The love story of Fay Barney and Ernest Chamberlain began in the Spring of 1937, by my best estimate, this was on Friday, March 26. However, whatever the exact day was, it began at the Old Mill.

The rustic old walls of the one time paper mill were decorated and turned into a romantic setting for a big band dance. A University of Utah sorority sponsored this as a girls choice.¹

Both Ernest and Fay would later express their belief that their love story and eventual marriage and family was meant to be, perhaps even pre-ordained in the heavens. If this is true, the angels assigned the project of getting them together for this romantic first date had their work cut out for them.

The dance at South High School

Ernest and Fay both lived within the boundaries of the Granite Stake. Their fathers, Harry Chamberlain and Archie Barney were acquainted, as they served together on the stake genealogical committee.² Ernest certainly had noticed the attractive Fay Barney from a distance at Stake conferences and activities.

In 1935, Fay Barney was a senior at South High School. One of Fay’s classmates invited Ernest to a girl’s dance. It was a custom at the time to dance the first and last dance with your date, but have the schedule of dances arranged to trade with other dance partners. Ernest’s date had most of the dances traded with her friends. It was a fun evening. Ernest was laughing and joking with all his dance partners and got along swell with all of girls, except one. Her name was Fay Barney.¹

Fay was beautiful and always dressed in the latest styles. Her family seemed well to do. Ernest apparently had formed the opinion that she was just too sophisticated for him. This combined with the fact that he was attracted to her, left him speechless. Also, for this dance, he “felt he had two left feet.”¹

Fay was naturally quiet. She wondered about the change that came over Ernest when it was her turn to dance. Neither one of them said a word through the entire dance. Finally, the music ended and they broke the silence with a polite, “Thank you.”

It would be about two years before they spoke again.³

Dating in the 1930s

The dating experiences of Ernest and Fay teach us a lot about their personalities and dating customs of their time. Dating in the 1930s was much different than today (2020). Ernest wrote stories of his general dating experience. Fay, on the other hand, left us a box full of letters, photos, mementos and gum wrappers.

Dancing was very popular in the 1930s and all dances came with a schedule. Different partners would trade dances at the appropriate time. It was a great way to get to know a lot of different people. There were various types of dances, waltzes, foxtrots, swing etc. Male and female partners actually touched each other when they danced and maybe enjoyed a conversation. Coordinating your rhythm with a partner could be challenging for some.  

In high school and early college years males and females would date a wide variety of partners. They may chose a different partner every date. The point was to have a good time together and to meet different people. After the date was over no commitment was assumed or expected. 

When a relationship became more serious the boy would ask his girl to wear his class ring or pin. This would signal that they were going steady. They then dated each other exclusively until they broke up.

Engagement came with a diamond ring and a date for a wedding day.

Letters to Fay Barney, 1935

Fay graduated from High School in the class of 1935. She started her studies at the University of Utah in the fall. She loved the summers when she could stay with her favorite country cousins. Fay was very popular with the boys as we learn from the letters she saved.

She often stayed with her cousin Eva and her Uncle George and Aunt Jeanette Adams Williams who lived in Treasureton a small town in southern Idaho near Preston. Fay and her family went to Treasureton on July 4, 1935.²

When she got there, she wrote to a boy friend in Utah. On July 9, 1935, James Kippen from Woods Cross, Utah wrote a letter back to her in Idaho. “Tell your aunt Nettie and cousin Eva Hi.” He then warned her to be careful about those young farmers (in Idaho) or she may end up a farmer’s wife, and that wouldn’t be so good. The letter was ended by saying he had to get up at 4 am to irrigate the onions. Signed: “With Love, Jim”⁴

In Idaho she met a boy from a neighboring farm named Don. They had a good time together. He took her horse back riding every day. Don told Fay he would take her home so that she could stay longer after her family went back to Salt Lake. They were together so much her cousins teased them by writing a little rhyme about them.³

Fay went to a dance in Preston, Idaho where she met Varr Alder. She liked him and spent most of the dance with him. This made Don very upset. He told Eva to give Fay a message. To make sure Fay got the message he passed her a hand written note: “Fay, I want to see you and talk to you for fifteen minutes alone between 10 and 11 o’clock. If you don’t come it will be quite evident that you don’t want to see me anymore ever.”⁴

Apparently, Fay didn’t show.

