Latah County Oral History Collection

Sam Schrager: This conversation with Violet Frye Bogue took place at her home near Derry on October 15th, 1976. The interviewer was Sam Schrager.

And of course, in the area.

Violet Frei Boag: Where we just homesteaded.

Sam Schrager: Do you know how they got out here? I was,

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, no. I don't know how they got here to see their father and mother lived here during. But they of course, they weren't up there. They lived around. Oh, they lived at Bovver for a while and then out at Winfield,

Sam Schrager: They seemed to be remembered as. That's about the first people who were in the Collins area is prominent people as well.

Violet Frei Boag: I wouldn't doubt that.

Sam Schrager: And then they, Did they put in that sawmill as a together? No, they have a little mill.

Violet Frei Boag: No, my dad had a sawmill and what they call camp eight.

Sam Schrager: Or slab.

Violet Frei Boag: Or Slab Town or previous to that is the, call that. and I never heard of this. That that was before my time politics.

Sam Schrager: There, there. You there.

Violet Frei Boag: I think that's.

Sam Schrager: That sounds and sounds like. Well, I remember Fairview.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I think that's right, but I never remember that. That was long before my time.

You've seen this? I spoke only a hundred million times. But the previous. Oh, no. It's in here. Fairview. Is it?

Sam Schrager: I think that's right. Well, so did you. Did you grow up right out here by when you were little kid?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah. See, my dad had a grocery store and the post office, and then we lived in the same building.

Sam Schrager: And we went.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, we walked to school, my sister and I, they belonged now, to Cambridge to school. Our first. Oh, I just don't remember how many years.

Sam Schrager: The school was. Right.

Violet Frei Boag: There you come and then you ride home on them train at night, sometimes bad weather. But I remember walking one time. I didn't want to be, like a tardy, you know, and we were going to get a prize or something that meant so much to kids in those days. And it was 36 below zero. And, we went with the school teacher, you know, because she lived in our house and her name was Tilly Halverson.

And then the next year it got to 40. And my dad said, no, no school. But we spent half the time going, now, those are the things I remember. We'd be bundled up, you know, and they had these flanges that we walk through and track flanges that we take the snow from the track, you know, and we turn our back when they come and we'd just be covered with snow foam.

Those were the days. And I used to ask mother, we always have. Had you ever stand to let us go, you know, like that? And she said, well, I had no choice. I just had to.

Sam Schrager: When you get to school, you were soaking wet.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, we're soaking wet and have cold, you know.

Sam Schrager: Real cold was the school room.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah. yes. Oh, yes. but those were really rough days.

Sam Schrager: Or.

Violet Frei Boag: So. I was about two and a half months. Oh, really?

Sam Schrager: you just probably pretty blue, I mean, seven.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I was six. But it was fun. I guess that's what made it so tough. We all seem to be pretty healthy.

Sam Schrager: You know many kids who are in that school, you remember.

Violet Frei Boag: No not the exact amount. I think there's a c there was the most of them was Briggs's. There was a big family, Francis. And then there was the Hill. And, I would say there was about the first year I went, it wasn't over 6 or 7.

Sam Schrager: I've talked to some of the top there even before you went, I think I on a dare. Did you ever know?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, I knew her real well. But I never knew her to. She didn't answer. She. My dad taught at Collins.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. It wasn't.

Violet Frei Boag: Collins. Yes. Because you see, then my mother taught there. That's where she met my dad.

Sam Schrager: That's my town.

Violet Frei Boag: No, it can't come. And so. Yeah. Right. And that's where she met. Met him. One who I own a deer real well. So her her dad was a doctor in Moscow, right?

I can't remember this. That picture pictures in here? I know, but I've got one.

Sam Schrager: Well.

In your parents mind, you, being in it, right? Yeah. They're always tough lumberjacks. Then I didn't know.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, you mean to walk to school?

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, no, because, we were so well known, and my dad was well liked. And then there was nobody to bother us. We never were molested. Anything. And that within walking, there used to be some things. Go on. While we were waiting for Dean for, like, the older boys or something else. Martin off like they do with kids, and then they cook at the home.

There would have us come down and stayed drinking and we'd always have goodies, you know? And one time my dad said he couldn't go there anymore because he thought we were being a nuisance. And, I remember he said no. He said, let them come down, keep an eye on them. So we always had some nice hot rolls, think, oh, wonderful.

You know, kids are for doing too much.

Sam Schrager: The good news was that was there a town at all separate from the camp, or was it just all the camp? Was that what was the slept? Was camp in Slab Town the same thing?

Violet Frei Boag: Yes, it was the same thing. But the camp was it at the well, it was the north end of the town for my dad had there he had houses. And also this sawmill that burned, that burned in 1914. But that was separate.

Sam Schrager: That was separate from the burn camp people who lived in the houses besides your family?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, we didn't live there. We lived count.

Sam Schrager: Oh, yeah. Okay.

Violet Frei Boag: See, but there was, homes there to the columns. but the ones that lived in that I can remember, there was Briggs's and Haines and the Gentry's, and, departures. And then I had another uncle that lived there. so you know, preschool and,

Sam Schrager: Then they discontinued school.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes. and Collins moved it to camp, and then from camp over.

Sam Schrager: Then we then you had to go in both.

Violet Frei Boag: Then we moved into both.

Sam Schrager: Of the Collins was about two miles further from camp.

Violet Frei Boag: To enhance. Have you ever been up in that?

Sam Schrager: Yeah, I've been around in the woods, but there's not so much to tell you where it was anymore.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I didn't know. four miles from Bovill. You go up there and on the way to Clark. Yeah, well, we still own that. That's in the state. we have 160 acres. The family. And we have our cattle there. And across, from one of the cattle are now there is a corral, and it's a real nice corral.

And it's that's where our home was right for the corral. Less than a week now. It's that's all that, Driscoll, I guess, owns it now. That sold it to Wolfe. He was turning, you know, to gold. And then he sold it to Driscoll injectors. Cause, of course, this is down, and, I don't know, I think I don't know what he went through, so I don't know.

Sam Schrager: I do know the 1914 fire with when you remember found it.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, it was frightening. Real frightening. And, of course we were both very old, so, you know, born and nine. So you can see I wasn't very old, but that fire just came down the hill. See, it was a wind and a hot day. And, we buried as much Douglas as we could. I remember that. And, mother, you were silverware into the well and women, dead and buried a lot of it.

I put it in the creek. See, we're right on the creek then. And, he put us on the train and we went to Saint Mary's. But he had to stay because he had a lot of cattle, and I'll never forget that. And we had to leave our dad. And and it was really something. But luck would have it.

It didn't take our home there, Collins. You see, it went around the sun, went down into to Slab Town and took his meal and the houses. And then it didn't touchable because he went around just homes. But they thought that they would do and have more. And I remember the people went home and there was some funny incidents which, you know, could tell about, especially Mrs. Gentry.

She lived there. They got on the train and somebody sat on the white panel hair, you know. Well, her spigot, all right. And just little incidents that were funny, you know.

