Billington Clan: Estelle Margaret Billington -Sid's baby sister

Estelle Billington

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March 9, 1909 the 9th Billington baby was born to Dee and Estella Billington in Spearfish, South Dakota. They named her Margaret Billington.

A glorious birth, a glorious day, was darkened a few days later by the fact that the baby's sister, Jean, suddenly passed away, March 11, and mother Estella was fighting for her life with intense post partum infection. Dee arranged for two cars to leave Spearfish to take Estella to the hospital late that cold March night. He also arranged for two cars to leave Deadwood at the same time to meet half way. The steep winding gravel road was not dependable so they wanted to make sure they got her safely to the hospital. Estella did not survive her surgery and Dee was left rushing back and forth from home to hospital, from baby, to Jean, to mother Estella. Arranging two funeral's back to back must have been a heavy burden for Dee and the family.

Many of the townspeople became interested in the family situation. Some told Dee he was just not going to be able to raise that baby girl and she should be adopted. A rich couple in town really wanted her. Some relatives from Canada wanted her. People would actually get mad at him for insisting the family stay together. Dee gave the baby girl her mother's name, Estella Margaret, shortened to Stella.

Dee moved his family to the house next to the livery barn, which he owned, so he could be near his children. The same nurse that had been with her mother, took baby Stella home with her. She lived on a farm. She didn't take very good care of her. Sister Binks and brother Sid went to see Stella one day and found her dirty and covered with flies. The nurse was working out in the fields. Binks went crying to Dad, "You've got to bring her home! She is going to die there!" She was sickly apparently because she could not digest ordinary milk.

Dee went to get baby Stella and the nurse said, "You might as well leave her here, she's going to die anyway."

Dee said, "Then she'll die at home and she'll be clean!"

Dee took the baby around to one friend after another begging someone to take care of her. They would take one look at the sickly, skinny baby and shake their heads. "She's going to die, Dee, and we don't want to be responsible." Apparently she was allergic to breast milk, cow's milk and goat's milk.

Mrs. Billie Curry, a neighborhood black woman, heard about the situation and went to Dee. She said, "Mr. Billington, I will take care of that baby and make her well." Right away Dee hired Mrs. Curry to take care of Stella. Her sisters, Binks and Cecile, watched as Mrs. Curry boiled oatmeal, barley, and rice and poured off the liquid and gave it to the baby, instead of milk. From that day on she gained weight and grew. Binks and Cecile made sure to take extra tender loving care of Baby Stella. Mrs. Curry had raised eight children of her own and she had common sense about child care beyond what most "educated" people knew at the time.

One day Dee came home and was horrified to find the baby outside in a box, stark naked. He took her in and was about to scold Mrs. Curry, but she said, "You put her right back where you found her, the sun is good for her!"

Dee sold the livery stable when Stella was three years old (about 1912) and moved the family back to their home on the edge of town. Elva Anderson, a friend that helped the family move, took Stella on her horse, boarded the creek, and brought Stella back to the Billington House.

Mrs. Curry took care of Stella until she was 4 years old, then she left for Denver. Mrs. Curry returned when Stella was in the 2nd grade. She took a job at Johnson's Cafe as a cook. She knew Estella would be coming there for dinner, so she waited until then and scooper her up in her arms and shouted, "My baby, my baby!" She was so excited to see her again. Stella was excited to see Mrs. Curry as well, but she was embarrassed to be called a "baby." Mrs. Curry spent a lot of time telling Stella over and over how much her mother loved her; how her mother hugged and kissed her those few days after she was born. Mother Estella was so proud of her baby girl, but she was too ill to do much mothering. Mrs. Curry knew that Stella needed to hear about her mother's love for her. One tender moment Estelle retold was the day Mrs. Curry took her to the cemetery to visit her mother during an afternoon summer drizzle. Estelle remembers being surrounded by a warm amber mist, her hand gently, but securely, hanging onto one loving guiding finger, walking slowly down the road together.

