I, Delaina Ririe Stromberg, was born on February 24, 1945. I was born in Rigby, Idaho, at the Rigby Maternity Home. Interestingly enough, my mother and her brother’s wife were in the Maternity Home and I and my cousin were born on the same day. We lived in a home in Ririe that my father built on 1st West Street. The only memory I have of that home is when a chicken chased me and I can remember seeing my mother’s apron as I ran away from it. Because of this memory, I have always been afraid of chickens and birds. When I was 3, my grandmother, Leah Ellen Lovell Ririe, passed away. I do not remember my grandmother, although my Dad told me that when we went to visit she would always put a piece of candy in my pocket. I do remember my Dad lifting me up to see her in her coffin. I can remember where the coffin was in her home. After her passing, we moved into her home in Ririe, which is still there. It is a beautiful rock home and now owned and maintained by my nephew, Dell Tyler and his wife Kate. The rock came from the quarry that was up where the Ririe Dam is at this time. I have always appreciated one of the stories my Dad told me about the home. He said that his Dad was called on a mission to England when the home was being built. His wife wanted to get the home completed as they were living in a small home next door, so she had one of her cousins do some of the rock. When my Grandfather returned, he was very disappointed in the work that was done and didn’t let him do any more. You can still see a small patch of the work that he did and see that it doesn’t conform to the rest of the house. We lived through the field from my Uncle Jim and Aunt Verna Perry Ririe. They had a daughter, Elaine, who was only two months older than me. We were best friends and are still best friends. They had a large red barn at their place with a hay loft and we had many fun times playing Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the barn. I remember one time we were riding double on her horse and the horse lowered his head to get an apple off the ground and we both slid off. Another experience I remember was when Elaine talked me in to letting her cut my hair. We were about 5 and the hair cut was not good. My mother was very angry at me and I never let anyone who didn’t know how cut my hair again. Elaine told me later that she was jealous of my hair and that was why she talked me into letting her cut it.