On July 25, 1935, Varr Alder wrote to Fay in SLC from Preston Idaho. He asked if she got home last Saturday night (the 20th). He didn’t know if Don would take her home or not, considering the way he was acting on Thursday (the 18th).⁴

Fay speaking of this event many years later said: “Don got mad and wouldn’t take me home (to Salt Lake), so therefore I had to hitchhike a ride with a milk man to somewhere.” She couldn’t remember the details of how she finally made it all the way home.³ However, ten days later on July 30, 1935, Archie Barney recorded in his journal: “George W. (Fay’s Uncle), Fay, Eva and Dora came down from Treasurton.”²

In a letter of August 14, 1935, Varr wrote to Fay and told her about his exciting life in Idaho. While drinking he was racing his car and when it got up to 65 mph his tire blew. He and his passenger had minor injuries but his car was totaled. He told her he was coming to Salt Lake between Christmas and New Years. “If I come, can we celebrate in a big way?” he asked.  “I can be good if I have to”, he assured her.⁴

Letters to Fay Barney 1936

In February,1936, Roger McGuire was a young man living away in Wisconsin taking business classes. He wrote Fay a very nice letter thanking her for the box of beautiful chocolates that she made and sent him for Christmas. He ended the letter, “hoping you will write to me about yourself. Your old friend, Roger.”⁴

Howard Patterson (Howdy), Earl Pusey, Bob Booth and Loyal Nideen (Sandy), were her friends in Salt Lake City. Charlette,”Charlie” was a girl friend who seemed to be the social director of this group. Fay’s close girl friends where Phyllis who would write notes to Fay while waiting in class for the bell to ring,⁴ Lois Bouman a “down to earth” friend who lived near her home,⁶ and sorority sister Norma Hamilton.²

“Howdy” was very interested in her and kept up to date on her activities. He sent her a letter when she was in Eureka on June 19, 1936. “You don’t seem to be having a bad time, parties, shows and dances”, he wrote in his letter.⁴

Eureka UT was a small town nestled in a mountain valley south-west of Utah Lake about 70 miles from SLC. Fay often stayed there with her cousin Audrey and her Aunt Jennie Rae Barney Humphery and Uncle Cleve Humphery.

Fay’s boy friend during this visit to Eureka was Henry.⁵ She met Henry Wall in 1933.⁴ Fay thought he was “real neat” and he was her first love. Henry’s girlfriend Dora was not happy when Fay came to town.³ Archie brought Fay home from Eureka on June 22.

On July 10, Fay, with her mother and father, traveled again to Treasureton, Idaho. They left early in the morning and visited the Ag. College in Logan along their way. There was a heavy storm north of Preston. They celebrated Fay’s eighteenth Birthday with ice cream and cake at Aunt Nettie’s on the 11th. The families attended church together on Sunday the 12th, then drove back to SLC that evening.²

Varr saw Fay when they were in Idaho and on July 16 wrote to her in SLC. He said, “Forgive me for the way I treated you, will you? Love Varr” Another letter from Varr on August 14 asked her when she would be back in Idaho. He enticed her with the following line. “Do you even drink? If you do you should have been with me Saturday night. Boy! oh Boy!!!!!! Talk about a lot of fun.” He then explained how fun it was waking up the next morning at 5 am at a different location and a different car. No one could remember switching cars or where the other car was.⁴

Fay, apparently, never wrote to him again. The gum wrappers tell us that she never developed real interest for any of the Idaho boys.⁵

The mystery of the gum wrappers

In Fay’s box of mementos, there were dozens of dance schedules, some letters, and about twenty empty gum wrappers. These wrappers of Wrigley’s Double Mint Chewing Gum were folded with the foil placed neatly back into the paper cover.

Why did she save them?

Eventually, I opened one and found it had a note inside. In fact, they all had a note inside! Each one had the name of a boy, a date and a location or event. Since mint gum is an obvious breath freshener, I realized that I had found my mother’s record of every time she kissed a boy. The record covered a 16 month period from February 6, 1935 to June 27, 1936.⁵

Barney Family vacation at Fish lake, Utah

On July 18, 1936 the Barney family Archie, Livonia, Fay, Ellen, Dean and Carol and even my great grandma Agnes Adams headed south for a two week vacation. After visiting relatives and historic sites along the way, they arrived at Fish Lake on the afternoon of the 20th. They then went together for a boat ride on the lake.²

