July 19, 2011 interview with Eva Frakes

So, I think I've got bitten by the family history bug...and I totally feel the spirit of Elijah!  I took sometime last night to visit with grandma to get some dates, and stories.  Wish I thought to bring the camcorder, cause it would be so much better watching/hearing her tell the stories.  Next time!

So these are some tidbits I gathered:

• Thomas R. Lewis was Eva's father.  He was born in Wales, Eng and when he was 5, his family joined the church and came to the United States to join with the saints.  His mother, Ellen Belcher, died shortly after arriving in the US.  I wonder if she made the trek West, or died before that?  Thomas was a police officer in Rock Springs WY when Eva was born.  Some of Eva's memories of him:  "he was not a talker, unless he was scolding me for something.  When I was born he was hoping for a son.  When he saw me for the first time, he was thrilled that I had the same deep dimple in my chin as he did.  No one had a chance to tell him that I was a girl, so when he was told he was disappointed and wouldn't even look at me...so whenever my siblings and I were fighting, it was always my fault and I was the one to get scolded.  He used to tell me that I would amount to nothing.  When I was older and out of school, just after the war started, we would end our shifts around the same time (we both worked the midnight shift) and walk home together planning what we would eat for breakfast.  We got kind of close that way."  Since they were just coming out of the depression and the war had just started,Grandma said breakfast would consist of things they had in their yard.  They had their own chickens, so eggs were standard, and they also had their own ham/bacon.
• Ann Elizabeth Rynearson (known for her pies).  This was Eva's grandmother.  During harvest times, the community would often help each other gather the harvests.  The men would work during the day bringing in the harvest and the women would prepare food for everyone to share when the work was done that day.  Ann was very well known for her pies.  Eva said the crust would melt in your mouth.  Often Ann would begin early in the morning making all varieties of pies and then show up to the meal with 10-12 pies.  Eva also talked about how Ann made chicken noodle soup and would put it in a beautiful china soup terrain with a beautiful lid and spoon.  When she died Eva hoped to get that terrain, but another family member (whom didn't have much to do with Ann until she died and then came to get what they could, according to Eva) took it and Eva's father just said to let them have whatever they wanted, he didn't want to fight about it.  Ann also made rolls (similar to croissant rolls today).  She would take the dough and roll it out and then spread and cover it with lard, fold it up, roll it out again and cover with lard.  This she did 5-6 times and then would cut the dough in squares and bake.  Ann never measured anything, just adding a pinch her and a shake there...Eva cooks much the same way (unless she is trying to give a recipe to a grand daughter and then will try to come up with measurements).