by Donna Swagerty Shreve
1900-1943
My first introduction to Virginia, that I can recall, was when I was twelve in 1957. I received a letter from a stranger named Nelle Housley. She had been a friend of Virginia in Vancouver, Canada. My grandmother had died before I was born and I had little idea of who she had been. Nelle sent me two pictures of Virginia when she was 21 and the other picture was when she was 37, The older picture my mother had never seen. Virginia left her husband and children when Melva was five and Ron was three
Mother made me sit down and write a thank you letter and that was the end of our communication. When Virginia was quite ill and near death, Nelle Houseley invited Virginia’s children to stay with her as they visited their mother in the hospital. Virginia was in a coma and it is questionable whether she was even aware that her two grown children were with her.
Virginia was one of six children and she was number three and the third daughter. From family stories I have concluded that Virginia and her brother Fletcher were the wild children of this family. Their father was a farmer but never owned his own land. He was the hired hand. The family started out in Carrolton, Arkansas and ended up in Idaho. Some time during 1903 and 1907, the family was living in Missouri where the boys were born and the youngest boy, Wiley, died in childhood. When the family moved on to Idaho, the oldest daughter Pearl, stayed in Missouri where she married the first of her three husbands.
The family of now six moved to Idaho where Jesse Brown got a job being foreman for Jesse Boone who owned the Early Dawn Dairy. In the 1920 census Jesse Boone had a crew of seven that Jesse Brown managed. It was here that Jesse Boone met the young Virginia. Jesse Boone ended his 22 year marriage to Maggie Longfellow. Five weeks later after the divorce, Jesse and Virginia eloped to Salt Lake City. When I finally found this marriage certificate, I had another surprise. At age 44 Jesse listed his age as 38. Virginia at age 18 joined the fun and listed her age as 24. I interpreted as this as they were trying to squeeze the age difference somewhat. The marriage only lasted five years before Virginia left. Before Virginia left, she had a formal picture taken of her two children. Melva did not see this picture, taken when she was five, until she was 81 years old when we visited relatives in Meridian, Idaho.
Virginia grew restless on the dairy and wanted training to be a beautician. Jesse paid for her schooling where she attended a school in Portland Oregon. It was in Portland that Virginia sent a letter to some friends in the Boise area. The letter was used a few months later by Jesse to obtain his divorce from his second wife. In 1924 a person had to prove one of several reasons for a divorce. Jesse had evidence with two letters written by Virginia. The first letter was from Virginia to her lover at the time. The second letter was written by Virginia to friends of both Virginia and Jesse. I am speculating that Virginia wanted out of the marriage and supplied Jesse with the evidence he needed. I am including one of the letters as a window into Virginia’s mindset in December 1924.
King Albert Apts.
11th Montgomery St.
Portland, Oregon
Dec. 30, 1924
Dearest friends,
You have often wondered what has become of me, perhaps if you have thought of me at all. I would surely like to see you folks again and I may for I expect to be in Boise soon.
Say, I am having the time of my young life. It won’t last, of course, but it’s sure grand while it does. I have the dearest lady friend. She is a few years older than I. We are living together here at the King Albert.
I met her at the school. We are very devoted to each other. We both seemed to need the other so much. We go to shows, dances, dinners – say we are rushed to death. I haven’t stayed home one evening since the first week here. I haven’t thought of Harry or anyone. That was a mistake and it happened because I was too bored and had no place to go or anyone to be with. I have been craving excitement and believe me I’m getting it.
Don’t think me shocking for life is hort and now is my time to have fun. I may never have another chance, but I have a steady escort and he’s perfectly handsome, the kindest hearted person I ever met and is in love with me. I am quite sure I’m not guessing about the love either. My chum says he is. She says those honest Irish eyes couldn’t lie. He is six feet one and weighs two hundred five pounds. He’s sure handsome, but oh, he’s sure handsome and good. Rave on! Ha ha.
Of course it’s going to be hard to leave him, to leave the dances and shows etc. but I love my children and Jesse is awfully good. I’ve just been dancing my fool feet off. I never sit out a dance. I have a lot of men friends at the dances. We go to the IOOF most of the time. One soon gets acquainted with a lot of nice dancing partners.
Oh boy! This is the life! I have gained twelve pounds on top of this excitement and was I was sick with a cold for a week besides. My heart hasn’t bothered me any – only I’m about to lose it. Ha ha.
But who could blame me when here is a wonderful handsome young man devoted to you. There is not one thing I dislike about him. His pal has a red Buick sport model car and we have some wonderful rides. We expect to go out on the Columbia Highway Sunday. I have had some wonderful drives with the Bostwicks, friends of Jesse.
