Eagle Creek Resident Bio: Joyce Grayson
Interview conducted March 26, 1910, by Emily Clementine
(Joyce Grayson is Sarah's teacher at Eagle Creek High School.)
1. Name: Beverly Joyce Adams Grayson
2. Date of Birth: January 2, 1875
3. Place of Birth: near Williston, North Dakota
4. Parents: Johnny and Lydia Adams
5. Siblings: Brothers: Thomas Artemis (1874-), Jess Humphrey (1875), Allen Porter (1877-), Jayson Nelson (1877-) Sisters: Portia Lydia (1880), Precious Amber (1882-), Rebecca Catherine (1889-)
6. Describe your childhood. I grew up on a ranch. Not much to it.
7. What did you enjoy doing as a child? Teaching my brothers and sisters.
8. What is your earliest memory? Being carried by my mother into the cellar to avoid an approaching tornado.
9. How old were you when you went on your first date and where did you go? 14. Attended a church social with Collier Grayson. He ended up flirting with another girl. I should have taken that as a sign, but, I ignored my gut and married him three years later.
Emily, if your parents, minister and best friend beg you not to marry someone, please listen to their advice.
Yes ma'am. -EC
10. Married? Seperated.
11. How did you meet your spouse? We met through a mutual friend.
12. Children: Collier Matthew (1890-), Lydia Adrienne (1891-), Courtney Rose(1901-)
13. Grandchildren: None, so far.
14. Pets? Sheba, a cat.
15. Education: Dropped out of teaching school in my second year because Collier wanted to try his hand at raising apple trees. Six months later, a disgruntled husband set our orchard afire. I had to finish my training via correspondence school.
16. What brought you to Eagle Creek? In the summer of 1901, Collier somehow managed to get a job at the local mine. Soon after I arrived he left his family for a young woman he'd met in River City. I became destitute and went to Montana Chemical Bank to ask if they could delay foreclosing on the house because it was the middle of January, 1902, and Courtney Rose had pneumonia.
He shouted, "This is a bank not a charity!"
I hung my head, too exhausted to cry.
He leaned over his desk and whispered, "I say that loudly because I have a man outside my office who wants to get another mortgage on his farm. He will use those funds to bet on horse races. Now then, Mrs. Grayson, instead of a delay in your foreclosure, would you like a job instead?"
I appreciated his offer but I explained the circumstances with my possible divorce and sick child.
He asked, "If I could take care of all of those things, would you consider teaching at the High School?"
I didn't know what to think, so I closed my eyes for a quick prayer and let "Yes" slip forth from my lips.
Michael Conrad asked me to wait in his office. He ran and got Mayor Rafe Tallard. They agreed to suspend the foreclosure if I took over the teaching responsibilities at school. He would even arrange for a babysitter to stay at the school and help take care of Courtney Rose.
Needless to say, it was a gift from God.
17. Current friends: Paula Conrad, Crystal Hines, Patricia Grossman, Prudence Buchanan
18. Occupation: High School teacher, Eagle Creek High School.
19. What was your first job? Candle maker.
20. How much did you make? Seventy-five cents a day.
21. What did you like to do in your free time? Play with my children.
22. What are you doing now? Watching Pete Jackson write the sentence "I will not disturb the class with turkey calls" one hundred times on the blackboard.
23. Do you admire a famous person? Noah Webster.
24. What makes them admirable? His dedication to standardizing education.
25. What is your favorite food? Figs.
26. What is your favorite color? Orange
27. What is your favorite song? Keep Thyself Pure by Adelaide Plumptre
28. Hobbies: I like to travel.
29. Name of the last book you read? The Story of My Life by Helen Keller.
30. Tell me about a memorable moment in your life; a time you will never forget. During my third week of teaching, Martin Conrad (Martin's son, Sarah's brother) got in trouble at school for throwing a baseball through the window.
At first I was terrified to do anything because it might endanger my job. However, I was so sick of living in fear and not in faith that I went with my gut and gave Martin the paddling he earned by his actions.
When Michael and Martin arrived the next morning Martin apologized in front of the class. Michael then went to the hardware store and purchased a new window pane with funds from his own wallet.
He taught his son that day to do more than apologize for his sins but actually work to make the situation better.
When Martin showed up on his own the following Saturday morning to clean my barn I asked him, "Did your father tell you to do this job?"
He answered, "No ma'am, he didn't."
31. What things do you find yourself doing that you said you'd never do? Hating my ex-husband.
32. What are the goals you are still working toward? I want to ensure that every adult in town can read and write.
33. When people look back at your life, how do you want to be remembered? Compassionate and fair.
34. What is your favorite outdoor activity? Watching my children playing in the front yard.
35. Do you attend church or religious services? Eagle Creek Methodist Church
36. What is your favorite Bible verse? Romans 5:8
37. What makes you happy? Normalcy.
38. What makes you sad? People walking away from commitments.
39. What frightens you? Dying alone.
40. What is there about you that would surprise people if they found out?
I can play songs on a saw.
