Family Migration Study
Click on the images to view larger and read Ruby's stories below.
This project is dedicated to my grandma Ruby Piland. Ruby May Newby was born November 24th, 1912 (Thanksgiving Day) on a farm in Stafford County Kansas. Ruby passed away this fall, just two weeks shy of her 99th birthday, which also would have been on Thanksgiving Day. Several years ago my uncle Jim (Ruby’s son) began the process of researching the Newby and Piland migrations from England. He collected and restored many old photos of my ancestors, recorded and transcribed Ruby’s stories from growing up in Kansas, and recorded his and my mom’s memories from childhood on the farm. Fragments of his research helped me create this series of 6 mixed media prints showing my ancestral line through Ruby.
My parents moved to California shortly after they were married so I only got to know my grandma on bi-annual visits. This project has given me a chance to know more about her upbringing and her marriage to my grandpa Joe (who died before I was born). I am intrigued by the fragmented memories that remain after nearly 99 years of living. She shared humorous and feisty moments, a side of her that I never really got to see. She also shared memories of health struggles (of which there were many) and memories from the loss of her oldest daughter, Joan June Piland (who died from brain tumor at the age of four).
The following are a few stories and recollections that Ruby shared with her family.
“Sometime in my preschool years we moved to a house located in Naron Township in Pratt County Kansas, where we lived until after my first year of school. My first memory of childhood is of being lifted by my father to see into the casket bearing my grandfather, George Roberts, which was in a horse drawn hearse. Many childhood memories are of time spent at Grandma Roberts's house. The cousins and I played in a large tree in the yard. We fastened empty thread spools throughout the tree, connected them with string, and used this for our telephone system. During these two years, I suffered from several illnesses. I had scarlet fever, measles, and Pneumonia. I remember a short time before Christmas I found a doll in the parlor, where I was not supposed to be. I showed the doll to Mama and said, "look what I found". She scolded me for being in the parlor and made me put the doll back. She later said she regretted doing it, because they nearly lost me to pneumonia before Christmas. 'Doc' Powell credited Aunt Belle or
Aunt Grace for saving my life with her hot mustard baths.
After my third year of school, we moved back to the same house on the farm but the house had been moved from the west side to the southeast corner of the land. Busses were then available to transport us to school and back. One of my memories from my school days was of a mouse running up Howard Lutes' pant leg. The teacher had to strip his pants off to get the mouse out! I finished my grade school and went on to high school. Every summer and for a few years after high school I worked for a family. My first recollection of seeing Joe Piland was while we were both standing in line to see a movie at Macksville. The next time I saw him was when he came to our house to ask me for a date. Dad and I were in the corral milking cows when he arrived. Joe hated to milk cows so a woman who could milk probably looked pretty good to him. We dated for a few years. Joe's proposal to me was, "Let's go to Brazil and raise nuts." My response was, "Let's stay here and raise nuts," so we did. Joe and I were married August 11, 1935, by Barbara Huffman. Only our parents knew we were married and we did not live together for a time after our marriage.
Joe got an ear infection that required surgery. During recovery from anesthesia, he called for his wife while his sister Marie was sitting with him. She was quite shocked to discover that he was married. After this revelation, our marriage became public. We rented an apartment in Pratt for a few weeks while he recuperated. While there, I worked for an elderly couple.
When we returned from Pratt, our three-room house on an 80 acre farm was built and ready for us to move into. My dad gave us a cow and Joe's folks gave us some chickens. We had a large garden. The first year we lived on milk, eggs and squash. I cooked squash every way imaginable!
On April 1, 1937 our daughter Joan was born. She appeared to be a healthy baby. January 9, 1939 our son James was born; soon after Joan became sick. We took her to Wichita, and Halsted Hospitals. Jim stayed with his grandparents and Hazel and Hillard Curtis for some of that time. She had a brain tumor. We made several trips to Kansas City hospital. We were not allowed to stay with her except during visiting hours so I got a job working in a restaurant and rented a room each trip. She was given X-ray treatments and lost her hair. We eventually brought Joan home; she was mostly confined to her bed, which we rolled into the living room during the day. Jim was walking and playing with her. One day Jim said, "Mama Joan is pulling my whiskers!" She was reaching out touching his face. Soon after Christmas 1941, she became ill with pneumonia. She died January 8, 1942 at the age of 3 years and 10 months. Granddad Newby was with us when she died…”
Ruby was and inspiration to her family for her deep commitment to the word of God, her perseverance and willingness to serve others. Through her I learned how to knit and sew; I learned the value of frugal living, and loving one’s family. She worked hard all her life and even after she lost most of her hearing and vision she managed to make the most amazing cinnamon rolls, gingersnap cookies, and breads. At 98 she could even still beat me at dominos!
