big colorful bowl was filled with butter (actually margarine) topped popcorn.

So in this age of making popcorn in a bag ... it is quite easy to make popcorn without the bag.  You pour oil in the bottom of a pan.  The oil should cover the bottom.  You turn the burner on high, and drop a popcorn kernel or two in the oil.  You wait until one of those kernels "pop" and then you pour a 1/2 cup of popcorn into the pot. Quickly add the paper towel and lid, and start shaking the pot.  Moving the pot back and forth across the burner makes sure you don't burn any popcorn.  In the age before microwaves, you also were melting butter in a small sauce pan.

During the 1950s and 1960's our family lived on one of the "main" streets in our neighborhood. We lived less than a block from the elementary school.  Halloween was BUSY at our house.  My mom ALWAYS made popcorn balls for the trick or treaters.  I don't have any idea how many she had to make.  But it was a bunch.  And we all helped. I remember the hot sticky goo being poured over the freshly popped popcorn, and how hard it was to mix it all together.  We would wrap the hot gooey popcorn in waxed paper. We stopped handing it out to everyone in the 1970s when homemade candy became a no no.  But we still made it for friends that would stop by for the special treat.  I remember as a teenager, my friends would come over just to get the popcorn balls.

The recipe actually came from my grandmother. I include the following page from one of her diaries (For the day Dec. 23rd from the years 1957 - 1961)  On Dec. 23rd of 1959, she writes "made popcorn balls and ironed"

Here is Grandma Greenley's recipe from my mom's recipe book: