Home | Born With a Rusty Spoon
...Many wonderful things continue to encourage me to paint. I am always flattered when people enjoy my work and collect it for their pleasure or to hand down to their children. I am glad I can share my gift...
Bertie Stroup Marah concludes her wonderful autobiography.
...She even started attending church! She laughed when I told her she got nice "just in time to squeeze under Heaven's gate."...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah recalls the final days of her beloved mother.
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah recalls a fortunate encounter.
...En route, I asked her to stop at a drug store so that I could purchase some lotion and toothpaste. As we walked down the aisle of the drug store, I turned to Gloria and said, "With my future so uncertain, I really don't know whether to buy a little bitty bottle or the big economy size."...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her powerful autobiography.
"Once again though, my painting had to take a backseat in 1993 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer## writes artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her autobiography.
"When I first started showing my paintings my greatest thrill was winning awards. As time went on I began to place more value on the appreciation of my clients who purchased my work. For me, that was the ultimate compliment and validation of my artistic gifts,'' writes artist Bertie Stroup Marah.
...we watched in surprise as P.G., who was holding his old cowboy hat in his right hand, slapped it lightly against his leg, shuffled his boot clad feet and looked straight into the doctor's eyes.
"Well, thank you, sir," he said without flinching...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah tells how her step-father received the news that he was seriously ill.
"I kept in close contact with my family, and although I remained concerned for their welfare, I no longer carried their burdens,'' writes artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her memorable autobiography.
..."I'm Mike Marah, what's your name?" He had a very distinctive voice that reminded me of Willie Nelson, one of my favorite singers. With that we started a conversation...
Bertie Stroup Marah tells of falling in love again.
...P.G. emerged from beneath the TV and entertainment center with no lasting injuries.
Jessie was finally shoved outside and Hope got him into the car and took him home. Reita's little dog was so terrified by the commotion that he ran in circles from room to room barking shrilly...
Bertie Stroup Marah tells of a somewhat turbulent wedding day.
Continuing her autobiography, Bertie Stroup Marah tells why her mom hated bowling.
...,My folks were very attentive, practically overseeing every brush stroke, and Mama enthusiastically matted and framed each one of my watercolor paintings. They delighted in my progress. With each painting I was becoming a better artist...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her autobiography.
...Tell stopped by the hospital every day on his way to work. To the bewilderment of the patient in the other hospital bed, he joked about how the wind was whistling through the bullet hole in my chest. She finally realized that we were making the best of a horrible situation...
Bertie Stroup Marah regains equilibrium after attempting to take her own life.
"The bullet missed my heart by one sixteenth of an inch—and, only because my heart contracted as the bullet passed by and then into my lung before exiting my back. Amazingly the bullet did not lodge in my body or destroy any vital organs,'' writes artist Bert Stroup Marah in her astonishingly frank autobiography.
...With the realization that I was still breathing I cried and cursed. The terrible pain in my chest was almost nothing compared to the disappointment I felt at being alive...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her deeply mpvong autobiography.
"I did not recognize the warning signs of danger and death. This demon—a severe clinical depression—crept upon me with the stealth of a world-class thief,'' writes artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her astonishing autobiography.
Continuing her autobiography, Bertie Stroup Marah tells of reaching a crisis point in her life.
Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her amazing life story, tells how she took to watercolor painting.
...Larry's inability to control his temper continued to be an issue, and for years our life together was not peaceful. Five years after his heart attack Larry underwent bypass surgery. Hoping to avoid his angry outbursts, the boys and I tried to humor and placate him. Our attempts failed...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vivid autobiography.
..."What denomination are you, Mr. Anderson?" He pretended not to understand and she repeated, "What church affiliation?" He looked at her through blurry eyes as he considered his answer.
"None," he responded in a sodden voice, "I'm a heathen."...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her autobiography.
Continuing her life story, artist Bertie Stroup Marah tells of trouble at the Cattlemen's Ball.
"Visiting my folks on the ranches they worked was sometimes relaxing and other times chaotic,'' writes artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her autobiography.
...Mama quickly opened the car door and grabbed her army-issue Colt 45 caliber semi-automatic pistol from beneath the seat. She whirled around and began firing at the van until the 9-shot clip was empty.,,,
Continuing her life story, Bertie Stroup Marah tells of a runaway attempt that ended with gun shots.