My parents moved to California shortly after they were married so I only got to know my grandma on bi-annual visits. This project has given me a chance to know more about her upbringing and her marriage to my grandpa Joe (who died before I was born). I am intrigued by the fragmented memories that remain after nearly 99 years of living. She shared humorous and feisty moments, a side of her that I never really got to see. She also shared memories of health struggles (of which there were many) and memories from the loss of her oldest daughter, Joan June Piland (who died from brain tumor at the age of four).
The following are a few stories and recollections that Ruby shared with her family.
“Sometime in my preschool years we moved to a house located in Naron Township in Pratt County Kansas, where we lived until after my first year of school. My first memory of childhood is of being lifted by my father to see into the casket bearing my grandfather, George Roberts, which was in a horse drawn hearse. Many childhood memories are of time spent at Grandma Roberts's house. The cousins and I played in a large tree in the yard. We fastened empty thread spools throughout the tree, connected them with string, and used this for our telephone system. During these two years, I suffered from several illnesses. I had scarlet fever, measles, and Pneumonia. I remember a short time before Christmas I found a doll in the parlor, where I was not supposed to be. I showed the doll to Mama and said, "look what I found". She scolded me for being in the parlor and made me put the doll back. She later said she regretted doing it, because they nearly lost me to pneumonia before Christmas. 'Doc' Powell credited Aunt Belle or
Aunt Grace for saving my life with her hot mustard baths.
After my third year of school, we moved back to the same house on the farm but the house had been moved from the west side to the southeast corner of the land. Busses were then available to transport us to school and back. One of my memories from my school days was of a mouse running up Howard Lutes' pant leg. The teacher had to strip his pants off to get the mouse out! I finished my grade school and went on to high school. Every summer and for a few years after high school I worked for a family. My first recollection of seeing Joe Piland was while we were both standing in line to see a movie at Macksville. The next time I saw him was when he came to our house to ask me for a date. Dad and I were in the corral milking cows when he arrived. Joe hated to milk cows so a woman who could milk probably looked pretty good to him. We dated for a few years. Joe's proposal to me was, "Let's go to Brazil and raise nuts." My response was, "Let's stay here and raise nuts," so we did. Joe and I were married August 11, 1935, by Barbara Huffman. Only our parents knew we were married and we did not live together for a time after our marriage.
Joe got an ear infection that required surgery. During recovery from anesthesia, he called for his wife while his sister Marie was sitting with him. She was quite shocked to discover that he was married. After this revelation, our marriage became public. We rented an apartment in Pratt for a few weeks while he recuperated. While there, I worked for an elderly couple.
When we returned from Pratt, our three-room house on an 80 acre farm was built and ready for us to move into. My dad gave us a cow and Joe's folks gave us some chickens. We had a large garden. The first year we lived on milk, eggs and squash. I cooked squash every way imaginable!
On April 1, 1937 our daughter Joan was born. She appeared to be a healthy baby. January 9, 1939 our son James was born; soon after Joan became sick. We took her to Wichita, and Halsted Hospitals. Jim stayed with his grandparents and Hazel and Hillard Curtis for some of that time. She had a brain tumor. We made several trips to Kansas City hospital. We were not allowed to stay with her except during visiting hours so I got a job working in a restaurant and rented a room each trip. She was given X-ray treatments and lost her hair. We eventually brought Joan home; she was mostly confined to her bed, which we rolled into the living room during the day. Jim was walking and playing with her. One day Jim said, "Mama Joan is pulling my whiskers!" She was reaching out touching his face. Soon after Christmas 1941, she became ill with pneumonia. She died January 8, 1942 at the age of 3 years and 10 months. Granddad Newby was with us when she died…”
Ruby was and inspiration to her family for her deep commitment to the word of God, her perseverance and willingness to serve others. Through her I learned how to knit and sew; I learned the value of frugal living, and loving one’s family. She worked hard all her life and even after she lost most of her hearing and vision she managed to make the most amazing cinnamon rolls, gingersnap cookies, and breads. At 98 she could even still beat me at dominos!