A Starr turns 90

On January 31, Merle (Ward) Starr will celebrate her 90th birthday.

Though she may not have the deep roots other families in the Valley claim, Merle has been a lifelong Saratoga resident having been born in the Valley in 1932. She also has the privilege to see the 3rd and 4th generation of her family live and thrive in Saratoga.

Merle's father, Fred Ward, Sr., was born in Addison, Michigan in 1892 and was one of 10 children. At the age of 8, Fred's mother passed and the children were all taken in by relatives and went their separate ways. As a young man, Merle's father hopped a freight train with a friend and both left Michigan to travel to California.

The conductor kicked both young men off the train in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. While they both got jobs on local ranches with the intention of continuing to California, their plans changed. Fred's friend returned to Michigan while he stayed in the area and continued to work on ranches. It was during that time he met his future wife, Georgia Thompson.

Georgia had arrived in Burns, Wyoming to live with her mother and sister, Lestie Johnson. Lestie was a teacher, as was Georgia, who soon got a job teaching. As it was the height of World War I, Fred was called upon to serve his country and so the two agreed to wait until his return to be married. In 1925, the Wards-along with their eldest three children and Georgia's mother-left Burns for Saratoga.

Though Fred had filed a homestead 18 miles west of Saratoga, the Great Depression eventually forced them to move into town after two winters of giving the homestead a go.

"I went to school right here in Saratoga, I graduated in 1950 and I didn't go on to school because we were on a ranch and we were dairy farmers," said Merle. "I met Ralph (Starr) and we were married on May 27, 1951."

After she graduated from high school, Merle had gone to work at Saratoga State Bank. She worked for two years, but left as she was pregnant with the couples' first child. 

"I went back to work and I worked 20 years right to the day," said Merle. "So, I had worked a total of 22 years. I went from there and I decided I couldn't stay at home, so I went to work for CalGas, which turned into AmeriGas. I went to work on April 1 and worked there for 15 years and I quit on April 1." 

For a brief period of time, Merle and Ralph lived in Hanna. While the town in northern Carbon County was known for its coal mines, Ralph worked in the lumber industry. It was while working in Hanna the family became involved in the Lutheran Church.

"When we were in Hanna, all the people that came into Hanna to work at the timber company were from Wisconsin and Michigan. Ralph was not a Lutheran. He was baptized Lutheran but had never been in a church much," Merle said. "When we got over there, all those people from Michigan and Wisconsin were Lutherans. So, they got to working on him."

Merle was raised Presbyterian, but agreed to attend Lutheran services on one condition; Ralph would attend church with her and the children. According to Merle, her husband did not miss one day of church afterwards.

When the family moved back to Saratoga, they helped found Saratoga's Lutheran Church and Merle was a charter member.

Merle and Ralph had four children; Patty, William (Bill), Marilyn and David. Patty passed away as a child while Bill was lost to the mines in Hanna. Marilyn and David lived in Saratoga until their passing with Marily passing in 2014 and David passing in 2015.

From her four children, Merle has four grandchildren, two of whom still live in Saratoga. Kandi and Dan Starr both graduated from Saratoga High School. From her four grandchildren, Merle also had 10 great-grandchildren.

Longevity seems to be a trait of Merle's family. Her father passed away in 1979 at the age of 87 and her mom passed away in 1987 at the age of 93.

"I think, of all my family, my oldest sister lived to be 97, my oldest brother lived to be 93. My sister Winny died in June of last year and she was 95," said Merle. "Everybody says to me 'You'll live forever'."