..."Bee, I just killed a bastard for beating my sister." He took a deep breath and continued in the same mirthless tone. "I told him over and over not to hurt her anymore and he just wouldn't listen..,
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her astonishing autobiography.
Bertie Stroup Marah tells how justice was meted out to a would-be rapist.
...Clint told me that once when he was about eleven, he and P.G. went to Collbran and stopped in at a bar known as the D-Bar-J. Because P.G. drank too much to drive, he let Clint, who was eleven take the wheel back to the house...
Continuing her autobiography, Bertie Stroup Marah tells of family probelms and disturbances.
...In the process of loading Phyllis's possessions, P.G. spotted a box destined for the trash. He was pawing through the junk in the box when he spotted just the thing to lift his spirits from the bottom of their sorrowful pit. With a sly smile, he held an old shoulder-length blond wig up and closely inspected it...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her engaging autobiography.
..."Get your nose the hell out of our business," he hissed at Reita. "She's my wife and I'll do whatever I want."
Without hesitation, Reita reared back and decked him with a right hook. His chair tipped over backward sending him sprawling across the floor.
She stood over him...
Bertie Stroup Marah tells of a tough little lady who managed a bar.
Continuing her autobiography, Bertie Stroup Marah tells of her passion to succeed as an artist.
...One morning after the other hunters had left; he was sitting on a small log by the campfire, peering through his rifle scope at the lovely mountain meadows. Suddenly, he was shocked to see three elk running straight at him. Terrified, he fell backward off the log and accidentally discharged his rifle...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her engaging autobiography.
..."Bertie, I've accidentally killed every damned dog on the place." A strangled hiccup interrupted her teary voice...
Continuing her autobiography, aritst Bertie Stroup Marah tells of a morning of canine mayhem.
...That morning when I went by their house to drop the boys off I was startled at the sight of my sister. Her eyes were red and her nose was running as she stood in the doorway with yellow rubber cleaning gloves and a grimy rag. Before I could say a word she launched into an angry tirade....
Continuing her autobiography, arist Bertie Stroup Marah tells of a night from hell.
...Because P.G. worked on various ranches, my folks had to move into whatever old house came with the job. Without fail, those houses were dirty and riddled with mice...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues a vividly-told account of her early years.
...Even the sadness of Grandpa's declining health could not still the laughter of everyday life. Reita was now fifteen, with an exaggerated flare for drama that provided many good laughs. She was also endowed with overly bountiful bosoms, which at times, like unruly twins, garnered unwelcome attention, got in her way, and caused big problems...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her engaging life story.
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her life story.
"When Kelly was three months old, I went to work to help make a living. Not wanting to leave my children in the care of strangers, I chose family members to care for them. I paid Mama to babysit although she would have done it for nothing. Comforted though I was that my boys were loved and cared for, I often left the house with tears in my eyes. I was envious of those mothers who did not have to work and could stay home with their babies,'' writes famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah.
"A year after Larry and I were married, at age nineteen, I gave birth on August 7, 1959 to our first son, Monty, a beautiful blue eyed baby whom I loved more than I ever thought it possible to love anyone,'' writes famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah.
...Around midnight Jessie came running into our house without knocking, and startled us awake. "Larry, Bertie, get up!" he yelled. "P.G. and Mama have been in an awful wreck! Mama's hurt bad! We need to get to the hospital as fast as we can!" He was fighting hard to hold back tears...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vividly-told life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...Locked in a bear hug they circled round and round, each unwilling to let go. Mama finally ended the monster dance in the middle of a whirl when she grabbed the handle of the aluminum coffee pot and whacked P.G. on the back of his head. The pot was badly bent and coffee grounds scattered across the kitchen...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her autobiography tells of a fight involving her hard-drinking parents.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...My dream of becoming a professional artist faded into bitter resignation of a bleak future. For the next six years I was so angry and disappointed I formed an emotional and creative block and could not do any artwork...
Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her autobiography, tells of a time of ultimate frustration.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...When he was finally released from jail, the man came into the bar while Mama was on shift, ordered a beer, and sauntered over by the entrance. The bar had swinging half-doors, like those in the old western movies. Nobody paid much attention to the husband as he stood by the door drinking his beer...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah recalls a horrific crime which occurred in the bar where her mother worked.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...Mama never told us she thought we were pretty because she didn't want us to be vain, possibly because her parents taught her that vanity was a sin. She would have thought me conceited had I entered the contest on my own so I made it clear that was not the case...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah tells of becoming a beauty queen.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
Celebrated artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continues her account of a turbulent upbringing, explaining how her wonderful book got its title.
To buy a copy please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...In order to contribute to the family income I babysat a few times for our landlady, Rosemary, who was pregnant. With the first money she paid me, I bought some fabric, embroidery thread, and ribbons and hand-stitched a baby dress for her baby. Tears came to her eyes when I handed her the gift. "Honey, you shouldn't have done this," she said. "You should have made something for yourself."...
Well-known artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her unmissable account of a hard upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...After Willie left, we all moved from the motel to a small house in town. Mama and P.G. set their bed up in the living room. We were now a family of four kids and we shared the two small bedrooms, our mattresses placed directly on the floor. Along with the basics—a kitchen table and chairs, stove and refrigerator—this house had something we'd never enjoyed before: running water....
Well-known artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vividly told account of a tough upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...Moving to Artesia did not change our poverty much. Although we didn't go hungry, we barely had money for necessities much less entertainment. Jessie and I scoured the roadside and trash cans for discarded pop bottles, which we could redeem for pennies. When we had enough, we paid the fifteen cents for us and our sisters to attend the Saturday matinee at the movie theater...
Famed artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her story of growing up in poverty.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...After the sawmills closed and there was no other work available it was obvious we would never be able to move back to Weed. On a cold day in December, RG. and Mama made a trip from Artesia to burn the house down for the insurance money...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her astonishing account of a tough upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...We did very few things as a family and weekends were usually spent with my folks, and sometimes their friends, drinking. Instead of spending money on something the family could enjoy, they spent what little they had on drinking...
Celebrated artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her searingly honest account of her tough upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...The responsibility we showed in taking care of Phyllis and Reita, as well as ourselves, made our parents rely on us even more. One winter, just before Christmas, Darrel and his wife Opal, talked P.G. and Mama into going to Juarez, Mexico with them. They were gone for several days. In their absence, PCs mother, Delia, found out we had been left alone, and furious...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah had to "mother'' her brothers and sisters.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...Mama read the Bible regularly but she did not attend church. And it seemed the only time P.G. got religion was when he was drinking and became especially repentant. It made me mad to see him emotional, sometimes crying, praying and singing hymns when he was drunk...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vividly-told life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...The night I stayed with her, Denver drove home after tipping a few too many at Cordelia's bar. Upon stepping from his truck, he noticed Odessa's hens were roosting in the pine trees instead of in the chicken house. The sight of them perched on the pine tree branches at the back of the house must have enraged him, because he grabbed his pistol from under the seat and with a drunk, loud whoop and a holler, began target practice...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her engrossing autobiography, recalls the day she ate fried chicken for breakfast.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...Willie and Jessie also engineered a makeshift tram by climbing to the top of a sturdy pine and fastening the end of an old cable to its trunk. Then they unrolled the cable down the hill to a second pine tree where they again secured the cable to the top of the tree trunk. Finally, with the help of our mules, Buck and Rowdy, they pulled the cable fairly taut...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah tells of childhood games of the adventerous kind.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...I was standing out on the porch, looking at all the things going on around me when a beer bottle whizzed by my head. I took cover behind an old trash barrel on the far end of the porch. From there I saw Darrel, who loved to brawl, smile as he hit his Texan in the mouth. The Texan staggered backward into the porch railing and with a second blow to the chin, the fellow flipped backward over the railing, falling onto the rocks eight feet below...
Continuing her account of the toughest of tough upbringings, Bertie Stroup Marah tells of her parents' involvment in bar room brawls.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
..."Mama, Mr. Angel wants me to go back to Oklahoma next year 'cause he thinks I'm really smart," Willie said in a hopeful voice. "He says he'll help me and I can get better schoolin' there."...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her not-to-be-missed account of a tough upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
..."Mama, Mr. Angel wants me to go back to Oklahoma next year 'cause he thinks I'm really smart," Willie said in a hopeful voice. "He says he'll help me and I can get better schoolin' there."...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her not-to-be-missed account of a tough upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...One day I carved an elephant from a bar of Ivory soap. It turned out to be the best carving in the class and I didn't hesitate to loudly and proudly show it around to everyone. When I came in from recess, my elephant lay, broken in half, on my desk...
