A Life of Hard Work: From Farming to Motel Work--Erline

"My name is Erline. I was born in Kansas 80 something years ago. I think I've worked my whole life. When I was first married in the '50's, 1950, I worked farming, and I farmed, had three children. I did the farming, and my husband went to Wichita, Kansas to a airplane factory. That was his job. My job was the farming, raised the children. Then we decided we wanted to leave Kansas. We came to Pinedale, Wyoming. I bought Pine Creek Motel in 1963.I spent 10 years running the Motel.

My children were raised, graduated from high school, and went off about their different areas in the world, and spent some time going to college, finished their education. I have two children in Minneapolis, one in Evanston, Wyoming. Then I remarried in 1972. Then I started working off and on in various jobs. My husband went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I worked up there for a autobody shop. How far am I?

You have two, almost three minutes left.

Three minutes ... Then I ... We came back to Pinedale, and I worked for Kay Buston. I started working off and on, whenever she needed an extra hand. Then I worked off and on for her from 1972 till ... On through, off and on, I'd worked a while ... She'd say, "Erline, come and help me" do this and that, and whatever. I crawled on scaffolding at the back room of the Stockman's there and painted that ceiling one time. Laid on my back and painted. I felt like, what was the ...

Michelangelo.

Yeah, Michelangelo. Anyway, that was an interesting job. Kay and I have been friends forever. I guess that's just about the end of it. Then I quit working when I was in my 70s. I think I was the longest one working at the Stockman's, one of the longest ones working at the Stockman's. I guess that's the end of my story.

All right."

This story was collected in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its national traveling exhibition "The Way We Worked" when it was on view at the Sublette County Public Library in Pinedale, Wyoming, in 2018. This story is part of the "Be Here: Main Street" story collection, intended to capture Americans' stories about their neighborhoods, waterways, towns, traditions, and personal experiences.

Tags: BHS-Job-You-Had, BHS-Main-Street
Asset #7672