52 Ancestors, Week 27: Delbert Lawrence Day and Freda Helen Florence North Day
Delbert and Helen were my grandparents. I have listed here the facts that I could find, with a few family stories. I would love to supplement this post with the memories of my aunts, cousins and siblings. If you’d like, please comment, message me or e-mail me and I will add your comments (or corrections).
Delbert was born 27 Apr 1914 in Lotts Creek, Ringgold County, IA.
Helen was born 12 Apr 1920 in Casper, WY
Question: How did Delbert and Helen meet each other?
On 14 Jan 1937, Delbert and Helen got married. They had three children in three years, Darlene, Bev, and Larry.
1939: Home: rear 645 W 13th. Delbert’s occupation: driver. (his brother Kyle is listed with Green Cab Company, so perhaps they were both cab drivers.) His aunt (Lyle's wife, Mae) owned Mae Day Beauty Shop--love the name of the shop!)
In the 1940s, Delbert and Helen would go deer and elk hunting with 3 or 4 other couples, on horseback. The men would hunt and the women would “sit around and drink” :) (the children were staying with their grandparents). Helen cooked elk a lot! They had a big freezer to store the elk steaks. The freezer was in the basement. Fudge was stored there too, and the kids would steal the fudge out of the freezer!*
Helen loved to garden and canned a lot of vegetables! She was crafty with embroidery.* (I still have some tea towels that she made)
Helen loved to bowl and was on a weekly league. She also played cards with the ladies. Every Saturday she got her hair done and went to the grocery store, where she visited with everyone in the store. She love to read the National Enquirer, and believed all the Hollywood stories.**
1941: Home: 1104 N Washington, Delbert’s occupation: hodcarrier
1943: Home: 645 E 14th, Delbert’s occupation: Construction Worker
About this time, Delbert was hit by a truck and suffered back problems.
1945: Home: 1429 W Railroad Ave, Delbert’s occupation: Line Mechanic at Manning & Brown in Powder River, 40 miles west of Casper.
Fred Manning sent Delbert to Bear School in Rock Island, Illinois to get training on alignment services.*
Their fourth child, Sandie was born.
By about 1950, Delbert opened his own shop, Del’s Alignment Service, and Helen did the books. Delbert liked to hunt. His brother Lloyd had a ranch and Delbert was a part owner. They had a couple of horses and would ride bareback on tame horses. If the horse was wild, Delbert was the only one to ride it.*
At the Railroad Ave house near the train tracks, Larry had a “fort” with his friend Tommy, where no girls were allowed. *
A guy robbed a bank or was a wanted criminal and was found by the police in the fort. ***
In 1953, their fifth child Pam was born. Two more children were born, but died as infants: Fred R and Mary Lee (1960?).
1954: Home: 1262 S Conwell, Delbert’s occupation: Del's Alignment Service. They had a dog named Brownie? who had a litter of puppies at the shop.
At some point (in the 1960s?) Helen and Delbert and children moved to 2665 E 5th St, 307-235-1209.
After selling Del's to his brother Kyle due to heart attack Delbert went in to the insurance biz. During that same time Delbert bought and ran Party Time Liquor in downtown Casper. Delbert was the bartender and got tired of hearing everyone's problems so he sold the bar, kept the liquor license and built a package liquor store. After regaining his health, Delbert bought two other alignment shops, Car Care and Ellis Alignment. **
In January, 1994, Delbert and Helen celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. Delbert and Helen were members of the First Christian Church. Delbert was a 50 year member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, and Helen was a 50 year member of the Casper Rebecca Lodge #13.
“Del enjoyed collecting coins, his yard work, bowling, playing cards (poker with the Catholic priest and loved to cheat!), hunting, and he loved his cabin on the the mountain that he built and later sold. As a good Irishman, he could be stubborn and a bit argumentative and maybe “celebrate” too much on special occasions, singing ‘Hi Ho Silver’ on their 40th wedding anniversary. During family feuds, he was a great ducker from flying objects, and one time when Helen locked him out of the house, he responded by nailing the front door, nailing her in! He had a twinkle in his eye, a dry sense of humor, adored his family and grandchildren and as a couple they were known as ‘Bert’ and ‘Bitty’. “
Helen died 22 Jul 1994, and Delbert died just about 3 months later on 1 Nov 1994.
Sources:
Delbert was born 27 Apr 1914 in Lotts Creek, Ringgold County, IA.
