You are in my thoughts Jeanne and your family. with much love to you all.
Kristin @ Solid Rock

ONE WEEK AT THE RANCH 
by: Mrs. Ruth T. Newhart 
Feb. 29, 1956 

 On Wednesday, February 29, 1956, as usual Earle [Dr. Newhart, husband] had a long list of house calls.  So, we finally left for Palmdale around 1:30 P.M. and took off from Palmdale [Airport, California] about 3:15 P.M. arriving at the ranch [Hot Creek, Nevada] just in time for supper. 

 On Thursday morning [March 1], we left bright and early, flying into Tonopah [Nevada] for some business matters and then on to Reno where we settle in a nice hotel and had lunch.  Then Earle went on to complete details of a (to me) fantastic loan on these new cattle and Jeffrey [baby son] and I went shopping.  It was too warm in Reno for a snowsuit so I had to buy Jeff a little suit with a jacket so he would be properly dressed.  After battling the shopping circuit for a short time with a tired little rascal, I returned to the hotel where I was sure a crib would be, since I had ordered it about two hours earlier.  I had visions of a nice nap for Jeffrey and nice nap for mommy too.  However, no crib!  So, I repeated my request a couple of times and when it finally came, it was too late.  Jeffrey was too tired to go down for a nap.  So, he wandered around the room playing with his toys --- and once when my back was turned he took a taste of some broken plaster where they were planning to put in a new heating system.  The plaster didn't agree with him so he promptly came over to the big bed and threw up on the blankets.  I cleaned up the mess and asked for clean blankets.  By this time our daddy was already a half-hour overdue and Jeff was continually pulling my coat from the closet and saying “bye, bye.”  So, I dressed us both and we adjourned to the lobby to wait for daddy and to seek refuse from the bits of plaster.  Once in the lobby, my shy little son was going up to all sorts of people and saying “hi” --- the people all seeming delighted with the friendly little boy with the rosy cheeks.  I sat quietly on a chair in between dashes to the cigarette urns to rescue two little hands that were about to remove cigarette butts and other undesirables.  Finally, I put his coat and hat on and we walked outside and down to the corner where we could see in the next block, our daddy strolling leisurely along talking business with another loan man.  This was only an hour and a half past the time he said he would return.  We then went to the coffee shop for supper where Jeffrey ate wonderfully from our plates and proceeded to say “hi” to anyone looking his way.  At a bit of a distance, he's very friendly so long as mommy and daddy are right there.  Then we finally got up to the room again and Earle covered the plaster holes with paper and scotch tape, I got Jeffrey ready for bed and then let Earle see that he got to sleep while I escaped to the drug store for bobby pins and hand cream, the latter being for my sore and cracked hands which were nothing compared to what they were when I left the ranch for Pasadena. 

 On Friday morning [March 2], we bought some veterinary supplies and then flew down to Carson City where Earle had a conference with some folks in the water department.  Jeff and I were placed on a chair outside the driving license bureau to wait.  Since my Nevada license had expired, I took the opportunity to renew it, taking a written exam and endeavoring to amuse Jeffrey at the same time.  I passed --- and so did Jeff, he was very good.  We had lunch in Carson City, flew to Tonopah for more business matters (we bought the cattle from the man that owns the hotel in Tonopah) and then flew on to the ranch, again arriving just in time for me to fix supper. 

 On Saturday [March 3, 1956], we stayed home.  It was rather nice for a change though, of course, there was plenty to do. 

 On Sunday [March 4], we flew into Tonopah and went to the Community Presbyterian Church.  It was small but you really felt as if you were contributing a lot by your presence and your giving.  It was a very good service and a good message and we plan to go again.  Of course, it was a new experience for Jeff and his recent tendency toward friendliness had me rather embarrassed, so during the sermon I took him out into a vestibule where I thought he wouldn't be distracting folks. 

 We had dinner in Tonopah and then flew back to the ranch.  Just about this time, high winds started to whip across the state and we took off to the tune of about a 35 mph mostly cross wind.  Interesting!  Just after we had changed our clothes at the ranch, someone came and told us there had been a bad accident on the highway, so we gathered all of our equipment, left Jeff with Mrs. Golden and went on out to help.  There had been six people in the car and there were three who were badly hurt with cuts, broken bones, concussions and such like.  We did all we could for them --- sedatives by injections, penicillin, splints, etc. and waited until the ambulance came and they were loaded and on their way to Tonopah.  They had had a blowout on a right front tire, a retread, and the wheel came off and the car turned over and rolled in the desert.  The people were on their way to Idaho to see some relatives who are dying of cancer. 