Doctor A. A. Andersen, his wife Dora and their family were also at the lake. Dr Andersen was the Barney family doctor and close friend. They were there with their two daughters and son, Andy.²

Andy Andersen was another one of Fay’s boy friends.⁴

They had fish for breakfast every morning. The three fishermen in the group were Dean Barney, Dr. Andersen and Livonia Barney. In two days out fishing Livonia, (my dear little grandmother Barney) caught the most fish. She caught seven, each 12 to 13 inches long. Dean caught 3 fish, one of them was 18 inches, and Dr. Andersen caught the largest fish which was three feet long and weighed 15 pounds.²

On Saturday, August 1 the five Andersens and six Barneys went for a swim in the lake. The water was very cold. Dora and Andy Andersen swam 600 feet out in the lake. In the evening, Archie drove the Andersen children and the Barney Children to a dance where the entire group had a fine time.²

The next morning the two families had a hotcake breakfast together. Then the Barney’s waved good bye to the Andersens and headed toward Salt Lake City.²

More Letters to Fay, 1936

When Fay got to Fish Lake, she wrote to Howdy. On July 29, Howdy sent his response to Fay at Fish Lake. “When are you coming home?” he asked. “You come home and I see you once, if I am lucky, and you are gone again.”

Before he got her letter from Fish Lake, he went to Preston, Idaho to she if she was there. He told her in his letter that he went to the dance in Preston, but didn’t see any of her boy friends there. Howdy and Carl didn’t know who would be at the dance or what scene might unfold, Carl chose to stay in the car and sleep until the dance was over.⁴

Howard was quite possessive of Fay, and her letters contained some not so subtle hints that they were not a pair. He ended his letter with a complaint. “You ended Carl’s letter ‘Love Fay, but mine, you just ended ‘Fay’…  Signed: “Love Howdy”⁴

Andy Andersen who was still at Fish Lake, wrote to Fay on August 4. He told her they expected to be back in SLC on Monday evening (the 10th), and hoped perhaps they could go to the Old Mill on Tuesday. He missed swimming with her in the lake and wished she was there. Andy then asked: “Will you be ready to wear my pin when I get back? You know I want you to, don’t you?” “Hope to hear from you soon, Love Andy”⁴

He wrote again two days later to acknowledge a letter he received from her, and told her he would return Archie’s cat that was left at the lake when he got back on Tuesday or Wednesday. He hoped he would be able to see her then.⁴

The Engagement

Dr. Andersen and his family had car trouble and did not get back on Tuesday. However, on Wednesday Fay went to a show with Andy and on Thursday August 13 they went on a swimming party.²

Archie Barney’s family and other relatives had a splendid picnic at Liberty Park on Sunday the 16th. Archie wrote in his journal: “Dr Anderson and his family was supposed to be with us but they turned us down, except Andy. He stayed with us.”²

I believe this picnic was meant to be their engagement announcement, but it tuned out to be the time their short engagement ended. Fay shared the following memory with Deanna Chamberlain Grant in 2008:

I was engaged to Dr. Andersen’s son, Andy. I knew that I wasn’t going to marry him. Dr. Anderson just loved me, too. When Andy spoke with his dad about marriage, Dr. Andersen said, ‘You can not get married now. You’ve got to go to school and become a doctor.’ So Andy had to break the sad news to me. Andy, broken-hearted, left home and his dad was unhappy about what he had done.6

“Free as a breeze”

On Saturday September 5, Audrey called the Barneys and wanted Fay and her friend Lois to come to Eureka for the Labor Day celebration. The 9th was Fay’s mother’s birthday and she was suppose to come home sometime that day. Andy Andersen brought his monopoly game over to the Barney’s and played with Ellen, Dean and Carol until mid-night, but Fay never came. Fay finally got home the next evening at 10 pm.²

Larry Carter met Fay’s family when they came to Eureka. “I sure like your family”, he wrote on October 27. “Your daddy is swell and your mother too. She is certainly congenial”. He then joked that she should watch her sister (Ellen) or he will be dating her. He made up for it by giving Fay glowing praise for her beauty and wonderful personality. “I certainly had a lot of fun with you in Eureka on Labor Day, Fay….I had more fun down there in that short time than I have ever had”, he wrote.⁴

After her engagement ended she tried to reconnect with some of her old friends. Howard’s possessiveness had made it hard for her to establish a relationship with others of her group who she liked more. She sent a Christmas present to Earl Pusey and also wrote to others.

