I'll Gather My Geese

by Hallie Crawford Stillwell

In 1916, Hallie Crawford went to teach school in Presidio, just across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, Mexico, which had been recently captured by Pancho Villa. Hallie's father, considering this a dangerous place for a young woman of nineteen to live alone, told her he thought she was going on a wild goose chase. "Then I'll gather my geese," she told him, with determination and independence. These traits stayed with Hallie all her life, and were indispensable in her role as a ranch wife. Raised as a "proper" Southern woman, Hallie was not prepared for the difficulties she faced when she moved to her new home, the Stillwell Ranch, in 1918. But she quickly became an invaluable part of the workings on the ranch. She watched and learned from her husband, Roy Stillwell, and she adjusted to the new life-style that she grew to love. The ranch hands, who thought she would only last six months, came to respect her and her abilities to do as much work as any man on the ranch. They became a family. Then Roy and Hallie started a family of their own. Three children were a handful, and the Stillwell family split its time between the ranch and a home in town. On the ranch outside Marathon, near the Mexican border, work was hard and joy came in the simple things. After working cattle all day, relaxing under the arbor in front of the house was a pleasure. Hallie had a favorite rock out behind the house, and she often sat on it to watch the sun set, take a break from her energetic youngsters, or otherwise gain some tranquility and perspective.The ranch and its inhabitants survived two world wars, the depression, droughts, an influenza epidemic, as well as the everyday troubles of ranching in the Big Bend country. Hallie's story, told in a personal and engaging way, is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of pioneering ranching in Texas.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature, History

168 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1991

About the author

Hallie Stillwell was a West Texas Pioneer and ranchwoman, a schoolteacher, journalist, and entrepreneur in the Big Bend Area. Hallie Crawford married Roy Stillwell, twenty years her senior, on July 29, 1918, and moved into his primitive small one-room cabin, which was said to be about the size of a formal dining room in a modern home, on the Stillwell Ranch. She became a ranch hand working alongside her husband. She later wrote in her memoirs that she learned to live, work, and act like a man. Hallie branded and herded cattle, mended fences, and hunted game, all while raising two sons and a daughter. The drought of 1930 almost destroyed the ranch, but through determination and assistance from the Drought Relief Service, the Stillwells were able to avoid bankruptcy.

In 1948 Roy was killed in a roll-over truck accident. To help make ends meet, she lectured on life as a Texas woman rancher, managed a coffee shop, clerked for the city, worked in a flower shop, handled public relations for the local chamber of commerce and served as justice of the peace. Her literary success also helped the ranch survive through a drought when she started writing a column for the Alpine Avalanche in 1955. Inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1992, Stillwell died two months and two days shy of her 100th birthday.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in what life was like in the Big Bend area in the early 20th century, this is a great (and quick) read. It's captivating and anecdotal storytelling, not great literature.

Hallie pulls you in with her stories that illustrate aspects of life in the region with an oft self-deprecating nature where she learns a lesson, but her wit and humor of the situation shines through. She starts as a young bride learning to be a cowgirl in a man's world of that era and then survive her husband and keeps the ranch running through the drought of the 50s and beyond.

Picked up my copy at the Stillwell Store. If you're headed to big bend, stop by and tour the museum - aka Hallie Stillwell Hall of Fame.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories, but I just felt bad for Hallie throughout the book. She tried her best and given the circumstances she did amazingly. She had a non-communicative husband that put her down for things she had no idea about. I was looking forward to him passing from TB at one point and then he somehow pulled it together for 20+ more years. I just wanted her to be free and succeed on her own. It seemed most of her life was just taking care of him and hardly any of her own needs. Maybe just a generational thing? It ended up just being a sad read for many reasons.

[Phylwil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dearly love this area of Texas and really enjoyed reading this book. It does have the problem of being written by someone who is just not much of a writer/storyteller. It felt like I was sitting in a living room with life-long West Texas rancher, Hallie Stillwell, while she recounted all the trials and tribulations of trying to raise cattle in a desert, making her adventurous life sound mundane. While I enjoyed this intimate style, I think my love of the Big Bend area is primarily responsible for my liking this book.

I appreciated Hallie's struggles to move beyond her background as a proper Southern lady, but grew a bit impatient with her willingness to always take the blame, especially when her husband shared the blame but never, ever admitted to it; or her near worship of the knowledge and wisdom of her husband (he always knew everything). She never seemed to recognize that she had become very impressive: rope and throw calves with a BROKEN HAND; change a flat that required removal from the rim, patching, and putting back on the rim; build a bathroom onto the house with no assistance from her disapproving husband; etc., etc., etc. If it is not obvious, I didn't like her husband much.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1918, Hallie Crawford was not prepared for the difficulties she faced when she moved to her new home after she married rancher, Roy Stillwell. Together the two books tell Hallie's nearly 100 year story--from being a young schoolteacher on the Rio Grande to rookie ranch woman, to young widow, lecturer, and writer.

