Ancestral Histories

Theodore LeRoy Kemper

Theodore Kemper

            My maternal grandfather, Theodore LeRoy Kemper, was born on 1 July 1910 in Sturgeon, Boone, Missouri, to William Emmett Kemper and Lora Lee Montgomery. He was the fifth of seven children with five sisters and one brother. He and my grandmother, Vera Minnie Hargraves, met in Washington State and eloped on 9 May 1932. They had six children, three boys and three girls, one of whom was my mother, JoAnn Carol Kemper. Like all marriages, my grandparents faced difficulties and hardships, but they realized that to make their marriage work they needed to talk things over.

            My grandfather was a hard-working man. No matter where they lived, he always worked hard to support his family. Some of the various occupations he held included taking care of a dairy, running the Church farm in Moses Lake, working at different factories, selling luster craft, which was a type of pots, and he opened two of his own businesses, a rental place and a lock and key place. He didn’t have a lot of time to do anything besides work, but he always enjoyed working hard. My mother never once heard her parents complain about hard work.

            Sunday was the one day a week my grandfather didn’t work, unless he had cows to milk or there was an emergency. Sunday morning he took his family to Sunday school, and early Sunday evening they had Sacrament meeting. The time between the two meetings was spent at home or participating in church callings. When my grandfather was at home on weekday evenings he could almost always be found in his chair watching the television or taking a nap, sometimes both. Monday evening was the exception, as it was set aside for family night, and they always spent that evening together as a family, doing different things and talking about different things.

            When I asked my mother to describe her father in just a few words, she described him as a man that wasn’t afraid to try anything. He did everything he could to support his family and he always made sure they had food on the table. He was a fun, loving, and easy-going man. After he got his false teeth, he would use his tongue to move his teeth up and down in his mouth. It always got the kids laughing. While he was taking care of a dairy he was able to ride horses, and he let his kids ride them, too.

            My grandfather passed away when I was nearly two years old. I don’t remember him, but by asking my mother questions about him I feel like I’m starting to understand the kind of man he really was. He was strong and firm, but kind and loving. He did all he could to support his family and help his wife teach their kids right from wrong. My grandparents faced many hardships in their lives, but they made it through and their marriage lasted more than 50 years until my grandfather passed away.

Vera Minnie Hargraves

Vera Kemper

            Vera Minnie Hargraves is my maternal grandmother. She was born on January 18, 1914 in Peskan, Teton, Montana, to John Samuel Hargraves and Minnie Jane Reynolds. She was the seventh of ten children with seven brothers and two sisters. After my grandparents were married, they would occasionally drive to Wapato or Toppenish to visit her parents.

            My grandmother was first and foremost a wife and mother, and she was always productive. She occasionally helped my grandfather in his business, but mostly she stayed at home to care for their children and their home. She could usually be found cooking, canning, gardening, working on genealogy, baking, canning, and occasionally sewing. She was particularly good at making quilts. She also wrote two songs; one was written for her mother and is called “She Wears a White Carnation in Her Hair” and the other is titled “Little Bird in the Tree.”

            My grandmother was very good with money. She was able to make a dollar stretch quite a bit. She always watched for sales at the various grocery stores and only bought things that were on sale. She also helped her husband, my grandfather, whenever he had his own business by doing the paperwork and keeping track of the books. Each year Vera would grow a garden to help with food costs, and each fall there was always a lot of canning to be done. She also frequently did ironing for other families to generate extra income.

            My grandmother was one for finding natural ways to help sicknesses. She never took her kids to the doctor because she preferred to keep them at home and care for them herself. The only time she would take them to the doctor was when she didn’t know what was wrong, and that was rare. One of her remedies was mixing a raw egg in with fresh milk. Her kids could always tell when there was an egg in their milk because she would pour it for them instead of letting them pour the milk themselves.

            When I asked my mother to describe my grandmother in just a few words, she described her as a very strong woman. If there was something that needed to be done, she would do it without complaining. She was a fun lady to be around, but always willing to give consequences when her children disobeyed her.

            My grandmother died when I was fifteen years old. I didn’t know her as well as I would have liked, but I do remember she was kind. I get my love for baking pies, breads, and cakes from her, as well as my desire to find home remedies for ailments. She was firm yet kind, and always willing to do what needed to be done. I admire her strength and courage, and look forward to the day I can see her again in eternity.

L-R: Theodore, JoAnn, and Vera Kemper at JoAnn's High School Graduation