My memory of "Aunt Rilla" was from my childhood experiences of her visits to our home and especially the time she came for Thanksgiving. She had us all involved in baking big pretzels and of running laps around the back yard to burn off our calories after the big dinner.
Sweet Aunt Rilla was beloved by everyone and I know she helped many family, friends, and others along the way. I know that she was a big help to my father.
Going back to her childhood, Rilla Pearl was the fourth daughter of five to Arthur Tappan and Eunice "May" (Wetherill) Brown. She was born in Montana and spent most of her developing years on the family farm in Weiser, Idaho. Her sisters Clara, Eunice, Emma and Margaret Elizabeth span eighteen years, but were very close and supportive of one another throughout their lives.
She was helping her sister Clara with her twins the day their father died in June of 1906. Soon after, she moved with her mother and sister to Fullerton, Nebraska to live with Grandfather Wetherill. After high school, Rilla was hired to teach in Fullerton.
Both her mother and her grandfather died in 1911 and Rilla returned to Idaho to help her sister, Clara who had three children and a broken marriage. They bought some land and Rilla found another teaching position. Clara found a new husband and Rilla married Jim Stover, the brother to Emma's husband Will.
Rilla had several miscarriages and went far into the hills and prayed that God would let her have a child. Her prayers were answered, and May Stover was born November 19,1918. Their home was now complete, and a very happy home it was. But one day Jim's hay truck caught on fire and he rushed to put it out and it reactivated the epilepsy
that he had had as a child. After that Rilla was always worried that he would have a bad spell and she could not lift him - she was afraid he would smother. It would soon be time for May to begin school, so they sold their homestead and moved to town. Rilla got a job as a practical nurse.
Rilla and Jim Stover and May moved to Seattle. They bought a small chicken Farm near Kent, Washington. But sweet life ran out for Jim in 1940 and May, who married George Gjertsen and brought the joy of grandchildren Eric and Ingrid, suddenly died of Tuberculosis in 1943. Her sister Clara and Clara's grandson also died in 1943, so there was a lot of grief, and yet Rilla maintained her strength, her faith, her calming fortitude and her sweet smile.
Rilla helped George raise the children until he found another wife in Helen and Rilla also continued to help her sisters, who were also now in Seattle, and her many nieces and nephews. She was such a loving grandmother and aunt. She also kept up correspondence with her many friends and acquaintences she met in life and one day in the early 1960's she learned that her friend in Fullerton lost his wife.
Rilla had met Aaron Hadfield when she had that first teaching job in Fullerton and there was an attraction and some dating, but her friend had married him. Now both single, they fell in love and were married in the autumn of their lives and spent ten happy years together back on the farm in Fullerton. When Aaron died, her niece Grace took her across country to see many of her family and friends and then took her to a nursing home in Weiser so that she could finish her happy life where she enjoyed her happy youth with her parents, her sisters, and Jim.
Sweet Aunt Rilla was beloved by everyone and I know she helped many family, friends, and others along the way. I know that she was a big help to my father.
Going back to her childhood, Rilla Pearl was the fourth daughter of five to Arthur Tappan and Eunice "May" (Wetherill) Brown. She was born in Montana and spent most of her developing years on the family farm in Weiser, Idaho. Her sisters Clara, Eunice, Emma and Margaret Elizabeth span eighteen years, but were very close and supportive of one another throughout their lives.
She was helping her sister Clara with her twins the day their father died in June of 1906. Soon after, she moved with her mother and sister to Fullerton, Nebraska to live with Grandfather Wetherill. After high school, Rilla was hired to teach in Fullerton.
Both her mother and her grandfather died in 1911 and Rilla returned to Idaho to help her sister, Clara who had three children and a broken marriage. They bought some land and Rilla found another teaching position. Clara found a new husband and Rilla married Jim Stover, the brother to Emma's husband Will.
Rilla had several miscarriages and went far into the hills and prayed that God would let her have a child. Her prayers were answered, and May Stover was born November 19,1918. Their home was now complete, and a very happy home it was. But one day Jim's hay truck caught on fire and he rushed to put it out and it reactivated the epilepsy
that he had had as a child. After that Rilla was always worried that he would have a bad spell and she could not lift him - she was afraid he would smother. It would soon be time for May to begin school, so they sold their homestead and moved to town. Rilla got a job as a practical nurse.
Rilla and Jim Stover and May moved to Seattle. They bought a small chicken Farm near Kent, Washington. But sweet life ran out for Jim in 1940 and May, who married George Gjertsen and brought the joy of grandchildren Eric and Ingrid, suddenly died of Tuberculosis in 1943. Her sister Clara and Clara's grandson also died in 1943, so there was a lot of grief, and yet Rilla maintained her strength, her faith, her calming fortitude and her sweet smile.
Rilla helped George raise the children until he found another wife in Helen and Rilla also continued to help her sisters, who were also now in Seattle, and her many nieces and nephews. She was such a loving grandmother and aunt. She also kept up correspondence with her many friends and acquaintences she met in life and one day in the early 1960's she learned that her friend in Fullerton lost his wife.
Rilla had met Aaron Hadfield when she had that first teaching job in Fullerton and there was an attraction and some dating, but her friend had married him. Now both single, they fell in love and were married in the autumn of their lives and spent ten happy years together back on the farm in Fullerton. When Aaron died, her niece Grace took her across country to see many of her family and friends and then took her to a nursing home in Weiser so that she could finish her happy life where she enjoyed her happy youth with her parents, her sisters, and Jim.
