For our Parents, and For our Families – their Ancestors
An appreciation of our immediate family roots and beginnings. The following is extracted from family histories, oral history shared within our family, and my own recollections.
William Edward “Ed” Morin
Irene Delphine (Roberts) Morin
Ed Morin was the ninth child of Stanislas and Rosanna. He attended Silver Creek Public School (District 36), Graham County, from 1912 through 1920, completing the 9th Grade. Stanislas was Director of the School Board during that time. During his childhood Ed lost brothers Emile and Joseph. In 1917 he lost his mother, who died in childbirth. By the fall of 1920 the widower Stanislas had five children remaining at home: Ed (16), Phillip (14), Joseph (12) – the previous son named Joseph had died before Joseph was born, Olive (6) and Levi (4). He did not continue into High School. To do so would have required living away from home, and Stanislas did not support that option.
With the blessings of his dad, at some point in the ’20’s Ed began traveling to find work. His travels took him from the Canadian border to Mexico, and from Texas to Florida. We have postcards he sent to his dad in 1925 from Montana, Yellowstone, Texas, and Mexico. After he had met his future wife, Irene, he stayed in touch with her. We treasure a touching note he sent to her sent from Sylvan Lake, SD in Aug, 1927 and signed “Love, Ed”. He “shucked a lot of corn” along the way. I remember him saying that a good shucker would have an ear of corn in the air all the time (that’s breaking the ear off, stripping the husk, and tossing it into the wagon). And in his travels he gained a perspective and understanding of life that well-exceeded what he could ever gain in a school room.
Irene Roberts was the oldest child of George and Alice (Simoneau) Roberts. She attended a Rooks County Public School through the 9th Grade, receiving her Common School Diploma in 1921. Her mother, Alice, who had earned her Common School Diploma in 1896, committed to sending Irene to further schooling. Irene went to boarding school in Beloit, KS for two years. She also worked at St. John hospital in Salina, KS, to go to high school at Sacred Heart. Her dad, George, died in 1924, leaving the family farm, west of Damar and in Graham County, in the hands of his widowed wife and sons, Harvey (16) and Eugene (13). Irene was 18 and in school; the next oldest girl was Cecilia (10). Nonetheless, her mother ensured that she completed her high school, She graduated from Girls Catholic High School in Hays, KS in 1925. Irene was in school for nine months following the death of her dad. In her own words, “I was still in mourning for my dad during the nine months I attended the Academy. Back then you had to wear black for one year after a death in the family. I wore black shoes stockings and dresses. My mother made five black and white print dresses and one good black dress for Sunday. At first the other students thought I was strange, wearing black everyday.” Her high school “My Graduation Journal” captures some of her experiences in Salina.
Irene returned home to help on the farm, and also attended the Normal School for Teachers in Hill City for three weeks, to prepare for her teaching examination. She proceeded to earn her Teachers County Certificate from Graham County in July, 1927. Irene was seeing Ed by this time (see the post card note from Ed). Her teacher posting was to Silver Creek School #36, the same school that Ed had previously attended. By this time Ed had the position of Clerk of the School Board.
Ed Morin – Early Pictures
Irene Roberts – Early Pictures
Ed Morin with team of oxen, circa 1927.
Ed and Irene (Roberts) Morin
We know that Ed was courting Irene in 1927 (re: the post card at right). Also, to the right is a picture from 1927. Ed and Irene married June 10, 1929. On June 7, Stanislas, having worked at a threshing machine during the day, was milking the cows because the boys were away. He collapsed, unconscious, with bloody sweat on his face. He was taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Hays. He told Ed and Iren to proceed with their wedding, and died in the evening of their wedding day. Ed and Irene settled on a farm a mile south of Damar.
Stanislas died “intestate,” that is, without a will. Ed’s oldest brother, Alphonse was the executor of his estate. After all expenses were paid, there were no funds remaining in the personal estate of Stanislas for distribution. The five quarters of land owned by Stanislas were sold at auction, and were bought by Alphonse, Edward, Joseph, Oliver Brin (husband of Mary (Morin) Brin, and Frank Baltazor (husband of Rosa (Morin) Baltazor. The quarter Ed bought was the original homestead “mound” quarter, west of the family farm in Graham County. The proceeds of the auction (16,770.37) were divided equally among the nine surviving children.
At this time, Irene’s mother and brothers were struggling on the family farm. Ed and Irene reached agreement with her mother, Alice, to buy the family farm, and moved there in 1930. Alice moved to Damar. The farm was a mile north and 1/2 mile south of the mound quarter. This was the family farm from 1930 to 1977.
Ed and Irene had six children. Essentially, we are two family groups – with Laverne, Robert (Bob) and Shirley born within three 1/2 years in the early 30s and then, after a break of nearly nine years, Dennis, Anita, and Pam in the 40s. In retrospect, the break was compelled by the challenges of the times. The 30s brought the “dust storm years” and the economic depression concurrently. Not all families survived. Ed and Irene were literally in “the fight of their lives” just to keep the farm and provide for the family of three children. I commend you to the book by Bob Morin, “My Lost Moonshine, Experiments with Black Powder, and How the Woman Fell Down the Shitter: Stories from the life and times of Robert E Morin“. The book should be available on Amazon as either hard copy or as a Kindle book. They had the recently acquired “mound quarter,” the farm, and the land of Alice Roberts on a share-rent arrangement. They fought the drought, the dust, and the depression throughout the 30s, with Ed, in the face of failed crops, finding work where he could and Irene holding the farm together and the kids clothed, fed, and sheltered. In the late 30s the rains began to return, the kids were getting old enough to help with the farm work, and the market for farm goods began to improve. They had survived the 30s, and things were looking up as the 40s began. Dennis came along in 1942, Anita followed in 1945, and Pamela in 1948. Laverne was already in college by then. Following below is a page link for each of the children.
Laverne George (Apr 23, 1930) – His page is at this link.
Robert Eugene (Feb 29, 1932) – His page is at this link.
Shirley Ann (Oct 3, 1933). Her page is at this link.
Dennis Leland (1942). His page is at this link.
Anita Jean (Feb 12, 1945). Her page is at this link.
Pamela Suzanne (Feb 26, 1948). Her page is at this link.