Bertie Stroup Marah tells of the exhiliration of discovering that she had exceptional artisitc abilities.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her not-to-be-missed autobiography, tells how Sarge the dog lost his enthusiasm for riding in vehicles.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her inspirational and entertaining life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
...My sisters and I had waited eagerly all morning for our folks to come home so we could all be together. When Darrel showed up, they still had not come with their pay...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her account of a tough upbringing, tells of a trip into town that was commemorated in an unwanted photograph.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
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...As he glanced over his shoulder, his pale blue eyes darted slyly. That's when I saw the hand-rolled cigarette dangling foolishly from his lips, and the burning match in his hand.
The curtain, lifted by the breeze, billowed softly and just that quick caught fire from Jessie's match. Flames quickly shot up the wall. They singed Jessie's white hair and eyebrows, and he began to slap his head screaming, "Oh, my God, I'm on fire!"...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vivid and unforgettable account of growing up in tough times.
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...I once pointed to the shadow it made sticking in every direction. "Look, Reita," I said, my voice taunting. "Your head looks like a porcupine."
Reita turned, saw her odd prickly shadow and she began to cry. Her tears made me ashamed, and I never teased her about her hair again...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her unmissable story of a hard upbringing.
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...During the day, while Mama and P.G. were at work, Phyllis and Reita, now four and three, usually tagged after me. They must have seen me hide my treasures in the attic. Somehow they managed to climb up on my bed, where they engineered a stack of boxes into a stairway. Balanced precariously, Phyllis then hoisted Reita up onto the rafters. Reita soon uncovered my stash. She then passed my treasures down to Phyllis. They broke my dishes and left my doll out in the rain. They also ate my candy...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her colourful autobiography.
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...I remember receiving a set of play dishes, a doll, and most of all, a baton. In early fall, on a trip to Artesia, Mrs. Douglas and I watched a parade that included a high school marching band. I was dazzled by the majorettes twirling their silver batons, and tossing them up as they turned, stepping high to the sound of the band's beat. I dreamed of owning a baton of my own. I wanted to twirl around in white boots...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah remembers a Christmas when she was away from her family.
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...I melted into tears and showed her my injury. "I think it's broke," I cried.
"Let me see it," she said hugging me. I immediately felt better. I burst into tears and the resentment toward my mother for not being there for me completely vanished.
Mama dressed my injury with some kind of concoction that included vinegar, and brown paper. The medicinal affect wasn't nearly as reassuring as was her love...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her heart-warming autobiography.
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...The next day, when my brothers and Uncle Murrel were attacked by the gang, they fought back, hitting one member with a tin can and causing his head to bleed. That evening a tall man in a rumpled suit and low-cut shoes appeared on our doorstep...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her account of growing up in rough, tough times in the Southwestern States of the USA.
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..."Well, you know," Grandma said as she cocked her head to one side and snipped at the armhole of a blouse she was making, "Old Man Counts, your great grandpa, was a mean old soul, and it's no wonder he met his maker in such a terrible way." She paused for effect. "And, Doeny, your grandpa's sister, didn't amount to much either. She was redheaded, you know," Grandma said accusingly, as though that hair color was somehow a curse...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vividly-told life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...That day I will never forget began when I could not get my hair to look right, so I tucked it up under a scarf that I tied around my head. Later that morning the teacher, marching us around the room, chose the ones to be in the Christmas pageant.
"Bertie, pull that scarf off. You can't wear that in the play," she demanded. I stood staring in shock and dread. Then I slowly untied the scarf. My humiliation was totally complete as my tangled hair fell to my shoulders in a stringy mess. To my further shame and misery the teacher added indignantly, "That simply will not do. You can't be in the play looking like that!" I was so overwhelmed by rejection that I sobbed all the way home....
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her deeply moving account of growing up in poverty.
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...A month or two later, Mama bartered better living quarters for us. In exchange for cleaning house for an elderly couple named Kates, we were allowed to live in the garage behind their house...
Popular artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her compulsively readable account of a tough upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...We enjoyed the mountains that summer and were sorry when we had to leave because P.G. developed a kidney disease that needed immediate medical attention. This may have been brought on by the alcohol although our parents never admitted to that. His illness came on suddenly and we left in the middle of the night with all our belongings packed in the back of a large truck with sideboards. Mattresses were stacked on top of the load so that we three older kids could ride on top...
Well-known artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her wonderfully readable account of a tough upbringing.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...No housing was available at the sawmill so we moved into a tent. Actually it was one of the best tents we ever lived in. It was large, with a slab wood floor and siding that made it rather snug. There was room for our beds, a table and benches, and an iron cook stove. As with every other place we lived, Mama had a way of making it feel like home. She kept the floor swept clean, the beds made, and the "kitchen" spotless. She made do with few personal belongings. Her love for RG. must have been strong to have lived like that....
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her amazing and utterly wonderful account of her early life.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...The day Jessie became a turkey killer he was pretending to be an Indian hunting wild game when he let himself into the turkey pen. He had no idea he would actually hit his mark when he threw a sharp pointed stick at the turkey. It was a shock when the impaled turkey wobbled instead of gobbled and a few steps later, fell over dead as a doornail...
Bertie Stroup Marah, the well-known artist, continues to recall her younger days in a vividly-told string of stories.
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...Around this time, P.G. was hired to cut posts and build fencing for John and Paul Moss who owned a ranch in Perk Canyon, above the sawmill. The house they furnished us was known as the Walsom Place and was surrounded by pine covered mountains. It was fairly remote, with few neighbors, but we happily settled in. It was one of the more enjoyable times of our childhood because this was one of those times that my folks didn't drink much...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her gloriously readable account of growing up in hard times.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...We were generally healthy and fought colds and childhood diseases with home remedies. We shared these ailments just as we once shared our bubble gum. I remember one piece of gum that was passed around for at least two weeks before someone either swallowed or misplaced it. "You lost it, you had it last," I said to Jessie...
Bertie Stoup Marah continues her marvelously detailed account of growing up in tough times.
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...Jessie and Willie got a pet pig from Nona Calkins in exchange for crawling into the narrow space beneath her house to drag out a wild house cat.
Jessie, who viewed most people with suspicion, later said accusingly, "The old bat just wanted to see me and Willie get bit and scratched. And she didn't want that runt pig anyway." The wild house cat battle was soon forgotten, and we all loved the little runt pig we named "Jenks."...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her wonderfully detailed and uplifting life story.
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..."Well, you know," Grandma said as she cocked her head to one side and snipped at the armhole of a blouse she was making, "Old Man Counts, your great grandpa, was a mean old soul, and it's no wonder he met his maker in such a terrible way." She paused for effect. "And, Doeny, your grandpa's sister, didn't amount to much either. She was redheaded, you know," Grandma said accusingly, as though that hair color was somehow a curse...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vividly-told life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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To see some of her pictures click on
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...I was still in a foul mood when we were called inside to meet our new sister. I was further wounded when P.G., who had always showered his attention on me, proudly announced, "Come look at my new baby girl!"
Upon seeing his "new baby girl" for the first time, I scowled. "She sure is fat and bald," I pointed out. I had a beautiful curly mop of hair and hoped Phyllis's baldness would make her less loveable. That hope was dashed...
Bertie Stroup Marah reluctantly gave up her role as the only girl in the family.
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...Jessie grasped the dangling harness chain and hung on with all his strength. The mule sped up, dragging him along the rutted bumpy road—all the way back home.
Physically, Jessie suffered only scrapes and bruises, but his pride was more seriously damaged by the family's laughter...
Artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vividly-told and hugely entertaining life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...P.G. had a great sense of humor inherited from his father, Drewy Anderson. In his younger days, Drewy "cowboyed" with Will Rogers in Oklahoma. The story goes that after Will became a well-known performer, he sent a man to Weed to persuade Drewy to join him in Hollywood.
Drewy, having ridden his horse to Weed, listened to the proposal and said, "As much as I would like to see old Will, you tell him I just can't leave Delia and the kids to go on a wild-goose chase."...
Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vivid and fabulously entertaining life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...Upon their arrival in Estancia, New Mexico, Grandma's father and Grandpa Tracy became sheep ranchers. When Grandpa Allen passed away he left his ranch to Grandma Tracy. While Grandpa Tracy was running the sheep ranch, a local thief, by the name of Farnsworth, allegedly kept stealing sheep, and illegally letting his livestock graze and water on Grandpa's land. When Grandpa caught him stealing sheep he dragged him over to his side of the fence and shot him. At that time, stealing livestock was frowned upon by the law, and Grandpa received no jail time....
Bertie Stroup Marah, continuing her vivid and unmissable life story, tells of her feisty relatives.
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...The following day I was wearing a ring with a little red stone that someone had given me. The stone was cut glass, I am sure, but I treasured that ring. I was playing outside in the sand, poking a stick at what I later learned was a scorpion. Suddenly, the stick broke and the scorpion wrapped itself around my little finger. In terror, I started slinging my hand to get rid of it and the ring, along with the scorpion, flew off my finger....
Famed artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her autobiography which vividly brings the flavour of the West of yeteryear.
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To see some of her pictures click on
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...As usual, Daddy left early the next morning to check his traps while Mama attended to seemingly endless domestic chores. She was sorting laundry, looking for clothes to be washed when she undid his bedroll.
Mama was stunned at what she saw; silky red pajamas. Another woman's pajamas! The very pajamas Mama had once admired when Thelma Ruth was showing off her purchases after a shopping trip to Albuquerque!...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vivid life story.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
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...Our water came from a windmill that pumped into an old wooden tank on a tall platform. Willie, noticing several wooden pegs in the sides of the tank asked, "What made all those holes in the tank, Daddy?"
"They say its where some outlaw horse thieves had a shoot-out with the law," Daddy answered...
Famous artist Bertie Stroup Marah recalls childhood days when she and her family lived for a time in an isolated old ranch house.
For earlier episodes of Bertie's unforgettable life story please click on
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...Mama loved Daddy and considered herself an equal partner in their relationship. She didn't hesitate when he asked her to help move a herd of horses from Moriarty to Estancia in the dead of winter. She left Willie and Jessie with Grandma and saddled up to help Hollan and her brother Dick, herd the horses. Unfortunately, a winter storm rolled slowly into the valley, turning into a blizzard. After hours of struggling through the blowing snow, the horses began to slow to a near stop. Knowing they had to press onward or freeze, Hollan and Dick dismounted and led the horses on foot....
Continuing her vividly told autobiography famed artist Bertie Stroup Marah tells of the tough times endured by her parents.
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...Bee had just turned fifteen the following summer and was again working in the bean fields. Although she did not think she was pretty, others did. Baggy work clothes might hide her blossoming figure, but nothing could deny the beauty of her face and lovely smile. She was not prepared for the attention her looks would attract, and she knew little or nothing about sex. In her family, sex was not something "good girls" discussed...
Famous American artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her wonderfully engaging and entertaining life story.
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..."You marry that Indian woman and you won't ever have to worry about money again, Jackson," he assured his son.
A few weeks after exchanging vows, the honeymoon along with his libido, were becoming faded memories. At that point, Jack insisted that he take over their finances. This didn't sit well with his wife and she soon discovered that Jack had married her for her money. The marriage didn't last long after that. She drove him in her buggy to the banks of the Canadian River where she held a gun on him. Her dark eyes were black with rage. His had turned round with fear....
Famous American artist Bertie Stroup Marah continues her vividly entertaining autobiography.
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
Bertie Stroup Marah is a well-known artist whose watercolour pictures have been exhibited at shows across the Western USA.
Her colourful pictures have been featured in national magazines and have been bought for public viewing by banks, libraries and hospitals.
Bertie, along with her four siblings, knew what it was to be poor when she was a child. She was raised by well-meaning, inadequate, alcoholic parents. She survived deprivation, prejudice, domestic abuse, and a suicide attempt to become a nationally recognized artist
Now Bertie has written her autobiography, Born With A Rusty Spoon, a wonderfully warm-hearted story of overcoming adversity to achieve popularity and success.
It’s a great read, and we at Open Writing are delighted to have been given permission to serialise it over the coming weeks and months.
Today Bertie’s story begins to unfold. Don’t miss a single word and episode! It’s a great read!
