I'll Gather My Geese [Hardcover]

Hallie Crawford Stillwell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

She was brought up to be a proper Southern lady, but fate put her in a place where she needed other qualities. At 19, Hallie Crawford left home in Waco, Tex., to teach in a rural school on the Mexican border. Two years later, in 1918, she married Roy Stillwell and moved to his remote cattle ranch in the West Texas Big Bend country. Roy had three cowhands, and the author soon became the fourth. The town-bred young woman became an expert at working cattle on horseback; she learned to manage horses and to protect herself from wild animals (she once shot a mountain lion between the eyes). Now a doughty 94-year-old, Stillwell details the challenges of ranch life, explaining how she and her family, including three children, survived illnesses, drought and the Depression. Her story will strongly appeal to readers interested in the early West. Photos.

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-- Born in 1879, Stillwell was destined to help tame the last frontier of Texas known as the Big Bend Country. She records this story in some 20 vignettes, beginning with her marriage in 1918. She recounts how she learns to cope with a strong, respectful but often silent husband, the physical demands of a developing ranch, and the strong love that grew to encompass the ranch family. In a simple manner she paints her word pictures, illustrating the indispensable roles of the frontier woman as bride, companion, helpmate, and mother. The photographs of the family interspersed throughout provide a visual picture. This is a readable book that will help YAs develop an appreciation for the demands of such a lifestyle. Here also is a woman worthy of admiration for her determination, sacrifices, and contributions. A wonderful book for American history classes, women's studies, and family history seminars. --Dolores M. Steinhauer, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press; 1st edition (June 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890964785
• ISBN-13: 978-0890964781
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #642,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent account of Hallie's life from about 1897-1950s, April 25, 1999

By 

[e-mail] or miriam ellison (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'll Gather My Geese (Hardcover)

I met Hallie Stillwell in 1991 in Ft. Davis. I have camped in Big Bend and area, and her book told of her life around there - her early life, the dangers of the area, her marriage to Roy, her children, her ranchlife plus living back and forth from ranch to Marathon. It is an excellent account of Western life at that time - hot, dusty, busy, trying to survive, herding cattle, raising children, enjoying the land. She wrote well. It's easy to read though it jumps around some. She has a second book which I have not been able to locate. She died about the fall of '97, just short of her 100th birthday. Her ranch is still near Big Bend (about 45 miles south of Marathon and 20+ miles above the Rio Grande) and has a trailer park, general store, and an excellent museum.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legendary West Texas Ranchwoman, March 21, 2007

By 

L. Wall (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'll Gather My Geese (Hardcover)

Hallie Stillwell's book is a must read for those interested in the history of the Big Bend region of Texas. She is a Texas legend. The book covers the first half of her extraordinary life in the Big Bend.

Hallie Stillwell did not have it easy. It was hard to make a living by ranching in the Texas Big Bend and still is. She created a family business and legacy by determination, perseverance, and an eagerness to learn and contribute.

Go see the Stillwell Hall of Fame and Museum, south of Marathon and north of the Big Bend National Park.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'll Gather My Geese, January 4, 2004

By 

Joanna May (Loving, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'll Gather My Geese (Hardcover)

This is an excellent read, most students can successfully endure this book and afterward speak fondly of it (and that is no small testimony). The reading level is about sixth grade and the subject matter inoffensive to even the most sensitive, while still captivating the reader. Filled with real life stories about the life of a woman who took on her little part of the west. While not an adventure thriller she manages adventure just fine, in this readers opinion anyway. Her father said that she was going on a "wild goose chase" moving away from home. Her reply was "Then I'll gather my geese".