Grandmas Trailer

1983-2013
BeaJay Fellers
l drove down Lhe famlllar counLry road and gazed ouL Lhe
wlndow aL Lhe scarred earLh where my greaL-grandmoLher's
home used Lo sLand. 1he square cemenL slab, Lhe large yellow
un garage and Lhe curved gravel drlveway remalned. 1he Lall
evergreen Lrees sull llned Lhe back edge of Lhe properLy. 8uL Lhe
double wlde Lraller LhaL saL on Lhe land for 30 years was gone.
l hadn'L been lnslde Lhe double wlde moblle home for over
a decade, buL lLs absence made my chesL feel heavy. lL was hard
Lo breaLhe. 1he crlsp CcLober day remlnded me of chlldhood
Palloweens when my mom would drlve us Lo grandma's Lo Lrlck
or LreaL for her homemade popcorn balls. 1he Lraller had been a
second home Lo me, buL l had oen felL more aL ease, more
myself, Lhere, Lhan aL my own home wlLh my busy, worklng
mom, my sLepfaLher and my broLhers. lL was Lhe place l was
always welcome, comforLable, and cared for.
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 1
1he Lraller was Lhe place where mosL of my memorles wlLh grandma
C.C. Look place. C.C., as l called my greaL-grandma Mable, was Lhe ulumaLe
careglver. She was Lall, 3'8", wlLh broad shoulders, muscular arms and
sLrong hands from decades of kneadlng bread and carrylng ouL farm chores.
She wore her Lhlnnlng, curly red halr swepL up onLo Lhe Lop of her head, held
Lhere wlLh a few well-placed LorLolse combs. ArLhrlus, false knees and hlp
replacemenLs made her su, buL any paln she felL dld noL prevenL her from
servlng oLhers. Per slze and lnner sLrengLh made me feel LhaL noLhlng could
ever hurL me. She broughL me clnnamon LoasL on homemade lrench bread
and hoL chocolaLe Lo dlp Lhe hard crusLs ln wlLh slow, shuMlng sLeps. She
llsLened Lo anyLhlng and everyLhlng l had Lo say and never [udged me. She
expecLed her only greaL-granddaughLer Lo be clean and neaL, she always
asked me Lo cllp my halr back o my face. Per home always smelled llke
fresh baked bread and oaLmeal cookles. 1he sun sLreamed ln Lhe many
wlndows and we aLe ouL on Lhe large back porch as oen as posslble.
Crandma's Lraller was always lled wlLh love, frlends and food.
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 2
G.G. AND
I ON THE
SUNNY
BACK
PORCH OF
THE
MOBLE
HOME.
Mable dldn'L always llve ln Lhe llule, Lwo bedroom double wlde moblle
home ln cloudy norLhwesL WashlngLon. She, and her Lwln broLher, WalLer,
were born ln 1911 on Lhe pralrles of SaskaLchewan, noL a mounLaln or Lree ln
slghL, only dusLy, brown elds as far as Lhe eye could see. Mable and WalLer
were Lhe sevenLh and elghLh chlldren of Lwelve. 1he large famlly farmed 80
acres and llved ln a 14 by 24 fooL frame house ouLslde Lhe Lown of Wllkle.
Crowlng up on a farm ln a large famlly LaughL Mable work eLhlc early ln llfe.
She Lold me once, ln such a large famlly you really learn how Lo share and
care for each oLher." 1he chlldren worked boLh on and o Lhe farm as soon
as Lhey were able. Mable moved Lo Seaule wlLh her older slsLer LdyLhe Lo
work when she was only 13 years old. Aer Lwo years, she reLurned home
Lo Wllkle Lo help her moLher wlLh Lhe younger chlldren before nally seullng
ln Lynden ln 1929.
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 3
FAMILY HOME (FAR RIGHT) ON THE ORIGINAL HOMESTEAD IN WILKIE
TWINS, MABLE
AND WALTER,
ON THE
PRAIRIE IN
1922
ln Lynden,
Mable worked as a
llve-ln house keeper
and nanny for a local
denusL. lL was Lhere
LhaL she meL her
fuLure husband, 8alph
MuLchler. 1hey were
marrled on uecember
22, 1934. 1helr only
daughLer, Clorla, was
born a shorL ume laLer
and docLors Lold
Mable she would noL
be able Lo have any
more chlldren. 1he
heavy labor Mable dld
as a chlld caused her
bones Lo seL
premaLurely whlch
prevenLed her pelvls
from spreadlng ln
order Lo glve blrLh.
1hls was
hearLbreaklng for
Mable, she had always
envlsloned havlng a
large famlly. 8alph's
parenLs wanLed Lo
reure, so Mable Lhrew
herself lnLo work on
Lhe farm.

GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 4
WEDDING PHOTO OF RALPH AND MABLE
MUTCHLER
Mable felL aL home on Lhe farm ln Lynden. 1he landscape was dlerenL,
she Lraded Wllkle's pralrle vlews for scenlc ML. 8aker and evergreen Lree
llned roads, buL Lhe work eLhlc of farm llvlng was Lhe same. Mable and
8alph llved on Lhe van uyk 8d. properLy for Lhe resL of Lhelr llves, alLhough ln
Lhree dlerenL houses. Mable, 8alph and Clorla llved wlLh 8alph's parenLs,
8oy and Lydla, ln Lhe blg house" unul Clorla was 2. Lydla dld noL approve of
Mable. Lydla was very ladyllke: she never wore panLs or worked on Lhe
farm. Mable was Lhe hardesL worker on Lhe farm. She cooked meals for Lhe
farm hands and helped wlLh Lhe anlmals. 1here was always someLhlng Lo be
done. ln 1937, Lhe famlly bullL a 20 by 40 fooL chlcken house." 1hey never
moved Lhe chlckens ln, buL Mable and 8alph renovaLed lL lnLo a house whlch
gave Lhem Lhelr own space.

GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 5
RALPH, LYDIA AND ROY MUTCHLER IN FRONT OF THE BIG HOUSE
1he chlcken house" was Mable and 8alph's home for mosL of Lhelr
llves, a LoLal of 46 years. 1he house had Lwo small bedrooms, a llvlng area
wlLh a large oval bralded rug and an all-whlLe klLchen wlLh small paned
wlndows. lL dldn'L have a baLhroom unul Lhey added one on ln Lhe 60's,
Lhey [usL used Lhe one ln Lhe blg house. 1he washlng machlne was locaLed ln
Lhe small, baLhroom whlle Lhe dryer was ln Lhe panLry o Lhe klLchen, buL
oen Mable would hang wash ouL on Lhe llne Lo alr dry. 1he whlLe chlcken
house faced wesL and had a sLand of evergreens Lo Lhe LasL. Mable haLed
Lhe small paned wlndows LhaL dldn'L leL ln llghL unul laLe ln Lhe day, buL lL
was beuer Lhan llvlng wlLh 8alph's parenLs. 8alph dldn'L undersLand why
Mable dldn'L llke Lhe chlcken house, Lhey vlslLed Lhe house she grew up ln on
Lhe pralrles of Wllkle and 8alph sald LhaL Lhe chlcken house was noLhlng Lo
complaln abouL compared Lo Lhe 14 by 24 fooL house she grew up ln wlLh all
of her slbllngs.
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 6
MABLE IN
THE
KITCHEN OF
THE
CHICKEN
HOUSE

no mauer how much Mable dlsllked Lhe chlcken house, lL was
lled wlLh a llfeume of memorles. Mable ralsed Clorla as well as
several fosLer chlldren Lhere. She worked Lhe farm, volunLeered for Lhe
March of ulmes and Lhe Amerlcan 8ed Cross, made and sold
homemade apple clder, caLered dlnners for famllles and cared for Lhe
elderly. Per carlng and generoslLy earned her Lhe WhaLcom CounLy
MoLher of Lhe ?ear Award ln 1931. She welcomed her grandchlldren,
greaL-grandchlldren and many nleces and nephews lnLo her home for
famlly dlnners and vlslLs.
ln 1983, Lhey declded Lo move a moblle home onLo one acre of
Lhe properLy and sell Lhe resL of Lhe farm. Aer 46 years ln Lhe chlcken
house, Mable sull dldn'L choose her new home. 8alph was seL ln hls
ways and noL blg on change, buL hls daughLer, even as an adulL, had
hlm wrapped around her llule nger. Mable asked Clorla Lo go wlLh
8alph Lo choose Lhe moblle home, she knew LhaL 8alph would llsLen Lo
Lhelr daughLer and LhaL Clorla would plck someLhlng her mom would
llke. Mable loved her new home. 1he colors ln and ouL of Lhe house
were brown and yellow and wood veneer, buL Lhe mosL lmporLanL Lhlng
Lo Mable was Lhe llghL. 1he moblle home faced souLh and was
surrounded by a large yard and large wlndows. Mable goL Lo see
whaLever sun Lhere was all day long.

