Verla Bowles Wilding History - 1914-2007

History of Verla Bowles Wilding

On October 4, 1914 a tiny, dark haired, brown-eyed baby daughter was born to Samuel Clifford and Sara Campbell Bowles. They named this baby daughter, Verla. Her parents were renting a farm from Thomas Doman in Rigby at the time. Verla had an older sister Wanda, 21 months old when she was born. Verla and Wanda were not only close in age but also close as sisters and pals.
In 1917 her parents bought 40 acres in Milo from Joe Pitman. They lived in a one-room log house with a lean-to.
When Verla was about 5 years old, one of her father’s relatives died in Nephi, Utah. She and her father made the trip to the funeral.
Verla started school 1920 at the Milo School. The schoolhouse had two rooms one room for the lower grade and one room for the upper grades. They advanced her one grade either 3rd or 4th. They walked to school in the spring and fall. But when the workhorses were not needed in winter – they would ride the horse. One winter day she and her sister Wanda rode the horse to school in bitter cold. When they got to school there was no teacher so they went home. When they got home one side of Verla’s face was frozen. Their father quickly put snow on it to help take the frost out.
After the children got home from school each night they had chores to do, filling the reservoir and getting kindling for the wood stove. They also helped feed the cows and clean the barn.
Verla attended Sunday School and Primary at the Milo Ward. On October 15, 1922 she was baptized a member of the church in the Idaho Falls 1st Ward Tabernacle.
She had the usual childhood diseases. They used to quarantine the home when they had sickness. One day she and Wanda came home from school and their sister Lois had scarlet fever so they had to stay at Grandma Campbell’s until she got better.
As Verla got older, she did more work on the farm harrowing and leveling, shocking grain, topping hay on the hay wagons and driving derrick horse. She and Wanda would go out to check the irrigating water at night and could hear coyotes howling which was kinda scary. Her father raised peas and after they were threshed she would herd pigs in the field to eat the remains. One summer her father told her and her sister Wanda if they pulled all the mustard weeds out of the grain field he would buy each of them a kewpie doll. This they did and they prized those dolls for along time.
Verla was a very happy and good-natured girl with a sense of humor. In her early teens she took violin lessons for a while. She enjoyed this. The man that taught her would go around to homes teaching.
During the passing years five sisters were added to the family. The family was getting large for the little log house. Their father built a root cellar to keep fruits and vegetables in. The folks decided to put a couple of beds in it for the older children. The children thought this was okay because they had a bedroom of their own and they had some privacy. There were times in the winter when their father would have to shovel the snow off the door before they could get out. One summer when her mother had a baby about threshing time she and Wanda cooked for the threshers. They would take turns getting up to build the fire in the stove.
Verla attended MIA and loved to go to the dances. She was also in some school plays and MIA plays. Their father took the children on occasions to the Logan Temple to do baptisms for the dead. They enjoyed going on fishing trips.
When she and her sisters reached dating age her father would take them to Wanda Mirror in Idaho Falls to dances and also to Riverside Gardens in Rigby.
About 1928 she graduated from the 8th grade at Milo. Melvin Jordan was the principal and teacher.
Verla went to 3 years of high school at Rigby. They rode a school bus driven by horses. Two more children had been added to the family. After 7 girls they were blessed with a brother. Two years later they had another baby sister.
During the years Verla was growing up in Milo there also was a boy named Harold Wilding growing up in Milo. They saw each other at church and MIA. They dated some. One day Verla came home and told her parents that she and Harold were going to get married. So Verla and her parents went to see Harold’s folks. Harold was up on the foothills herding sheep so they went up to see him. In Harold’s joking manner he said, "If she says we’re going to get married, I guess I’d better not back out."

Harold’s parents and Verla’s parents took them to the Logan Temple. They were married October 21, 1931. They had a wedding dance at Milo.

The early years of marriage were hard because it was during the depression. Verla’s parents had given them a cow. During one winter it was so cold, in the mornings when they’d wake up there would be frost on the quilts. They would sell the cream from their cow once a week for 65 cents. Harold was playing M-Men basketball. They would go to the games using 20 of the 65 cents to get into the games.
The summer Verla was large expecting their first child, Harold had some pigs and he was going to put rings in their noses. Verla was holding the barn door. She peeked in and one big pig saw the door and made a mad dash to get out – catching Verla between the legs and carrying her for several lands before she got off.
When it was time for the first baby, Verla was up to Harold’s folks. She had a long, hard labor and delivery. The doctor came to the house. They were blessed with a baby daughter they named Vonda.
The first part of October 1937 they moved to Idaho Falls. Harold was working for Gene’s Coal and Feed. They were blessed with another daughter, Betty Fawn. Two years later they had their first boy and named him Gary Dee. The next spring they moved back to Milo living just north of where they do now.
Harold had bought a grain cleaner, and was also shearing sheep and farming. They would go to Montana shearing sheep in the spring. Verla would load up her three kiddies and go with Harold. They would live in a tent, Verla doing the cooking for the men and caring for her little family.
During these years Verla had a new sister and brother. Making her parents family of nine girls and two boys.
Harold’s father died in 1943. Harold and Verla bought his farm and moved to where they are now.
Marilyn Yvonne was born making a family of 3 girls and 1 boy. Verla loved to sew, making many of her children’s clothes. She loves to work with her hands, crocheting, quilting, gardening, etc.
Vonda got married. Her husband was in the Navy in California, so Verla and Harold made several trips in the next few years to California to visit Vonda and visit Harold’s two brothers living in California.
Michael Joseph was added to their family completing their family of 5 children.
Harold was still grain cleaning, going to Star Valley, Wyoming in the spring. Verla would go when she could. They made many friends there because of this.
Verla encouraged her children to take part in things at church and in school. She made many a costume or outfits for them.
Gary got married and the following year Betty got married, then Marilyn married leaving the folks and Mike as it is today.
Verla had 19 grandchildren to date. Her first granddaughter got married last spring. Verla enjoys making things for her grandchildren. Our daughters have many things Grandma Wilding has made them and they treasure each one.
Verla is always busy (never idle) having to work as a youngster, many times its doing things for other people. She is a good neighbor and a thoughtful and understanding mother-in-law.
She lost both her parents in 1970. I know she misses them. But her sisters and brothers have get together's and enjoy each other company. She’s close with her sisters, getting together to sew or celebrate birthdays.
Verla has held many positions in the church through the years. In the Primary as a Teacher and Secretary, MIA as a Counselor, Teacher and Secretary, Sunday School as a Teacher and Relief Society as president, Counselor, Secretary and Visiting Teacher and now as Work Counselor again.
I appreciate all that she does for our family and for raising a fine son for me to marry. I also appreciate the help her older sister Wanda gave in writing this history and appreciate the opportunity of giving this history.

Given in the Milo Ward Relief Society, January 30, 1973 to honor the Relief Society Presidency by Carolyn Wilding.