Robert`s grandfather, George Jewett, was from Minnesota. Little is known about where George`s grandfather originated from. George`s nationality was English, Irish, Scotch, and a trace of French.
Robert`s grandmother, Alvina Klatt, was born in East Berlin, Germany. She was a natural blonde and is remembered as a real kind and sweet lady. When she was sixteen, she came to the United States with her parents and they settled in the Minneapolis area of Minnesota.
After they were married, George and Alvina left Minnesota by oxen team and settled in the area of east Rapid City, South Dakota. They raised eight children, including Oliver, Robert`s father. Oliver was born in a dugout on June 23, 1890.
When Oliver was young, his family moved to Fairpoint, South Dakota. Their home, barn, and shed were built of logs. At Fairpoint, they started a road camp. People passing through could have supper and stay for the night. Their horses were fed and cared for. In the morning, they could also have breakfast.
Robert`s mother, Verla Halstead, was born and raised on a farm on the east outskirts of Pecatonica, Ill. Being a school teacher brought his mother to South Dakota. Her first assignment was four and a half miles south of Isabel at a country school. She rode horseback to and from school each day.
When World War II broke out there was a shortage of teachers. As a result, Robert`s mother earned her master degree and taught school for several years.
Robert`s mother was very active in community affairs and loved to travel. She took two trips to the European countries.
Robert`s father-Oliver Jewett- attended school in Deadwood and Sturgis. His formal education ended when he completed the third grade. The school sports they had were who was the best wrestler and won the most foot races. At the time that Robert`s father went to school, students only attended school for four months out of the year. Oliver left home at the age of fourteen, working at odd jobs. At the age of sixteen he operated a hack wagon from Faith, South Dakota to Sturgis. Wagons, buggies, and horseback were the only means of travel at this time. Robert asked his father what they hauled in the hack wagon during that time. His father told him that sometimes they hauled a passenger or two, eggs, cream, lumber, and light freight.
After Oliver and Verla were married, Oliver went to work for M.J. Smiley. The Smiley headquarters was where Lyle Ruby lives at the present time, located about seven miles east of Belle Fourche.
Mr. Smiley was a very successful man at the time and owned a large number of sheep. ``As a young kid I remember the old timers talking about the Smiley claim the extended from Box Elder, Mont. to Sulphur Creek, South Dakota.`` In 1910 the government opened up land for lease at four cents per acre. This area was located in Corson, Ziebach, and Dewey County. Mr. Smiley sent a few bands of sheep to this area. Oliver and several other men from the Belle Fourche area were transferred to that area to continue working taking care of the sheep.
Eventually, Oliver purchased a band of sheep from Mr. Smiley. After Oliver`s death, Robert`s brother found a written contract that Mr. Smiley and Oliver had. It stated that the sheep had to be fed 2 ounces of corn per head every day during the cold winter months. Robert and his brother were amused because today that would be considered close to a starvation ration.
Oliver was transferred to the area east of Thunder Butte at this time. He and his brother were caring for a flock of sheep and a hard storm hit-consisting of heavy rain, hail, and severe lightning. Oliver`s brother was hit by lightning-killing him and his horse. Oliver loaded his brother in a lumber wagon and hauled him to Rapid City. He was laid to rest in the Jewett lot at the Rapid City cemetery.
A short time later, Oliver Jewett purchased a ranch 14 miles south of Isabel, South Dakota. His wife, Verla, transferred to another school closer to the ranch. Her transportation was still horseback. The real estate on this ranch contained a log house and log barn. The water supply was a well near the house and a well at the barn. The water was all pumped by hand. The cooking and heating was done on a kitchen range which burned wood or coal.
Because of Robert`s mother having hay fever, his father purchased a home in 1955 in Belle Fourche for her to live in. Her health problem was solved. The home was on 1605 12th Ave.
Oliver Jewett passed away at the John Burn`s Memorial hospital, April 26, 1976. Verla Jewett passed away October 26, 1988, at the age of ninety-one. Both of his parents are laid to rest in the Pine Slope cemetery.
