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By October, Dallas had a job in the boarding house where they were allowed to stay until the birth of their first son. Then they were able to get a company house to rent. Dallas must have traveled home to Mesquite, Nevada, for the birth of her first child, Max Lyle, on June 7, 1925, almost exactly one year after they were married. Three months earlier, on March 18, 1925, they had been sealed in the St. George Temple.
But six months later the mill folded and they moved to Enterprise, where they lived off of their savings all winter.
Winter in Enterprise
Dallas, at 18, had never lived in snow country, nor even seen snow. "She woke up in the morning and there was snow all over the ground. It would melt from the roof during the daytime and run down to the eaves, and big icicles form. She thought that was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen in her life." They had a ball all winter long riding sleighs and skating up and down the rivers.
Odd Jobbing up North
When spring came, they migrated to Salt Lake city, where Dallas said her Aunt Elizabeth lived. Of course they had no idea where in Salt Lake City she lived, so after driving around aimlessly for awhile, they finally, in desperation, decided to stop and ask some boys playing in the street in the small hope they might have heard of Elizabeth Farthingham.
"Sure, mister," the boys replied. "She lives right across the street and down a few houses."
Now, to find work! Lyle took another man in his car and they both went job hunting. Hours went by without word from Lyle. Night came and went. No Lyle. Another day. No Lyle. Needless to say, Dallas was getting concerned. It wasn't like him not to send word. Visions of him lying by the roadside, mugged or injured in an accident were too much for her. She notified the police.
The police couldn't locate him either. More sleepless nights. Finally, one week later, he was able to get word to her. He had found work and been taken out to the desert on the spot for a construction job.
Arden, Clark, Nevada
After a stint in Roosevelt County, where Lyle laid track for the railroad, word came of an opening in the Blue Diamond Plaster Co., plaster mill at Arden, just 15 miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada. Lyle was hired as an oiler for the machinery and, in 21/2 years, worked up to be the engineer of the entire plant. He said he worked there for 4 years.
A New Son
Then, on March 4, 1927, Lester Vern was born in Arden. They named him Lester, but always called him Vern, as they didn't care for the name Lester. They never explained why. Max was thrilled to have an older brother.
Max is Killed
But life was not perfect. On Jan. 27, 1929, Lyle and Dallas were driving on a country road when their car went into a culvert, striking the abutment. Dallas' arm was broken when she hit the dashboard, but baby Vern, being held in her arms, was uninjured. Max, sitting on the seat between them, hit the windshield. Lyle carried him to a nearby farmhouse and they laid him on the bed, while they took a look at Dallas' arm and baby Vern. When they came back in the room to check on Max, he was gone back to Heavenly Father. Unfortunately alcohol had been a factor in the accident. But Lyle repented and spent the rest of his life dedicated to living worthy of this lost son. They buried Max in Mesquite, and bought a plot next to him where they, themselves, would be buried nearly 70 years later.
Taking on a Fight
Lyle grew up tough enough to flatten his brother, Darral, when he tried to pick a fight while drunk. After Darral took a couple of swings at Lyle he laid Darral out, breaking his nose.
Vern said his dad was a good boxer. He went three rounds with a carnival fighter one time, for which he got about $10. Roy added, "On the 24th at July, at Enterprise, they used to box all the time. They'd get up there, in front of the grand stand. They'd pass the hat around to get these guys to box.. Your dad would come up there. He was living down at…[Arden]. You was just a baby then, just a little tiny guy. He come up there, and they passed the hat around and they wanted somebody to box Merl Evans. Merl was about 2 years younger than your dad but he was a great big kid, I mean he was bigger than your dad. And Dad [Vendon] says, 'I
don't think you want to fight him, he's bigger than you are.'
And your dad says, 'I can whip him.' And he did.
Old Merl said, 'I didn't see nothing but fists.'
Vern added, "Dad fought and then he was walking by a store or something and he heard the guy inside saying, 'Ah, he was just lucky.' He said, 'If I fought him again, I'd beat him.'
"Dad stepped in and said, 'What was that you were saying?'
"'Oh, nothing.'"
Fallon: A Place of their Own
After about 3 years they had saved enough money between Dallas and Lyle that they had a little nest egg. So they set to find a place of their own.
After moving to Westwood, where Lyle's brothers often lived and logged, they moved to Fallon, Nevada, where they built a little house, with the help of some friends, bought 40 acres, and farmed for about 5 years. They enjoyed ranching in Fallon, Nevada, "where we spent a few happy years improving the ranch, raising livestock and helping to build the branch. I served in the Sunday School Presidency and also as a part-time missionary."
Yet the depression years were hard for them. Little Vern, only 8, was put to put for 4 hours a day driving a wagon for another farm, for which he was paid 50 cents a day. Lyle, working for 8 hours earned $1 a day, after which he had his own farm to tend to. Farming there was not profitable.
A Poem from his Mother (Oct. 17, 1935)
Although we parted in sorrow my heart is with you
I'm thinking of you day by day and when I kneel in prayer
I ask God's love and mercies for my children everywhere.
I'm asking him to guide you all and help you day by day
That you may understand the truth and not rebellious stay.
I'm asking him to bless you with favors from on high,
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