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Across the Fence:  In the article about Idaho City and small towns  |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
 Posted - May 04 2008 : 07:26:32 AM
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Did you all see the picture of a poster of the little old lady holding a pistol? Manetta Schrite was an icon here and I deeply admired that woman and so I feel a need to let you all know a little about her.
That poster was made as a joke many years ago touting her as a candidate for sheriff. She had a great sense of humor. Manetta was a custom hat maker and her great skills as such gained her some fame. Charles Kuralt (sp?) came to visit her and put her on his show "On the Road with Charles Kuralt". Her husband had passed in the 80's and she did everything herself...even splitting and stacking her own firewood well into her 90's. She was a fiercely independent woman and often took trips with her dogs up to Stanley to take them hiking.
She was the tiniest little gal and drove the biggest vehicle on the road - a suburban. She always wore pants, cowboy boots and a big belt buckle. She loved her freedom to go where she pleased, when she pleased and had quite the lead foot. I commented about her speeding once and she told me that she can't drive any slower because she doesn't have much time left and still has so much to do! She was such a sweet little lady and yet she would not hesitate to tell you what was on her mind.
She had grown up on a cattle ranch in CO, had learned welding during WWII and worked for the Forest Service here. All of which surely added to her inner strength and sense of independence. There is a tree on the highway here that bears continually changing ribbons for her because she saved this big old Ponderosa Pine when they were were re-building the highway and wanted to cut it down. She marched on the powers-that-be and got them to change their plans in order to keep that tree. I don't know how she managed to convinced them, but can you imagine trying to convince the state to change their road building plans to save a tree?
She ended up wrecking her suburban three years ago and breaking a couple ribs. While in the hospital, her doctor told her that he was going to have her driving privileges taken away. She was extremely upset by this. She passed within days after that of pneumonia. We prefer to think that she was not about to stand for losing her freedom and just got mad and left us. She is still missed by us all and that poster will hang here in town forever. And if she were still here, she'd be a farm girl for sure!
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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Corinnelouise
True Blue Farmgirl
957 Posts
Corinne
France
957 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2008 : 07:37:41 AM
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Beautiful story Lisa, thanks for sharing it with her and letting us know what kind of woman she was. What a legacy.
Hugs,
Corinne
Sister # 101 |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
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electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2008 : 08:22:28 AM
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Thank you, Lisa. That photo caught my attention right away, how nice to hear what a wonderful woman she was. All these stories are so inspiring to me....Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
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blueroses
True Blue Farmgirl
1323 Posts
Debbie
in the Pandhandle of
Idaho
USA
1323 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2008 : 10:30:15 AM
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Hi Lisa,
My family actually all got to meet Manetta and Charlie during visits to Idaho City way back when. She was a hoot.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2008 : 11:38:55 AM
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Debbie, what a privilege for you to have had that opportunity to meet her. I'm so glad that I had gotten to know her before she left. She was such a pistol! I wish I could remember the name of the "On the Road" episode that she was on so you could all see her in action.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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Across the Fence: In the article about Idaho City and small towns |
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In the article about Idaho City and small towns