MABLE, GLORIA AND
MABLES
GRANDCHILDREN
BARBARA AND BYRON
IN FRONT OF THE
CHICKEN HOUSE
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 7
Mable and 8alph llved happlly ln Lhelr
llule moblle home. 1hey kepL busy by
Lravellng Lo Arlzona, Callfornla, Pawall and
Mexlco and spendlng ume wlLh Lhelr greaL-
grandklds, oen keeplng my broLher and me
overnlghL. When we woke early ln Lhe
mornlng, C. C. would have us brlng her an
orange Lo peel ln bed and speak Lo us ln
whlspers, Lelllng us Lo be quleL unul 8alph
woke up aL 7. We would help make grandpa's
lunch and Lell hlm goodbye, he wenL ln Lo
help ouL aL Merldlan LqulpmenL, where he
had worked for several years. Cur days wlLh
C. C. were Lhen lled wlLh baklng and Laklng
goodles Lo people ln resL homes around
Lynden. 8alph dled ln !anuary 1986 and
Mable wenL ouL of her mlnd wlLh sadness for
a whlle. She would ask people where 8alph
was, her mlnd refused Lo belleve he was
gone. 1hey had been marrled for 31 years.
ME, RALPH, MABLE AND MY BROTHER AT THE
KITCHEN TABLE OF THE MOBILE HOME
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 8
It is such a
treat to see
the sun
shining in the
kitchen
window early
in the
morning. Our
old house was
sheltered by
many trees
at times, I felt
the sun just
didnt come
out until late
afternoon!

Clorla moved ln Lo Lhe Lraller 1989 and Lhe moLher and daughLer
en[oyed a closeness Lhey had never before experlenced. Clorla had
always been a daddy's glrl and dldn'L undersLand her moLher any more
Lhan her moLher undersLood her. Mable was a people person, whlle
Clorla relaLed more Lo anlmals, muslc and books. WlLh 8alph gone,
Mable reallzed even lf lL puzzles me, l'm beglnnlng Lo undersLand LhaL
lL's okay Lo be dlerenL and sull frlends." As Mable grew closer Lo Clorla,
she losL oLher cruclal people ln her llfe, lncludlng her Lwln broLher
WalLer. 1he sadness was Loo much for her Lo bear and she suered a
sLroke ln her home ln uecember of 1994.
Mable's speech and handwrlung never recovered aer, buL she
was able Lo geL up and around unul a fall ln 1996. 1he fall broke Lhe
femur LhaL connecLed her false hlp Lo her false knee and she was never
able Lo walk agaln. Per decllne aer LhaL was slow, buL peaceful. Clorla
learned Lo care for her, so Mable was able Lo sLay aL home ln a hosplLal
bed nexL Lo Lhe large wlndows ln Lhe llvlng room of her dream house.
Clorla was able Lo help Mable lnLo a wheelchalr Lo Lake her ouL on Lo Lhe
sunny back porch when Lhe weaLher was nlce. She llved Lhe resL of her
days ln her sunny home surrounded by famlly and frlends. ln 1998, she
wenL from her Lemporary dream home Lo her real home wlLh her faLher
ln heaven.
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 9
MABLE IN
THE
LIVINGROOM
OF HER
MOBILE
HOME WITH
HER GREAT-
GRANDSON
AFTER HER
FALL
?ou would Lhlnk LhaL Lhe house would feel empLy aer her passlng,
buL lnsLead lL was lled wlLh peace and llghL and calm. lL was llke her
splrlL was agaln free Lo comforL us ln a way LhaL she had noL been able Lo
physlcally for Lhe lasL few years of her llfe. l llved Lhere for a ume whlle
Clorla made arrangemenLs Lo sell Lhe properLy. l evenLually moved [usL a
shorL drlve away and l would oen drlve by pasL and recall Lhe large parL
of my llfe LhaL Look place Lhere. laces hold many memorles, buL even
when Lhe places are gone Lhe memorles sull reslde ln our head and our
hearLs. l wlll never forgeL Lhe memorles LhaL double wlde Lraller held. l
wlll pass Lhem onLo my chlldren and Lhrough Lhe sLorles, C. C. and her
dream home wlll remaln ln me. lorever.
GRANDMAS TRAILER
// Page 10
GRANDMAS TRAILER THE DECEMBER AFTER HER DEATH
The ache for home lives in all of
us, the safe place where we can go
as we are and not be questioned.
~ Maya Angelou
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mayaangelo386838.html#Bb0ir5xpRz3IB7qT.99