Gage Women...

There is no doubt in my mind that I have some fabulous women in my family.  I have been fortunate that I have had the opportunity to know them and appreciate who they are and what they have done in their lives. I am also incredibly lucky to have a library of photos to draw from where I can see them at almost any age.

First there is my beloved Great Grandmother (Florence Christine Shawver) who is technically a Shawver, married Granddad Gage on 4 Sept 1917 and they remained a devoted couple until  Granddad died on 30 Dec 1990 - they had been married for over 73 years.  When the first of her children were born in the late teens and twenties, I'm sure there were hard times, but I also suspect they were very happy years.  Then the depression hit and like everyone else, they also had very hard times.  They uprooted their family from the farm in Iowa, because Granddad couldn't pay the taxes and went first to South Dakota and in 1935 traveled across Montana in November to reach Dover, Idaho. It wasn't until later that year that they had bought land and had build a house on Hatter Creek, ID.  Grandma Florence's oldest daughter was my grandmother Marian who we lost a few years ago at age 91.  Then came Elaine and Pauline, who are both still going strong.  The youngest daughter, Norma, died 30 years ago of cancer.  All four of these women were strong women who could work and did work just as hard as a man did.  I think the farm wife probably worked much harder and longer than her husband - especially when you add 10 children to that mix like my great grandparents had.  My great grandmother was born on 14 Jun 1897 in Lyons, NE and she lived to be 93 years old...just a few months short of 94.  These are just a few of the wonderful photos that my great grandmother had.

Florence Shawver - Graduation

Around 1930 or so...I think Grandma Marian was always
tall for her age - she wanted to be petite but it was never
quite in the cards for her.  She ended up being 5'10

Taken about 1929  - since Norma was born in 1928.  Grandma is holding Norma,
Elaine, Pauline and Grandma Marian in the front.  I love the look of the
devil on Aunt Elaine's face.  I am told that she was not a girl to be trifled with when she was a youngster.

This was taken on the sad occasion of my grandfather's passing in 1975.  Starting Left to Right:
Norma, Elaine, Grandma Florence, Pauline & Grandma Marian