Speaking to the Future:
Elizabeth "Bette" Gilbert Saunders
Bette Saunders was born and grew up on a ranch in Cherry Valley, Colorado. Her parents were Theodora Noyes and David Gilbert. David was on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and was also Mayor of Castle Rock, Colorado in 1948 and died while in that office. As a young man David Gilbert played on the Wheatridge semi-professional baseball team. He also served on the Douglas County School Board. He raised feeder cattle and dairy cows, corn and alfalfa, hay, pigs, and potatoes on a 770 acre ranch southeast of Castle Rock, Colorado. Mrs. Saunders' mother, Theodora (Noyes) Gilbert, was born in Douglas County, Colorado, and was a precinct committee woman. The Gilberts were married on January 21, 1910.
Mrs. Saunders' grandfather, Myron M. Noyes was a cattle rancher in the Greenland, Colorado area, he also worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. Her grandmother came to Douglas County from Pennsylvania in the 1880's, her grandparents were married in February of 1882.
There are three tapes included in this oral history, made at different times and covering various topics. The first tape covers Mrs. Saunders' family history, early life, and school in Castle Rock. Mrs. Saunders also speaks of the flu epidemic of 1918, WWI and WWII, Ve Day and VJ Day, as well as her working life with the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.
On the second tape, Mrs. Saunders goes into detail about the makeup of Castle Rock, Colorado, working with an 1890 map. She lists stores, houses, landmarks and describes the location and layout of her grandparents home. Mrs. Saunders discusses the flood of 1965; the moving of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad depot; the Douglas County Courthouse fire, and her marriage to Ben Saunders (they were married on December ninth, 1945). She also speaks of Dr. George E. Alexander, who boarded with her grandparents.
The third tape in the series covers Mrs. Saunders' memories of school in Castle Rock; the end of WWII; childhood memories of discipline; the 1937 cyclone; the City Park donated by O'Briend; the Castle Rock Star and Star Lighting; the blizzard of 1946; the Douglas County Fair; the 1932 election and the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Bette Saunders passed away February 15, 2004. Her obituary is available here from the Douglas County News-Press website.