Oliver and Verla raised six children, four boys and two girls. Their oldest daughter, Jane, graduated from high school at Isabel, South Dakota and from the business college in Rapid City. During World War II, she worked at an army base office at Trenton, New Jersey. She spent her life as a broker dealing in stocks at Lincoln, Nebraska. Her life was claimed by cancer.
Their daughter Bonnie also graduated from high school and from the business college in Rapid City. During World War II, she worked in an army base office at Trenton New Jersey. Following the war she worked in a State highway office until she got married. She spent a few years on her and her husband`s ranch. Later her husband worked for Bell Helicopter taking them to foreign countries. Her and her husband are now retired and living in Phoenix, Arizona.
Oliver and Verla`s son Gwyn engaged in ranching following graduation from high school. He has been very active in community affairs. At the present time, he still lives on his ranch south of Isabel and is planning to retire this year.
Robert`s brother, O.A. Jewett Jr. graduated from Isabel high school. He attended school at Aberdeen Normal University in Vermilion, South Dakota, 2 years in south St.Paul, 3 years in Chicago at a school of optometry. At the present time, O.J. has a home and business in Belle Fourche.
Jack, his youngest brother, graduated from high school at Isabel, South Dakota. He spent several years ranching south of Isabel. Later he bought a farm at Glen Cross, South Dakota and raised livestock. He has since moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
Robert spent first grade through fifth grade attending country schools. His first year of school, he rode a shetland pony to school. He was thrown off more times than he stayed on. In the 3rd grade, his mother was the teacher. He attended town school in Isabel, graduating from high school in the spring of 1937.
Robert`s first job when he was a kid was mowing weeds along the highway. He got paid nine bucks an hour and that was towards his labor, the mowing machine, and the team of horses. ``I was just a snot-nosed kid, I wasn`t even done with school and I mowed weeds along the state highway in the summer.``
He attended school in Brookings and studied diesel engineering. Then he quit because he wanted to get into something where he didn`t have to work inside all of the time. He didn`t like sitting at a desk with a T square, a compass, and an ink quill pen.
In the spring of 1939, he returned to Isabel and engaged in farming, ranching, and raising sheep. A short time later the Army called Robert and he took advantage of agriculture deferments which allowed him to stay at home instead of go into the service. However, four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, April 11, 1941, Robert decided to enlist. Each time he called the Army, they said he had to wait for an opening. ``Men volunteered for the service faster than they could be placed. As a flag-waver, I wanted to fight for my country and democracy. I checked into the Marines, passed the physical, and signed up for four years as I figured the war would last at least that long. Things were pretty scary at the time and the outcome didn`t look good. It`s either fight, and fight to kill, or get killed. That`s about the way they put it to you. It puts your heart right up in your throat, I mean it did.``
He returned home after the war was over. Then he went back into farming and raising sheep.
Robert married Gladys Hirsch on November 2nd, 1947. They spent their first 14 months of marriage living in a sheep wagon and taking care of their sheep and doing farm work such as putting up the winter feed.
Their sheep wagon was small so they purchased a new 30 foot trailer house. ``It was heavy being all metal and very sturdy. The wind didn`t rock it at all. This was our home for two and one half years. Our next step was our first home not on wheels.``
Robert and Gladys` oldest son, Robert, was born December 11th, 1949 during the well-remembered blizzard. Their second son, Jim, was born on June 11th, 1953. In 1957 their twins, Jay and Mae, were born on July 7th.
Robert and Gladys lived south of Isabel and during their last four years there, their ranch was struck by a severe drouth. They had to buy almost all of their feed for the livestock. They were lucky enough to be able to sell out.
February 23rd, 1960, they bought a home one mile west of Fruitdale. It was quite a change because they were no longer 90 miles from the nearest doctor. They were closer to good schools. It was a better climate and a nice place to live. ``1960 was the driest year since 1910 here as the older folks stated. With irrigation at our new place, we were in 7th heaven.``
Robert and Gladys Jewett still live in Belle Fourche. ``We`ve been well blessed over the years. We still live in the area. We are not retired, we just move slower and do get tired.``