- 1915: Delbert (1): Lotts Creek
- 1920: Delbert (6): Pine, Brown County, NE
- 1930: Delbert (16): Ainsworth, Brown County, NE
- Delbert lived with his grandma Ida for some amount of time in his youth.
- Delbert made his way from Nebraska to Casper sometime between 1930 and 1936.
Helen was born 12 Apr 1920 in Casper, WY
- 1930: Helen (10) Casper, WY
- Helen attended Natrona County High School
Question: How did Delbert and Helen meet each other?
On 14 Jan 1937, Delbert and Helen got married. They had three children in three years, Darlene, Bev, and Larry.
 |
| early 1940 |
1939: Home: rear 645 W 13th. Delbert’s occupation: driver. (his brother Kyle is listed with Green Cab Company, so perhaps they were both cab drivers.) His aunt (Lyle's wife, Mae) owned Mae Day Beauty Shop--love the name of the shop!)
In the 1940s, Delbert and Helen would go deer and elk hunting with 3 or 4 other couples, on horseback. The men would hunt and the women would “sit around and drink” :) (the children were staying with their grandparents). Helen cooked elk a lot! They had a big freezer to store the elk steaks. The freezer was in the basement. Fudge was stored there too, and the kids would steal the fudge out of the freezer!*
 |
| about 1942 |
Helen loved to garden and canned a lot of vegetables! She was crafty with embroidery.* (I still have some tea towels that she made)
Helen loved to bowl and was on a weekly league. She also played cards with the ladies. Every Saturday she got her hair done and went to the grocery store, where she visited with everyone in the store. She love to read the National Enquirer, and believed all the Hollywood stories.**
 |
| stock photo of a hodcarrier |
1943: Home: 645 E 14th, Delbert’s occupation: Construction Worker
About this time, Delbert was hit by a truck and suffered back problems.
1945: Home: 1429 W Railroad Ave, Delbert’s occupation: Line Mechanic at Manning & Brown in Powder River, 40 miles west of Casper.
Fred Manning sent Delbert to Bear School in Rock Island, Illinois to get training on alignment services.*
Their fourth child, Sandie was born.
 |
| about 1949 |
At the Railroad Ave house near the train tracks, Larry had a “fort” with his friend Tommy, where no girls were allowed. *
A guy robbed a bank or was a wanted criminal and was found by the police in the fort. ***
In 1953, their fifth child Pam was born. Two more children were born, but died as infants: Fred R and Mary Lee (1960?).
1954: Home: 1262 S Conwell, Delbert’s occupation: Del's Alignment Service. They had a dog named Brownie? who had a litter of puppies at the shop.
 |
| about 1958 |
At some point (in the 1960s?) Helen and Delbert and children moved to 2665 E 5th St, 307-235-1209.
After selling Del's to his brother Kyle due to heart attack Delbert went in to the insurance biz. During that same time Delbert bought and ran Party Time Liquor in downtown Casper. Delbert was the bartender and got tired of hearing everyone's problems so he sold the bar, kept the liquor license and built a package liquor store. After regaining his health, Delbert bought two other alignment shops, Car Care and Ellis Alignment. **
In January, 1994, Delbert and Helen celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. Delbert and Helen were members of the First Christian Church. Delbert was a 50 year member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, and Helen was a 50 year member of the Casper Rebecca Lodge #13.
 |
| Delbert and Helen |
“Del enjoyed collecting coins, his yard work, bowling, playing cards (poker with the Catholic priest and loved to cheat!), hunting, and he loved his cabin on the the mountain that he built and later sold. As a good Irishman, he could be stubborn and a bit argumentative and maybe “celebrate” too much on special occasions, singing ‘Hi Ho Silver’ on their 40th wedding anniversary. During family feuds, he was a great ducker from flying objects, and one time when Helen locked him out of the house, he responded by nailing the front door, nailing her in! He had a twinkle in his eye, a dry sense of humor, adored his family and grandchildren and as a couple they were known as ‘Bert’ and ‘Bitty’. “
Helen died 22 Jul 1994, and Delbert died just about 3 months later on 1 Nov 1994.
Sources:
- 1920, 1930 US Federal Census
- 1915 Iowa State Census
- US City Directories
- Obituaries
- Family Stories: Aunt Bev*, Aunt Pam**, Sister Erin*** :)
Great colorful family stories and happy photos in this post make the earlier days of Casper Wyoming and the families on going lives and memories there all the more meaningful.
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