Vivian (Busick) Crossland

Birth:

She was born around 1918 in Ohio.

Family Information:

Daughter of Bert and Mabel Busick.

Half-sister of Beulah and Charles Miller.

Sister of Roscoe, Fred, Iris, Byron and Bill Busick.

She married Lionel Crossland while living in the colony.

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: The family came to the colony from Washington in March 1922.  

Home in Colony: In January 1937 there was a re-shuffling of homes in the colony -- Lionel and Vivian took a home that had been vacated by the Stansburys and Bill Brough took theirs.  

Job in Colony:

In July 1928 the girls on the junior part of the canning crew included: Ruth Shoemaker, Captain, Vivian Busick, Irene Hewitt, Rhea Mae Baldwin, Iris Busick and Helen Daugherty.

In 1929 she and Harlan Bridwell worked in the print shop, folding and wrapping papers and booklets and melting linotype metal and moulding it as is the custom in all shops where a linotype is used.

In July 1931 the "Busy Beavers" consisting of Vivian Busick, Irene Hewitt, Jeannette Wooley, Jane Lentz, Wanda Self, Iris Busick, Norman Bays, Phillip Lentz, Kenneth Dean, Archie Ogden, Ernest Ogden, Byron Busick, Jimmie Dix, George Maki and Lyle Layer, under the leadership of Mrs. Killian, gathered Himalayan berries at the orchard in the morning and in the afternoon picked blackberries out of the woods.

In September 1931 one hundred fifty sacks of beans and peas were picked in the forenoon by a volunteer crew of men, women and children. The crowd gathered a little after 7 am and was divided into different crews to look after different fields; by 11:30 the job was done. Volunteers included: Killian, Butts, Lloyd, Baldwin, Waters, Doc Williams, Quentin, Fred Busick, Roscoe Busick, Byron Busick, Vivian Busick, Graves, Webb, John Allred, Melvina Hullinger, Fred Levan, Goeke, Eldred, Tom Farrell, Claud Allred, Earl Swenson, Mackie, Frank Collins, George Collins, Boydelatour, Cleve Campbell, Mr. Caves, Clarence Long, Harry Rennick, Dee Kurtz, Pittman, Edminster, Walter Fread, Clarence Fread, Mrs. Herron, Woodruff, J.W. Gilbert, H.M. Wood, Winegar, Bert Moore, Lindwall, Ole Synoground, Rohr, Carnahan, Hoens, Mrs. Wooley, John Neill, Robert Roe, Warren Roe, Nesnow, Bartrum and B. Stevens.

In June of 1932 she helped Mrs. Killian and her "busy beavers" make peanut butter. The helpers were Doris Layer, Myrtle and Irene Maki and Marguerite Killian.

In 1933 she and Myrtle Maki were assisting Mrs. Maki in serving "rice and fruit in the morning as always."

In March 1934, she helped clear the breakfast dishes in the hotel dining room, then often assisted her mother washing windows and scrubbing floors there; on Mondays, they gathered the bedding from the hotel and sent it to the laundry, then put it away for the next week. In May she volunteered to take charge of the Roof Garden and theater, making sure both were swept and clean for the social gatherings.

Later that year she was among a group of high school girls including Iris Busick, Margaret Brough, Nona Crotts, Rhea Mae Baldwin, Erma Hayes, Afton Lewis, Irene and Myrtle Maki, Crystal Schutz, Jeannette Woolley and May Gossett who reported to the orchard to help with berry picking.  

In July 1934 she was helping Crystal Schutz in the dining room.

At the laundry in September 1934 Vivian and Mrs. Ribbing were doing the ironing while John Dougherty and Thelma Perkins hung clothing out to dry. Arlene Watson was sprinkling the clothes while Mrs. Hullinger and Mrs. Watson were busy helping all the others.

In 1935 Walter Robison was finishing the printing of the Colonist while Howard Stansbury, Mrs. Doehlert, Mrs. Emery and Vivian wrapped them for the mail.

Later that year she was working in the bakery and in March 1936 she was the assistant head of the bakery under Florene Peecher.

Other Info: She often performed in theater programs.

In April 1928 Miss Wilson was teaching piano classes to several boys and girls in the colony. The Girls' Melody Way Club had had twelve weeks of classes and included Hope and Ruth Shoemaker, Beatrice Jensen, Lynn Rogers, Rhea Mae Baldwin, Irene Hewitt, Vivian and Iris Busick, Mary and Myrtle Gregerson.

In October 1928 she was part of a group of girls including: Helen Joe, Iris Busick, Mary Gregorson, Myrtle Gregorson, Lynn Rogers and Vivian Busick who sang "Old Kentucky Home".

In June 1929 she and Helen Joe Dougherty presented some highly artistic dancing, accompanied by orchestral music.

She was one of 16 girls who wound the broad ribbons round the Maypole at Llano's birthday party in 1932 (other dancers included Nellie (Kemp) Bradshaw, Laura (Synoground) Swenson, Ruth Shoemaker, Sylvia and Ruth Tuber, Verda Bradshaw, Hortense Self, Esta Caves, Helen Emry, Winnie (Ogden) Dougherty, Irene Hewitt, Myrtle and Irene Maki, Marguerite Killian, Iris Busick, Flora Young and Rhea Mae Baldwin.)

In 1932 she signed a protest again colonists E.G. Webb and Walter Groth remaining in the colony "to save them".

In November 1933 the weekly bridge club met at the new home of Mrs. Myrtle Bradshaw. Those present were Misses Ruth Shoemaker, Vivian Busick, Mary Lou Monk, Doris Layer, Rhea Baldwin, Lloyd Potter, Earl Swenson, Lionel Crossland, Roy McClean, John Dougherty and Fred Busick.

In March 1934 the High School assembly elected for the new student body officers: Vivian Crossland, President; Iris Busick, Vice-President; Afton Lewis, Reporter; and Rhea Baldwin, Jeanette Woolley, Irene Maki, Program Committee.

In June 1934 she volunteered to help out in the Oil and Mineral office by addressing post cards.

In May 1937 she received a letter from her mother who reported that the family had had a "very pleasant trip to Tacoma", Washington.

Post-Colony History: In 1940 she and Lionel were living in Washington where Vivian was picking berries on a farm.  

Death:  

Sources: Photo Archives; Family Source: Val Busick; "Vernon Parish Democrat": February 28, 1929; "Llano Colonist": April 14, 1928, July 21, 1928, October 6, 1928, May 25, 1929, June 15, 1929, July 11, 1931, September 5, 1931, May 14, 1932, June 16, 1932, August 6, 1932, November 4, 1933, December 23, 1933, March 3, 1934, March 31, 1934, May 12, 1934, June 2, 1934, July 14, 1934, July 13, 1935, August 24, 1935, September 1, 1934, September 14, 1935, September 21, 1935, October 19, 1935, November 2, 1935, March 14, 1936, September 19, 1936, January 30, 1937, May 8, 1937; US Census: 1930, 1940