Sam Schrager: So my wife had.

Violet Frei Boag: You know, people got so excited, but the track burned right out behind them as they left. And they went from it went the other way.

Sam Schrager: So. Well, was, did your mother, go to. Oh, yeah.

Violet Frei Boag: She went with us. Yeah. With you.

Sam Schrager: So you mean when you left your father behind you. Do you know what I have? Oh, no.

Violet Frei Boag: You know, you have the slightest idea because you had to take care of the cattle.

Sam Schrager: Was he alone?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I don't know. There might have been men around there, you know, who had helpers. We had one man by the name of Mr. Rummaging, and now he probably was there.

Sam Schrager: Maybe you.

Violet Frei Boag: And I don't know who else for how.

Sam Schrager: Long. I wonder if it was a long time before you found out what had happened. You went to Saint Mary's Grove, you know, for a while.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I think he got word to mother. You know, I know we didn't. I don't think we stayed there too long. Of course, after the fire went through, you see. And, there wasn't any more danger because it, they got it out, started fighting them.

Sam Schrager: What was the big question about TP Jones is responsibility for the fire getting away like that? I had heard that some you know, there was some people felt strongly that he he could have stopped that if he tried in the first place. But they were just letting it burn because it was easier just let the smoke burn out and then it got away.

You remember?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I've heard a lot of stories, but I don't know, just really what happened. They had started the fire. I think, with the intent to let the slash burn, just like they do now, you know? But, it was just one of those awful hot days, and the wind came up. I do know, and I've heard my dad say that, he mentioned it to a man by the name of Munson.

I think Oscar Munson. And, he said Sam. He said it shouldn't be stopped. And someone know whether it was T.P. Jones. And I won't say which one, but it was a potlatch. And they said, well, let it burn. And then that, of course, that was too late. And.

Sam Schrager: Sam, your father was mentioning two months in advance. He was not telling. he was telling you.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: and.

Violet Frei Boag: but he said he went down, reported this, and let it burn. Well, same thing could happen with these control fires. You know, if. And they got on with him.

As far as I know, there were no lives lost in that. Thank goodness we could have been. But, it was frightening. They seemed to jump from tree to tree and just. That's already.

Sam Schrager: Did you have much time to get ready? Get out was. Oh, no, we didn't have to.

Violet Frei Boag: Then, as far as I know, it just seemed to happen so fast. The main thing was for us to get on there was, I know there was other people there to help there because they did very, things the best they could, you know, in the creek and put it in there so the fire would. But you.

It didn't take to me because I was in the back seat to do. And I had a big doll. I still have now. My sister, I don't remember.

Was an empty man like me.

Sam Schrager: I don't know about that. I guess it was over 50 years old.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, I think I'm 67, so I'm pretty into.

Sam Schrager: Did you get involved? How much money you can.

Violet Frei Boag: Just go. Yeah, we I think I forgot dates quite a bit too, but I think it was.

Unknown: 19, 19 that we moved 12. Oh, I could be mistaken.

Violet Frei Boag: But it was in 23.

Unknown: I moved to Moscow and then used to. Go to.

Violet Frei Boag: Well. Come home one Fridays. There. You'd never go to Moscow to live in like the woods. And so we'd always drive home on Friday night and then go back Sunday, you know, for exciting days.

Sam Schrager: Were exciting because of the traveling.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, yes. And because of the beautiful country. I can look back now. Those trees, of course. the roads weren't very good in those days. You and. Yes, some close calls, for instance, one over here by that part. And it was a small sawmill in there, and it was, well, it seems steep. It wouldn't be steep now, I suppose, to somebody, but it was rocky and it was raining.

And, of course, my mother had a mac and, to drive, and she didn't think she was going to make it. And she had, kids and and just lucky to have it, she hit the ground or the rocks over there and got a whole. We went on up. But little things like that. You don't forget.

Sam Schrager: What was your father working in Moscow?

Violet Frei Boag: No, no, no, he.

Sam Schrager: Was.

Violet Frei Boag: Retired. No, he stayed in Bovill or Collins.

Sam Schrager: Oh, I.

Violet Frei Boag: See you like that.

Sam Schrager: And so you.

Violet Frei Boag: Loved.

Sam Schrager: Your mother?

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, with his mother.

Sam Schrager: What was she doing in Moscow?

Violet Frei Boag: Taking care of us kids. We lived there on street of the courthouse. The one that just burned, you know, let me. Or did you know about that?

Sam Schrager: Which is burn.

Violet Frei Boag: The house that we lived in? Oh, there was a man living another bachelor.

Sam Schrager: No, I don't know. Was this just recent?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah. we were in Seattle, and when I came home, my brother said, do you remember this house? And I said, well, no, but I said, what do you mean? What? He said that I knew that you must mean the one on the street.

Sam Schrager: Street and,

Violet Frei Boag: In Moscow.

Sam Schrager: District. Yeah, I know it's.

Violet Frei Boag: Just below the courthouse.

Sam Schrager: Oh, really? I'll have promoted that one.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. Go in. But there wasn't much to show that it was our house.

Sam Schrager: Yeah, sure.

Violet Frei Boag: But I don't know just where they went. What happened when he went to sleep? It burned a little bit. I think, which just. What happened? Well.

Sam Schrager: Then you kids were. It must have gotten fairly hard on your mother. She felt she needed to move it.

Violet Frei Boag: No, she just did it for our education. That's why was.

Sam Schrager: It we used time for kids? We had a high school.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, we were in the sixth grade. I remember, and then we left. Just was a quick word on the corner there, not just a block away from where we lived. And then she took, she went over to visit school one day, and she didn't like what was going on. And the teacher was out of the room. Of course, mother would pop in then.

So she took us, took me out and sent me to the convent. And then she took my sister because it was quite a distance, you know, to walk. So we went to the convent through the eighth grade.

Sam Schrager: But why? Why Moscow instead of a local school there? There was still a school.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, well, there wasn't the advantages since, see, we were, we had church, Sunday school, campfire, and we took piano lessons and we had they had more to offer than the that.

Sam Schrager: And it really made enough difference to your mother only to have those extras. That's right. That's interesting how many of you kids.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, there's six in our family. We them now. Jeanne, my youngest sister, she was born in 23. She wasn't born until we went to Moscow, but the others were, born.

Sam Schrager: How were they compared to you in age?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, let's see, I was born in nine. My sister had 111, and my brother was born in 14. He lives in Seattle, Mon. That's Harold. And then I have a sister, Pauline. And she was born 16.

Sam Schrager: To you and yours.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah. And then my brother Jack was born in 1683. And then my sister, youngest sister, 23.

Sam Schrager: What did you think of going to school to connect that.

Violet Frei Boag: I liked it. Oh, my life. And then they were so good to us. We were Catholics, but then people would say, well, oh for sure, religion what they did, we could pray with them, which we did, we do, but we never. I didn't care for some reason.

