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March 7, 2012 Desert Messenger celebrates the arizona's centennial with Voices from The Past in Quartzsite, AZ Excerpts from "In the Shadow of Saguaros" by Rosalee Oldham Wheeler My Neighbor My Friend - Madeline Young Brown NOTE: This excerpt is from a story written by Rosalee Oldham Wheeler to be included in Vol- ume III of her "IN THE SHADOW OF SAGUA- ROS" trilogy. This story is a tribute to Madeline Young Brown, Rosalee's lifelong friend and Quartzsite neighbor of 72 years who passed away on February 18th. A flood of memories comes to mind when I think about my lifelong friend and neigh- bor, Madeline Young Brown. The first time I met Madeline was after elk hunting season in 1939 or 1940. My in-laws had come down from Flagstaff with some elk meat and Josephine was going to show me how to make mincemeat for my husband Charles' favorite pie. Charles and I were still relatively new to Quartzsite, having bought the Home Place and bee business of Charles Mott a couple of years earlier. Times were extremely lean for everyone and we had to make do with what little we had. Mary Keiser, with her husband Bill the proprietor of Quartzsite's only hotel, brought one of their guests over for a visit. I quickly learned that Madeline was also from Illinois and had an easy smile and www.DesertMessenger.com from the neck of the elk. As the venison stewed Madeline and Mary joined in and helped Mom and I peel apples and cut up or- ange rind for the mincemeat. Our stew pot was overflowing and we were running out of canning jars. Mary ran home to get more but I could see that we were going to have enough mincemeat for several dozen pies. I was happy when Madeline said she thought it was delicious and would take several jars. Max and Madeline stayed on at Keiser's Beacon Hotel for a couple more days do- ing odd-work for gas money and then con- tinued on their way home to Illinois and the approaching winter. I often thought about Madeline and her four little children trudging in the cold, deep snow that I re- membered of my native Illinois along the Mississippi River in Pike County. I asked Mary about the Youngs and she told me that she wouldn't be surprised if we saw them again someday. And by golly, Mary was right. A year or two later Max and Madeline Madeline & Rosalee as Co-Grand Marshalls for the 2004 Hi Jolly Daze Parade sincere laugh that trailed off as she raised her hand. Madeline and her husband Max were on their way home to Illinois after a trip to California and mentioned they had four children staying with family back in Pekin. Madeline was outgoing, happy and friendly and I was glad she continued visit- ing as Mom showed us how to cut the meat came back to Quartzsite, looking for a place to live. Max got the job that he had interviewed for at Lockheed in California but they wanted to raise their family in Quartzsite. Sounded like a long drive to work, but Max commuted on a motorcycle with a side-card and I was very happy with their choice. They later moved into a large one-room adobe house across the highway SEE NEIGHBOR PAGE 36 Page 17 "What comes out of you when you are squeezed is what is inside of you." ~ Wayne Dyer LOCK & KEY Betty Crenshaw CML Owner C & B 37 Years Experience 928-927-6589 MOBILE SERVICE ONLY RVs Autos Residential Commercial Bonded - Insured BLM Approved Serving Quartzsite and Surrounding Areas Headhunters II "The Best Little Hairhouse" in Quartzsite! 511 E. Main Street, Quartzsite Across from Beall's Stylists: Wilma, Linda, Lois "Where getting your hair done is fun!" Cuts - Styles - Perms Colors - Walk-ins- Early Appointments 928-927-3543 56480 Hwy 60 (1/2 mile West of Vicksburg Rd.) VICKSBURG AREA Open for Lunch & Dinner 11am - 8pm "If you are hungary for good Mexican Food" 928-859-3057