My mother Elva J. Scott was born in Iowa on Sept. 11, 1906, but was raised on her father's homestead in South Dakota. Mom would not live to see what a significant date her birth date would become when the Twin Towers were attacked by foreign terrorists.

It is hard to imagine in today's world what moms went through 70+ years ago. Mom was only seventeen years old when her mother passed away, leaving her to become the mom to her brothers and sisters that numbered six, including a newborn baby. Finally, seven years later she would turn this task over to her oldest sister because mom was getting married to my dad LeRoy J. Scott.

Mom would start her new married life cooking on a wood stove and washing cloths on a scrub board (after heating water that she had hauled in wood-stave barrels from an earth-fill dam over a mile from the house). Hauling water on a "go-devil-sled" was my first childhood memory around 1945, when I was four. It was me, mom and her youngest sister, Velma. Velma drove old Maude, the horse that pulled that go devil sled. Ironing was done with flat irons heated on the wood stove. With no refrigeration, large gardens were maintained and all produce and meat was canned and then stored in a root cellar dug into the side of a gully. Things weren't exactly modern on the homestead, even as late as 1945. Thank God we were just visiting for the summer.

Mom was 30 years old when she moved to Idaho in 1936. In Idaho conditions were much improved, including running water in the house, an inside toilet and access to stores where staple groceries could be purchased. However, it would be 10 more years before she enjoyed the convenience of a propane cook stove and water heater, as well as an electric freezer (remember this was 1948). Even with these minor inconveniences she managed to raise seven children.

Moms back then were head cook, baker, dishwasher, laundress, housekeeper, financial bookkeeper, domestic peacekeeper, and family diplomat. Did my mom have time for tea parties, or woman's clubs? Hell, no! She already had a 24-hour-a-day job raising a family, with no pay, and damn little rest. But she survived all these inconveniences, plus cancer three times to live to be 89 years old, still living in her own home.

After mom got through raising her own family (not to mention a few of her grandkids) she still found time to belong to all the woman's clubs that benefited the community, and her church. This was 1954 after she moved to Wallace. Her and dad even had time to travel after dad retired from the mines. I don't ever recall my mother complaining about her life, she was always busy trying to make things easier for others.

Like most boys, I didn't appreciate my mom. I just took it for granted that was the way things were. All boys and grown men were too busy enjoying the good life to acknowledge a woman's worth.

Mom, I apologize for not showing more appreciation for what you did every single day. To this day, it irritates me to hear men say, "I won't do that, it's woman's work!" Mister, you couldn't begin to do the work my mother did.

None of us could ever repay our mothers for all the hardships they endured to make this world a better place. So this Mother's Day I hope all of you will join me in honoring our mothers on their special day. Thank you mom, for always being there for everyone, family or not.

Your not so-obedient son,

Fred S. Scott

Fred Scott of Wallace is a local author and Silver Valley native.