Let the possibilities inspire you more than the obstacles discourage you.

– Ralph Marston

When I reflect on someone who defied all odds, my mind immediately turns to my grandmother, Elva Marie Allen. Her life was a series of challenges, yet she never succumbed to despair. Instead, she radiated positivity, always ready with a kind word and a smile for those around her. She was fun-loving and had a wonderful sense of humor. Throughout the years, I enjoyed spending time with her and looked forward to overnight sleepovers. 

She was born on July 10, 1908, in Independence, Kansas, to Anna (Annie) Strassburg and William Franklin Bryant. In 1910, according to the United States Federal Census, my grandmother lived in Gunnison, Colorado, with her mother, who was divorced then. She also lived with her grandfather, William (Wilhelm) Strassburg, and his wife, Mary Shay, who came from Canada. Annie’s mother died in Montgomery County, Kansas, on January 28, 1898. 

Eventually, Annie and Elva Marie moved to Montrose. However, while visiting a friend in Ohio City, Annie became severely ill and died on August 12, 1913. Later, she was buried at the Cedar Cemetery in Montrose, Colorado. My grandmother, Elva, was only five years old at that time.

After her mother’s death, Elva lived with Belle Freeman in Montrose, Colorado. Although I never heard her speak about these years, a family member stated she had a difficult time while living with Mrs. Freeman. 

As a young woman, Elva had a 600-acre homestead in Delta, Colorado, a testament to her independence. She possessed the papers Franklin D. Roosevelt’s secretary signed, symbolizing her self-reliance and determination. During this time, she met Tom Allen, with whom she began a courtship leading to marriage. However, their happiness was marred by jealousy when one of Tom’s former girlfriends burned down Elva’s cabin on her homestead. For a time, they lived in a tent. Their oldest daughter, Barbara, slept in a shoebox as an infant. My aunt was born on February 20, 1928, so living in a tent during winter could not be easy, especially with a newborn.

Eventually, my grandparents and aunt moved to Hotchkiss, Colorado, on a ranch on Roger’s Mesa, where they raised sheep. They lived in a log cabin without electricity. The house had a water pump and cistern but did not have running water. Water to wash dishes, wash clothes, and take baths had to be warmed on a wood-burning cook stove. As a rancher’s wife, she also had to handle many of the farm chores. She milked cows, fed livestock, and tended a garden. During the shearing season, she helped with the sheep camps and cooking. During the Depression, she also worked as a housekeeper for others in the area to help supplement their income. She was strong and hardworking.

Once, while visiting their family in Alameda, California, my grandmother discovered her father, Frank Bryant, was living in Fresno, California. She made the two-and-a-half-hour trip to see him, but he denied that he ever had a daughter. My aunt commented the man was kind but did not know or remember my grandmother. The family wondered if he had the beginning stages of dementia. Shortly after their visit, her father, William Franklin Bryant III, passed. He died on June 4, 1966, and he was buried at the Fresno Memorial Gardens.

Eventually, Tom, Elva, and their daughter, Janice, followed their daughters, Dotty and Barb, and their families to Alameda, California. My Aunt Barb and Uncle Lyle owned several properties. My grandparents lived in one of their rentals. Their home was a charming cottage behind a large Victorian home, which had been turned into several apartments. My family lived in a large Victorian home about a mile and a half away from my grandparents’ house. When I was older, I often rode my bike to their home to visit with them.

Elva struggled with rheumatoid arthritis, which was extremely painful. Often, she had to use a wheelchair to help her stay mobile. Still, through all her ups and downs, Elva remained kind, loving, and cheerful. All that knew her adored this remarkable woman. On February 20, 1983, Elva left this world. She was buried next to my grandfather at the Riverside Cemetery in Hotchkiss, Colorado.

Her family has continued to feel this loss as they remember this extraordinary woman we all so dearly loved.