On January 7, 1937 Earl wrote to Fay in SLC from Des Moine Iowa. He was working for Associated Press and expected to move to Denver or back to SLC soon. Earl thanked her and Lois for the grand present and talked about the old gang Sandy, Howd, Bob and Charlie. “In your note you mentioned something about being free as a breeze. Boy am I glad. I just hope you stay that way until I come back, I might have a chance after all.”⁴

Loyal Niden (Sandy) was working in Palms, California when he wrote to Fay on February 28, 1937. “Char told me you were planning to write to Pety. Sooo, I thought if you wanted to write to Pete, maybe you would write to me”. She very pleasantly surprised him when she did. He told her it was a shame they had not gone together on a date, and hoped to have the privilege sometime. “I never asked you for a date out of respect for Howard,” he said.⁴

Ernest Chamberlain and Jack Chamberlin

Jack Chamberlin and Ernest went to East High School and became very close friends during their first quarter at the University of Utah. They got together when ever they could, evenings, weekends and on campus. They went on double dates together almost every weekend.¹

On their first double date Ernest went out with Helen Augustine and Jack’s girl was also named Helen. Since they were both named Chamberlain, (with a minor spelling difference), they thought it would be fun to always go with girls with the same name. It was an interesting challenge. Therefore, most of their dates would have the same first name, or twins with the same last name.¹

The bet

One day Jack jokingly bet Ernest that he couldn’t go three months without kissing a girl. Ernest, caught up in their animated conversation, bet he could. Jack quickly replied, “You’re on!” Ernest immediately realized his stupid mistake and kicked himself all afternoon for his big mouth.¹

Then an idea struck.

Ernest bought a chain with small unusual links and made a fine looking chain-link bracelet.  He fastened it on his left wrist. It was a great conversation piece. He used it to tell the girl about the bet he had made, and that if he ever did kiss a girl, she would get the bracelet. This produced a psychological effect which made the following months of dating most interesting.

There were three basic responses: 1- Girls not interested in kissing could relax and have an enjoyable evening. 2- Some girls felt the evening would not be complete without at least a good night kiss. In this case, Ernest might tease these girls with a near kiss, but then stop without forfeiting the bet. 3- Then there were girls who may normally skip a kiss, or not, but in either case they saw the challenge. Their inner drive for conquest would set in and they would strive to win the bracelet.

One day the University put on a “Blind Date Ball”.  Jack and Ernest applied and soon received the name of their blind date. Ernest described his date as “a cute little blond with a good healthy endowment of the body features that make up an attractive figure”. In fewer words, she was smokin’ hot! The last dance was a slow waltz, and at this time it became obvious to Ernest that this girl fell into category three.

After the dance they went out for ice cream and then for a ride. Jack was driving his folks car. He soon noticed there was an aggressive gal snuggling in the back seat with Ernest. Jack’s prospect for a win was looking good.

Ernest felt his temperature rise. He could only pray they would get to her home soon – Jack took his time. Finally, they got to her home and by a tread the bracelet had survived.

At the end of three months, Ernest thought someone he really liked should get the bracelet. He finally decided it should be Bernadine, Jack’s sister. She was really a choice gal and they went out on several dates.  This might have become a serious relationship. However, they soon decided to stop going together as her mother was a staunch Catholic. They both knew it wouldn’t work out in the end.¹

Playing the piano in Kingsbury Hall

Fay had an amazing talent as she could play the piano by ear. She had taken a few piano lessons but never learned to read music because as soon as she heard a popular song she could play it. She would often go to Kingsbury Hall and play the piano for hours. Fraternities would invite her to play for them and the group would sing together and have a great time.²

Fay’s friend, Loyal Nideen, wrote in February 1937: “You and Char do have quite a swell time and interest in the U of U’s daily happenings. Three cheers for both of you. I’ll bet the place couldn’t get along without you two charming ladies. No kidding, I mean it.”⁴

Horseback riding

One of Fay’s favorite classes was Horseback riding lessons for PE. The military owned the horses and Ernest Chamberlain was in the ROTC. After class, Fay brought her horse back to the stable. It was Ernest’s job to brush the horses until they cooled down.⁶

When he saw her, he thought of asking her out. Jack knew a girl named Fay, and Ernest thought he might need to make a name match with Jack’s date.³ However, when he mentioned this interest to his ROTC friends they discouraged him. “You don’t want to get to know her. You wouldn’t be able to provide for her in the way she is accustomed”, they advised.⁶

Meeting at the Library

Norma Hamilton and Fay were going to Kingsbury Hall but changed their minds and decided instead to go to the university library. When Ernest came in, he saw Fay sitting with their common friend, Norma.  Fay was beautiful but sophisticated. “Too sophisticated for my blood”, he thought.³

Jack Chamberlin and Ruth Olsen came in later and joined them. The group of them met together several times after that.¹

Ernest and Fay have very different memories of their meetings in the library.