Stella age 4

As Stella grew she was grateful she was not adopted by another family. She was grateful to be raised by a wonderful father and family who loved her dearly. She was also very grateful to Mrs. Curry for bringing her back to health and providing years of mothering she really needed.

When Stella was about 8 years old Binks married Joe Colaw and they moved to Chicago. Stella stayed with Binks for about 4 years, and while attending school there she had a teacher who called her Estelle. She liked it better than Stella and kept that name from that time on. During those 4 years she spent her vacation trips coming back home to spearfish by train. When she returned home for good, about age 14, she went to high school and college in Spearfish.

Stella in chair, Binks behind her

Estelle had a great relationship with her father. Her sisters often said she knew a different father than they did. When they were young he worked 12-15 hours a day so they didn't see much of him. He had the livery stable and he was "all business." The livery business meant sometimes taking passengers, usually salesmen, to Lead, or Deadwood, or Sundance Wyoming, often staying on an overnight trip. The male siblings left home when Stella was young, so the feeling of family was different. Sid had left when she was 1 1/2. She saw Sid for the first time when she visited Montana in 1928. Leo left when she was 2 and Les when she was about 9. Les and his wife Dale did come back to Spearfish to visit a few times during their marriage. Leo came back to Spearfish to raise his family there and Estelle became very close to his children, Douglas, Betty, and Leo, Jr. Betty even called Estelle her sister.

One story from Estelle's youth is when she was about 8 or 9. She saw a horse at her neighbor Heidi's house. Somebody had come to visit them. She thought they wouldn't mind if she took a little ride, so she untied the horse, and took off a little ways away over the railroad tracks. But the horse stumbled on the tracks and she fell off. Just as she was getting back on, Dee found her and said, "You know, they hang people for stealing horses!" But Estelle insisted she didn't steal it..just borrowed it.

At another time she was with her dad getting a horse for her to ride. Seeing one horse, Dee decided it wasn't the one he wanted for her. So while he was getting the other horse, she got on the first one and decided to try a trick she saw a short time ago at the fair. This trick didn't seem so hard to just go under the horse and up on the other side. She got under the horse all right, but couldn't get up. The horse started galloping across the pasture with Estelle hanging on for dear life and one foot stuck in the stirrup. She found out that trick riding was harder than she thought.

Stories from one of Estelle's letters:

"One morning during summer vacation Evelyn and I wondered what we would do that day. They called us the Katzenjammer kids which gives you an idea how our minds worked. Evelyn's mother was paid to keep me during the day when school was out. As the gypsies had recently paid their annual visit to Spearfish, we decided we would be gypsies that day. We put cocoa on our faces and put on long skirts (her mother's I guess) and scarfs on our heads. We took a deck of cards and started out panning the neighborhood. Of course everyone knew us but played the game and gave us cookies or something, but no money. Then we crossed the bridge and went to Mrs. Cowgill's house. She was nearly ninety and almost blind. She also was very superstitious. We spread out the cards and told her "fortune." Lo and behold! she gave us each 50 cents. That was a lot of money for a kid then. We ran home to tell Mrs. Hurst (Evelyn's mother) thinking we were pretty smart. Mrs. Hurst tho't it was funny and got a good laugh about it. I couldn't wait for Dad to get home so I could tell him about it. Instead of a laugh, I got that look that told me he was ashamed of me. He said, "Are you a gypsy?"

"No."

"Can you really tell fortunes?"

"Well, no."

"Then you told a lie. You took money and didn't give her what you said you did. That is stealing. We are going to go give Mrs. Cowgill's money back and tell her you are sorry."

That was a long walk back to Mrs. Cowgill's. It was hard for me to understand why I had to give my money back and Evelyn didn't, but I never forgot the lesson."

"Dad rarely ever told me I couldn't do something. He would say, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." or "I'd rather you didn't" and tell me why. Then it was up to me. Sometimes I would rebel but then think better of it. I knew he had his reasons. Since he rarely said, "No" it had weight when he did."

