Gertie

Biography

Timeline

1. An 1898 snowstorm and shortly afterward

   Olive seeks shelter for her children

   Olive first arrived with three younger children; Florence and Edith appeared when she moved in. Dan offered shelter in exchange for cooking and keeping house.

   History of the Guild Family

2. For years, on the Fourth of July

   Fourth of July family gatherings

   Daddy returned for family reunions, arriving in new cars. He stopped going sometime after Bernie and Bob were twelve or thirteen.

   Barbara's Chapter

Stories mentioning Gertie

• Fourth of July with a Favorite UncleMerlin fondly recalled Daddy's Fourth of July visits to family reunions in Brainerd. He loved seeing his favorite uncle and the entertaining Aunt Gertie. Daddy's new cars made relatives think he was rich. The visits stopped sometime after Bernie and Bob were twelve or thirteen, disappointing the family.
• Merlin Remembers the Older GenerationMerlin recalled disliking his grandmother Olive, who stuck her tongue out at him and prompted his mother to switch him. He related that Olive had five children before meeting Dan Guild and moved in with him after Clarence Vosberg died. Olive and Dan married quickly because Bessie was expected, a revelation that still disturbed Merlin. Dan was remembered as quiet, mechanical, and a poor dirt farmer. The account says Olive had eight children by three husbands and Daddy had five half and three full siblings; it separately calls Gertie Dad's stepsister.
• Minnesota Visits, Grandma's Sandwiches, and Northern LightsBernard recalls visiting Dan Guild's Minnesota grave, where aunt Myrtle seriously suggested digging him up. He remembers attending Dan's funeral at eleven in 1947, Grandma Olive's kindness over a fried egg sandwich, and visits with his father's relatives around Brainerd. His memories include attic sleeping, fresh warm milk at Uncle Clarence's farm, glowing swamp gas, brilliant Northern Lights in 1947, fishing, and mosquito bites.
• A Snowstorm, an Open Door, and a Growing FamilyDrawing partly on Floyd’s accounts, the family recounts Dan and Bernal’s rented farm and Olive’s desperate appeal after Clarence Vosburg’s accidental death. Dan offered shelter in exchange for cooking and housekeeping, initially unaware of her two oldest daughters. Olive and Dan married in 1899 and had five children, two of whom died young. The account also recalls Carrie’s devout household and Bernal’s departure after Newton’s death to sell sewing machines, including his meeting with Belle Woodley.
• Hard Work, Strong Tempers, and Lasting Family TiesThe family describes poverty, shared winter coats, uncertain meals, Dan’s mechanical ingenuity and repair shop, and the heavy household work borne by Olive and her daughters. Severe arthritis and unproved suspicions of infidelity colored Olive’s marriage and behavior. Recollections differ sharply: some emphasize harsh discipline and complaints, while grandchildren recall kindness and others see a devoted couple with stubborn tempers. Dan’s brief 1925 departure ended in his return, and they never divorced. The narrative also remembers affectionate sibling bonds, Floyd’s signature practice, and Olive’s willingness to shelter daughters between marriages. Sweeping judgments about the Vosburg and Guild children are presented as family opinions rather than independently established facts.

Referenced in

• Barbara's Chapter — CAPTAIN MERLIN RINGERING
• Bernie's Chapter — MOSQUITOES BITES
• History of the Guild Family — DAN AND OLIVE