Ernest remembered the painful experience at South High two years earlier. Now, however, he could see this fashionable beauty having difficulty in her chemistry class and needed help with some math problems.¹ This help, he could nobly provide.

Fay remembers a social goofball who took her favorite bracelet and teased her by saying he was going to give it to his sister. Fay said, “OK, you can have it”. This spoiled his fun so he gave it back.³

An unconventional dating style

Ernest and Jack had a fun but unconventional dating style. They often would tell their dates to prepare a box lunch and to bring swimming suites and tennis rackets to be ready for any spontaneous idea that might come up.¹ Many years later, Fay said she thought Ernest “was handsome and fun but a little bit silly at times”.⁶

One afternoon Jack and Ruth said, “Let’s go to the Gem Theater Saturday night”.

“That sounds great”, Ernest replied.

“How about asking Fay? She seems like a swell girl.”

The South High dance came to his mind and Ernest explained why Fay would not be his choice.  Nevertheless, they persisted on the idea, after all, this was not a dance. Ernest decided to give it a try. He was quite sure, and hopeful, she would not accept.¹

Later in the day Ernest located her in the library. He sat down and they chatted for a while. Then finally he got around to say, “How would you like to go with me to the Gem Theater Saturday night and throw popcorn off the balcony?”

Fay looked a little startled and said, “Yes, I guess so.”³

Stood up

Ernest went skiing the next Saturday morning. When he got home, his sister Lois told him that Fay had called. She said her mother was sick and therefore she could not go tonight.

Ernest was not too surprised. There was a dance at Union Hall at the U. that Saturday night and she probably got a better offer. Nevertheless, he was upset to be stood up and now he was without a date for tonight. “No sweat,” he thought, “I can call Ruth Shelton”. He did and she accepted.

This date was on a Saturday during the winter of 1936-37. Archie Barney’s daily journal almost always recorded each member of his family’s activities and who was ill and who was fine. Livonia suffered with anxiety and was ill quite often. She was very ill through November and December and also on several weekends during January and February. According to Fay’s father’s journal everything she told Ernest was true.

Nevertheless, I am skeptical. I am not convinced that her mother’s illness prevented her from going on an important date. I believe there was a tremendous inner conflict going on within her. Her acceptance of Ernest’s offer surprised her as much as it did him. Like Ernest, she also had second thoughts. She was unaware that she was making one of the most important decisions of her life.

There is something about making a choice that instantly brings understanding. Shortly after she hung up the phone, the right course became clear and the significance became known. She had made the wrong choice and she knew it.

The dance at the Old Mill

Fay had stayed home with her mother where she could be greatly helpful. However, she now regretted that she cancelled the date with Ernest. As time passed, she knew he would never ask her out again.

In the 1930s the man would always ask the woman for the date. However, there was one exception. Once a year there was a girls choice dance. Fay’s sorority was having one at the Old Mill near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. This was her only chance. Fay called Ernest and asked him to the dance.

Ernest swallowed his pride and accepted. “Inspite of myself, I had a wonderful evening in the romantic atmosphere”.¹

They then began to hit if off, enjoy each other’s company and get better acquainted. Their first photo together was taken on Easter Sunday March 28, 1937.

Archie and Livonia Barney were on a trip to California and returned after April 5.² Fay invited Ernest to Sunday dinner to meet her parents in April. Fay’s mother was sure to let Ernest know that she had been ill on the night of the broken date.¹

The dance at the Old Mill was the first of many enjoyable romantic outings together which included the Officer’s Ball at Camp Williams, and the Junior Prom.

Livonia Barney

Ernest told a story about Fay’s mother Livonia when he and Fay were dating. He said she was very finicky about lint on clothing. Often when Ernest came in the house to pick up Fay, Livonia would see a piece of lint or a hair on his jacket and she would pick it off. This was rather embarrassing.

