TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: OCCUPATIONS

This could be a really short post, because pretty much every one of my ancestral fathers was a farmer, for at least part of their lives.  That being said, it was not uncommon for a farmer to also hold a position in their community, whether through additional training, or serving on a board or ruling body in the local government. 

My 2x great grandfather William DENBY, was not only a farmer, but also both a physician and a minister, and served in both capacities during the Civil War.  He was a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church denomination in Missouri.

Daniel Morgan STOCKTON was a farmer as well as a Justice in the Court of Common Pleas for Rhea County, Tennessee.  He served his community from 1829 to 1834, when the Tennessee Constitution established different judicial positions and requirements.

My Grandpa Will CHURCHWELL was a farmer in Eastern Colorado, but also worked odd jobs which sometimes took him away from his family for weeks at a time.  After he lost his farm when he couldn’t pay the taxes, he moved his family to Wheat Ridge.  There, he took up carpentry. 

Will’s father, Francis Marion CHURCHWELL, has a biography in the “History of Shelby County,” where he is listed as earning a degree from the Jones Commercial College in St. Louis, Missouri.  He then “taught school three terms, and then located on a farm of 100 acres near Emden, on which he lived until 1889.  In that year he moved to a farm of 200 acres near Shelbyville.”  It was noted that he excelled in “breeding and raising mules.” 

According to “The History of Shelby County” published in 1884, the grandfather of my Grandma Iva WALLIS CHURCHWELL, Jeptha Rufus WALLIS was a prominent farmer and stock-raiser, “but when the California gold excitement broke out, possessing the spirit he did, he of course was drawn into the stream of emigrants that flowed westward to the Pactolian coast of the Pacific seas.  He spent about four years engaged in mining in California, and then returned to the bosom of his family at his old home in Marion county. . .  A few years afterwards he came to Shelby county, where he has since resided.  He has several hundred acres of fine land, the fruit of his own industry, and his farm, containing 180 acres, is one of the best in the township.  Mr.  Smith is handling stock to a considerable extent and with good success.”

My Grandpa James LAREW’s brother, Homer, was an automobile mechanic in Morrison, Colorado (and, as I recall, in California).

My dad, Kermit LAREW left farming and first worked at a local service station - remember those, where the guy would pump your gas, check your oil, and wash your windshield?  Later, he drove a fuel delivery truck and later became a diesel mechanic which is what he did during World War II.  He worked for awhile as a mechanic for Navajo truck lines.  In 1948, he attended diesel school in California, returning home just weeks before my sister Kim was born.  He tried to run his own service garage, but couldn’t keep going when people didn’t pay for the work he had done.  He then went into carpentry, part of the time as a partner in B & L Construction with his friend Horace Bandimere, and then on his own. 

It's ironic that I can find these census and court records to give me information on these ancestor’s occupations, but I couldn’t tell you what most of my own uncles did for a living.  Thanks to several of my cousins for enlightening me!!

On my LAREW side, Lee recalls that Lois & her husband Clyde JONES, ”lived on the farm where the turkeys were grown but dad was never a turkey farmer.  Dad was a carpenter just about his whole life.  I think he worked in the mines during WWII.  He was flat footed and was not able to serve in the military.”  I remember for a short time they moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but returned after just a year or two.  Pam recounts about her dad Bud DAY, “dad worked for Jefferson County (I don't remember the name) for public schools etc??” According to Keith his dad Carl HASS “worked for western Filter.  They built water treatment plants for cities, coke and pepsi.  He was one of the managers.”

On my CHURCHWELL side, Uncle Frank was a union carpenter and very skilled.  He did both rough and finish carpentry and according to cousin Gary, “he built a bedroom to our home by himself.”  Harold was the owner of Livewire Transfer Truck Lines in Alliance, Nebraska.  Sandi recalls, “After Livewire was bought out by Arrow Freight, he worked as office manager for Arrow until they were bought out by Burlington and he had the same position for them.  In Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, “he worked the campaigns as a sugar content tester and the rest of the year as a night watchman.”  Richard had a cattle ranch in southeast Colorado.  Kenneth was a tree trimmer; for awhile he had his own business, Advance Tree Service, then worked for someone else.  Calvin worked for Mountain Bell.  He was a lineman, then worked as a dispatcher.  Aunt Louise’s husband Glenn was a cowboy, then a farmer, then after they moved to Thornton, he worked for Rocky Flats doing road construction, snow removal, and maintenance.  Doug WILLIAMSON said that his “Dad worked as a class A mechanic for a few years, then got promoted to management. He was head of all mechanical and construction for most of his career” at Gates Rubber Company. 

And let’s not forget the women!  Uncle Frank’s wife Marietta worked on an assembly line for a can company.  Sandi said her mom Helen worked in the office with him all along the way…they somehow managed to leave the office at the office and home at home!”  Uncle Richard’s wife Viola was a cook in a nursing home for many years.  Lynn told me her mom Louise, “worked at Colorado Tent & Awning for about 5 years when I was in jr high and high school.  Mom mainly was a housewife.”   My mom Mildred worked as long as I can recall; she worked for awhile at a potato chip factory, then later at Martin-Marietta.  She worked as a Nurse’s Aide in the newborn nursery at Denver General Hospital, retiring in 1978 after 15 years.  After marrying Harold NUTTLEMAN, she helped him with the cattle, chickens, pigs, and gardening on their farm.  Doug shared that his mom Jean, “looked after two girls for working mothers. She worked as a teacher's asst. for a while.“  As far as I know, Uncle Kenneth’s wife Vivian did not work outside of the home.

Lee said his Mom Lois, “did not work outside the home, until dad retired, in order to earn extra money.”  I recall that Aunt Lois didn’t learn to drive until she was much older.  She sold Avon and tried to drive to make deliveries, but it wasn’t long before she quit driving again.  Pam recounts about Gail, “Mom did worked outside the home after she got married then quit the job to stay at home mom before long I came along to live with them. I was adopted by them when I was 7 months old.” In their later years, both Gail and Bud DAY managed a mobile home park in Grand Junction, Colorado.  Cousin Keith reminded me that Aunt Georgia HASS “worked for Jolly Rancher for awhile and then worked for Jefferson County schools as a baker until she retired.”

Okay, cousins (& 2 siblings!) it’s your turn.  Please leave a Comment about your occupations, whether you have had one or many careers over your lifetime.  I look forward to reading them! 

 

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