November 1952 found quite a snowstorm from the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and it stretched northward to the Minnesota lake country. It turned the Great Plains region into a frozen wasteland and slowed pre-Thanksgiving holiday travel to a crawl. Winds swept this storm through northeastward on winds reaching 60 mph.
“Moving rapidly out of Oklahoma and Texas, the storm shrieked across Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin and spread to the mountain states of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Winds whipped the seven inch snowfall in Nebraska into towering drifts.” –taken from the Madera Tribune, November 1952.
In August of 1951 Alta Mae Brown left her home in Blackburn, Oklahoma and traveled to Eads, Colorado to assist her sister with the birth of her first child. Her sister, Norma Rose and her husband, Leo worked for the Jillie and Cannon Construction Company. This company built telephone lines and electrical lines. They built the lines that would bring electricity to rural communities and farms. They traveled to wherever the company had a contract and went to work. They often moved their families with them in trailer homes or apartments. These linemen were a hearty bunch of men who braved the elements, the mountains, swamps, and etc. to move electricity across this country.
“In the United States, the rural electrification drive during the New Deal led to widespread expansion in the number of jobs in the electric power industry. Many power linemen during that period traveled around the country following jobs as they became available in tower construction, substation construction, and wire stringing. These roving workers or “boomers” as they were called, were known as risk takers but also as hard workers with a strong sense of pride in their work.” –taken from Lowell Corp.com “The Evolution of the Lineman”.
Alta Mae was a beautiful young woman and she happened to meet one of her brother in law’s co-workers. His name was Elvin Jamison and he was from a farm in northwest Kansas. He had been discharged from the US Navy in June of 1946 and was so thankful to get back to the farm in Quinter. All of his letters home to his parents on the farm talked of his longing to return home for harvest. He was on a ship near the equator part of the time and near the Philippines. When he did get home for harvest, he had to wear a coat as he felt cold even in July in Kansas. His uncle was working for the Jillie and Cannon Construction Company and he convinced Elvin and his brothers that there was good income for linemen. They went to work for the company and moved to several different places with the crew.
“Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together.” – Sarah Dessen
There seemed to be some real fireworks go off between the two when they met. Alta Mae thought she had met a rich Kansas farmer and Elvin thought he had met a rich woman of Native American heritage from Oklahoma. They both said later that they were both fooled. They did elope two weeks after meeting. They drove to Raton, New Mexico and were married by the Justice of the Peace on August 18, 1951. All of their belongings fit into the back seat of their car. Norma Rose’s elder sister completely abandoned her before her child was born.
For Thanksgiving 1952, Elvin, Alta Mae, Elvin’s younger brother Bobbie, his wife Loretta, and their seven month old baby boy decided to pile in the car and head back to the farmstead in northwest Kansas for the Thanksgiving holiday. They were currently residing and working in Clovis, New Mexico. The weather was good as they embarked on this journey and the young couples were excited to get home. Elvin and Alta Mae were expecting their first child and they all enjoyed Mike, the adorable baby boy.
As they reached the Oklahoma panhandle the weather began to take an ominous turn. In 1952 there were not many phones available in small towns and certainly there were no cell phones. The weather forecasting was not as technical in that day and many cars did not have radios. The wind began to pick up and the snow was heavy and it was blowing. This greatly reduced their ability to travel. Road closures began to impact their progress and the car heaters in that day were marginal, especially with 60mph winds. As there was really no place to stay the two young brothers continued to fight their way home. They knew if they could reach the farm there would be warmth, food and good times with family.
Some of the way they were not able to stay on the roadways but took to pastures and other ground where the snow was blown off of the fields. They let down some fences to pass the vehicle through and picked their way carefully home.
Their parents were very concerned about them but could get no report on their progress. Imagine their excitement when they finally saw the car coming down the driveway to the farm. Their precious sons, daughter-in-laws and grandbaby had arrived safely at the farm.
“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” –Germany Kent
Baby Mike however became very ill with pneumonia from the treacherous journey and just barely escaped death. With all of the love and warmth of the family his life was spared and this family had a tremendous Thanksgiving, celebrating life, family, gratitude and love. They thanked the Lord for His help on a very difficult trip and for sparing the life of this precious little one.
Where the Dutch Ovens Roam 