One day, before coming to visit Fay, Ernest got a spool of white tread and put it in his suit jacket pocket with just a bit of white tread showing on the outside. True to form, when Ernest went in the house Livonia spotted the little piece of white tread.

“She started pulling and pulling and pulling, and I thought she was going to die. I could just see she thought she was going to have a sleeve or something off my jacket. Finally, I started laughing and showed her the spool of thread. She never took another piece of lint off my jacket again.”⁷

Summer 1937

Ernest graduated in the Spring of 1937. Summer was full of fun activities. On July 5 Ernest, Fay, Jack and Ruth took a picnic lunch and and headed up Parley’s Canyon toward Morgan.^2,3 They went swimming at a hot springs in Northern Utah. On the way home they all went to a dance at Lagoon. The girls objected at first because their wet hair was not dance worthy.¹

On July 11 all of Fay’s friends threw a surprise 19th birthday party for her. As it turned out, the surprise was on them. They didn’t know about Ernest. Howard was devastated.⁶

The unemployment rate that summer was above 10% and rising. By the end of the year it would hit 12.5%. Ernest applied for several jobs in accounting but did not have any success. The University placement bureau referred him a Job at S. H. Kress Company to train for store management. He got the Job in July.

It paid $20.00 per week and he felt great to get the position. However, the hours were long. Six days a week he worked in the stock room for various departments from 7 am to 6 pm. In the evenings three days a week he assisted in decorating the windows and counters from 7 pm to 10 or 10:30.¹

Christmas Eve 1937

Ernest and Fay were happy and comfortable together. He admired her talents, especially her excellent sewing abilities. They shared religious beliefs and often went to church activities together in addition to the double dates with Jack and Ruth. Ernest soon decided Fay was the girl he wanted to marry.

Fay wore a ruby birthstone ring. One time when Ernest was admiring her ring he “forgot” to give it back to her. He returned it the next day with his apologies. He was therefore able to get her ring size and planned to surprise her by replacing the ruby ring with a diamond.¹

It was Christmas Eve at the Barney home. The stockings were hung over the fireplace waiting for Santa’s visit. Archie had placed one there for Ernest.²

The Barney family had gone to bed and they were now alone in the living room. The room enjoyed a soft glow from the lights of the Christmas tree. Ernest held Fay’s hand. He gently slipped off the ruby ring and then casually replaced it with a diamond. Fay didn’t notice the switch.

Ernest anxiously awaited her reaction. He became tense as the minutes ticked by. She was still unaware of the diamond ring on her finger. Finally, Fay looked down at her hand and let out a scream!. “She gave me a big kiss. Then she jumped up and ran into the into the bedroom to awaken and tell her folks.”¹

Ernest didn’t hear an answer, but her reaction seemed satisfactory.

Married June 29, 1938

Fay agreed to marry Ernest on one condition. That was that he quit his Job at S. H. Kress Company. She was concerned about the long hours and feared she would never see him. She had faith in Ernest’s ability and education and that he could get a better job as an accountant.

Ernest later said that her faith was greater than the times warranted.³ Nevertheless, Ernest loved Fay and believed that it was the right thing to do. Both Fay and Ernest’s parents supported their decision. He quit his job before their wedding.¹

On June 29, 1938, Fay and Ernest were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They had a wedding reception at the Barney home that evening. After the reception, they checked into the Temple Square hotel for their wedding night.¹

Ernest worked odd jobs while he looked for employment. They stayed with Ernest’s parents for a few weeks until they found an apartment. They moved to their first home at 553 East, Second South in July and a few months later moved to 244 1/2 South Second East.⁸

Idaho Falls, Idaho

In January, 1939, Ernest got a job as a bookkeeper with Pacific Fruit and Produce Company. It required that they move to Idaho Falls, Idaho. Fay and Ernest were happy there. Betty Morley and Paul Ahlstrom were there neighbors and they became good friends. When Jack and Ruth came to visit them and saw how happy they were living together in their little cottage in Idaho, they decided to get married also.³

The workforce at Pacific Fruit consisted of an office manager, who always smoked a cigar, several salesmen, an accountant and Ernest. Unfortunately, after a while, economic problems flared up once more and they had to reduce their staff. They let Ernest go.¹

Fay told their experience after losing the job at Pacific Fruit:

“The few months between jobs at Pacific Fruit and Montgomery Ward, we had a period of starving. We were very poor and lived on potatoes and onions. I learned how to prepare and cook onions many different ways to try to add favor and variety. We went to visit Betty and Paul, I could see steak and all sorts of good food on the counters. Betty would offer us cake. I was very grateful, but longed for the meat all the while I was eating cake.”⁶

Finally, Ernest got a job at the Montgomery Ward store in Idaho Falls. He was in charge of the paint and wallpaper department. This was likely a seasonal position that would end after the holidays. At the end of the year there was a reduction of force and Ernest was out of a job once again.⁸ Fay was now expecting their first child so they decided it was best to return to Salt Lake City.

