Friday, March 7, 2008

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Monday, March 3, 2008

Elmer Henry Pond was born in Randolph, Vermont March 15, 1871. The Ponds were Puritans who came to America a few years after the Mayflower, and he had many of the virtues of the Puritans, including absolute honesty.

Henry left Vermont when he was 17 years old. He worked on the railroad, then when work stopped for the winter he went on to Dupuyer where he worked in the Hirshburg Store, and later the Harris Bro. Store.

He married Ellen Nelson in Great Falls, Montana in 1892, I believe. She was from Sweden and had been a teacher there. He worked for the Cooper and Leach Sheep Company for many years. In 1904 we lived at what had been the town of Robore (Robare) it was deserted and only a few buildings were still there.

In 1905 we started for the Peace River Country in Canada. We traveled in a covered wagon drawn by a pair of wild Montana horses who had never seen a car or train and went wild when
they did as we went for days through the most beautiful country without seeing a house or another person. We traveled slowly and camped along the rivers. There were horse drawn ferries over the large rivers.

We kids had a great time and I believe Momma enjoyed it too inspite of having 6 kids and a dog along. Dadm stopped to Harvest in Eastern Washington that Fall, and then started North again, but got to Loon Lake, Washington just before school started and stopped for the winter. Uncle Walt born 1904. He stayed there (ten or two) years. Dad worked in the woods, there was big timber everywhere there, but only second growth wood.

In 1915 He returned to Montana as there was sickness in the sheep and Gene Leach wanted him to help he filed a homestead now owned by Hutherites. He built a house and in 1916 we all went back to Montana.

Momma died in 1933 and after a few years, Dad went with Billie and his wife, Selma to Washington where he had a happy home with them for 10 years. He returned to Montana to visit Walter and me in (1933 ? ) and died there.

Henry and Ellen had 10 children, 7 lived.