Sam Schrager: So it was very education and we were getting at what were oh.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, yes, definitely do the fact that the teacher we had, you know, some teachers were not too good on discipline, the math at that age. I can look back now and are the age group, you know, when you're in the sixth grade, it's kind of wild.

Sam Schrager: Disappointing. they were too strict. They're not strict enough.

Violet Frei Boag: Not strict enough. Even that time. Oh you. Oh well sure. It's no different now there's things have happened that we did or just like the kids, we didn't have the dough or anything like that, you know. That continued. But there was the smoking and a lot of people, kids smoked. I didn't smoke but I didn't smoke until I went in training.

I don't think it's any different. Kids are kids. People haven't changed that much.

Sam Schrager: Oh, I thought you didn't care for dancing in those days.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, my. We dance here. I danced to the 33 Friday, and that's where. Well, on the senior housing on Thursday, I go to the.

And Friday we go to parties and Saturday we go over here to, Potlatch.

Sam Schrager: Park.

Violet Frei Boag: However it's out of Colfax.

Sam Schrager: What's traveling? How old were you when you were doing that?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, I was in high school.

Sam Schrager: We'd go with a bow or what?

Violet Frei Boag: times? Yeah, 1 or 2. Nothing. Steady. Anybody that would take it so good.

Sam Schrager: Let's see. We'd go as a group.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. For a missionary friends. Yeah. So.

Sam Schrager: Oh, that's pretty good.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, we had a good time. My folks were real broad minded. Yes. Good life. Well, do you think.

Sam Schrager: That your your mother's, stress on education was, I mean, it seems like comparative. Most people would do that, from what I've heard. So good so far as to actually be living in Moscow within the.

Violet Frei Boag: Boundaries of.

Sam Schrager: The sticks.

Violet Frei Boag: It was only you, 30 miles 42.

Sam Schrager: But it seems like it is. Is it that she was a teacher and that that was part of why she had the stress in education for her kids?

Violet Frei Boag: I don't she was just a good mother, I guess. I don't know, we never questioned it. She wanted us to have all the advantages.

Sam Schrager: If you want your kids to go to college too.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, that's all we have.

Left on. I didn't like college. I started, but I always wanted to be a nurse, and I know I was little, really? Oh, yeah. Because in 1914, when the war was home, I remember my dad. I'd be a nurse. And I said, the next war I'll be old enough to go. That's how bad I wanted to be a nurse and didn't know anything about it.

And then. Knew I wanted to be a nurse. Well, that was kind of a rough life, you know, to be a nurse, to be a nurse, because they had a poor reputation. That's what my dad said, you know, and, I said, well, I wanted to be a nurse. Well, I went university and I didn't study, I just played, so I flunked, and then I, I told my I was found with.

And for those who a lot learn fencing things, but.

Sam Schrager: you were growing up. You're having a good time with kids today.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. Right. There's.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Violet Frei Boag: And then we worked hard, too. You know, my mother had the boarding house, you know, on the farm. Oh, yeah.

Sam Schrager: That's right. I heard about that.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. We just I heard about Moscow, which is sort of.

Sam Schrager: So she was keeping the boarding house at that time.

Violet Frei Boag: After they moved, we moved down there in 26.

Sam Schrager: To the boarding house.

Violet Frei Boag: Because that we would I would help support us those days and kind of leave no women.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Violet Frei Boag: But yeah.

Sam Schrager: Well, how many could you board there?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, my, I don't know. She had a table they called. see. Did she. Yeah. Look, people, transients came in. Now I, I can't exactly remember how many rooms she had offhand, but, there was a lot of people that lived there, and, And the more you.

Sam Schrager: And many of the people going, like students at the.

Violet Frei Boag: University. No, no, no, they were workers.

Sam Schrager: Were.

Violet Frei Boag: Young. Yeah. Working people. Yes they was. Well I see most one of them was painter and one was well Fred Sams with their knowing that Fred was his brother and they had a store there in Moscow, Sam's Furniture store in Sam's system. And then there was, men that worked in the greenhouse.

They were all workers, you know, I mean, nice people.

Sam Schrager: So did you. Did your mother do all the cooking by herself?

Violet Frei Boag: No. She had help. But we kids had to work. We come home, make the beds and and help, and we come home and serve lunch. You know, before I went back to school, she made us all work, which we were very grateful for. if we all were capable of doing things a lot of people wouldn't do or couldn't do.

Sam Schrager: And.

Violet Frei Boag: She was really a wonderful mother Oak.

Sam Schrager: And would that mean if you would work, from when you go from school until supper, you know.

Violet Frei Boag: and we wash the dishes too, before we went out at night, you know, and helped many at times after even I got to, I had boyfriends. Then kitchen helps with going, but we never worked to do. And we iron sheets on a mango. what? Mango. You know what mango.

Sam Schrager: You have to tell me.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, it's a big thing. Well, haven't you seen these modern mangoes?

Sam Schrager: I don't know, I'm not sure that I have.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, how old are you?

Sam Schrager: 27

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, probably. Well, it's just something we just sit down to. And it's run by electricity and it rolls, you know, anywhere in this. But we had this huge room and they had dance sheets. Of course, nowadays people online, like they used to go in all that. And I always, I always said if I ever grew up, I'd never have a mango and I never mangled.

And it was really the one thing to have a mango, even when I was, first married, my friends had them and then they got so instead of standing army, they could iron them shirts, everything. But not me. I wouldn't have a mango. Oh, I'd. And it was so hot in those days, in the summer. you know, to that those little things.

Sam Schrager: I've seen all those pressing machines in which is.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, this goes this goes round and round, you know, you run your shoes through and go because all your plant work well.

Sam Schrager: So you say that you that your father said to, to a lot of people that didn't have a good reputation in those early days.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. That's right.

Sam Schrager: Well, why was that? Was it just considered a,

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I think they were kind of classic, like soldiers or something, you know, I mean, hard.

Sam Schrager: Being hardened by their work.

Violet Frei Boag: No, not.

Sam Schrager: Or being hard working or having to work at a.

Violet Frei Boag: well, as reputation, I think, is being hard. You know, that's the impression I got from my dad talking because he. I remember when I decided to go and I had no go in this for part time. That was John. He was there and he said, you come up and I'll take you over to the nursing school. I went to Saint Luke's and then I got ready to go.

My dad said, now listen, you'll be drinking, you'll be exposed to it and smoking. No, I said, nice. Of course. I said, oh no, dad, I would never smoke. And he said, well, I want you to know that if you do, you send home for money. I don't want you to buy cigarets, okay? We weren't allowed to leave through anything like that.

We were opposed to stand on our own to feet. Of course, we did make a little money. You know, most days when I was winning training, I think we got $5 a month going money.

Sam Schrager: The the idea that, the idea that the women would be nursing men bothered a lot of people think about their kids doing that. but in the early days, I was part of the problem.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, she was older than I was, but we didn't have anything like that. And then she. I went in, training in 20, graduated in 31. Was three years course. So I think it was 28. And I loved to remember that. It was hard work, but it was really interesting. Then I after I graduated in 31, it was during depression and I couldn't get a job anyplace.