Ernest Martin Chamberlain, Jr. born March 20, 1940

Fay was expecting their first child in March and the struggling couple were welcomed into the Barney home. On January 3, 1940 Archie wrote, “We expect Fay and Ernest to come from Idaho Falls soon.” They met Fay at the station on January 6 and Ernest came on January 11. “Ernest and Fay staying with us for a while.“²

On January 17, Ernest had some work with an accountant down town for a few days. Fay got to see Dr. Andersen for an examination on the 23rd. Jack and Ruth Chamberlin had dinner at the Barney’s on the 24th. On Feb 1, Ernest went to Henager’s (business school) all day where he apparently began a course on short hand. That evening, he spent two hours at an Army meeting. Ernest was expecting to go with Mr. Teal to Roosevelt to see about some work, but Mr. Teal called on Feb. 8.  He said the position was filled.²

On March 19, Archie came home from work early in the afternoon as Fay was not well. Archie, Livonia and Ernest took her to the hospital where she was admitted at 5:20 pm. They stayed quite late, Ernest stayed at the hospital all night with Fay. Archie and Livonia were worried and didn’t sleep well that night.²

The next morning, Dr. Andersen took Fay into the delivery room. He sent Ernest into another room to rest. The baby was born at 10:55 am, March 20, 1940. The father and the grandparents were exhausted, but mother and baby were doing fine.²

Three apartments and a job

Ernest was taking classes at the business college and Grandma Livonia Barney was having fun taking care of her first grandchild. But it was not an ideal situation for a young married couple to be staying with the parents.

On April 22, 1940 Archie took Fay out to look at three or four apartments. On April 23, Archie wrote: “We rented an apartment at 89 M Street for Fay and Ernest.”²

Ernest found a job at Nelson Ricks Creamery in August 1940 and in September they moved into the Olive Apartments at 24 South, Third East. They moved again to the York Apartments 310 South, Seventh East in July, 1941.⁸

Rumors of war

Ernest and Fay planned a party for a large group of their new friends on November 15, 1941. Ernest went to great lengths to be sure their guests had a good time. For one game, he blew out an egg and painted the shell like a football. The object of the game was use straws to blow the football through the opponents goal posts. The seven couples had a delicious dinner and seemed to have an exceptionally good time.⁹

The family was happy. The job at Nelson Ricks Creamery was going well. It was the first job since Ernest graduated from the U of U that lasted over one year. However, clouds of war were forming that could change everything. On November 17, Ernest heard a news report that a German merchant ship was captured by US ships. It was flying an American flag in an attempt to run the British blockage. “And so it goes,” Ernest wrote, “each day getting a little nearer to that which seems inevitable.”⁹

Ernest was right, in three weeks the nation would be at war.

To be continued…..

28- Ernest M. Chamberlain after Pearl Harbor

29- Ernest and Fay Chamberlain Family During WWII, 1942

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References:

1- Ernest M. Chamberlain autobiography

2- Archie F. Barney, A Collection of Barney Journals transcribed by Deanna Chamberlain Grant and others

3- Life of Fay and Ernest Chamberlain through WW2, part 1, on CD. Recorded in England June 25, 1994 by Lyle Brent Chamberlain.

4- Fay’s box of letters 1933-37

5- Fay Barney notes written on gum wrappers, 1935-36

6- Fay Barney experiences told to her daughter, Deanna Chamberlain Grant in 2008. Recorded in Barney Journals.

7- Lara Chamberlain, Conversation with Grandma and Grandpa (Fay and Ernest Chamberlain) From About 2008.

8- Ernest M. Chamberlain, Statement of Personal History (Approval Expires October 1, 1953) Two different undated statements with some errors and variation. One cosigned by Thomas E Shaughnessy, the other by Kirk L. Brimley.

9- Ernest Chamberlain, “Year Book” November 14, 1941 – August 16, 1942