The life and times of Melba Arthena Larson ans Oliver Lealand Laub or Wee Wobb's Kids and Mel's Brats by Cleo Laub Jackson 6/21/95

retyped and posted with added titles: by Kimberly Thurston a work still in progress

Building a Home

From 9/1939 - 2/1941 President Roosevelt came to the rescue of the Country caught in the despair of the Great Depression.

W.P.A. programs were implemented that let unemployed fathers draw money for food while working on government projects. These projects include building roads, bridges, and probably that tunnel through the mountain at Zion Park. Roads and construction were done in all the National Forests giving training and help to many of the Nation's desperate families. These proud families were not just handed government welfare checks. They worked for what they received!

Working for the W.P.A. was when Lee Laub gained his dignity and learned to operate heavy duty equipment. He now had a job skill that was in demand.

This was also when he earned enough money to buy the 5 acres he could call his own. Our city folk may have thought Melba was to be pitied because she was taken to the edge of town miles from shopping and schools and no means of transportation. But this was land! Their land! Dad built us a home that was not grand by today's standards, certainly not by the standards of the day either. But it was home.

Today, with all the government red tape and building code regulations, a family starting out can no longer do what Lee Laub did. He built a 4 room frame house to get moved into then added two bedrooms later.

There was a potbellied wood burning heater for the front room where a big bed was placed for all 5 of us children to share. We were tucked in at nights with half the kids sleeping with heads at the top of the bed and the other half with their heads at the foot of the bed. We learned to not kick or pull overs off the next person.

Mom's and Dad's bedroom seemed to always have a baby in the crib that stood permanently in the corner.

After the 2 extra bedrooms were added to our small wood frame home, LaVerna and I shared a small bedroom that contained one double bed and chest of drawers and small closet.

The big bed room was a regular dormitory for the rest of the kids. I'm not sure where everyone was stacked. Elvin may have joined the Navy just to get his own bed!

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