The house they built in Cedron, Idaho was larger than most pioneer homes. It had a large living room, which was carpeted from wall to wall with a rag rug they had woven themselves. Under the rug was a soft bed of straw to provide some cushioning. Richard and his sons wrestled and performed competitive sports on the soft rug.

The living room also boasted of an organ, two violins, some harmonicas and a phonograph with a big horn. All the children played some instrument. For community dances their daughter Sylvia would chord on the organ while Richard and his son Fred played their fiddles. Richard also called for square dances. There was fun and frolic in their home. Never have we known people with such kind and happy dispositions. There was always a group of young people in their home.

In their early years in the Teton Valley the Drakes made a living by trapping and selling fur. The Drake boys were good trappers and beaver was plentiful at that time. They tanned their own hides for their own fancy gloves and chaps, which Phoebe "foxed" or trimmed with plucked beaver. Richard was never idle. He was a good blacksmith and loved to work in his shop when there wasn't farm work to do. His son-in-law Edwin Rice claimed that Richard was a splendid wheelwright. He was also a farmer and stockman who raised fine horses, which he loved to race at local celebrations. He pulled the neighbors’ teeth, soled their shoes and cut their hair. The first school in the valley was in the Drake home; they paid and provide board for the teachers.

Grandpa and Grandma Drake

Phoebe's grandchildren vividly recall her kitchen with its big, black stove, which they called a range. There was always something tasty cooking on top of the range or in its warming oven. There was also a large waist-high wooden box with a deep shelf inside near the top. This was the flour bin. The inside shelf was always loaded with goodies made by Phoebe’s own hands. Quite often the shelf usually held "crullers," a sweet spiced dough similar to cake doughnuts twisted into crooked shapes and deep-fried. Phoebe's pies (mostly custard) were also available. The grandchildren reveled in knowing they could help themselves to these treats at anytime without fear of reprimand or chastisement. Grandmother Phoebe told them she made the treats for their enjoyment. She allowed them to pick and eat all the strawberries they desired. Neither did she object if her grandchildren took a spoon and dug into the can of fresh honey Phoebe kept on hand or sampled the "Pickle Lilly" from a large wooden bucket.

Phoebe was extremely ambitious. Her granddaughter Arleigh recounted how Phoebe would sit by a table with a book propped in front of her so she could read aloud to Arleigh while Arleigh brushed and combed her hair. At the same time Phoebe knitted stockings, gloves or lace. She knit surprisingly well and only needed to look at her work occasionally. Her fingers flew and the needles clicked rhythmically. She also sheared her own sheep, washed and carded the wool and spun her own yarn. She had much early experience in making her own dyes. She wove yards and yards of carpet. Phoebe used every little scrap of material for some project. She made hundreds of quilts, rugs of several kinds, woven carpets, knitted articles of clothing and many yards of beautiful lace.

The young folks of the community spoke of Richard and Phoebe as Grandpa and Grandma Drake. They loved everyone and the sentiment was reciprocated by all that knew them. Their home was always open their grandchildren and anyone else for singing and recreation. Many times Richard and Phoebe hooked up horse and buggy and traveled over rutted roads in answer to the anguished call of a pioneer mother in the travails of childbirth. Often this was in the middle of the night or severe winter cold or blizzard conditions. There were no doctors and Phoebe served as midwife, doctor and nurse and even housekeeper to those in need. She also was present to assist in times of death.

Before Phoebe died, her daughter Sylvia counted the number of babies Phoebe had delivered over the years; the number was something over 300! To our knowledge Phoebe never accepted any payment for her services, though her friends sometimes gave her "gifts." What did the Savior say? "…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (KJV Bible, Matthew 25:40). Surely she was found in the service of her fellow men, so she was in the service of her God. Phoebe was the ideal of her grandchildren and was greatly loved by them. Ruth Rice Jenkins recounted how Phoebe let her get into bed with her even when Ruth was a big girl and many time she warmed Ruth’s feet with her dear, old hands. The Drakes had a fine, tall son named Ransom who was injured in a skiing accident, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. She always tried to make others happy. During the long, helpless days before Ransom’s death, with so little he could do, Phoebe had an idea. She brought out a .22 rifle and helped her son amuse himself by taking turns shooting the images of the politicians that appeared on the newspapered wall of the cabin.

Ransom died in the fall of 1897 at the age of 16. After Ransom’s death, Phoebe grieved greatly until one night when she lay crying in her bed, she became aware of music coming from afar slowly approaching her until the sound filled her bedroom. She new it was from heaven and its divine beauty brought peace and comfort to her heart such as she had never known before. The message it conferred to her was one of understanding that her son was in a place where this divine peace reigned and she need grieve for him any longer.

Richard suffered a stroke in 1904 and never regained his health sufficiently to do any work thereafter. However, he remained cheerful during his entire affliction. During this time he trained his two cats, Saboy and Sabi, to do various tricks. He deeded his homestead to his youngest son, Merritt. Richard passed away March 6, 1912 at the age of 73. He was blessed in the Nauvoo 5th Ward as a small child the same time as his brothers. He had a patriarchal blessing at about age 15 in Richardson, Utah by Charles Hyde. They were not active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were affiliated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for reasons unknown to us.

His youngest son Merritt died in the spring of 1916. Merritt’s wife, Eva, married Monroe Dustin. Monroe’s sons took over the home and land the Drakes had worked so hard to make beautiful. At the time of this writing, the Dustins still owned the homestead land.