Individual Details
Walt Saylor
(1915 - )
The Jordan Tribune, 28 Jul 1988
Walt and Eloise Saylor Look Back on 50 Years
The family of Walt and Eloise Saylor honored them on their 50th wedding
anniversary with a reception and potluck supper at Fairview Hall Sunday
afternoon and evening. The cake, baked by June Loomis, was very original,
decorated with wheat heads to signify the many years that Walt farmed. Over a
hundred friends and relatives attended and enjoyed visiting and listening to
music by the Jordannaires.
Walt and Eloise Hastings were married July 14, 1938 in Lewistown. Mary
Viall Currey and Ray Beecher were their only attendants. With the country in a
depression, there was no money for a honeymoon so they spent a month in the
bunkhouse in Walt's folks backyard. They then moved to Jordan where Walt
worked at any job that became available.
Employment on a ranch at Twin Bridges became available so they packed their
few belongings, one baby, got in their Model A Ford and headed west. Walt
received $45.00 per month during the summer but in the fall he went to work for
a bachelor and received $1.00 per day. Eloise cooked for the boss and a couple
of other men. She did their washing, etc for board and room. There were no
Sundays or other days off but they were glad to have a place to live. Even
that didn't last. When relatives of the boss came in the spring and were out
of work, Walt was let go.
So back to Jordan they came. Again Walt worked at whatever was available.
He did get on with the WPA and that "kept the wolf from the door." That
spring, their daughter Irene was born, and at that time, Walt and Eloise and
three other couples decided to move to Glendive to work on the Buffalo Rapids
project. Walt learned to run a Cat doing dirt work. Their home at this time
was a very small homemade trailer.
Several months later, Walt had a chance to lease the Hetherington ranch west
of Jordan. With $65.00 in their pockets and two small children, they took the
plunge. They were able to borrow enough money to buy a small bunch of sheep
and a team of horses. Walt put up hay the first summer with a balky saddle
horse and an outlaw that Hetheringtons let him use. He borrowed a stacker from
his brother to put up hay. Walt was very handy with tools and that winter
built a stacker for himself and two more for the neighbors.
For eight years, they lived in a three room log cabin. They milked cows and
sold cream to get money to live on. Walt also ran a trap line and Eloise
raised a large garden, raised their own chickens and pigs and ate a lot of
venison.
For transportation they had an old car. They couldn't afford a truck. Walt
used Hetherington's old farm machinery until he could finally afford some of
his own.
The washing was done on a board for sometime, until Eloise's mother gave
her a gas washing machine. It really beat the old washboard, but it too, was
tempermental and only started when it so desired. If it ran out of gas or
stopped she had to wait for Walt to come and get it started again. When they
finally got electricity in the 1950's, life became a dream come true!
Eloise remebers the day they were cleaning out a well with a five gallon
bucket and a windlass. Walt filled the bucket with water and mud and Eloise
emptied it. It was July and very hot and the bucket hit her in the face as she
grabbed for it and she blacked out momentarily. Walt climbed out of the well
by grabbing a pipe, but it was a miracle someone wasn't killed. Walt put the
kids, who were playing nearby into the car and headed for town where Dr.
Farrand stiched up her face and sent her home.
In 1949, they bought a house at Ingomar and had Harley Spracklin move it to
the present ranch site. They lived in it until they leased their ranch to
their son Ron, and they bought a new home in Jordan where they presently live.
Two years ago, Ron and his wife Roxie started buying the ranch. Walt and
Eloise have spent seven of the last ten winters in the southwest and their
summers in Jordan.
Ron and Roxie have two children, and Irene, who married John Robertson, has
five. Great grandchildren have also joined the family.
Walt still misses the ranch and the good life but enjoys traveling and
Eloise just likes to tag along.
Walt and Eloise Saylor Look Back on 50 Years
The family of Walt and Eloise Saylor honored them on their 50th wedding
anniversary with a reception and potluck supper at Fairview Hall Sunday
afternoon and evening. The cake, baked by June Loomis, was very original,
decorated with wheat heads to signify the many years that Walt farmed. Over a
hundred friends and relatives attended and enjoyed visiting and listening to
music by the Jordannaires.
