My aunt and I were close and could think of lots of things to do. One of her sisters on her mother's side had A BIG family. In all, she had 12 or 13. Most of them boys. They were onery (look who's talking):). They lived about 5 miles from my grandmother.
One fall, due to a budget problem, their school was not going to open, so the 4 boys that were school age came to my grandmother's to go to our school. My aunt and I DID NOT LIKE THIS. That meant more dishes, beds to make etc. After a few months, we had an outbreak of measles. The mother said she would keep them home for awhile. We made sure she kept them home. My aunt and I would walk the 5 miles every Sunday to tell her the measles were still going strong. Remember, there were no telephones; nobody could compare notes. We managed to keep the boys away until their school started.
Another time, my aunt and I were good little (HELPERS?) :) My brother and uncle had dropped out of school and gone to work. They were dating a couple of girls from school. They began sending letters to each other. The boys didn't send as many as the girls, since they sent one almost every day. My aunt and I decided we wanted to know what they they were saying. We would each take an envelope from home, open the letters, read them, put them in a new envelope and deliver them. There was nothing X-rated or even mushy. Just enough to make us giggle and talk about them.
My Dad was born in 1868. Probably married when he was 18 or 20 (I'm guessing). His first child was probably born around 1890. He and his first wife had 2 sons and one daughter (Walter, Clay and Nola) before she died. Walter had moved to Beckley,West Virginia before I was born. I believe he was killed in an accident in the coal mines. Some of his children, as far as I know, are living in Virginia now. Clay and Nola and their families also lived in Virginia for years. Nola was married to Will Crane. Both families later moved to Florida. Some of their children still live in Virginia.
After this wife passed away, my Dad then married a widow with 2 boys. They had 3 boys and 3 girls. This wife also died. One of her sons had gotten killed in some sort of accident on the railroad. There was a settlement. After she died, my Dad bought a house and land with the money. We lived in this house when I was born and until I was around 5. 2 boys and 2 girls were still unmarried but grown and working by this time. We moved to my Dad's other house about half a mile up the road. Lived there until my mom and Dad separated. My Dad soon went to live with my sister and brother-in-law (EULA AND PAUL..) He lived with them until he passed away in 1957. My oldest child was 9 when he died.
NOTE:If you can follow the above relationships, please contact me and help me with my genealogy projects.
I was a child during the depression. During this time, they started the W.P.A,(Work Progress Administration). I remember my Dad, brothers and neighbors working for the W.P.A.
They were hauling gravel with horse drawn wagons and working on the roads. I wanted to help as usual. I was about 5 years old. Instead of my Dad making me go back to the house, he sat me down on a rock and had me make a mark for every wagon load of gravel that went down the road. I thought I had a really important job. My Dad was really patient with me. Needless to say, he petted and spoiled me rotten.
I remember when I was about 11, the teacher said that someday we would have radios that we could see the pictures on. Thus, the TV was invented. I think it was about 1954 when I got my first one. It didn't matter what program was on- I watched it. I believe the first time I saw TV, Elvis was on singing, "YOU AIN'T NOTHING BUT A HOUND DOG". I thought he was crazy :)
I was almost 11 when Pearl Harbor was bombed. My dad always listened to the news on a battery powered radio. I well remember that Sunday morning. It was a terrible feeling even as young as I was. Four of my brothers served in the military in different parts of the world. Thankfully, they all lived and came home safely. Then all married and had families.
During this time, more women begin to work outside the home. They worked in factories of all kinds. I live in the Bedspread and Carpet Capital of the world. Many women found work in these mills. Today, thousands of men and women alike are still working the carpet mills. This was so much better than working in the cotton fields.
This has been a narrative of my formative years. Simple but complex times. A world war, radio giving way to television and the rise of women in society. So much has happened in my lifetime. Now a new millinium.
Please join me for the next episode. We will study the birds and bees. Don't get excited! We didn't learn as much as the kids seem to be born knowing today.