"Dad hated a lie and didn't have much use for a liar. He expected us to be honest in every way. In the fourth grade we were studying about Abraham Lincoln and how he walked six miles after work to return a few cents to a lady he had overcharged. I thought that was wonderful and was telling Dad about it. He said, "Of course, wouldn't anybody do that?"

"One time some kid came to the house that I didn't want to pay with. I told Dad to tell him I wasn't home. He said, "I can't do that. You will have to tell him yourself."

I said, "Then he'll know I'm here."

Dad said, "That's right. What can you do about it?"

"I'll have to tell him I don't want to play with him."

"That's right. Tell him the truth, but do it in a nice way."

"Evelyn was a little older and smarter than I. She could think of things to do and I was dumb enough to do them. On our way back to school one noon as 2nd graders, she said we would stop in Lowen's General Store. Only old Mr. Lowen was there at noon. She would pretend she wanted something on the dry good side. I was to steal apples from the bushel baskets by the door hiding them in my black bloomer legs. It was working pretty well until we started out the door and Mr. Lowen put his hand on my shoulder and demanded, "Who is going to pay for those apples?"

"What apples?"

"These apples!" he said picking me up and standing me on the counter and shaking the apples out of my bloomer legs.

He put me across the counter and gave me one good spanking saying, "Don't ever steal anything again as long as you live!" ..And I never did. So ended my life of crime."

During her young adult years, Estelle attended Normal College of Spearfish. Both High School and College were in the same building. She studied to be a teacher which only required a two year certificate at the time. After college, Estelle had several teaching jobs in the South Dakota area. Her first job was at a one room school in Harding County. Her second job was over the mountain, 16 miles from Spearfish in Whitewood. Her third job was at a country school in St. Onge, and then her fourth, right in Spearfish.

So when Estelle was 30, her friends were thinking she wasn't trying to find someone to date. Estelle wasn't really interested in anyone and didn't think she needed anyone because she had her Dad. But her friends used to invite her to parties and line up dates for her. She insisted to come by herself and leave by herself to these parties/dances, etc. At one party she met a photographer who wanted to take her picture. She said she didn't like to have her picture taken. He said maybe she hadn't found anyone who really knew how to take a good photo. So he convinced her to come to his studio and take six pictures. She took one home and he enlarged the others and set one of the best in the window of his studio down town next to pictures of Greer Garson and Barbara Stanwick. The next day her school children came to school telling her they saw her picture with the movie stars.

When her brother, Les, lost his wife, Dale, in May of 1938, Estelle and her father decided to spend some time staying with him in Merced, California. She got a teaching job there for a year, then applied for another job in Carmel, CA. Dee stayed 2 years in Merced and then joined Estelle in 1940 after she was settled there. She happened to like music and dancing so when she heard about a USO dance for the soldiers in the area, she decided to check it out. At the dance she noticed a handsome young man who was not dancing and she asked him to dance, but he didn’t want to because he didn’t really know how, so she offered to teach him. Not sure he liked that idea, he obviously did like Estelle. Jim Fontana married Estelle that next summer on June 11, 1944 in Carmel. She was proud to have her dad give her away on that special day. Dee passed away the very next month, July 5.

Estelle and Jim on Wedding Day

Interestingly, Estelle discovered that Jim's mother had nine children and died at the age of 38 with the birth of the ninth..a story that matched Estelle's.

Jim went to the University State College in Berkley, CA in 1945 after his Military Service. From there he was recruited to teach alternative High School in Watsonville, CA. Estelle was able to get a job there teaching 1st grade at Sunset Elementary. So the couple moved to Watsonville, CA. Both her boys were born in Watsonville. James Dee was born April 17, 1946 and Robert Leslie, was born May 4 1949. Estelle was a stay at home mother until the boys started school, then she became a first grade teacher at Radcliff Elementary School. This class was designed for limited non-English speaking students, who were mostly Asian. She designed her own curriculum using instructional materials like wooden puzzles that were made in a shop class at a local Adult night school.

Estelle was well versed in Early Childhood Literature and read to her boys every night.

