Page 118 - Family History

Family Stories

the early spring. There were small flowers [too], but I cannot think of the name.
She would take hers home, and we took ours to the house. She came up quite
often, but the other cousins never came up.

Pg 10-12

EARLY SETTLERS IN THE PYSHT VALLEY

… I also knew Otto Pontine, who was married to Gertie’s sister, Margaret.

MARGARET STANGE PONTINE SNYDER AND FAMILY

Margaret (we called her Maggie), who was Gertie’s sister, and eight years older,
married Otto Pontine when she was 15. (Gertie wrote that Margaret married Otto

at the age of 14, but in my correspondence with her daughter, Beatrice, ten years
or more later, Beatrice said that Margaret was 15, and Otto was 39. I rather think
she was of that age.)

Otto had the farm down the road, west of the hill where we lived. I guess that
grandpa did not object to the age difference, or Grandma either. From what
Gertie said, it seems that Margaret did not like too well being on the farm up
here. Garden work did not please her, and she cared nothing for animals. Otto did

not want to live alone. He was friendly with Grandpa, so he allowed this marriage.
However, it seemed to have worked. As far as I know, they got along well enough.
I was told that Otto was good to her, and allowed her to do what she liked. At
least he did provide well. They had five children [Note: Now thought to be seven.]
– Jimmy, Beatrice, Arthur, Lizzie, and Archie. While he was still little, Archie fell

into the river and drowned. In my growing years, I saw little of them. I cannot
remember Otto ever coming up on the hill, or Margaret either, although they
must have at some time or other. I was down at their place a few times and saw
Lizzie, Beatrice and, of course, Arthur and Jimmy. One time when I was down
there, Arthur played a roller organ for me. It had a handle to turn. I liked the
music real well. Later, I learned that Margaret sold it for four dollars, which
afterward she reqretted. Margaret liked cheap jewelry, and would order from Jay
Linn in New York – pins and things like that, that looked nice. I followed what she

did, and one time I ordered something for myself.

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