Story of the Red Rose

The Red Rose has always been significant in the Asay family, especially for Grandmother Asay. I always thought Grandpa gave the rose to the pretty girl driving the wagon. Joy Marostica re-tells the story:

Over the years I had always been aware that the red rose held a special meaning for my Grandparents, but it wasn’t until recently that I understood why.

In June of 1977 as we drove with Grandmother through the desolate Wyoming prairies on our way to Casper, we asked her to tape some of the events of her life. We were delighted to find her telling us of her romance with Grandfather.

In the early 1900’s Grandpa’s family was helping the church in the development of the Big Horn Basin and they had settled in Lovell. It was necessary on one occasion for Adelbert to go to Montana in search of a missing young boy. After traveling many miles he lay down for a nap by the Yellowstone River. Upon awakening he discovered a beautiful red rose lying on the bank. He stuck it in his shirt, jumped on his horse, and continued his journey. He could see a wagon in the distance and as he came closer he observed a young lady driving it.

This 17 year old girl was Delila Boice on her way to the Big Horn Basin with her family. She saw the lone rider with a flash of red on his shirt in the distance. She hoped he would be of some help for directions. As Adelbert rode closer she noticed he was very handsome; she hoped her father would speak kindly to him, and she felt anyone who would wear a red rose on a hot, dusty ride must be sensitive, nice, and wonderful!

Adelbert did give them directions and encouraged them to settle in Lovell, as the soil was fertile, the water clear, and it was so beautiful there.

Brother Boice took his advice and the following Sunday at church the courtship began - August 17, 1903.

In those days for entertainment the young people in Lovell danced on the Shoshone River Bridge. The dance hall was for the “rowdy bunch.” Reuben Allpin and Orin Elmer played the harmonicas and someone called the quadrilles. When a wagon wanted to cross, the dancers scooted to the sides. Delila’s and Delbert’s favorite dance tune was “In the Good Old Summer Time.”

On October 5, 1903 Delila and Adelbert were married in the tent home of her parents. They continued to enjoy dancing, and as their children were born they took them along putting them to sleep on the large pile of dancers’ coats.

The Dishpan Ride

Delila’s parents made good use of tubs. A small one was used for gathering woodchips as well as for dishes. The following incident is from Delila’s journal:

I remember the stacks of wood that had to be chopped and carried into the house to keep the stoves and kitchen range well supplied. We always gathered chips of wood for quick heat.

One time my niece, Louise Boice, and I returned from school. Mother said, “You girls hurry and gather the chips and I will stir up a cake and buttermilk biscuits for supper.”

We went to the porch and each took a large pan to gather the chips in. As we were looking we discovered a trail down the snow covered hill. We decided it would be fun to sit in the pan and slide down. My pan began to whirl and didn’t stop until I crashed into a quaking aspen tree. I wasn’t hurt but I was so dizzy and didn’t feel like eating supper. That was my first and last trip down a hill in a dishpan.

Visiting Teaching Message

Contented Cows

Story as retold by granddaughter, Joye Marostica, entitled

"Visiting Teaching With a Sense of Humor"

Delila loved her calling as a visiting teacher. To go into the homes of the assigned sisters once a month with a gospel message was to her a wonderful opportunity to show compassion to others.

Sister MacLemore was her companion, and the sisters they visited looked forward to their words of encouragement and occasional baskets of garden produce, homemade bread or other small gifts.

The lessons to be taught always came from the Relief Society General Board in Salt Lake, and their purpose was to help the women of the church to be better homemakers and mothers, and to point out ways of living the gospel in their daily lives.

In the early 1900’s some people had still not heard of milk pasteurization - Delila was one of these.

As Sister MacLemore and Grandma were preparing to do their visiting teaching one day they came upon a new word… pasteurize. They discussed it at some length and finally concluded it meant ‘putting the cows in a lovely green pasture in order to produce good rich milk.”

After a word of prayer asking the Lord for his guidance in this important health lesson - they started out. Among the ladies on their route was the wife of Doctor Edward Croft. Before reaching the Crofts they stopped to see Sister Stewart, fortunately Brother Stewart happened to be home… after their very ‘informative’ lesson, he very tactfully explained the concept of heating milk to prevent disease - much to their surprise!

Delila was so grateful they had started with prayer and had their act together before reaching the Doctor’s home.

That evening Grandma laughed as she told the family of her blunder… turning humiliation into an extremely funny joke on herself.