My father was very mechanical. He could build, rebuild, or repair anything. Aunt Ena would take her car to him and ask him to put his hand on it because it wasn’t running right. He later had his own mechanic shop in Lordsburg in the early 1930’s, and for another period of time after WWII in the 1940’s. Daddy, Uncle Babe Bowers, and O.J. Richins (Uncle Orson’s oldest) were involved in this venture . It was very successful. When this partnership ended, Daddy and his brother, Orson and his son, Darrow partnered in yet another undertaking— opening up the Animas Valley for farming. This was my dad’s “heart’s desire” – he seemed to be driven to pioneer & develop the land.

I think my parents lived a few years in Virden, New Mexico early in their marriage, and owned the house next door to Grandma Richins. This would be in the late 1920’s. Later they moved to Lordsburg, New mexico where Daddy built the house we lived in for many years on Shakespeare Street. I recall that he ran the projection machine at the theater in Lordsburg ( probably a second job) while he had his mechanic shop. That was during the depression era.

I believe we lived in Silver City, New Mexico for a brief time in 1934. We lived in a place called Cottage Sands, and later in Silver City proper. I think Aunt Mae & Uncle Babe Bower may have been living there as well. I suppose Daddy was in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), but I don’t really remember. We returned to Lordsburg and lived there until we moved to El Paso around 1936. I remember being baptized in El Paso in 1938, so we were there about 4 years. My dad and Uncle Babe were in the Motor Vehicle maintenance at Ft. Bliss (CCC). I think it was around 1939 or 1940 when we moved back to Lordsburg.