So I went to Seattle and stayed with some friends there. Friends and mothers we've known. Their name was his name. We still haven't called him. And then Harborview opened. You've heard of Harper? You probably in Seattle. It's a county hospital. And I got on there and they told me that I could have the job, you know, and steady is the girl that got sick and went home, I guess.

And she never came back. So I got to stay. So I had had a job.

Sam Schrager: That was your.

Violet Frei Boag: First. And that was my first steady job room board and $185 a month. And maybe you think that didn't look good today. It was wonderful.

Sam Schrager: Was it an eight hour shift or, you.

Violet Frei Boag: Know, we were 12, 12? oh, no, they didn't have eight hours for years.

Sam Schrager: Well, they had hours in the woods. And then I think what.

Violet Frei Boag: We brought in a union. No way. Even when I special, I did 12 hour duty.

Sam Schrager: What is that, like something you got used to, or was it always hard on time? You were to be 12 hours. It seems like a long day. Work.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, it was a long day. But you didn't know any different. I never worked too hard in my life as I worked at Harborview, and I was there for three years, and I mean work. Nobody. You wouldn't believe it if I were to tell you how hard we worked.

Sam Schrager: Tell me, how hard did you work? Resolve? No, I mean, what what was the nurse expected to do?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, you just did nursing care, but you see, your nursing care, like, just give me the example for, brand. They sprayed them with, paraffin. Everything the hard way, you know? I mean, it was modern in those times, but, heck, no, it's it's a lot simpler. They put them in cold water or whatever that doctrine, license and then emergency.

I worked on emergency. I just talked and visited with a girl when I was in my over in Seattle, and she we, we they called us and called us twins. We worked together in wards. You know, we had there was ten patients in a ward and we worked together and do their baths and do their treatments and everything.

And she contends that that's what gave her poor health in those days. You know, she just work that hard. But we were so grateful to have a job and nobody complained.

Sam Schrager: We did. Some nurses work harder than others.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes. Oh, there's always somebody that won't, you know, keep up their end of it. Of course we got smart and we laughed about it because we didn't know any different. I guess we were just hardworking gals, enjoyed it. And, there was lots of girls that would, oh, fool around taking care of a patient, and and then the, the students or had to go to class, and then we have to report.

Well, then you reported to us because we were graduates and, they'd say they didn't have the work. Well, and then give us their work that they didn't have that many times. We didn't get all our best done before noon on the treatments. But I said that I said, you remember? We said, heck, we went through. We used to say, oh yeah, we were through which we were and seemingly did a good job.

You get kind of smart. And you said, no, we weren't through. So then you get somebody else to take their job.

Sam Schrager: Glamor I it did. do you think it could be true that her, that she could have bad health, that because she worked so hard.

Violet Frei Boag: I wouldn't doubt it. Yes. Because she had a family too, which made it kind of bad.

Sam Schrager: And we were five days a week, I know, some days a week. And, that sounds to me like, an 84 hour workweek.

Violet Frei Boag: Long hours. Lots of times we'd have. Well, you see, on your, 12 hours, we would have time off, you know, to rest and sleep, of course. But, like, if you go on 3 to 11 like they do now, well, I would run into the night, you know, and so naked 12 hours.

Sam Schrager: But did you have any energy left for, social life after that?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes. I used to go to shows and things like that. Of course, in Seattle. It was a lot of things to do, you know, during, you know, a lot more. And we had even in Spokane. For sure. Training was much easier. I mean, we didn't have to work at many.

Sam Schrager: What was the training like over their classes and practice?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah, that's right. In.

Woodlands. It was nice because I like nursing. Period. So. So enjoy. And so I could I, I just finished just retired. You know, when I was 65, I worked at university for 21 years because that was too hard a job, because that was the thing for when we didn't have. We started out with a lot of patients, but now it's more modern and they don't put a million Michigan University.

Sam Schrager: Of Old School out of college in Portland.

Violet Frei Boag: and, and.

Sam Schrager: But I know a lot of people who have.

Violet Frei Boag: That was kind of interesting. Of course, I didn't. I had a chance to go there. I worked nights at many, like, you know, years.

Sam Schrager: In, in Moscow.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. All told, I did, nobody believe this year because I'd kill myself. But I worked three years and one nights, and then I got a chance to go up to university, and that was three and one, 24 years and years, and you live in the same. But I had I could have Fridays and Saturdays. well, then I had the two children and I drove back and forth to see.

And then.

Sam Schrager: From here.

Violet Frei Boag: we, we moved here in 47 and then they went, we only had the one car and so they'd want to go. No one would take them. So I asked for Friday and Saturday off, and that's what I gave university and got all the time I was there. So I three or fortune and some.

Sam Schrager: Well, how did the doctors treat nurses? By and large, on the whole media day, what I'm thinking is today, respect the nurses for their knowledge or did seems to me like a lot of doctors get kind of they think of, you know, they know it all and that.

Violet Frei Boag: No, we I never had any complaint. I think that depends on the individual. Maybe, I don't know, but, the doctors always respected and admired us very, very much, even in training and and when we got out, you know, there I thought they were wonderful. The doctors that I knew, everybody standing.

Sam Schrager: And, I don't know, maybe it's just today there's a little the feeling is a little different. Right. So but I don't know.

Violet Frei Boag: Well you can't like everybody, you know that. And there's some doctors that you like very good and others and but you don't question what they do, you know, I mean, if you're working for them, but maybe you just say, well, I didn't like that. But then that was the way they did it, because I don't think it was that much criticize in the day.

And there is now.

Sam Schrager: it may be true. You mean criticizing about.

Violet Frei Boag: the practice or what they did. Right? Because now they have so many specialists and things, and, most of our doctors are the ones I know and have gone to. They will recommend a specialist if they needed. There's very few that don't. So I just don't have any any remarks as far as criticizing.

Sam Schrager: In the way of, of what a nurse's duties were. I heard that in that it hasn't been that long since, since they've had always to do, you know, like some of the, to some of them been making and clean up.

Violet Frei Boag: All right.

Sam Schrager: Is that did you used to have to do that yourself. Oh, Nations.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes. You scrubbed bedpans. You scrubbed everything.

Sam Schrager: You did all all that.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes. In training. And also, in the years. Well, even you were expected to clean up your own messes. Even after I came to Moscow in 47 for you. We didn't have that much. You. Oh, now it's. Well, they're getting more to higher education. And the nurses, want to be advisors and superintendents. And that instead of the actual bedside care, I'm not.

I didn't care for any of that. I wanted to do the bedside care. And I enjoyed it. I don't think, well, the patients don't get that loving tender that they used to get because, there's people who told me even when they go to Spokane, that they hardly ever see a nurse, a registered nurse. They have aides, and then they have these candys drive rooms that do, and they report to the supervisor on the floor.

Well, how much and.

