The Wilson family lived in Stuart, Iowa, during the 1920s. Twins Dale and Darlene were born there in 1921. The older children were Delbert (born in 1915), Donald (1916), and Doris (1918).
Leora had her hands full, and in the evening, her husband Clabe left for his job as Stuart’s night watchman. The one before him had been killed during a bank robbery attempt.
After Leora put the twins to bed, Doris was next, in a room just off the dining area. Leora left her door ajar so little Doris could hear her mother reading Mother Westwind stories to Delbert and Donald. An oil lamp glowed in the center of the round table, where they gathered. Doris, in her dark room, could picture each character–Sammy Jay, Reddy Fox, Jerry Muskrat, and all the many others.
Did your mother read bedtime stories to you? Which were your favorites?
—–
What were these stories my mother remembered from the 1920s? Stories of common animals, revealing their natures with charm and fascination, were the imagination of Thornton W. Burgess. Nature’s Ambassador by Christie Palmer Lowrance is a complete biography and legacy of Burgess, including several photos, comments by others, notes, a bibliography, and an index. This gem of a book is about an prolific author who wrote so many stories treasured for decades by children and adults alike.
Leora’s Early Years: Guthrie County Roots