The Methow years

Four children were born to the marriage (one died at birth): Merrilyn, Diane, and Keith.
After WWII Bill and Leah moved to the Redmond area where they purchased a service station/garage; the business lasted several years. Leah's mother lived with them, as well as Bill's mother Grace, who ran the service station.
Neither Bill or Leah would talk much about these years, so their children assumed the two grandmothers did not get along well.
Following the business closure Bill started working at various saw mills and become a millwright. During this time they took in several nephews from Leah's sisters when the husbands were changing jobs or during military transfers.
In 1954, they sold the Redmond place and returned to Methow. Leah was not happy about the move initially. Leah's mother Marie joined them there a short time later and stayed in a small cabin on the farm. Marie loved her small house and lived there until shortly before her death.
Leah's oldest sister Rachel's husband died in 1955 and beginning at that time Leah and Bill took in nephews and nieces during the summers. There was no such thing as daycare in those days, even if Rachel could have afforded it. At one point, there were eight nephews and nieces living on the farm. Milk cows were a necessity, as well as a huge garden. The huge garden also had berries that were picked and traded at the local grocery stores. Milk and cream were sold as well. The orchard did not really begin paying until the early 1960s. The milk cows were sold when the children left home.
Bill worked in Twisp as a mechanic for several years during the lean times, and their proudest day came in 1965 when they payed off the farm. It was a good thing too, because in 1968 a winter freeze killed most of the trees. Bill and Leah replanted most of the trees and returned to working outside the home; a new milk cow was purchased as well! By the late 1970s the orchard had recovered and they became full-time orchardists again; the milk cow died and was not replaced.