Written by Vergie Risner as it appeared in the Arvin Tiller/Lamont Report Supplement Oct. 20, 1999:

My family came to Arizona in 1929 from Ada, Oklahoma.  I was 5 years old.  My dad was Martin Bonds and he and my mother Tena Perry Bonds farmed at Parker, Arizona.  There were seven of us children.  After 5 years, my older brother Simon Bonds got married and came to Lamont, and went to work for Lester Frick just 1 mile east of Lamont on DiGiorgio Road.  Lester had a dairy and my dad came out and went to work for him.  We had no place to stay except with my brother.  There was a canal on DiGiorgio and people began to put up tents all the way to Main Street.  We were happy and we had food.  There was an out break of Diphtheria and we had to move.  Lester had a small camp so we were able to move there.  About six months later my dad went to work for Lester's brother Lloyd Frick.  Dad worked for 10 cents an hour.  Us kids began to marry off after we moved over by Arvin.  I married my son Jimmy Phillips dad, but he was not happy and we parted.  I soon met a fellow named Bennie Risner who also worked for the Fricks.  By this time it was under Fred Frick, Lloyd's son.  Of course I had to work and support my baby son.  Bennie told me of his brother Atwood who was recently widowed with small children.  He lived in Oklahoma.  He came out and worked through the Potato Harvest and went back to get his family.  I met Atwood  kids needing a mom.  So we decided to marry.  It was December 3 of 1945, we had no place to stay so we arrived at the Sunset Camp.  We had two tin cabins.  One was used for a bedroom and one for a kitchen.   Boy I thought we had a mansion.  We got orange crates and put them up for cabinets.  We had a Kerosene stove and the House Inspector came by at least once a month.  About six or eight months later we moved into the tent circle.  There were boards up so high and tent canvas over the top. They were nicer than the tin cabins.  In May of 1946 we had a terrible hail storm and had to move back to the other cabins.  In October our daughter Sharon was born.  When Sharon was about nine months old, Atwood came home one day and Dewey Russell who was over the camp called him to the office asked if we would like to move up to the cottages.  These houses were a big step up.  In the camp there were adobe houses, apartments, duplexes and cottages.  We were there when the 1952 earthquake hit, and everyone in the camp seemed to gather in our yard.  Atwood became a Labor Contractor and helped so many people working in the fields.  We moved to the present home place in 1953.  It was a big decision but it worked out for the best.  This is where our children were raised.  God definitely provided us with a beautiful family and home.

            Out of necessity, times were hard, my parents bonded three family together.  In our family I had no step-brother and sister or halfs.  We were raised as one.  Brothers and sisters alike.  Living in the camp we learned to pull together with each other and others in our small community.  To this day I feel like we see family when our Dust Bowl Days comes. - Sharon

Personal reminiscences
The Arvin Tiller/Lamont Reporter
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