I have certainly had a wonderful time here. What will become of me when I go back to the farm? Who knows? I don’t I am sure my friends. I think a lot of both of you and I will tell you that I ‘M sitting on the fence and am in doubt which way to jump. I am between the devil and the deep blue sea. Well you know better than I can tell you. I am having fun but I am doing nothing to be ashamed of whatever. I hope I may hear from you. Of course don’t tell Jesse of the fun I’m having.
Loving yours,
Virginia Boone
When I first read this letter in the court house records, I was stunned. Jesse cited that Virginia was cold and indifferent. She neglected the housework and had periods of time where she had nothing to do with him. In 1922 she became infatuated in front of others. These infatuations continued in 1924. Melva, the daughter, and Ron, the son, were age 5 and 3 and Jesse asked for custody. Virginia did not contest the divorce and Jesse was given all he wanted.
Jesse filed for divorce from Virginia in March of 1925. It was not contested by Virginia and was finalized May of 1925. Jesse had now lost his dairy and had taken the children to Portland, Oregon where he was running a lunch counter. Melva had started first grade in Portland. Then the three are in Eugene, Oregon for the next part of Melva’s first grade. Melva finishes up first grade in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. In Vancouver Jesse and Virginia remarry. It is during this time that six year old Melva remembers her mother getting a few black eyes. Melva blamed Jesse for being cruel to her mother. Melva had not seen the court papers until she was 81 years old. After this separation, there was not an official divorce until years later. By 1927 Virginia has left the family and Virginia begins second grade and part of third grade in Vancouver. By the end of third grade for Melva, they have moved to Tacoma, Washington.
In June of 1928 Virginia returns to Meridian, Idaho to attend the funeral of her father. The newspaper article lists Virginia as Mrs. Jesse Boone living in Vancouver. The family of Jesse, Melva and Ron move to Seattle where Jesse sets up lunch counters at three different sites. It was during this time that Virginia’s mother Mary Jane Brown, visits Jesse and begs for the children to return to Idaho with her and be raised by Nola, Virginia’s older sister. Jesse refuses.
Jesse Brown died of chronic institutional nephritis. I note this because this is also how Virginia died in 1943. Melva also remembers two visits from her mother when Melva was age 11, in 1930 and when she was 14 in 1933. Unfortunately Virginia wasn’t visiting to see the children but to try to get Jesse to sign divorce papers so she could be free to marry again. Jesse signed the papers during the second visit.
Virginia married Charles Foster in either 1934 or 1935 and it was this man who gave some items such as Virginia’s engagement and wedding rings to Melva after her mother died. Virginia lived in Canada her last 14 years. Before she died she owned her own beauty salon and had a successful life. In 1937 Melva visited Virginia and stayed two months before she left to go back to the states and college. Melva later recalled that they had very little in common. Virginia never would say anything negative about Jesse and was very pleasant but Melva realized she needed to leave and make her own way.
In 1941 Virginia received an invitation to Melva’s wedding but did not attend. The next time Melva saw her mother was in 1943 when Melva and Ron visited her just before she died of kidney disease very similar to her father. Penicillin was around but it was in limited use. The first civilian got some of the medicine in 1942 but most supplies went to soldiers. Perhaps penicillin could have helped her if it was available. Virginia’s second husband Charles Foster lived another six years and died in 1949 at age 59. Nelle Broadbelt Houseley died in 1968.
In 1943 Melva received a letter from family in Boise asking for money for Virginia’s headstone. Melva was newly married and surviving the war. She had no extra money and was unavailable to contribute. Sixty one years later I found her unmarked grave and had a headstone made for her and her brother Charles Brown. After my initial trip to Idaho, I returned one month later with Melva, my sister and her daughter Jennifer and my son Aaron, my brother and his wife who drove us there.
Virginia’s grave was now marked and Melva got to meet the widow of her first cousin Roy Cantrell who was the son of Nola, Virginia’s older sister. Melva remembered Roy from her days living at the Early Dawn Dairy. Rachell Cantrell was so welcoming and shared pictures of Virginia that Melva had never seen before. This is in a separate story called “Boise Trip Narrative.”
Virginia spent little time with her children but she had an influence on both of them. Ron, her son, looked so much like her brother Fletcher. In fact Ron’s middle name was Fletcher. Ron never had a healthy relationship with women. He had two failed marriages and no children. Melva fortunately found a wonderful husband and they had four children. As her oldest child, I always got the impression she was trying to be the mother to us that she always wanted for herself. I am including a picture of Melva and Ron at ages 5 and 3. Next to this picture is the picture of them again at ages 23 and 21. The two pictures show the huge gap that Virginia missed out on in her children’s lives.
2047 words
10/29/2020
Swagerty-Aldrich Family Web Site 