The life of Elizabeth Chamberlain Pfeiffer, better known as "Grandma Pfeiffer," is an epic of the Old West. She was beloved by all, loved all - her full and perfect life needs no eulogy of praise. Such a eulogy rests in the hearts of those who knew of the wonderful person she was and of her kindness and happy services to others.

She had that something in her sweet personality that made her truly "grandmother" to everybody. Children, no less than men and women of all ages, adored her and she was always a special, cherished guest in any home.

She was born in the fleeting boom town of Plumb Creek, near the present city of Denver, on December 8, 1863. Her father was French, and a trapper by profession, and her mother was of German birth. When she was six weeks old the family went overland by covered wagon to Deer Ridge, Montana, where her brother and sister, Charles and Adeline, were born. When "Lizzie" was six years of age, her mother passed away and at her dying request, the father brought the three children to her father, Jerry Gredig, who lived in the San Luis Valley, on the Rio Grande.

The trip from Deer Ridge by way of Kansas City with ox-team always remained a vivid memory to Grandma Pfeiffer, for throughout the long summer across the plains and mountains there was always the fear of Indian raids, and, as only a friend of her father, whom the children knew as Uncle John, accompanied them, little Lizzie had most of the care of the younger children as well as what help she could give around the nightly camp. As her father knew the Indians well, he traveled alone, not with a caravan. She remembered vividly the horror of coming upon a wagon still burning, with the occupants scattered over the prairie all mutilated and scalped.

Her other great fright was having a band of Indians, surround them as her father was getting supper. The children were hurriedly hidden in the wagon, but her father offered the Indians the food he was cooking, which they accepted with glee, and one even drank the can of grease which he was using. The sack of flour he gave them, they scattered over the ground as they rode away, making patterns as they rode, like children with a new toy. She always regretted the useless slaughter of the great herds of buffalo which she remembered on the great plains.

Her entry into the San Luis Valley was over Mosca Pass and down through the Great Sand Dunes to Fort Garland. From there they traveled to her Grandfather's ranch. Then she and her father went to Pagosa, which was the site of the Indian Agency (Major Head's Palacio) and the first Catholic Church in the Valley, Lady of Guadalupe, as well as Sister School. Conejos was the metropolis of the Valley at that time.

In Conejos, lived the Christopher Stollsteimer family, who were associated with her grandfather in the cattle business. The family was well to do, and offered to take little Lizzie and educate her, which seemed the best solution at the time. So, in the manner of that day, she was "bound" to the Stollsteimers until she was of age. Then her father, Mr. Chamberlin, left the Valley, never to be heard of again.

The little six-year-old now found life much harder, for, in addition to taking care of the children of the family, she scrubbed floors, stirred the soap-grease in the huge iron kettle over an outdoor fire, and ironed endlessly when she was so small she had to stand on a box to reach the ironing board.

She remembered that she had to keep a bowl of water nearby to cool her fingers because the old-fashioned "sad-irons" got so hot on the stove. Then, after supper she must melt the hot grease to pour into the candle molds for next day's use, and stir the green coffee beans in the hot oven so they would brown and not burn. And there was her catechism to study before she went to bed. In the morning, her first duty was to serve coffee and doughnuts to the family in bed.

But when anyone in later years was touched by the longing of the little girl for the good things she could not have, (including the goodies which were always kept looked away from her), she only smiled and said, without bitterness, "Oh, that was probably very good for my health."

Her formal education consisted only one year in a convent in Santa Fe., and a term or two in a Mexican school. However, she had a good command of four languages - French, German, Spanish and English, and her keen mind absorbed much self-taught education. She learned invaluable history and folk-lore of the San Luis Valley from her contacts the people in Saguache, Del Norte, San Luis and the soldiers at Fort Garland as she went over the Valley with the Stollsteimers from their home in Conejos on frequent visits. Two other sources were invaluable also, the stories told by her father-in-law, Colonel Pfeiffer, and her contacts with the Utes and Navajos at their summer encampments. From the latter she learned the art of tanning deer hide and making it into fringed hunter's coats. This was her only source of revenue before she was married. She learned from them also the secrets of their dyes made form, native plants. So she remembered her early life as hard, but on the whole, happy, and her anxiety to help others was her guiding star. Of her later life in the Valley, I will not attempt to give much at this time. It was a life of usefulness, and along her way she gathered friendship as her greatest wealth. She met her future husband in Del Norte, where the Stollsteimers had gone, and she lived to celebrate her Golden Wedding Anniversary with him before he passed on.

Lizzie Chamberlin and Albert Henry Pfeiffer, Jr. Son of Col. Albert H. Pfeiffer, were united in marriage by Father Brinker, who at that time was pastor of the church at Carnero, on June 21, 1879. She often told that she set up house keeping with two brass candle sticks, one brass warming pan, a coffee pot, a black kettle, a dutch oven, and three knives, forks, and spoons, tin cups and plates, all of which were gifts of the family with whom she made her home. She also had pieced quilts and made herself a straw mattress. Lizzie was sixteen at the time of her marriage.

The young couple stayed with the Stollsteimer for three months after their marriage, and then went to Trinidad for a time to live with her grandfather, Jerry Gredig, who set them up in business with one hundred head of sheep. Soon, however, they came back to the Valley, and lived on the Pfeiffer ranch at Granger, above Del Norte, where their latch-string was always cut to friend and stranger alike. Lizzie tenderly cared for her father-in-law, Colonel. Pfeiffer, until his death, and could recount endlessly his famous exploits which he spent so much time in telling her. His grave is on the ranch at Granger, marked by a bronze plaque placed there by the Del Norte Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. It was on this ranch that the 5 surviving daughters of the couple born. Of these five, three still live in Monte Vista - they are Mrs Lena Elliott, Mrs. Elizabeth Higgs and Mrs. Jessie Morse.

Something was missing from the Twerity-Ninth Annual Sky-Hi Stampede Parade (1950) the unquenchable Spirit of Youth which had so long been embodied in the tiny form of "Grandma Pfeiffer" gaily waving to the crowds from the window of the eighty-year-old Barlow and Sanderson Stage Coach as she took her yearly "Million Dollar Ride". She always spoke of it as such, for, as stated earlier, she valued friendship far above worldly wealth, and stampede was the time that she could greet all old friends and make dozens of new ones.

Notables in the parade always made a point of greeting her personally and she had her picture taken with at least one govornor of Colorado. Also, her picture taken on the occassion of her first airplane ride, was reproduced in nearly every newspaper in the USA. It was at this time she attended the yearly meeting of the State Historical Society as an honored guest and was given a special tribute in the speech of the President, John Evans, who is the son of the first governor of Colorado. She loaned the Museum her greatest treasures: the Apache coat with bead work which is now almost priceless, because it is a lost art with the Indians and also because the Chief who wore it was killed by her father-in-law; (This coat is now in the Rio Grande County Museum.) and two letters written by Kit Carson to the same Colonel Pfeiffer. Her ready wit and gay manner made such a hit that she held an impromptu reception following the meeting and gained hundreds of new friends to add to her long list.

Although "Grandma Pfeiffer" passed on June 30, 1950, she still lives in the hearts of her family and many, many friends. She is still with us on her Million-Dollar Ride. (From news clippings from the Monte Vista Journal.)

Indian Dyes: The following is a list of plants from which the Indian squaws brewed their dyes:

Their method was to put several kettles of some certain variety to boil, boil, and boil. They eventually emptied kettles together until the brew became strong enough.

See the remainder of this document as it relates the legend of Albert H. Pfeiffer, Sr.

The above was given by Md. Chester Mathias, as related to her by Grandma Pfeiffer.