Hard Times, Good People

There is one question that victims of the Great Depression knew not to ask: what did I do to deserve this? The answer was the same for nearly everyone; it was your turn. Homer and Ella Dickinson suffered the worst of times, lost jobs and lost homes as life and tragedies caved in on them. They were forced to relocate six times while Homer looked for permanent employment. When all that was going on, they had kids to care for, and sadly, two children to bury and mourn.

As the Depression loosened its grip, Homer found steady work for the railroad in Pendleton, Oregon. The family started again with their two remaining sons, George and Gibb, then terrible luck, World War II. The oldest son, George, went to war in the summer of 1943 and trained as a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne. On the night of June 5, or very early morning on June 6, he parachuted into Nazi-occupied France during the D-Day invasion. George would be part of a very large task force of courageous young American men who fought their way into Germany.

George survived and returned to Pendleton and soon married his high school sweetheart, an intelligent young woman from the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Of course, there were comments, complaints, and whispered insults about the mixed-race marriage of George Dickinson and Sulema Lopez. Both families were very supportive of the marriage and headed off many rude and unwanted objections that were aimed at George and Sulema. That support eased much of the tension that may have arisen, and the couple led very fulfilling adult lives that were blessed by twins.

The person most responsible for the family's strength and cohesion during the hardest times was Ella, who had enough love and compassion for anyone who entered her circle. Her motto, "God loves you, so do I," was introduced to her by her father, a Baptist pastor. She lived it and took care of her "little corner of the world," right up to the time of her death.

Hard Times: Good People is about those who step up and take on life's most demanding challenges and setbacks. To get through those times took nothing short of everyday heroes.