When the next door neighbor’s Boston terrier had a single puppy, he brought it over to show the Wilsons, who lived at Dexter at the time. Doris and Dale were home and fell in love with it right away. “It’s not a purebred so we’re going to sell it,” Joe said. “You wouldn’t want to buy it, would you?” “How much?” “Two dollars.” “Two dollars! Let’s ask Mom.” “Well, he sure is a cute pup,” she said, “but you’ll have to ask your dad.” Clabe said no. It would cost too much to feed it. Doris began to cry. So did Dale. “Okay, okay. I can’t stand for big kids to cry.” Clabe suggested a deal. “If you can get the dog for a dollar, you can have it.” The neighbor accepted the dollar, and the Wilsons had a new family pet. They made a bed for him on the back porch, where he always greeted his family. Danny was in junior high that fall and got home from school first. The pup was so glad to see him that he leaped right into his arms. One day Mrs. Wilt was visiting with Leora when Danny reached home. They watched him hug the dog and even give it a kiss. Mrs. Wilt glanced at Leora. “Isn’t that sweet?” Darlene wrote her brothers in the Navy (Delbert and Donald) all about school, and about the cutest puppy “a foot long and as round as a barrel. We can’t get a name to suit him. If you have any suggestions, let’s have them. He’s kind of a light brindle with a white spot on his head, two front white paws, and the black paws just have the tips of white.” Delbert came up with the name “Spats.” He and Donald had played in their uncles’ uniforms from the world war, which included spats that covered a soldier’s insteps and ankles. According to ten-year-old Junior, “Spats is the best dog in the country–he’s the smartest dog, too.”
Spats liked to go along with Clabe and his sons when they went hunting. When the family moved to the Minburn farm with the family in 1939, their pet moved as well. When they carried Fig Newtons to snack on, they discovered that Spats liked them as well, so they always had some along.
In their letters home from military service, the Wilson brothers often asked how Spats was.
After all their sons were serving in WWII, Clabe and Leora bought an acreage near Perry. After Junior was killed, oldest brother Delbert and his family moved home to be with his grieving parents. The Clabe died in late 1946.
Leora spent part of 1947 with her mother in Omaha. The very last mention of Spats was in a note from Delbert’s wife Evelyn to Leora in December 1947. “Spats has gone.”
We’ll never know what happened to the family’s favorite pet.
How much love that one little animal created! Spats will always be around!
You’re right. Thanks, GP!
It’s obvious that Spats gave the family a lot of love and companionship. What a shame they never knew what happened to hi,.
His loss added more sadness to everything else they’d experienced.
I can imagine.
Spats was what, 12 years old. So many people then and now avoid the words died and death. Maybe Aunt Evelyn just worded it in a less harsh way. 1972, the year we lived in N. California out of the Marines, we drove down to Mission San Jose a boy every 5-6 weeks to spend time with Evelyn and Uncle Delbert. Time so well spent and many times came home with a huge Zuchini squash from Delbert’s garden. Memories !
Spats was an outdoor dog. I’d forgotten about Uncle Del’s garden. Gloria and I rode the train with Grandma for Leora’s 1962 graduation. (That was when Leora and Donna came back to Iowa with us.) Guy and I stayed with them a couple of days after he was discharged from the Air Force. (We stayed with Dick and Jan on that trip as well.)
I’m a total dog lover so this warmed my heart. What a sweet pup!
Thanks, Eilene!
The best dogs are often the mixed breeds. We always had Spitz dogs and loved them.
Our mutts on the farm were sure smarter than the Cocker Spaniel.
Your pictures are great, Joy. Spats sure was a cute dog. I can see why he was loved and took a place in the family’s hearts.
I think his personality was part of it as well, Tim. Thanks!
Yes, I imagine it was. 😊
Dog stories are the best. Clabe’s response “I can’t stand for big kids to cry” was rather comical. It certainly worked! I loved each of your pictures, especially the one with Spatz on the tractor tire and Clabe next to it. 🙂
Bless you, Nancy. Mom said that her dad had a softer heart that Leora did, and I noticed in one photo that Leora stood with her hands on her hips, surrounded with kids, and Clabe was holding baby Junior.
Clabe was certainly good with his boys in teaching them how to provide-hunting, fishing, farming.
Thank you, Nancy. Those boys also watched how he helped his wife, especially during the Depression. The two who survived the war were so gracious to their wives!
He was definitely a wonderful role model. I’m sure his daughters looked for their dad’s qualities in a husband.
What a beloved companion Spats was and I chuckled at the description of his ‘physique’: “a foot long and as round as a barrel”. He was a sturdy, faithful boy, wasn’t he? Thank you for sharing, Joy. xo! 💕
Those dear letters to their brothers in the Navy! Thanks, Vicki!
💕🥰💕
When all 4 “girl cousins” were in Iowa that summer, I drove you into Des Moines and we saw “West Side Story”, I believe. I was between junior and senior years. I had a flat tire somewhere east of the big city on the way home. With 4 teenage girls standing outside the car, many stopped to help, but saw I was capable.
I remember that!
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