Gardiner Family

Moak/Gardiner house. This is one of the Moak houses on Airport road outside of Westerlo. The date is around 1902 – looks like they had a fairly respectable snowfall that winter! Back then, the Moak families had several houses around what is now the airport. Standing on the porch is Adelbert with his mom Maggie Haines Moak. Adelbert’s father, Manley, owned the place at the time. Manley Moak and family moved into town some years later and the house was used for storage. This changed in 1926 when the Russell Gardiner family, from White Earth North Dakota, purchased the place and moved in. To date, the Gardiner family has lived here for nearly 90 years. Martha Gardiner Slingerland, spent most of her childhood here.

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  Moak house with the Moak family about 1902-03
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  A couple of neat old cars from the Gardiner farm (Manley Moak) just northeast of the current airport. The date on the plates is 1941 so the photo is probably pre-war.
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  I like to call this picture "The Clampets" more accurately my family - left to right Martha Gardiner Slingerland, Ralph Gardiner (my father), Lois Gardiner Bray, and on top Russell Gardiner. photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  Musical Gardiner's 1933 Left to right Ralph (my dad) Belva, Martha, Lois, Russell, photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  The musical Gardiner family, from about 1935. Very impressive - two violins, two six-strings, and some sort of four-string device! Russell, Martha, Belva, Lois, and Ralph. photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  My dad Ralph and Grandfather, Albert Russell in 1939 with a Doodle Bug (A tractor made from car and truck parts) — in Westerlo, New York. photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  Belva and Ralph (my father)Gardiner enjoying a horse ride — in Westerlo, photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  acrobatic antics, photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  Aunt Belva driving the old Fordson tractor with spade lugs - 1937, photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  Left to right, Donald Slingerland, Dave Gardiner, Judy Kimes, Laura Gardiner, Donna Gardiner, Larry Gardiner, Front - Jim Slingerland, photo courtesy of Dave Gardiner
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  Belva Sorkness Gardiner and her husband Albert Russell Gardiner, from the mid 1930’s. This is the couple who moved the family from White Earth, ND to Westerlo. Martha’s parents and my grand parents. Arriving in 1926, they lived the remainder of their lives on the Westerlo farm. Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  Martha and Belva Gardiner with calf in front of the farmhouse in 1945. Note the service star in the window. Belva was an army nurse during WWII serving in England, France, and later, in Walter Reed in Washington DC. Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  How real men move snow. This would be in front of the farmhouse in 1940. I believe that the future airfield would be off to the left. Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  Ralph Gardiner pumping water in front of the farmhouse around 1940. Phpto courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  Ralph Gardiner splitting firewood on the Westerlo farm. The road running diagonally behind him would be known as Airport Road today. Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  Martha and Belva Gardiner around 1929. I suspect that this is Thacher park but am not sure. I think that is their brother, Ralph, behind them with the telescope. Perhaps a church outing? Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  The Gardner kids on the farm in Westerlo, about 1930. Belva, Russell, Ralph, Martha, and Lois. Ralph stayed on the farm his entire life. Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  Gardiner family in White Earth ND. Martha (about one year old) is sitting in the lap of her older sister Belva, back in 1925. The family dog Nancy is looking on. About a year later they would be on their way East - a Journey which terminated in Westerlo. Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland
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  Belva Gardiner at her duty station in England prior to D-Day. Early 1944. She was an Army nurse. A few months later, they established the First General Army Hospital just outside of Paris. Photo courtesy of Don Slingerland