Places to visit: Hallie's Hall of Fame Museum; Alpine; Presidio; Marathon.

For more info: www.texasmountaintrail.com/read

[Sherry Cogburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir of Hallie Stillwell gives insight into the life of a young bride determined to "fit in" with her new husband on a cattle ranch in the Big Bend area of Texas from 1918-1940. She led a life of hardwork, primitive living conditions, hardships and loved it!

All those tiny Texas towns Marfa, Marathon, Iraan, Alpine, play a big part.

Mishaps, adventures, embarrassing moments, dissappointments and lots of good times keep the pages turning.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALWAYS MARRY A WOMAN FROM TEXAS. NO MATTER HOW TOUGH THINGS GET, SHE’S SEEN TOUGHER.” DAN RATHER

A Must Read for Anyone Traveling to Out West

For each seasonal list, we include a nonfiction pick, the autobiography, “I’ll Gather My Geese,” was part of the winter list and after reading it I’m inclined to include more Texas women on our book lists! Hallie Stillwell was the embodiment of everything a non-Texan thinks a Texan is (even today). She was bold and a bit daring. A woman who did what needed to be done even if she had to figure out exactly what that was.

“I’ll Gather My Geese,” is Hallie Stillwell’s account of how she came to be a ranchwoman in the early twentieth century in a land that is still untamed and dangerous. She gives us a glimpse into the realities of not only being a woman on a borderland ranch before all of our modern conveniences but also being a new wife, a mother, and a greenhorn.

bBy Page 14 She’s Had a Life Worth Living
I should warn this is not a book that reads like a movie. It is not a bodice-ripper and there is only one explosion. This is Hallie Stillwell’s accounting of her life. She writes in a very straightforward easy to read manner without unnecessary embellishments. In fact, it really feels as though you are having a conversation.

She begins at the beginning. By page fourteen she has run from Pancho Villa’s soldiers, been protected by Texas Rangers, and moved to a border town by herself to teach school. About this time she meets Roy, her husband to be, and her life becomes something new, a cattle rancher.

Also of note, this is not history that has been modernized to current values. Though she was independent and managed to do these amazing things she was a woman of her day. She wanted to please her husband, she wanted to be a mother, and she makes no qualms about these things.

On more than one occasion she becomes embarrassed of disappointing Roy, her husband, with some perceived failure. And, it is easy to look at someone else’s life and say, “Well, he should have just…” but that is not the moral or intent of this story.

This story is about how she lived and the choices she made. It is a glimpse into not only another world (as a Texan I have never been ranching like this!) and another time. It is a story of a woman delivering a twelve-pound baby after 48 hours of labor with no drugs and a story of learning to fit in when she moves to a rival town and a ranch wife cutting hair and doing nails to make extra money!

The Wild West
This autobiography will take you back to what life was like in Marathon and Alpine when Big Bend National Park was being established and the small town life surrounding this area of Texas. It is still a time when people equally drove cars and rode horses and came to town for the ‘big dance.’

It is Hallie Stillwell’s story of finding the love of her life and living in the place she loved best. Of raising her family and improving her community in a way that has left a lasting mark on an area that does not change quickly but a world that does.

If you have even a middling interest in Early Twentieth Century American History, Depression Era History, WWI Homefront History, Texas History, Women’s History, Ranching History, or plan on riding out west to pass through her old stomping grounds of Marathon, Alpine, and the Big Bend area, then this book is a must-read. Because, while it touches on all of those topics it is not just one of those things it is a story of a well-lived life. The story of a strong woman whose passion for a ranch she was not born to spurred her to take on tasks she never imagined.

“I’ll Gather My Geese,” is a book worth your time, however, it ends shortly after the death of her husband in 1948. This was not the end of her story. Hallie’s life went on until two months, two days shy of her 100th birthday in 1997. The second volume of her memoirs is called “My Goose is Cooked.”

This review was originally posted on GreaterHoustonMoms.com

[Zena Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book worth your time


The story of a life well-lived by a woman liberated by her own determination and grit. Hallow Crawford Stillwell's candid story is as inspiring as it is informative as she describes the rugged life in the West Texas Trans-Pecos Region near Black Gap at the turn of the century. I LOVED this book and could hardly put it down. Now I am sad that I finished it so quickly. I wasn't ready for it to end.

[Chris Cooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book about life on a West Texas ranch in the early 1900’s. Hallie Stillwell was quite a woman. The things she and her family had to endure to keep their ranching operation going through terrible drought and other tribulations are fascination to those of us who are living in modern times. We have life easy today compared to ranch life in the late 1800’s to the first half of the 20th century. I highly recommend this book!

[Kat Swansey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who loves the Big Bend region of Texas. Southwestern Texas has grown increasingly popular but rarely do you hear the stories of the folks who made the area what it is. Hallie’s story is a glimpse into what life was like for ranchers in a remote area plagued by drought and hardship; at times it was devastating, other times it was hilarious. I’m looking forward to reading the continuation.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from the Big Bend visitor center, and it was a slow start for me. However, once I was about a third of the way in, it picked up, and I am so glad I finished it.