My memory of "Aunt Rilla" was from my childhood experiences of her visits to our home and especially the time she came for Thanksgiving. She had us all involved in baking big pretzels and of running laps around the back yard to burn off our calories after the big dinner.
Sweet Aunt Rilla was beloved by everyone and I know she helped many family, friends, and others along the way. I know that she was a big help to my father.
Going back to her childhood, Rilla Pearl was the fourth daughter of five to Arthur Tappan and Eunice "May" (Wetherill) Brown. She was born in Montana and spent most of her developing years on the family farm in Weiser, Idaho. Her sisters Clara, Eunice, Emma and Margaret Elizabeth span eighteen years, but were very close and supportive of one another throughout their lives.
She was helping her sister Clara with her twins the day their father died in June of 1906. Soon after, she moved with her mother and sister to Fullerton, Nebraska to live with Grandfather Wetherill. After high school, Rilla was hired to teach in Fullerton.
Both her mother and her grandfather died in 1911 and Rilla returned to Idaho to help her sister, Clara who had three children and a broken marriage. They bought some land and Rilla found another teaching position. Clara found a new husband and Rilla married Jim Stover, the brother to Emma's husband Will.
Rilla had several miscarriages and went far into the hills and prayed that God would let her have a child. Her prayers were answered, and May Stover was born November 19,1918. Their home was now complete, and a very happy home it was. But one day Jim's hay truck caught on fire and he rushed to put it out and it reactivated the epilepsy
that he had had as a child. After that Rilla was always worried that he would have a bad spell and she could not lift him - she was afraid he would smother. It would soon be time for May to begin school, so they sold their homestead and moved to town. Rilla got a job as a practical nurse.
Rilla and Jim Stover and May moved to Seattle. They bought a small chicken Farm near Kent, Washington. But sweet life ran out for Jim in 1940 and May, who married George Gjertsen and brought the joy of grandchildren Eric and Ingrid, suddenly died of Tuberculosis in 1943. Her sister Clara and Clara's grandson also died in 1943, so there was a lot of grief, and yet Rilla maintained her strength, her faith, her calming fortitude and her sweet smile.
Rilla helped George raise the children until he found another wife in Helen and Rilla also continued to help her sisters, who were also now in Seattle, and her many nieces and nephews. She was such a loving grandmother and aunt. She also kept up correspondence with her many friends and acquaintences she met in life and one day in the early 1960's she learned that her friend in Fullerton lost his wife.
Rilla had met Aaron Hadfield when she had that first teaching job in Fullerton and there was an attraction and some dating, but her friend had married him. Now both single, they fell in love and were married in the autumn of their lives and spent ten happy years together back on the farm in Fullerton. When Aaron died, her niece Grace took her across country to see many of her family and friends and then took her to a nursing home in Weiser so that she could finish her happy life where she enjoyed her happy youth with her parents, her sisters, and Jim.
Sweet Aunt Rilla was beloved by everyone and I know she helped many family, friends, and others along the way. I know that she was a big help to my father.
Going back to her childhood, Rilla Pearl was the fourth daughter of five to Arthur Tappan and Eunice "May" (Wetherill) Brown. She was born in Montana and spent most of her developing years on the family farm in Weiser, Idaho. Her sisters Clara, Eunice, Emma and Margaret Elizabeth span eighteen years, but were very close and supportive of one another throughout their lives.
She was helping her sister Clara with her twins the day their father died in June of 1906. Soon after, she moved with her mother and sister to Fullerton, Nebraska to live with Grandfather Wetherill. After high school, Rilla was hired to teach in Fullerton.
Both her mother and her grandfather died in 1911 and Rilla returned to Idaho to help her sister, Clara who had three children and a broken marriage. They bought some land and Rilla found another teaching position. Clara found a new husband and Rilla married Jim Stover, the brother to Emma's husband Will.
Rilla had several miscarriages and went far into the hills and prayed that God would let her have a child. Her prayers were answered, and May Stover was born November 19,1918. Their home was now complete, and a very happy home it was. But one day Jim's hay truck caught on fire and he rushed to put it out and it reactivated the epilepsy
that he had had as a child. After that Rilla was always worried that he would have a bad spell and she could not lift him - she was afraid he would smother. It would soon be time for May to begin school, so they sold their homestead and moved to town. Rilla got a job as a practical nurse.
Rilla and Jim Stover and May moved to Seattle. They bought a small chicken Farm near Kent, Washington. But sweet life ran out for Jim in 1940 and May, who married George Gjertsen and brought the joy of grandchildren Eric and Ingrid, suddenly died of Tuberculosis in 1943. Her sister Clara and Clara's grandson also died in 1943, so there was a lot of grief, and yet Rilla maintained her strength, her faith, her calming fortitude and her sweet smile.
Rilla helped George raise the children until he found another wife in Helen and Rilla also continued to help her sisters, who were also now in Seattle, and her many nieces and nephews. She was such a loving grandmother and aunt. She also kept up correspondence with her many friends and acquaintences she met in life and one day in the early 1960's she learned that her friend in Fullerton lost his wife.
Rilla had met Aaron Hadfield when she had that first teaching job in Fullerton and there was an attraction and some dating, but her friend had married him. Now both single, they fell in love and were married in the autumn of their lives and spent ten happy years together back on the farm in Fullerton. When Aaron died, her niece Grace took her across country to see many of her family and friends and then took her to a nursing home in Weiser so that she could finish her happy life where she enjoyed her happy youth with her parents, her sisters, and Jim.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
