ANITA DAVIS RIBIC

Granny was born in England in Birmingham where her father was an artist. On his death her mother remarried a man who was much stricter than her father. In her middle teens she became a maid in the home of a wealthy British family. The lady of the house would inspect her work daily by using a white linen handkerchief to wipe the furniture and staircase surfaces to determine that there was no dust on them. At eighteen, Granny's brother in New Jersey sent her money to come to the United States. After she arrived she was a governess-maid to the children in a very wealthy family in Philadelphia. It was while she was there that she met my grandfather. He had been born in London and had come to the United States early in life after having served in the British Army, Scotch Division, that was stationed in Gibraltar. After a short while...they were married and both of them left for Phoenix, which at that time was smaller than Bisbee...this was about 1886, 1887. Not too long after that they went to Tombstone. (My grandmother) was an entrepreneur all of her life and at that time had a candy store along with (my father's) shoe store in the same building. 

In 1888, they came to Bisbee. (My grandmother) insisted that my grandfather build her a house up the canyon. She lived in a dugout in the mountain there where she got her water from the well. One time the Indians came through...and she gave them some bread and water and sent them on their way. While she was there she sold water when there was a drought. At one time she sold water for 5 cents a bag. Some of the Mexican men who had burros...would get the water from her and she would stand out and they would draw the water out of the well and she charged by the bag. (Then) they started building the house which still stands. It's the first one on the County records. She was a business woman. 

My mother was born (here in Bisbee). (One of seven children), all were made to help with a lot of things around the house. My mother had to quit school in the eleventh grade. She loved school. She was needed at home to take care of the boys who were working for my grandfather in the shoe store. 

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