My grandmother, Vera Anderson, had four olders sisters and one brother: Leda (1901), Veoma (1904), Lovell (1906), Madge 1909), and Parley Dale (1911). Speaking of her older brother Parley Dale, Vera said, "An older brother died because of an accident on some farm equipment about the time I was born. The space with my brother passing seemed to split the children in the family in two. I do not remember some of my older sisters living at home."

Vera also said, " We moved to Annabella when I was four years old. We lived on a ranch by the Black Hills about one and one half miles from Annabella. During the time we lived there, we had three little brothers born into our family. I played with Dee alot, because he was closest to my age."

Vera's younger brothers were Dee (1916), Newell (1921) and Dean (1923) Anderson. Her sister Rae would complete the family in 1927.

When Vera was in the eighth grade of school, her family moved to Burrville, Utah. Vera remembered some fun times in her early teen years, "While in Burrville we did so many things to have clean fun. We did things like all of the kids there. We built a huge sleigh that had to be pulled with two horses. We painted it and even put bells on it. We only had trouble getting our dads to let us use the horses. We had alot of fun.

Our only means of transportation was with a one-seated buggy and horse. No one had cars then.

I went to Koosharem to school on the bus. We had 27 children on the bus. It was a great place to grow up."

It was in Koosharem when Vera was in the eighth grade that she started to sing with Larell Helquist, a boy one year older than she. Vera recalled, "We never dated but just sang together. I was let out of school alot to participate in singing programs. I did get good grades in school, but I don't know whether the good marks were because I earned or fanagled them.

At one time we were planning a dance benefit for the school. We were going to get out of school to make pies to be sold at the benefit. One teacher wouldn't let us out to make the pies, so we left anyway and got kicked out of school. I was scared to tell my parents and when I did, my dad was angry with me. At that same time I was in the school play The Indian Love Call. They got another girl to take my place in the play, but Larell wouldn't sing without me, so they had to put me and the rest of the girls back in school. I got three years of high school in Koosharem and all of the subjects that were required."


Here is a little bit of the music: