Spot Light on Josephine Cottam Shaw

for the
Bob & Lou Shaw Family Reunion
June 2008

with the theme of

“Family Recipe Book”
Keith Shaw writes;

Hi Karen, Maxine, Chyrl, Beth & Bob

I have been asked to interview you and write a one page (probably
more) spot light on Josephine Cottam Shaw for the Bob & Lou Shaw
Family Reunion with the theme of “Family Recipe Book” on July 5,
2008.

The 15 interview questions are;

1. What did Josephine like to cook?
2. What are the recipes for the things she liked to cook?
3. What did you like to eat?
4. What one (or more) memory of your mother preparing food
(cooking, gardening, canning, etc) would you like to share?
5. Tell us about bread and milk.
6. Tell us about your mother’s hands and heart.
7. Tell us about that certain cooking smell you can smell even to this
day.
8. Please provide the recipe for one item that you would have liked
your mother to prepare for this reunion (but you will have to trust me
to cook it, if you will be unable to attend).
9. Please share your mother’s favorite (or special) poem.
10. What should we know about your mother and cherries?
11. What should we know about horse carts?
12. Tell us about your mother’s childhood. (Especially the part about
candy)

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13. In your opinion what son or daughter of your mother cooks
something just like your mother would cook it? (Please include
yourself) Tell us about this.
14. Do onions come in any where?
15. From your heart, with tears in your eyes, buckle down and
hammer something out that we can read that goes to our heart with
tears in our eyes. (Let us hear you talk to your Mother).

If it is ok with you, I will take what you send me, make a draft edition,
then send it back to you for your review & approval, and then make a
final edition for the reunion. OK?

Love ya
Keith

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Maxine Shaw Owen writes;

About our dear Mother –

One of the things I remember her talking about when they were newly
married and living in Snowville – was being chased by a rabid coyote
and having to jump a fence to get away from it. It sounds scary to me.

Bless her heart she was so kind and sweet – and so giving. We were
always poor, but always clean (well, almost always) and I never
remember being hungry – she always found something for us to eat.

I can still smell her homemade bread – big brown loaves – and we all
wanted the crust. There was always peanut butter, and honey. And
very often home made butter.

Her pies were delicious, but she couldn’t make a very good cake. I
can remember Venis bringing everything for a lemon pie so she could
make it for her.

Karen has always talked about our fried chicken. Now that is a
memory – seeing those chickens flopping around on the ground – and

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the boiling water ready to dunk them in to remove all the feathers and
pin feathers.

We ate a lot of beans – and I thought they were delicious.

Oh, I forgot to mention the fried bread – She would break off pieces –
flatten them – fold them over and fry them in grease. Nothing better!

I don’t remember her using many recipes. She just seemed to make do
with whatever she had – and it all seems amazing to me.

Mother had a heart of gold – she was always helping others. And she
loved her family – especially those two little sisters of ours Karen and
Chyrl, and, of course Robert Keith. After Bob had polio – (in the early
40’s, I believe) she spoiled him somethin’ awful. (Love you Bob.)

We had quite a few bums passing through were we lived – (now

known as the homeless) and they always came to our house because
she would feed them, pass by the neighbors and come to our place.
She had a few dishes she used for that purpose only – and never let
them use our dishes or silverware. I was always afraid of them,
naturally because they were sometimes dirty and scary looking – but –
she never seemed to be afraid.

There wasn’t a task she couldn’t or wouldn’t do. From milking cows –
leading big bulls around by a chain in their noses when they would get
out – now that’s scary.

Working in the fields right along with some older siblings – and, of
course Dad making sure we stayed in school – and taught good
manners – and went to Church even though she go often for various
reasons. She had a deep, abiding faith. Always – to the very end of her
life here on this earth.

Here come the tears you talked about, Keith.

I just want to say that I was at the foot of mother’s bed in the hospital
with my hands on her feet when she took her last breath – and the
very last words out of her mouth were – “Take care of Karen and
Chyrl for me – please.” And little sisters, you sweet beautiful girls – I

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tried. I love every one of my sisters and brothers – very much. We
have a good heritage – don’t we?

Thanks to every one for making this so special.

Maxine Owen

Am I the only one in the family that doesn’t have a computer?

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Chyrl Shaw Markworth writes;

I am writing about my dear mother Josephine Cottam Shaw. I was 13

when she passed away, so my memories of her were of her later life in
Riverbank, CA. She was a wonderful mother and even tho I only
knew her for 13 years on this earth, she taught me many things during
this time.

She loved to tell me about her growing up in Utah and getting married
and having her children. She loved her husband, children and
grandchildren. She was proud of each one. She was a humble person
and loved the gospel. She had a strong testimony of the gospel. I
remember as a child her bearing her testimony when she felt well
enough to attend Fast Sunday. She really laid the foundation for my
testimony.

Mother was a wonderful cook even tho I never saw a recipe book or
any recipes in the home. Everything was from scratch. She could
make a meal out of nothing. If you know what I mean. Sometimes
those meals were the best!

I remember as a young child looking out our kitchen window in

Riverbank and seeing a huge garden. There was everything in that
garden. It was called a victory garden because it was at the end of the
depression and during World War II. Everyone had a victory garden. I
remember my favorite thing was to go outside and taking a salt shaker
and sitting among the tomatoes and eating tomato after tomato and
putting salt on them! Yummy! She would make jam from raspberries,

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strawberries and blackberries. The corn tasted so good with
homemade butter.

During the school year Karen and I would attend primary in

Riverbank at a community building and during the hot summer we
would bicycle about 2 miles into Riverbank to attend primary. I
remember bicycling home and turning off the main road onto our lane
where our 3 room home was. (It had been a chicken coop and dad
made it into a small house.) As we came down the lane soon floating
through the air was the smell of fresh home made bread. We would
bicycle faster and faster until we got home and there were warm slices
of bread with homemade butter and jam. We were in heaven. This
happened every Saturday until mom became very sick. What a
wonderful memory!

Every night Mom would make Dad Bread and Milk and sugar in a
large bowl. He enjoyed it so much. Mother loved to please him and
then he would finish the rest of the meal. I am sure he did this all his
life.

Mother's favorite recipes which I can remember was her chili, chicken
and noodles soup (homemade noodles,) and of course her fried
chicken. I know her chicken was so good because she would kill the
chicken the day before on Saturday and we would have it every
Sunday. It was out of this world. If she could be at the reunion I
would have her bring her fried chicken.

My favorite memory of mother cooking was when she would make

taffy. This was always done outdoors as I remember it. She would
butter her hands and then take the hot taffy and stretch it longer and
longer between her two hands. She loved to tease us as she would
stretch the taffy almost to the ground and then whip it back up before
it reached the dirt. We would gasp because we thought she would let it
get to the ground, but she never did. She stretched and stretched it
until it became white in color. Then she would stretch it out on wax
paper and cut with scissors into pieces. It was so good. I always could
taste the vinegar taste it had. Yummy!

When we went to Erma's funeral her granddaughters sang “In My

Grandmother’s Old Fashioned Garden". I didn't know it was one of

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her favorite songs. This was mother's favorite song. She would have
me sing it over and over again. It used to be in the old primary song
book. Also when she wasn't feeling well Karen would play the piano
and her and I would sing hymns to her. This seemed to help her feel
better and comfort her.

Everyday throughout my life I have felt my mother beside me feeling

my joys and sorrows. She has always been there for me to comfort me
and to let me know she loves me and still watches over me. I can't
truly explain it, but I know the veil is thin and she is with us each day
with her love and encouragement.

The siblings who were in Riverbank during her last few years tried
their best to comfort her and take care of her. Karen, Maxine, Beth,
Bob and my self did the best we could to love and support her. I am so
thankful that Mother was in Ogden when she passed away. Venis,
Erma, Phyllis, and Maxine were there to care and watch over her
before she passed away.

Here is recipe that is easy to make: I'm sure mom would have loved
it.
Cottage cheese Salad: 16 oz cottage cheese,
8 oz tub cool whip,
1 small jello package,
About 2 cups marshmallows,
About 2 cups fruit (bananas, pineapple (drained) strawberries
(drained) or whatever!
Just mix together and enjoy!

My mother's heart and hands go together!

Love, Cooking, Taking care of her children and husband and working
so hard all her life.
You could put all her earthly possessions in a small box when she left
this life. She left a love of the gospel, love for her family and hard
work and caring for others.

During the depression I remember her feeding the homeless on our

kitchen steps. We lived near the railroad and she never turned anyone
away who needed food.

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She was a wonderful, blessed mother!

Chyrl Markworth

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Beth Shaw Parker Writes

Our Mother, Josephine Shaw, was a very hard working, loving, caring
mother. Besides doing any job on the farm that was necessary, you
would often see her moving our mean bull around by the ring in his
nose. She wasn't fearful at all. She would put all of us children in the
house to keep us safe and we would peer from the windows watching
her move the bull from one field to another.

She made the very best sauerkraut around. There would always be a
barrel of sauerkraut at our home. We would eat it straight from the
barrel, after pushing the mold away or, if we could afford them, we
would have the sauerkraut with wieners.

Beth Parker

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Robert Keith Shaw writes;

A Son’s Tribute to Josephine Cottam Shaw

By: Robert Keith Shaw

I’d like to pay tribute to my dear deceased Mother, Josephine Cottam

Shaw. She was born in Snowville, Utah, on May 6, 1892. Josie
attended a country school, across the State Line, in Stone, Idaho.

Her father, John Cottam, went on a Church Mission to the Texas

Area. A true story is about him finding a dime in the Texas dust,
allowing the Elders to cross a railroad bridge, which helped them in
their work. They were traveling without purse or script at this time.

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Lillie Rose Cottam (mother) kept ties with her family in Pleasant
View, Utah. Many of Josie’s babies were born in the Pleasant View
and Ogden area.

Josie had a sister, Mabel Cottam Ellis. I feel I have always had a good
relationship with dear Aunt Mabel and her family.

Josephine and John Riley Shaw were married in the Logan, Utah
Temple in 1910. They lived near Promontory Point, Utah, for several
years. This was a hard life for them. They lived in a wagon bed for
sometime. Josie’s cooking skills were challenged by this type of life.

They moved to a beautiful farm in Pleasant View and lived there for
about 15 years. John and William, his brother, became owners, when
their father, Edmund Shaw died. John and Josie had a fine family of
nine children. Chyrl was born later, in California.

Josie cooked for the grain threshers. The harvesting crew praised her
ample and excellent dinners. Not many modern kitchen appliances
were available, at that time, to assist Josie with her cooking.

The brick house caught on fire due to electrical problems, but we

continued to live there. The farms were lost during the Great
Depression of the 1930’s.

We moved to Grandmother Cottam’s “house on the hill” for a time. It

is my understanding that Josie and Mabel inherited the home, orchard,
and land after their mother’s death.

We moved to Oakdale, CA. to work on Uncle Eugene and Aunt

Harriet (Shaw) Higgenbotham’s large rancho. The Higgenbotham’s
treated us kindly. We lived in a tent with a wooden floor, located in
their massive oak grove. Our tent was located across the highway
from the Higgenbotham home. Living and cooking were difficult in
the crowded tent with our family of six people. The smoke found its
way out of small openings in the tent.

We moved to another Higgenbotham ranch on Langsworth Ave.

Later, John bought a twelve acre dairy farm near Riverbank, CA.
Here, we had to qualify with the power company to obtain electrical

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service in our home which included purchasing an electrical range. No
more cooking for Josie on a wood and coal stove on a hot day!

Karen and Chyrl and Bob were younger. We attended Riverbank

School and Oakdale High. Chyrl was graduated from Modesto High
School. Bob served during World War 11 in the U.S. Coast Guard and
he was later graduated from Modesto Junior College.

Beth and Maxine was older and helped Josie with the cooking and
household duties. Josie was very ill, at this time. Beth stayed out of
high school for a year to care for her mother and her younger siblings.

The menu usually included breakfast cereal, beans, ham, rice,

spaghetti, Ritz crackers, our own milk, butter, eggs, garden produce,
and chicken meat, etc.
Beth married Sherman Parker and Maxine married Walter Olsen.
Robert went on a mission to the Central States. He later married Mary
Lou Abbott in 1950.

Josephine died on a trip to Utah with the Olsen’s in May, 1951. Her
death was a terrible upset to the family. Later, Karen married Keith
Thomas and Chyrl married Carl Markworth.

Josephine was a constant help and protector to me. She assisted me

with my understanding of the scriptures. She had a firm testimony of
the Gospel and was able to help other less fortunate families.
Josephine had a difficult life but she made the best of circumstances. I
love her. I appreciate all that she did for me and the family. With
Josephine, it was love unfeigned.

Robert Keith Shaw

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Karen Shaw Blakely writes;

Our Mother never measured anything and all of her food tasted oh, so
good. So, we don't have recipes, as such. I can remember some of my
favorite things. They are:

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Salt water taffy.

Cold bread and milk she would fix our father, John Shaw, every
Sunday night.

Chili sauce (this was put up in jars and consisted of tomatoes, onions,
peppers and other seasonings). We would serve over eggs or as an
accompaniant to meat. It was very delicious and my mouth waters
thinking of it.

Delicious fried chicken dinners on Sunday afternoon. This was after

she had caught the chicken the day before, cut the head off with an
axe while holding the chicken on a tree stump, letting it flop around
on the ground until all life was gone, plucking it and skinning it and
cutting it into pieces. She would then brown it in melted shortening,
add a little water, cover it and let it steam. She made the best fried
chicken and was ahead of her time because she took all the skin off of
it and consequently there had to be less calories.

I wish that I had some of her recipes....... Her pies were delicious and
her pie crusts the best!!! The very first thing she taught me to make
was a custard pie.

Karen Blakely

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