Bea Underwood talks about moving to Battlement Mesa with her parents in 1917. She recalls her parents’ farm and ranch, and the various ranches that her parents purchased. She speaks about her father’s general store in Parachute (then Grand Valley). She remembers her long career as a school teacher in the Grand Valley, teaching first grade (Bea Underwood Elementary School in Parachute is named for her), and her husband’s career as a section foreman on the railroad before switching to the life of a farmer. She discusses her childhood on Battlement Mesa, games she played with other children, life in the Battlement Mesa School, and early families of Battlement Mesa. She gives her memories of Parachute, riding to high school on horseback, her college education, and her first teaching job. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