I could totally see the connection with the national park and this super tough gal. It was made far more interesting once I understood the area and what an incredibly tough life it was to try and scrape a living in this rugged corner of Texas.

[Sequoyah Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is heartfelt and full of the things that happen in everyday life. You get the good, bad and ugly and see how a family sticks together through it all. These true stories don't hold back from the trials and wonderful times of life on a cattle ranch. I finished this book feeling inspired not to give up!

[Linda_G · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting memoir of a Texas pioneer ranch wife in Big Bend country near the border. This memoir gives an excellent account of life its hardships and joys on the Texas frontier. If the writing had been a little better I would have given it 4 stars. The writing isn’t bad just not particularly inspired.

[Elisa Gansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling Diary Of A Cowgirl

Fascinating first hand account of the ranching life in West Texas. Less glamorous than “ Giant,” but an infinitely more heroic tale of endurance despite, drought, winds, war and more. Highly recommended.

[Brenda Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read quickly while on a short vacation, quite a biographical story written by Texas legend, Hallie Crawford Stillwell who lived to be 100, experiencing ranch life at the turn of the century in the wilds of west Texas, Big Bend country.

[Sally Lynn Holl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Hallie Stillwell as a teen. She wore red cowboy boots and sat in a rocking chair next to her sister.

It was a defining moment for me as a young girl to meet this pioneer and to read her autobiography.

[Stacey Hammerle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read especially after having spent two weeks in Big Bend NP where I pounded why people would choose to live in such a desolate and dry place. I now understand God makes all kinds of people, some of which need wide open spaces.

[Stephanie T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Live the true life of a Texas rancher

This book tells it like it was back in the early 1900’s. It was rough and it took people with grit to build their lives and Texas, too along the way.

[Steve Eckhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real ranching Real Texas ranching

A fantastic read. Captivating, very hard to put down, Hallie spoke the truth about ranch life in Texas. I wish I had known them. I can relate with them. Looking forward to reading My goose is cooked.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story tells of
Ranch life in Big Ben area of Texas in 1920 -1930's

[Eva M. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for any Texas woman who has a deep respect for the harshness of west Texas.

[Jan Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallie Crawford Stillwell (1897-1997) married a rancher and settled in Big Bend, near Marathon and Alpine. This book covers her life in the 1920’s-1940’s. 5 stars for the story!

[Lisa Spitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one!

[Hannah Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love Texas- it’s a must!

[Sara Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

West Texas Family

If you are interested in the way people lived and thrived in the early 1900s, this is a great book. I am a big fan of Big Bend and it was fun to read about those small towns I hold dear.

[A-bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it.

This is a biography, it's not great literature and she's not a "great" writer. It's just a plainly told history of one woman's life on harsh land, with a hard man, during the the dust bowl, the war, and the depression. She doesn't dwell on any hardships, she's quite remarkable that way, it's all very matter of fact, part of life, and life goes on. What comes across is she was quite a woman, and she held up astonishingly through things that would make most women today lay down and throw a fit (before they got it together). So I found it real interesting, how things, and attitudes, were back then.

The only criticism I have is I wish she had gone into more detail, about a lot of things. Those were some incredibly harsh years and she kind of glosses over a lot of it. Maybe it wasn't important to her, and maybe she just didn't want to be writing forever. But I do think she could have filled us in a bit more.

She's dead now, having died just two months and two days shy of 100. (may she rest in peace) but she went on to write a second book, "My goose is cooked", which she almost completed, and a friend completed for her by adding news articles and letters from her for the ending.

[Kayrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story about her life, from H. C. Stillwell. She married an older man, and uprooted her from her life as a teacher, and took her out to his ranch. Great tales of working cattle, about the cowboys living on the ranch, etc. Loved the part about Indian dwellings, and the ponds that were built. Just icing on the cake, if you love the Big Bend area of Texas, and get a glimpse of it from back in the early 1900s.
This is a treasure...a first hand account by a woman living a ranch hand/wife's life! A true treasure!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing memoir! This was a great introduction to the ranching history of the Brewster County area through the eyes of feisty, strong, and matter-of-fact Hallie Stillwell. It was exciting to read of her adventures (and misadventures) ranching with her taciturn husband--it's unbelievable to modern me just how tough people had to be to get by. This book made Josh and I laugh aloud and weep, too. So great!

[blereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best stories I can recommend to just about anyone, especially a young girl. It's a wonderful, true story about perseverence and growing from a young girl to a mother in a rough-and-tumble, early-20th century ranch. One of my relatives actually met the author, and said she was a lovely woman.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

After visiting Big Bend National Park, I felt compelled to read about what it was like to live in such a remote, challenging area. This memoir was a compelling read and I recommend it to anyone interested in west Texas and the grit that it took to survive there, especially in the early 20th century.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful story. Sometimes a bit dry at points, but always interesting.