Sam Schrager: How personal could the care unit that you'd that you could get? I mean, could it be very individualized.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh hours. Yeah. Oh, definitely. Yes. Because we were only seeing so many patients to take care of, say maybe 4 or 5, depending on how busy we were. Oh, yes. Very personal. You had time to turn their pillow over and you had time to check them and ask them, you know, what they wanted, or a little individual things that meant so much to someone sick.

And it still does, but then they just don't get it. Well, at times of change.

Sam Schrager: So when you say 4 or 5 minutes, besides the other work, you had to do, you had so many patients.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. And you know, 4 or 5 as well.

Sam Schrager: And then besides that, you have things you had to do, right.

Violet Frei Boag: You had like you might be in charge of the medicine cart.

Sam Schrager: For it.

Violet Frei Boag: Or you might be in charge of, utility room or the linen room, which you had to do together.

Sam Schrager: Do you think that that helped the way people, look at, Sickness, as has changed very much. What did families do to. Well, I don't know. I was thinking about how different it is now.

Violet Frei Boag: I think what you're trying to put across to me is, years ago, you didn't go to a doctor unless you had home remedies, and you did those until you really got, you know, had to have something then, whereas now you just get the egg and pain. You went to a doctor the same.

Sam Schrager: That's right. That's what I was thinking. then I've just had to say. But but when,

Violet Frei Boag: Now there are people I won't go in. Probably not enough.

Sam Schrager: Maybe two.

Violet Frei Boag: That won't go to a doctor. I mean, they don't visit the doctor. They feel good. No. Like with cancer, you could be running around without care, with cancer. And if you don't go and have checkups, why I but years ago, they did lots of things.

Sam Schrager: Did you do you think that a lot of those home remedies made sense?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, definitely. I even used mustard plasters to this day. My kids or grandkids get sick and one doctor said a mustard plaster. I never heard of it. And just recently I never heard of a mustard plaster. And I said, well, you're too young.

Sam Schrager: No, I've heard of mustard plasters.

Violet Frei Boag: Sure.

Sam Schrager: Or when you were growing up, did you see much sickness? I mean, see, people were really sick. And when you were interested in nursing?

Violet Frei Boag: no, not tumor. No.

Sam Schrager: I think like that flu in 1917 or 18. In the war. Did you see that?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, yes. But to me it didn't mean much. They we knew that they were all dying and, from it and I don't remember of us having it very hard to tell you the truth, but we lived, then in 1918, we lived it. And Collins.

Sam Schrager: Well, we talk. I've read that people used to have poor health, you know, in the earlier in earlier years, especially, women had a lot of health problems in the late 1800s and that kind of thing, you know, chronic, a chronic.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: that, that and then there's all that tuberculosis.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes. They had in even in my time. Look at the polio we had. And now that's all taken care of. Now we're getting this virus. And we have more to the shots that they can give people. Well, medicine has improved enormously over what we've had years ago. But I don't know if we were healthy. We had a lot of exercise.

We had good food and that walking didn't hurt us in the cold weather. And it got or a bobble there got down to 40 many and many a time to zero.

Sam Schrager: What about when people died in those days? You know too, I have heard that that death was much more often at home and that, The family would really be close to the person who was dying compared to the way it often is now. You know, you're in a hospital and and that sort of thing is.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I didn't come in contact with that so much. actual death in the whole marriage thing. I do know that they used to have weeks and and the patient that had passed away would be at home and the name taken to be undertaken. But as far as some people go in the season in the hospital, they would come and I couldn't see.

It just shouldn't be too much different. Because of course that depends on the individual too. Some people are closer to their relatives and others, you know. For example, in your nursing homes, they put patients in there and then they forget to go, see you. They're out of the way. These older people, which is real sad because that is isn't everybody.

Sam Schrager: You know. But but then, then then the old people were going to be staying with with their family.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh yes. Yes, they did take care of their old people. They didn't have places. They just well, that were. Well, they weren't maintained like they are now. Now, we used to have nursing home there and they called it the old folks home. Well, that was really a disgrace when you look back.

Sam Schrager: And that's what I have heard.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, it.

Sam Schrager: Was.

Violet Frei Boag: It was, it really was.

Sam Schrager: But the kind of place that you would not want your. Well not relative to be in.

Violet Frei Boag: Need and now they're more particular. They have to be due to the laws that's been made. They have to be clean, they have to be fireproof and all that. But that just went with growing up. And, Progress that they've made.

Sam Schrager: I think it was good for the old people to be in the family. And, you know, I mean, I would think that it would kind of keep you going if you had a part to play in, in the house.

Violet Frei Boag: And I think it is. Yes. Now, we had to put my mother in the nursing home, which we didn't like, but there was no way keeping them home. There was just it meant 24 hour doing and it couldn't be. But, luck would have it. She was so normal mentally, and she didn't know where she was and she wasn't too unhappy.

But if she had been, we could have never, because she would always say, don't put me in a nursing home.

Knowing that. And there are a lot of people now that don't want to go because of that one in Moscow. And you think Hollywood folks have. But the nursing homes today are real modern, and then they get the care. So.

Sam Schrager: You know, when you were when you were learning to be a nurse at that time, do you think that that, was there a real great difference between the way medicine was advanced and the way it is now? Oh. Oh, well, this was.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, no, it's in the last 20 years is.

Sam Schrager: It's really change your mind.

Violet Frei Boag: And we get antibiotics, you know, lots of them and did the work and. I don't know this seems to me like they had more vitamins now and things that they knew. It's it's marvelous what they've done in medicine.

Sam Schrager: Did they rely on the these at all hospitals. Them I mean were they at least like the folk remedies that they were.

Violet Frei Boag: Well they used them. Sure.

Sam Schrager: Could you give me an example of that.

Violet Frei Boag: Well mustard plasters and things like that and hot packs and, and all those things in steamers like they do for pneumonia. And they were just well kettle you might say just for the respiratory. Now they have these huge machines and they have one they call a bird because it was like a bird. Well, it's just fabulous. Long as things that they have, oh.

And it makes it all easier for the nurses.

Sam Schrager: One thing it really seems to me is it nursing compared to the other women's jobs that I heard of, like teaching? It sounds like you had an awful lot more work to do, because 12 hours a day, seven days a week is is more than that demand anything that I know work except maybe in the in the early days at, at, at the sawmill, I think there were some, some positions like firemen and that kind of thing where they worked seven days a week.

But as late as the 30s, I haven't heard of that.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, even I don't know, when we switched over the eight hours, I can't remember. I still live in Seattle. So it was before 47 and it wasn't too long before that. I can't remember just when. That was one point they'd ask you.

Sam Schrager: If you really didn't. It didn't wear. You wear the nurses down, run them down to be working.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, it didn't run us down. I didn't bother me any. But I suppose there's some that reminder, it's like this friend of mine. But then she had a lot of responsibility at home too.

Sam Schrager: And you.