Walt and Eloise Hastings were married July 14, 1938 in Lewistown. Mary
Viall Currey and Ray Beecher were their only attendants. With the country in a
depression, there was no money for a honeymoon so they spent a month in the
bunkhouse in Walt's folks backyard. They then moved to Jordan where Walt
worked at any job that became available.
Employment on a ranch at Twin Bridges became available so they packed their
few belongings, one baby, got in their Model A Ford and headed west. Walt
received $45.00 per month during the summer but in the fall he went to work for
a bachelor and received $1.00 per day. Eloise cooked for the boss and a couple
of other men. She did their washing, etc for board and room. There were no
Sundays or other days off but they were glad to have a place to live. Even
that didn't last. When relatives of the boss came in the spring and were out
of work, Walt was let go.
So back to Jordan they came. Again Walt worked at whatever was available.
He did get on with the WPA and that "kept the wolf from the door." That
spring, their daughter Irene was born, and at that time, Walt and Eloise and
three other couples decided to move to Glendive to work on the Buffalo Rapids
project. Walt learned to run a Cat doing dirt work. Their home at this time
was a very small homemade trailer.
Several months later, Walt had a chance to lease the Hetherington ranch west
of Jordan. With $65.00 in their pockets and two small children, they took the
plunge. They were able to borrow enough money to buy a small bunch of sheep
and a team of horses. Walt put up hay the first summer with a balky saddle
horse and an outlaw that Hetheringtons let him use. He borrowed a stacker from
his brother to put up hay. Walt was very handy with tools and that winter
built a stacker for himself and two more for the neighbors.
For eight years, they lived in a three room log cabin. They milked cows and
sold cream to get money to live on. Walt also ran a trap line and Eloise
raised a large garden, raised their own chickens and pigs and ate a lot of
venison.
For transportation they had an old car. They couldn't afford a truck. Walt
used Hetherington's old farm machinery until he could finally afford some of
his own.
The washing was done on a board for sometime, until Eloise's mother gave
her a gas washing machine. It really beat the old washboard, but it too, was
tempermental and only started when it so desired. If it ran out of gas or
stopped she had to wait for Walt to come and get it started again. When they
finally got electricity in the 1950's, life became a dream come true!
Eloise remebers the day they were cleaning out a well with a five gallon
bucket and a windlass. Walt filled the bucket with water and mud and Eloise
emptied it. It was July and very hot and the bucket hit her in the face as she
grabbed for it and she blacked out momentarily. Walt climbed out of the well
by grabbing a pipe, but it was a miracle someone wasn't killed. Walt put the
kids, who were playing nearby into the car and headed for town where Dr.
Farrand stiched up her face and sent her home.
In 1949, they bought a house at Ingomar and had Harley Spracklin move it to
the present ranch site. They lived in it until they leased their ranch to
their son Ron, and they bought a new home in Jordan where they presently live.
Two years ago, Ron and his wife Roxie started buying the ranch. Walt and
Eloise have spent seven of the last ten winters in the southwest and their
summers in Jordan.
Ron and Roxie have two children, and Irene, who married John Robertson, has
five. Great grandchildren have also joined the family.
Walt still misses the ranch and the good life but enjoys traveling and
Eloise just likes to tag along.
Events
| Birth | 1915 | , Minn. | |||
| Marriage | 14 Jul 1938 | Lewistown, Mont. - Eloise Hastings |
Families
| Spouse | Eloise Hastings ( - ) |
| Child | Ron Saylor ( - ) |
| Child | Irene Saylor ( - ) |
| Father | Julius Saylor (1887 - ) |
| Mother | Annie Udelhofen (1892 - 1941) |
| Sibling | Jerome Henry Saylor (1913 - 1994) |
| Sibling | Lewis Saylor (1918 - ) |
| Sibling | Melba M. Saylor (1923 - ) |
| Sibling | Abbie Saylor ( - ) |