Kathryn: I went in the Navy in 1970, and I got out in 1980 because my husband retired and because at that time, women couldn't have dependents being in the service. So I had to get out, or I would have to give my husband full custody of my kids that I had--well, they were both of ours--but you know, and I refused to do it. So I said, “put me out.”
I waited 18 years, and then, I went back in the reserves and finished my 20 years. 

After that, I owned Dirty Sally's. It's a souvenir shop and ice cream parlor. It’s over in Ten Sleep, and on the 4th of July, they have the parade, they have a rodeo, a street dance, and all this and that. When I owned Dirty Sally's, I brought in fifty five-gallon buckets of ice cream during the 4th of July! Just for the week. And that's a lot of scooping. I can tell you. 

Misty: You must have strong arms. 


Kathryn: Back then! Probably now, I'm kind of weak. But anyway. Yeah. 

Nancy: So you were in Ten Sleep for a while? 

Kathryn: For 20 years. Well, when I first bought Dirty Sally's…Bob Bolts, he owned the Big Horn Bar, and he told me, “you'll only last a year.” Well, I had to get kinda feisty and think, no, I'm gonna last more than a year. And so I lasted 20 years. 


Nancy: What do you sell in your booth at the Farmers Market?

Kathryn: I have flannel nightgowns, pot holders, dishrags, gnomes, quilts, chokecherry jelly, strawberry rhubarb jam, chokecherry juice. I was really surprised when somebody asked me if I sold my chokecherry juice. I thought about it and I thought, “yeah! I might as well.” And so I've had people buy it to make their own syrup, to make wine. I mean, my grandpa made wine all the time. So that was okay. 

And then I had a lady that said she was a “purifanist.” What I understand with a purifanist is they don't have chemicals in any of their food. That’s my interpretation of it. I don't know. But anyway, she bought it [the chokecherry juice]. And then today I sold five quarts of juice. One lady makes syrup. Another, you know, drinks it.
I don't know if I'd want to drink chokecherry, but I eat chokecherries when I'm picking the chokecherries. So I don't know. 

Misty: Is it hard to make the juice? 

Kathryn: No. Because all you do is you boil up the chokecherries until they pop open, then you boil it for at least a half an hour or 45 minutes or, you know, however long you feel like it. Then you have to use a food mill to get out the juice and the pulp. The juice is hot, so you just put it in the quart jars, seal them up, and give them a hot water bath. And I do it by the quart jar because that's one batch of jelly. 


Nancy: You mentioned some other things in your farmers market shop. Do you make the quilts and other things?

Kathryn: Yes, I do all of that. I learned how to knit when I was ten, and I learned how to crochet when I was five. I'm 75 now, so, you know. And my mom was a tailor, so I learned how to sew and stuff like this. My claim to fame was that I made, in 4-H, an all-wool coat that went to the national [competition] for the wool contest they have there. It placed in third place there. That was when I was in high school. I know how to spin and weave and…you know, just, it's a lot of fun. 


Nancy: Did you do those handcrafts, those creative kinds of things in your downtime when you were in the military or was it something you picked up later?

Kathryn: Yeah. Well, because in the military when I first went in, every two weeks I made $48. So I would knit or crochet or sew or I did folding flowers and stuff like this, you know? And I'd sell that stuff. So, yeah, it was something. 


Nancy: Tell me about the farmers market? What makes it a great thing for Buffalo? 


Kathryn: Well, it's down here at Crazy Woman Square and it brings people in, and it kind of helps like…say if you made jewelry, for instance, but you don't have an outlet for it. You can set up at a farmers market or a craft fair and that helps you generate money or get rid of some of your excess jewelry. Does that make sense? 


Nancy: It totally makes sense, yes. Do you get to know the other vendors in the market? 


Kathryn: Yes. It's kind of like a community with all the other vendors. You really get to know them. And I'm a cheapskate, so I don't…a lot of people go around and they'll buy other vendors’ stuff. What I like about doing farmers markets and craft fairs is that a lot of stuff you can't buy at Walmart, Michael's, or wherever. Because it's unique stuff that the people make. You know, it's like this glass that they've made…you can't find that in a store! 


Nancy: Are there any farmers markets around during the summer? 


Kathryn: Well, right now, there's hardly any produce out there because tomatoes haven't ripened yet. My beets are only the size of a marble! It’s too early, but in another couple weeks people will start bringing their lettuce, their string beans, their rhubarb, and stuff like that. So it’s a way for people to sell their stuff. I remember when I was younger, my mom always said, “when the zucchini is ready, lock your car or you'll have zucchini when you get back!” So it's a way to get rid of your zucchini instead of putting it in somebody's car!

Nancy: So this has been wonderful learning about the farmers market and learning about some of your stories. You came back to Wyoming after a lot of travel and seeing the world. What do you personally feel is special about Wyoming? 


Kathryn: The honesty and the people and stuff like this. And, there's room to, like, if I wanna go up to the mountain and sit there and nobody's around, which is great, you know? Nobody's scratching my back or anything else. I mean, you have room to do…to maybe just do nothing! You don't have to worry about who's behind you, who's in front of you, who's on this side or that side. And like when you're going down the highway, you don't have to worry about all these cars around you. You can see the deer, the antelope, the cows, the horses, and stuff like this. That's the way I look at it, you know?

Note: The transcript above has been condensed from its original audio recording to improve the flow and readability of the story.