 On Monday [March 5], we attempted to go into Tonopah to help patch the people up but the weather was too rough for flying.  We got bounced a bit, so came back down and spent the day at the ranch.  Earle took me down the desert to one of our wells where we put out some feed for the small cattle and I got to see the new corrals, creep feeding areas, loading chutes and things Ed Golden has built.  Then we went up into Tybo Canyon and I saw where a mining community of some size used to be.  There are many houses left and several nice brick buildings as well as a nice schoolhouse. 

 Sometime between Monday and Tuesday, or about 1:00 A.M., Earle was awakened by the smell of smoke.  We have a small kerosene heater in our bedroom and I think the wind must have blown out part of the flame causing it to smoke.  We removed the heater and aired the place out but had to wait until morning to really see what happened.  Such a sight!! 

 I hope I never have to see one like it again.  Earle's comments, of course, were --- “you should write this in your diary dear, so we can look back and laugh.”  Actually, he was laughing as he said it while I was wearily looking around wondering where to start cleaning.  The really pathetic, though humorous, sight was Jeff.  When he raised his little head and I saw that black smudgy face and those little black hands, I nearly cried.  However, after showing the rest of the ranchers the “colored folk” they had with them, we cleaned our faces and pitched in.  Earle ran the vacuum and I ran the scrub pail.  In case you don't have the full picture, may I suggest that living room, kitchen, bathroom and both bedrooms had to be cleaned thoroughly.  Then our bedroom of course, included walls, ceiling, drapes, bedding, the clothes we had on, the clothes we had left on the chairs, everything. 

 To add to the above joys, we had a wind that must have been about 70 mph blowing dust all over the place including under the kitchen door, and even toppling the chimney for the Golden's fireplace. 

 While I was cleaning (and looking my best, course) we were blessed with company --- some men who came to discuss boundaries of our grazing area, number of cattle, etc. 

 The wind being what it was, we thought we wouldn't be able to fly home but would have to take a pickup truck.  That seemed to be a very dismal prospect of a slow, bumpy ride with no room for Jeff to move around and we would be chugging in our driveway sometime in the early morning hours of the day; Earle again would face an office full of people.  However, it appealed to me more than bumping around in the air.  We had a beautiful flight to Reno with smooth, clear air and visibility of about 1000 miles in all directions.  Then I was all for flying.  But not in the high winds.  About noon the winds started to die down and by 2 o'clock when we were ready to go things were much calmer --- not calm mind you, but calmer than 70 mph winds.  So, we thought we'd take the plane up and if it was too bumpy, we would land again and go by truck.  It was not our smoothest flight, but not nearly as bad as we had expected.  We got to within about 100 miles of our airport when we found the weather bad, having closed right down to the ground.  So, we landed at the nearest airport, which turned out to be a Naval Air Base at Inyokern.  In spite of radarscopes, tower, radio and other devices --- they missed us entirely and wondered where we came from when Earle walked into the office and asked, “Where could I get a bus into town?”  They asked us to leave, however, since we would not be able to move the plane in the morning, and directed us to a private field nearby.  We went there, got a ride to the bus stop, took a bus to Lancaster, took a taxi to the airport and then took our car home [Pasadena, CA]. 

 Seven days completed. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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RTN/jn 
Rev: 12July2014

Ruth, may you rest in God's presence and love.  Jeanne, may God's comfort carry you through this time of grief.

I will always remember Ruth as a sharply dressed, kind women with a special twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes.   We enjoyed working with you over the years.  Amy Woth ( Huntington Beach, CA)

A wonderful saint of God has graduated to Glory and the earth is a poorer place because of it, but I'm sure that the angels are rejoicing to see her there.  Thank you, Lord, for sharing Aunt Ruth with us for a good long time.  She was always kind to my family the few times we've been together and I look forward to seeing her again in Heaven.  Ginnie Grotenhuis

Dear sweet Ruth, we only spent a few times together but I will always remember your sweetness.  When I asked you if you knew Jesus, your blue eyes lit up and you said, "I am His."  May you know His peace in your eternal home in heaven. Your friend, Nancy Kelley

Dear, dear Aunt Ruth,
We will miss hearing you tell us how much you love us!  We will miss seeing your radiant smile and hearing your contagious laughter!  We will miss your sincere appreciation for every thing, no matter how insignificant!  We do miss YOU!  But oh how glad we are for the JOY you are experiencing even as we write this!  What glory you brought Him through your faithfulness on this earth and what delight you are experiencing in His presence as He looks you in the eye and says, "well done my "little sweet heart!" With all our love, Dave and Robyn

Thank you, Mom, for everything! :o) 
your daughter, 
/Jeanne Newhart 
Mon, 6/30/2014

OBITUARY

Ruth Tournell Newhart

February 11, 1928 – June 18, 2014

Pacific View Mortuary & Memorial Park

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