Daughter of Henry Harrison Blakely & Mary E. Bailey Blakely, Gertrude-- with a 17" waist, was one of eight children. All Methodists. Gertrude got her teaching certificate in Rice County, and secured a position teaching the Country School of Ashton, Kansas, northeast of Isabel. A fellow Methodist, Earl Blackwelder, began courting the lovely school marm, and they were married in Wichita March 31, 1914. The couple had two children, Lawrence and Mildred. Gertrude was often in her "deep shade" slat sunbonnet when helping with chores around the farm. When asked to drive the team of unruly horses during wheat harvest, she was to haul loads of wheat to the farm elevator. The team continued to be difficult to handle, until dainty Gertrude stood up, and took in the hand the black snake whip. She, holding the lines or reins of the team, cracked that whip over their hands and yelled, "If you're wanting to run, then let's have it!" And off they raced, She, standing, cracking the whip, horses, snorting, then running--around the section of miles square. By then, she'd conquered their fire, and they were ready to settle down and work. Earl commented, "I made sure the whip was hung up out in the barn, if we ever set in to disagree. I saw how she tamed that team!" Gertrude liked to visit her siblings, and they would often get together in Tucson, Arizona. This dainty, devoted, devout, whip-snapping little grandmother left for heaven in 1974 after meeting the first of her great grandchildren. If she were carried off in a chariot of heavenly fire, we would know who was driving the team when they reached the pearly gates, and that they were pulling fine!
Daughter of Henry Harrison Blakely & Mary E. Bailey Blakely, Gertrude-- with a 17" waist, was one of eight children. All Methodists. Gertrude got her teaching certificate in Rice County, and secured a position teaching the Country School of Ashton, Kansas, northeast of Isabel. A fellow Methodist, Earl Blackwelder, began courting the lovely school marm, and they were married in Wichita March 31, 1914. The couple had two children, Lawrence and Mildred. Gertrude was often in her "deep shade" slat sunbonnet when helping with chores around the farm. When asked to drive the team of unruly horses during wheat harvest, she was to haul loads of wheat to the farm elevator. The team continued to be difficult to handle, until dainty Gertrude stood up, and took in the hand the black snake whip. She, holding the lines or reins of the team, cracked that whip over their hands and yelled, "If you're wanting to run, then let's have it!" And off they raced, She, standing, cracking the whip, horses, snorting, then running--around the section of miles square. By then, she'd conquered their fire, and they were ready to settle down and work. Earl commented, "I made sure the whip was hung up out in the barn, if we ever set in to disagree. I saw how she tamed that team!" Gertrude liked to visit her siblings, and they would often get together in Tucson, Arizona. This dainty, devoted, devout, whip-snapping little grandmother left for heaven in 1974 after meeting the first of her great grandchildren. If she were carried off in a chariot of heavenly fire, we would know who was driving the team when they reached the pearly gates, and that they were pulling fine!
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
See more Blackwelder or Blakely memorials in:
- Hooker Cemetery Blackwelder or Blakely
- Hooker Blackwelder or Blakely
- Texas County Blackwelder or Blakely
- Oklahoma Blackwelder or Blakely
- USA Blackwelder or Blakely
- Find a Grave Blackwelder or Blakely
Advertisement
