Marjorie King Ence Oral History - May 4, 2011

In this oral history from May 4, 2011, Marjorie King Ence recounts her upbringing on a large cattle ranch in Boulder, Utah, where she and her four sisters served as "cowboys" due to the lack of male siblings, participating in cattle drives and haying. She discusses the importance of saddles to cowboys, her father's prized horse, and the challenges of growing up with severe asthma in a rural environment lacking medical care. Ence details her experiences leaving Boulder for high school due to the lack of local schooling and later returning with her husband, who struggled with ranch work. She shares anecdotes about her father's roping skills despite a hand injury, his disdain for hunters, and the family's self-sufficiency through raising their own meat. The interview also touches on the devastating impact of the Great Depression on local cattlemen, the family's survival, and a candid discussion about the culture of Mormonism in Boulder, contrasting it with more traditional communities and reflecting on the role of history writing.