Violet Frei Boag: Didn't. Well, I had the children, you know, but, I guess I was just rugged. I don't know which piece of.

Sam Schrager: You didn't start working after you married.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, no. No. Well, I've worked, all my life. It's. It.

Sam Schrager: Isn't that difference another difference between nursing and teaching? It seems like a lot of the teachers had to had to quit when they got married. I mean, that was kind of the way their contracts were written. Oh, teacher.

Violet Frei Boag: but then there wasn't. There was a shortage of nurses. You see, two, two.

Sam Schrager: You think that's the reason that they.

Violet Frei Boag: It probably was, of course, during depression, you see, I wasn't married, man. And if you got married, why you couldn't hold down a job.

Sam Schrager: Because it was in the depression.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, there's too many nurses in the breadline in Seattle. You wouldn't believe them because those were lean days.

Sam Schrager: So you were really lucky to get.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh yeah I should say. And then that was a county hospital. And even when we didn't know if we're going to get paid. They cut our pay down to 70 or the month room water on me. And that was well, it was still good. I mean, you couldn't ask for any better. I don't know what your.

Sam Schrager: Dog did give you. Money left at the end of the month.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah.

Sam Schrager: Real vision.

Violet Frei Boag: You had enough for clothes?

Sam Schrager: That's two. Or you had your room board. Take care.

Violet Frei Boag: Right. And. And then it didn't take as many calls in those days. They didn't dress like you do now.

Sam Schrager: So what was the room? And, the, room, was it. And like a dormitory and all the nurses.

Violet Frei Boag: Yes. And we all had our own private rooms.

Of course, that was just no hospital, honestly. And it was just wonderful. Of course, it's still busy in everything by now. Connie. Right.

Sam Schrager: Well, I imagine a lot of the cases must have been, indigent. I mean, the people who were in the county hospital.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes.

Sam Schrager: Poor couldn't afford.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, and when the depression hit, there was people that had money and didn't know, it was sad. I mean, they just lost everything. Just the same as if a depression, be it. Now, what do you think would happen? Have you ever thought.

Sam Schrager: I thought.

Violet Frei Boag: About. Yeah.

Sam Schrager: Never having lived through the 30s. Depression.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, it hard on. We'd have more mice view of it. We'd have lots of suicides because we can't take it. The people of today have more money. Then they demand more. Even our two kids. Don't you think they do?

Sam Schrager: Well, certainly. It's standard of living. And it seems to be. Well, yeah. There. Right. And a lot more than you really need to. Oh, sure.

Violet Frei Boag: In our in our times, we didn't have all these luxury. We made our own entertainment. We had baskets, socials and you and sleigh riding, you know, groups and all those. Then we had a wonderful life in Moscow. Yes, in Moscow. And then we had I was a campfire girl and enjoyed that and all. And then of course, we, we were Protestants, went to church and we had our, groups there to prayer meetings and things, and we just really lived it up.

It was fun.

Sam Schrager: Was the church the the focus for the social life when you.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. Yes. Mostly. Right.

Sam Schrager: Was your mother very active in it?

Violet Frei Boag: not too no. Because she was so busy working. Working mostly.

But she'd go to church.

Sam Schrager: What what do you think a difference was since you were with the, in Moscow? I know you didn't even know you live. Bovill.

Violet Frei Boag: No. Not long enough,

Sam Schrager: I was just trying to think of what it how to. Most people I know either lived in a little town and country or.

Violet Frei Boag: Or in.

Sam Schrager: Moscow. They didn't get to see both. And I think about the differences were between a little town like or a big one like Moscow. The difference in living there, I mean, I guess over, you know, everybody, right?

Violet Frei Boag: You know, you couldn't like Moscow. No, but I, there wasn't that much difference, I don't think, because when you just. As far as our social life, I don't know, just went to shows and things and then the schools, they always had things that were entertaining. In your church life.

Sam Schrager: Do you remember the idea or hearing about it?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes.

Sam Schrager: What was your father's? And two towards towards what they were doing?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, I never I don't recall. I remember saying I think they were very grateful that they had because of the work, even though they didn't get much money. There was people around here in those during depression. You know, I had an aunt here and I heard her say one time they didn't even have a farmer. Of course, the farmers in this area never.

Sam Schrager: Were.

Violet Frei Boag: To prosper, you know, was marginal ground like they are out in, you know, jealousy. But they didn't have actual money to buy us a stamp. Now they were only $0.03 stamps in those days. Prices until they sell a crop and they raised chickens and, gather eggs. But I think it was, I would say the way I've heard people talk, they were very grateful for that.

For for the for the work.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. Well, the, the idea with them is that I'm talking about the, the, the lumberjacks that went on strike in the.

Violet Frei Boag: I won't work. Yeah, yeah.

Sam Schrager: That was right. That was in the. Well I guess they did come back in the 30s.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, they were 17.

Sam Schrager: yeah.

Violet Frei Boag: But, I don't know that. It seemed to me like in our area when we lived up there, that that's all I ever did was log, and they did it all the time. Didn't seem to me like there was never any depression for them working.

And that was a beautiful country.

Sam Schrager: Bovill.

Violet Frei Boag: A lot of trees. Oh, you just wouldn't believe it. That area, when you go from Elmer to Bovell, it's gorgeous. Just like a lover line.

Sam Schrager: And it's still really.

Violet Frei Boag: Over the years. But the trees, they're just these huge white pine trees. It was gorgeous. Of course, I like outdoors. I like the wood dairies. I like pick huckleberries and mushrooms and, fish. Fish. That's my hobby and I enjoy it. Very good. I still do it.

Sam Schrager: Did you do that when you were a kid? Yeah. Oh, yes.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes.

Sam Schrager: That's a sure good place to do. That's good.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, in those days we had fish. I mean, we go out fishing, we get a tub full because we had there was a lot of. No, you don't do that. You just get your limit in grades and you got that name and some friends, of course, I think it's very nice that they do have the lakes here. I don't care much for lake fishing, but I do go down to Spring Valley and fish in the spring.

I like stream fishing. I don't get to go very far because we're pretty busy here for gardening since I retired away. It's really fun.

Sam Schrager: Did you did you know the Wells? The wells is, Joe?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. The Negros. Yeah. Oh, yes. You know, well, they lived in dairy.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. what do you what do you remember them being, like.

Violet Frei Boag: Marvelous people? My dad was real good then.

Sam Schrager: The kind of the native Joe.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah. Oh, yeah. You can't find a better class of people than there were around Bovill in area. In this area in those days. They were friendly in, of course, are friendly to. And they're always willing to do things for people. I think you find that in many small community now in Seattle, when we left the Seattle in 47, you mean Seattle?

Yeah, yeah, in history and traffic. And people say, oh, we should come back. And I said, no way. I got a good life right here. It's peaceful and quiet. Enjoy it. So I had thought, you know, I'd like to go back.

Sam Schrager: When you left. You mean you are in? What made you decide to come back?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, my husband, Wonder Farm. And so we had been out, during the war when he went out to on the other side of what we call Duvall and look for this man on his farm. It was he had lots of money, and it was just a plaything for him and a right off, you know, for being a big business man.

