Dwain Cover McDonald's and Yvonne Lucille Petersteiner's Family Tree
Home Surnames Photos Guestbook Search Contact Us



12

OMA

AS TOLD BY TILLIE

I was born September 27, 1908 at Osawatomie, Kansas.  My parents are Luther Vanmeter Young and Bertha Seetin Young.  I begin this record at age fifteen.  At this time, I moved to Wichita, Kansas with the intention of continuing school there.  After going a few months of the last semester of my Sophomore year, I quit school and took a job at Schoor’s Tea Room.  I began to study Classical Dancing.  Two years later, after much hard work, my partners and I had developed an Adagio Dance Trio.  Later we became known as Bryant, Rains & Young.  We were hired by Roger Murrel, Producer for Orpheum and Keith Theaters, in May of 1926.  We left for Chicago, Illinois in July of that year, and an act was designed with seven young people, five girls and two fellows, called Stepping Along Review.  We danced our way to New York City, arriving there early in 1927.  We were booked on a forty-eight week tour on Pantages.  This tour brought our act to the west coast in the spring of that year, and while appearing in the Los Angeles area, I looked up some of my father's people, and my father happened to be there.  It was quite an occasion after about eight years.  We continued with our work in show business, and again in 1929, I visited with Dad and Uncle Thornton, along with other relatives in the area while playing Los Angeles for Paramount Theater on the Publix Tour.  We continued with our work, traveling over the United States and Canada.  In May of 1934, we lost our beloved mother, after a long, sad illness, which lasted two and one-half years.  During this time I came home for several months, also it gave me a chance to visit with all the family.

In 1936, we sailed to Europe where we played at the Pladium, in London.  After touring there, we were booked on the continent for the next two years; appearing in France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and the Riveria in the casinos; we also played in the larger cities of the North African coast area.

Next, we sailed for South America, and after tweny-six days aboard, we landed in Argentina, where we appeared for the next six months in the large cities.  We closed at the Cocoa Cabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro in early 1939 and sailed for New York City.  We were happy to be back home, and went right to work in theaters and hotels in the eastern United States and Canada.

In 1941 my partner and future husband was inducted into the Army at Fort Devens in Boston; Dorcas, my other partner, and I drove back home to Kansas.

We both took jobs in the Air Craft National Defense Industry at Wichita, Kansas, where we remained until after Orlan returned home on rotation from the over seas battlefront in France.  This had been his fifth landing in combat.  When Orlan was given his month furlough, we were married October 6, 1944, in Wellington, Kansas.  In June 1945, he was discharged from the Army.

The fall of 1945, we rented land in Kansas and Texas and planted it in wheat.  We made a good crop, and with the returns, we purchased an irrigated farm in Crowley, Colorado.  We lived there working side by side, tending and irrigating the crops and feeding cattle and hogs, also working on the farm machinery ourselves.  On December 16, 1960, Orlan had a fatal heart attack while on a goose hunt, one week before his 55th Birthday.  He was laid to rest at Lindsay, California in the family plot; my stone has already been placed by his.  Orlan, born December 21, 1905 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, was the son of Lennie Shannon Bryant and Clarence B. Bryant.

I remained on the farm that winter; I had the equipment and machinery repaired and cleaned.  Then my friend and I painted it and got it ready for the Machinery Sale which was held in February in 1961.  During that spring and summer, I fed out our thirty-two head of feeder pigs, farrowed the five sows, and sold the pigs at side along with the fat hogs in October.  I planted wheat and seeded more alfalfa, and when the fall crops were planted, I was free until the next spring.

In November of 1961, I flew to Alaska, where I spent the next six months with my husband’s sister and family.  I took care of my niece and prepared meals, also I did a part of the housekeeping.  I earned $900.00 which was much needed and was used for operating the farm.  I came home in late May which was just in time to be with Tillie during her husband's cancer surgery.  In the summer of 1962, I harvested the wheat, sold the alfalfa to the dehydrator, and in the fall seeded more alfalfa.

In December of 1962, I went to Alaska again, but came back late in February, when my sister's husband became very ill.  He passed away December 14, 1963 after a long serious illness.

Tillie stayed on in Denver, Colorado, where she managed an apartment house.  I had listed the farm for sale, and the place was sold in April of 1964.  Tillie and I decided to join forces, pool our resources, and move to California, so we drove there, and after looking around, we located in Millbrae, California.  I found work at the Ponce College of Beauty in San Mateo, and Tillie was hired by Doctor Joseph R. Furnary at San Bruno.  During our years there, we went on some nice vacation trips and attended our family reunions when possible.  We worked at these positions for the next fourteen years until we retired.  I visited with Dad and became better acquainted with his wife, Teresa.  We met many more of our Dad's family at the reunions, which Uncle Thornton organized in 1967; our Family Reunion is now a yearly affair and is usually held in June.

On September 4, 1970 our dear brother, Walter, whom we called "Bud", suddenly passed away.  It was a very sad time for all of our family.  Then in 1973 on September 20th, our Dad passed away, just two months before his 88th Birthday.  He had-been in failing health for his last two years.  During the year 1975, I met our half brother, Dwain, his wife Yvonne and part of his family; they came to our family reunion in Utah.

I am so happy we had the opportunity to meet, and I am very proud of this fine brother and his family.

I retired in April 1976, and Tillie and I took a two-month trip through the Southwest, Kansas, Colorado, and back to Utah for a visit with relatives; then we went to Los Angeles, California for the family reunion in June.

During the spring of 1979, we joined Tootie, our sister-in-law, in Kansas City, for a tour of the East.  We flew to Washington, D.C. where we toured our beautiful Capitol and the Federal Triangle Buildings where our government functions.  We then joined a "Tauck Tour" by Motor Coach which covered the Colonial and early American settlements of Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown and the American Revolutionary War area; it also covered the Pennsylvania Dutch farming area.  We then toured New York City, taking in many of the historical shrines which are so sacred to us, and also attended a Broadway Show which makes a trip to New York really a delight.

On our return trip, we stopped for a visit with Tootie and Larry, and she took us to Osawatomie, Kansas where we attended our High School Alumni, and on Decoration Day, we all decorated the graves of our loved ones.  We visited our school day friends and had dinner with Charlotte and Wendel Giager, Tootie's sister and husband.  It was a wonderful and enjoyable trip for the three of us, and we have many delightful memories to talk about in the future.

We flew on to Utah, visiting relatives, then returned to California.  We were glad to be back home again; it was nice seeing our friends again, especially Winona Pepin who is our very dear friend from back home in Osawatomie.  We put our things in order, and prepared to attend our family reunion which was held in late June of 1979.  It was a very nice reunion and we all enjoyed it so much.  Tillie and I stayed at Dennis and Evelyn's one night and over at Orval and Lola's one night; so we had the opportunity to visit and go over old times which was a very pleasant experience.

November 1, 1979, Tillie and I moved to American Fork, Utah.  We like a small place, and this is a very special place.  Many of our relatives live here, and we love being with them.  It is a more relaxed life; we expect to remain here and hope all will turn out well in the future.

We are close to our church and the Senior Center and have made some nice friends, so we are adjusting in our new home and are very happy.