She had a library of the best books for her family.

One summer Estelle wanted her boys to see Mt. Rushmore because it played such an important role in her younger years. She had watched as dynamite exploded on the exterior of the mountains and the carving began. She remembers children looking down in the vast grassland, finding Indian arrowheads while the adults stood watching the monument emerge arguing over the controversy of it all. One of the curator’s lived near the family and he brought home a small piece of Washington’s nose and gave it to Estelle as a souvenir. She kept it for years, but it was lost in the move to California. That trip in her old 1951 DeSota was a trip to be remembered. They stayed with her long time friend who still lived in Spearfish. She showed the boys her first teaching job in the badlands area..the one room school house. She told the boys all about the Spearfish Park and the surrounding areas where she played growing up.

She was a delightful 1st grade teacher for many years, but when retired, she went right on helping in the community. She played the piano for her local church group which often met at her house. She was very strong in her faith and she was always so kind; she never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She looked on the bright side, even when she had strange things happened. For example, in 1989 she was a Pink Lady Volunteer at the local hospital in Watsonville when an earthquake struck the region. She happened to be in the elevator at the time, and it stopped mid floors, so after waiting for hours, she pried the door open a little bit, but could barely see people feet. When she couldn’t get anyone’s attention, she grabbed someone by the ankles. So surprised to see her they said, “Oh, are you all alone down there.” She replied, “Not exactly alone, the Lord is with me!”

Estelle had white hair early, by the time she was about 40 years old. This seems to run in the family. Dee had white hair at 40, the same with Estelle's son, Bob.

Bob Fontana

Estelle spent a lot of time reading in her rocking chair, and telling stories of her days in South Dakota. She also loved to retell the stories that her father told her about his life from Texas to Missouri to South Dakota Territory. She would laugh while sharing the humorous stories and she used western vernacular when sharing direct quotes from the characters. She had no TV, but she had a friendly dog, and a collection of wonderful books.

Stephanie, Estelle and Rebecca Rankin

For years Estelle collected tiny fascinating doll house miniatures and kept them on three book shelves in her living room. The grandkids and nieces all loved those doll house miniatures and even though they were told not to touch, they did, and Estelle could always tell when something had been moved out of its place. She often did crafts with her children, grandchildren, and nieces, especially at Christmas time. Angels, Santa Claus with his sleigh, and other outdoor decorations made special holiday memories.

She spent many days in her backyard flower garden. Her lawn and her pink rose bush were meticulously cared for and her holly tree in the front yard was her pride and joy. She was known as the snail killer. It was part of her daily ritual to check on her flowers and look for the dreaded snails. This yard and garden was a prize she shared with everyone who came by.

Johnathan Tina and Stephanie in back
Mikey, Sara with Scotty in front

She had an especially bright sunny yellow breakfast nook which she wallpapered herself. Grandkids, relatives, and visitors always felt warm, cozy, and welcomed there. Estelle was well known for her thoughtful, cheerful, and positive manner. Much of her time was spent visiting others, especially her sister Cecile who was in a convalescent home near the end of her life. Estelle made a point of visiting friends and family to share their grief or to share their triumps..she was there for them. She was a great example of a Christian woman. On “Grandma’s Day” her preschool granddaughter, Stephanie, would go along with her on these visits. Stephanie could feel her giving spirit, which is now a trait Stephanie and other grandchildren have acquired just by following in her footsteps.

Thankfully Estelle shared so many of her stories and her father's stories with us. Much of this blogpost information came from Estelle's letters, her son Jim's memories, and the memories of her granddaughters Rachael and Stephanie, and her nieces Jean and Kathleen Harrah.

During her golden years, although she had lost some memory, Estelle still remembered her roots and expressed her desire to be buried back in Spearfish, Rosehill Cemetery, near her father and other family members. She was granted her wish in 2001.

Anyone wanting to add photos, stories, or corrections to this blog, please contact me at lana.rankin@yahoo.com and I will made updates on the next blogpost.

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