And he was there. Well, then he got a little tired of that because it would do this, do that. You know. So and one time he said, I would like to go to Idaho. And he liked this country because he'd been looking for Holy Mary instead. I said, well, you can find a place. So we came over and found this place.

Move.

Sam Schrager: Did you feel good about coming back?

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes, I did for the children. mostly for because he wanted to. And the children. I thought it'd be a better life for them than it would be that hubbub in Seattle. And I never regretted that, because I think that would have been a nervous wreck, raising two children in that kind of environment, which was coming on.

And I couldn't do it. Now with the dope and the things they had to contend with. And it's it's sad. I don't know if this cause.

Sam Schrager: We, you know, I mentioned the whales is because, they seem like such interesting people. What I would have heard about them, and they seem cute and real well accepted.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yeah.

Sam Schrager: Which is, kind of, gives you an idea of what the community was like. you know, that that they were always. Did you know Mary very well?

Violet Frei Boag: No, not too.

Sam Schrager: Well existed.

Violet Frei Boag: Long. I did not personally know because I was too young to know many things. but my mother did. And they they came to the house for two our, place here in Moscow. And mother had the boarding house, many, many. And they all really nice people. Then, I don't know, they had two children that were well educated.

Sam Schrager: Mary did.

Violet Frei Boag: Know.

Sam Schrager: Louise story and, Billy.

Violet Frei Boag: They were relatively nice people from. But I didn't know them very well either. Like, I think.

Unknown: Because they were.

Sam Schrager: Did you know, Agnes later. That girl was killed. She was. And it was pretty early days, you know? And,

Violet Frei Boag: The name doesn't register.

Sam Schrager: However, I think around.

Unknown: when. I go out and,

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, my name is that, I don't know. Yeah. I'm just visiting this name. Yeah. I've been here and you could tell grandma of fixing apples for you. you could help him. And then help them after a while.

We'll be through here pretty soon. Oh he was a darling. Oh I like that.

Sam Schrager: Were you just a kid when.

Violet Frei Boag: You saw him. he's a real good friend.

Sam Schrager: I hear the kids this trail around Farm Road.

Violet Frei Boag: Kind of.

One expression. I'll never forget you name. He said. Well, with a little skiff of snow, we'll get them. By his farm, I said, I get to claim the apples.

Sam Schrager: And it's good little skippers.

Violet Frei Boag: Now, if we can track them.

He was precious. He used to come to our home even after we moved Moscow. His, you know, because the east coast, the coast. I like to go visit.

Sam Schrager: When he was in town, when he was in Moscow to visit his.

Violet Frei Boag: His my nice guy.

Sam Schrager: Hired you was pretty easy really. On. Oh and one for drinks.

Violet Frei Boag: Two sherry because those days and was already out kind of exciting town you know polio the old.

Sam Schrager: With all the.

Violet Frei Boag: Moonshine you.

Sam Schrager: All that was going on.

Violet Frei Boag: Right. Know. I remember one bootlegger that was in your hair and I think he had a Rolls-Royce anyway. Or or Stanley steamers going up and and I can't tell you his name. I've tried and I, I guess, or gonna ask you, it's not too long ago he remembered, but, he used to go in to Canada and get liquor.

No one, man, nobody could catch you. He just let you stay. And we were learning to drive. I was about 12, and I like to drive car when the roads were narrow and nowadays. And I remember my dad telling me, he said, if you ever put my kids in a ditch, I'll kill you. It's the same old never reported.

It won't do anything for he. Slow down. Not, simpler than that. grandma got out. So we never had any trouble with, you know, quite a guy. Oh, yeah. Summerfield. Yeah. Yeah. She's.

Sam Schrager: I heard some. You got married. You have Moody. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, but there was quite a few people around. Oh, she actually.

Violet Frei Boag: They were trained in Alaska. Do they were class of people from the weather information.

Sam Schrager: Speaking of which, I. It's funny, one of the things that strikes me about that those days from talking to people is that in Moscow, people weren't bothered to drink it very much. The better class of people that you mention, but they're always out Bovill trying to nab the poor lumberjacks. What it sounds.

Violet Frei Boag: Like bootleg get steals.

Yeah, sure. I was drinking the Elks moose. Soon your.

Sam Schrager: The put it in the city.

Violet Frei Boag: Like.

Sam Schrager: It was okay. But then I, it gave me the idea that they, that there's a way that they kind of look down on the rest of the Canada I mean from Moscow because they, because they really did have a different opinion about drinking, you know, in a, in the country.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, some they had off a good route, China would do. Well. Too many people got poisoned for second for.

Sam Schrager: But I didn't like some people tell me there was really a real difference. You know, I'm one of those people that were religious church goers. And on the one hand, and then the other people that were more, you know, people that drink.

Violet Frei Boag: well, I imagine there was church goers that drank two.

Sam Schrager: Yeah.

Violet Frei Boag: You know, going to church on Sunday and be ahead in during the week. You know, you have those type.

Sam Schrager: Of Moscow and you really dry you through. And it was a it was very much very strong ladies. That's right. We've got a revival coming out of you remember them. Oh yes. They were still coming in that you.

Violet Frei Boag: Took them all in you to confess confessed. If you don't get special gift to you know, like I remember when I went up there and my mother's. What do you got there for? And I said, I don't know.

Sam Schrager: it kind of glitch at the moment. Yeah. The. Well, did you ever go in the tents? I heard they set up tents in Moscow.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, me and tents for, revival. And then we also intense for she talk was in Moscow. Yes. And also and involving they them big tents. You know she talks entertainment. That was a lively place. And your living room and childhood days. This, hospital. You've seen more?

Sam Schrager: Yes.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, Doctor Gibson was our family doctor. Well, he moved, I moved department. Now, I don't know what year, and I don't I don't think anybody knows my family. That's when. But I do know when you went there because you took my dad. But, my brother in law, my husband's brother lives next door to a son, and his father was a doctor there after Doctor Grisman left, or Gibson.

And his name was graves. Now, I don't know what you're. I don't know the man. Never heard of moving to land. Yeah, I don't know. What year is there? Somebody was asking me not too long ago, and I, in fact, this time we're over to Seattle. I talked to this and he couldn't remember either, just. But he wasn't there too long.

But when he read this, the tree grew the trees in Utah, he said, well, that's a hospital where my dad was living. And it was kind of interesting. I said, well, we'll talk more. Maybe we can find out. He said he was going to ask his brother that was older and kind of pinpoint the dates. But, you know, dates are kind of hard to remember too.

Sam Schrager: Oh yeah, we are, but I do. I heard the same thing that Gibbs moved too far watching.

Violet Frei Boag: We liked him. Was a good doctor.

