The Next Generation - Cottle History Part Eleven

Part Eleven – The Next Generation

Leland T, or Lee, as everyone calls him is nervous – no, even beyond nervous – he is terrified! The year is 1921 and he is about to ask the most important question of his your life. Can he do it? Will he get the right answer? Will he live through this nerve racking experience?
But first, let’s go back a bit and see how Lee arrives at this important juncture in his life. Lee is the oldest (1901) son of Thomas Henry Cottle, born in Far West, UT but spends most of his life in Stone, ID. Life is not always easy for Lee and his siblings. His mother Ella dies when he is but 9 years old and has three younger siblings to watch after. Shortly thereafter Lee’s father, Thomas Henry, goes to Portage and returns to the Cottle homestead with a housekeeper, the recently widowed Alice Kemp Anderson and her 5 year old daughter Clara. Upon arrival Thomas Henry lines up all his children for inspection, introducing each of them to Alice and Clara. Leland remembers well his first sighting of Clara. “She was just the sweetest thing I ever did see. She seemed very shy, but happy to be around children her own age.” Clara’s first question concerns the whereabouts of the youngest child, 2 month old Ella, and is disappointed to learn Ella is at an Aunt’s house and will not be home for a couple of days. From that time on, Clara becomes Ella’s chief baby setter and playmate. It is not many months until Thomas Henry and Alice are married and Lee and Clara settle into the same household, growing up as brother and sister. Not much is known of their relationship during this period, but it is safe to say they had the same ups and downs as most siblings.
Being the oldest, Lee takes a major role in the operation the ranch (farm) and accepts many responsibilities not normally thrust upon a 14-15 year old. He becomes the chief bronco buster (something he did for much of his life) and head handyman. Lee has a way with horses and can tame even the toughest ones with a few kind words and the ever present carrot in his back pocket, although he is bucked off his fair share of times. Lee has the knack for fixing things and is always repairing machinery, fences, buildings and other gadgets, using whatever material is available and his ever present pliers.
Lee’s world suffers a second major blow with the death of his father, Thomas Henry, in 1918, and now he is the oldest male in the family of nine, consisting of his step mother Alice and 7 siblings (3 full siblings, 3 step siblings with Thomas Henry as father and Alice as mother and 13 year old Clara). Lee quits school after grade 8 and does what he can to help Alice keep family and farm together – often working for other ranchers in the area, quickly gaining a reputation as someone who knows how to work and can be trusted to complete a job quickly and effectively without a lot of adult supervision. This goes on for a couple of years. Over that time Lee notices a change in Clara – she is no longer that gangly little girl that seems to always get in his way. She is growing up, and looking better and better each day. Not only is Clara becoming quite the little homemaker, taking charge of the younger children and preparing meals when Alice is away on church business, she is developing a charming personality and turning into a young women. Unlike many girls of that day she is interested in an education and persuades Mom to let her attend the local school if she keeps up with her household duties. Clara completes grade 6 – but in that short time instills within herself a love of education (which she carries throughout her life – as will be seen later).
Now Lee finds himself spending more and more time in the company of Clara. He doesn’t call it a “date” it just happens that more often than not they need to go to the store at the same time or run into each other just out for an evening stroll. In fact, before long, spending time with Clara is the highlight of Lee’s day and, more and more, he goes out of his way to make it happen.
This brings us to 1921 and the reason for all the nervousness. Lee is thinking of asking Clara to marry him! The debate goes on in his mind as he walks down the path to the meadow, just hoping to run into Clara. It goes something like this; “Some people will think I’m marring my sister.” “So what do I care, she is the person that makes me happiest, and she is not my sister or any other relation and if I don’t act soon, someone else is going to grab her. I have seen the way that Orvie Steed looks at her each Sunday. For me it’s now or never.” Just then his thought process is interrupted as he literally bumps into Clara.
“Why Lee you seem to be in deep thought, whatever can be on your mind?” Clara inquires sweetly.
“I – I – I was hoping you might think about considering to consider the possibility that you might become my wife,” Lee stammers.
“Why Lee, what are you trying to say?” Clara counters.
Lee bursts out, “Dang burn it Clara, will you marry me?”
“Well, that’s not a very romantic proposal, but I think it's not the type of proposal but the type of man behind the proposal that counts. And Lee, with me you count a lot. Of course I will marry you. I thought you would never get around to asking me”
And so it is that on October 3rd 1921 twenty year old Leland T Cottle and sixteen year old Clara Anderson climb into the back seat of Uncle Sam Kemp’s (Alice’s brother) brand new 1920 Studebaker (one of the few cars in Stone) and the 40 mile ride to Malad for the court house wedding ceremony. They returned that same day and start their marriage life living in the two north rooms of the family home. And from this humble beginning comes forth another strong branch on the Henry Cottle family tree. More next week (Writer’s note: Of course, for Craig, Roger, Kathy and Brent, this is Grandpa and Grandma Cottle)