Soren and Dorthea Nielsen (they became known as Sam and Mary) were religious people and Lena can remember when the girls started going to Sunday school. "We bought our Model-T in 1914. That's when we started going to church." There was no Lutheran Church, so the family attended the Congregational Church, one of only two churches in town. When Lena graduated from grade school, she moved onto high school in Rio Vista. Lena described the stage-like bus she took to town. "They had added enough seats to carry maybe six kids. At the time I started high school, they were having classes in a big lodge hall. That was the year they were building the high school."
When Lena's mother emigrated from Denmark, she came with a girlfriend who also married a farmer in Rio Vista. Her daughter was Lena's best friend. When they were teens, a big treat was going to San Francisco. "Mabel and I would get on a steamers at five or six o'clock in the evening. We'd eat our dinner and sleep on the boat. When we'd wake up, we'd be in San Francisco. We'd spend the day shopping and get back on the boat in the evening. We'd be here the next morning and the folks would meet us." Following her high school graduation, Lena went to work as a bookkeeper at a bank in town. It was during this time that she attended a dance at Bird's Landing and met Arthur Emigh. "That was quite a popular place for dances and parties. They had one party that was famous called the Strawberry Festival. All the young people, they went to that."
Arthur and Lena were married on the ranch in 1922. Lena recalled the day. "I was married in the dress that I made in sewing class. It was the one I wore when I graduated." Lena made her home on the 1,000-acre Emigh farm, a wheat and sheep farm located three miles from town. Lena explained how her husband took over the farm. "His father had farmed the ranch and then my husband
and his brother took over. When the war came along (World War I), they had to leave one on the ranch. They flipped a coin and his brother went to the service." When he returned, he wasn't interested in farming. Lena lived much as her mother had. "They didn't have any electricity either," she said. "We had a wood and coal stove and I went through the same thing with the washing. I would do the cooking for the harvest and sheep shearing crews just like my mother. It was a lot of hard work. After the children came along, it was harder yet." Lena and Arthur had two boys and a girl. In 1949, Lena's life became easier when she and Arthur bought a house in town. Arthur retired and his sons took over the family operation, one in raising sheep, the other grain.
Arthur died in 1961. Lena is active with the Congregational Church and enjoys her eight grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
From Solano County Historical Website
"Emigh recalls simple, fun times in Rio Vista"
Author Kristin Delaplane Published: Sunday, August 08, 1999
Lena's granddaughter Paula, recalled asking Lena what was the biggest change in her life. Lena said it was getting electricity in the 1940s, it changed everything!
Soren and Dorthea Nielsen (they became known as Sam and Mary) were religious people and Lena can remember when the girls started going to Sunday school. "We bought our Model-T in 1914. That's when we started going to church." There was no Lutheran Church, so the family attended the Congregational Church, one of only two churches in town. When Lena graduated from grade school, she moved onto high school in Rio Vista. Lena described the stage-like bus she took to town. "They had added enough seats to carry maybe six kids. At the time I started high school, they were having classes in a big lodge hall. That was the year they were building the high school."
When Lena's mother emigrated from Denmark, she came with a girlfriend who also married a farmer in Rio Vista. Her daughter was Lena's best friend. When they were teens, a big treat was going to San Francisco. "Mabel and I would get on a steamers at five or six o'clock in the evening. We'd eat our dinner and sleep on the boat. When we'd wake up, we'd be in San Francisco. We'd spend the day shopping and get back on the boat in the evening. We'd be here the next morning and the folks would meet us." Following her high school graduation, Lena went to work as a bookkeeper at a bank in town. It was during this time that she attended a dance at Bird's Landing and met Arthur Emigh. "That was quite a popular place for dances and parties. They had one party that was famous called the Strawberry Festival. All the young people, they went to that."
Arthur and Lena were married on the ranch in 1922. Lena recalled the day. "I was married in the dress that I made in sewing class. It was the one I wore when I graduated." Lena made her home on the 1,000-acre Emigh farm, a wheat and sheep farm located three miles from town. Lena explained how her husband took over the farm. "His father had farmed the ranch and then my husband
and his brother took over. When the war came along (World War I), they had to leave one on the ranch. They flipped a coin and his brother went to the service." When he returned, he wasn't interested in farming. Lena lived much as her mother had. "They didn't have any electricity either," she said. "We had a wood and coal stove and I went through the same thing with the washing. I would do the cooking for the harvest and sheep shearing crews just like my mother. It was a lot of hard work. After the children came along, it was harder yet." Lena and Arthur had two boys and a girl. In 1949, Lena's life became easier when she and Arthur bought a house in town. Arthur retired and his sons took over the family operation, one in raising sheep, the other grain.
Arthur died in 1961. Lena is active with the Congregational Church and enjoys her eight grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
From Solano County Historical Website
"Emigh recalls simple, fun times in Rio Vista"
Author Kristin Delaplane Published: Sunday, August 08, 1999
Lena's granddaughter Paula, recalled asking Lena what was the biggest change in her life. Lena said it was getting electricity in the 1940s, it changed everything!
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