Sam Schrager: And then they said, they used to say, when there was no doctor in Bovill, the potlatch cared more about horses. And they do people because all they have is a horse doctor for a while. That's way I didn't write the story. The horse doctor was taking care of people to one supposed to, but he did because there was nobody else.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, we've had several doctors there after Doctor Goodman. Gibson lives. Yeah, but I don't know. Of course, we were in Montgomery. Had different doctors too.

Sam Schrager: Well, what was, what did you think of the university when you were there? as a student?

Violet Frei Boag: oh, I enjoyed it. Only I wasn't interested in studies.

It was it was a.

Sam Schrager: Social life there at the.

Violet Frei Boag: Time. Oh yes.

Oh yes. Yeah I, I don't imagine there would be. No, of course they had fraternities and.

Sam Schrager: Yeah. for you, you didn't go in the sorority.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh no. No no way. Did you like that kind of life. But then people that lived there didn't as much. The women that lived in Moscow, I stayed home. That's right. Some of them did for the social life. But,

Sam Schrager: Well, it was more expensive to work. Oh, yes, the dorm would be.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh, yes. But we didn't have time to socialize that much with working for me because I used to get a stamp on manuscripts.

Sam Schrager: I heard that I heard that there was a real, you know, the the a lot of the fraternities and sororities, you know, did consider themselves to be the in, you know, oh, you thing at that time.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, it still isn't it.

Sam Schrager: I guess it is still.

Yeah.

Violet Frei Boag: For people like you said the girls always joined this sorority. So they did get a husband and that's about all I went for you know. Wasn't the school the scholastic part. The thing that I want. But then that's hearsay I don't.

Sam Schrager: Know when you were growing up. This is something it makes me think of. Did, did was there a lot of.

Violet Frei Boag: Pressure on.

Sam Schrager: Those to get married, you know, to look for a husband, you know?

Violet Frei Boag: So, yeah. Cleaning.

Sam Schrager: I didn't think about that because I think there had been earlier. Oh, well, I don't know. But I have the feeling that, you know, around the turn of the century that.

Violet Frei Boag: All.

Sam Schrager: That there was more of this I had.

Violet Frei Boag: No, I didn't have any idea getting married. None whatsoever. I just was going to have a good time. And I came back because I didn't get married just 27 to make it. You can see I was not too much interested. Thank you.

Sam Schrager: I wonder what is reverse? You had a career on your own with a lot of.

Violet Frei Boag: Guarantee that.

Sam Schrager: You didn't have.

Violet Frei Boag: You know, I don't. Know, I didn't want to be tied down that much. I didn't think.

Sam Schrager: For one month that it was hard on your mother to be separated from your father so much during those years. It strikes me as a hardship somewhat to have to be, you know, to be living in a part so you can only get together on the weekends and for the whole family, too. Although I guess it's true when I think about it, a lot of lumberjacks were out all the time.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah, right.

Sam Schrager: There were married men.

Violet Frei Boag: I don't think so anymore than it is now. Look at the people go up to Canada, or Alaska and work, and then, just to make the big money. And then from home, they leave their families. I don't know, I never thought of it as such. But, dad, like the woods. And he didn't want to be.

He'd come in and and help and remodel or do whatever had to be done. But he didn't want to stay in Moscow.

Sam Schrager: What was he doing out there? Well, at that time. Oh, here in Moscow.

Violet Frei Boag: He had a group that, burn brush.

Sam Schrager: Oh, you.

Violet Frei Boag: Know, and, Oh, I don't know, he just. And then he cut. Frozen, sold. and.

Sam Schrager: When you were nursing, did that cost the family very much money? I mean, to do to get your training? It's like.

Violet Frei Boag: not too much. No. because they sent me money for clothes and things of. I need.

Sam Schrager: You remember what the tuition was, you know?

Violet Frei Boag: No, I don't.

Sam Schrager: Because that was right. During the depression.

Violet Frei Boag: Mean. Well, yeah, well, you see, it didn't hit us right then.

Sam Schrager: Oh.

Violet Frei Boag: No, not until later. Say, about 30, you know, in some places. But even, I think we felt it more even the depression in, in 31, 32 regarding time.

Sam Schrager: What do you see the, the opportunities for you as having been better out of this area? I mean, you've left I mean, like you were trying to find a job at that time around here.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh yes. Oh oh yes. I, I couldn't get a job. There was not no openings whatsoever, not even in Spokane. See, when we gather.

Sam Schrager: Oh, no. So that's why you went so far up.

Violet Frei Boag: That's right. There was nothing. You, the girls that I trained with and stayed in in Spokane. Why? They only get a job just once in a while, especially. And they all. Well, I think there was four of my friends lived together and shared expenses, you know, maybe one and work, you know, and and get by. And of course, go on.

Some of us build place to get you some has wanted to please. And it was rough for so you can get work. So then I just went to Seattle, see what I could get. I worked in a restaurant for a while until I got the job in Seattle. I wasn't free to work.

Sam Schrager: I guess not, no, but, you know, that's one of the things that I found in talking to people. Well, you can't hardly talk to people at left. Just the people that stayed, you know, and it seems to me probably more people and the families had to leave this area and could stay home because there wasn't enough jobs for people here.

Violet Frei Boag: And.

Well, and I think maybe I was more of a venture type do and and basically want to stay. I guess when you look back because Spokane was bigger and, you know, you.

Sam Schrager: You thought there was some you found it.

Violet Frei Boag: Yeah.

Sam Schrager: It was attractive at that.

Violet Frei Boag: Well, yes. I guess, in the life I was living there one time, if you get a good job, money. After all. You put in training for three years and even then and look like. Well, be pretty good to have a job. Be on your own. Which meant a lot. Of course, the pay wasn't nearly as good, and.

But we never did get very good pay in nursing anyway until just the last few years. Basically, around here.

Sam Schrager: So the pay was better in the city hospital.

Violet Frei Boag: Down.

Sam Schrager: Here, right. Well, what about this? This is the one other thing that I think of the attraction of being in the city. I mean, what you could do in, in the city, was it really a lot then that would when you were in your 20s. So it was of interest that you couldn't have gotten the same law school that you'd get in Seattle?

Violet Frei Boag: Well, no, not really, I don't think so. Not the type of life I mean. Yeah, because I didn't go to nightclub or anything like that. You didn't appeal to me. It was just mostly friends, relatives, association.

Sam Schrager: So it wasn't the like the word culture. Okay.

Violet Frei Boag: Oh no. I mean, yeah, because they had them at university. Yeah. You know, you had your in your things that you could go which we did and connected the schools and then we would get to see a lot of those things.

Sam Schrager: Probably not as.

Violet Frei Boag: Far.

Sam Schrager: As movie theaters in Seattle. And it would have been, but.

Violet Frei Boag: The culture wasn't too bad. I don't think, in Moscow as far as educational. When you were growing up, no.

Sam Schrager: Very first town of itself having school from me being there, and we.

Violet Frei Boag: Were able to attend because mother didn't never deny the same thing.

We were wealthy, know. I mean, it's normal everything people.

I mean, like I say, it's just wonderful parents.