Courtesy of Google Images One winter Grandpa and Grandma Jones came to visit us and Aunt Jessie and Uncle Will. They came in a covered wagon. People were real nice to them and let them camp in their yards. We all thought the reason they came in the wagon was that Grandpa didn’t trust anyone to look after his team.
Mamma, Walter and I were invited to Aunt Jessie’s the day her club met with her. We saw Walter looking all over the house. Someone asked him what he was looking for and he said, he was looking for the club.
Mamma, Walter and I were invited to Aunt Jessie’s the day her club met with her. We saw Walter looking all over the house. Someone asked him what he was looking for and he said, he was looking for the club.
Ruth and Walter McClure Aunt Ina had a lot of apples where she lived. One time my Grandpa and Aunt Marjorie took Walter with them to pick what they wanted. They had Walter climb up in the tree to shake the apples down. He would wait until Marjorie bent over then hit her in the rear. She would get so mad and wanted Grandpa to get Walter down and spank him but Grandpa wouldn’t do it.
Walter played with our cousin Bobby Wiles and Elwood Compton who lived across the alley. One day they were in the shed back of Compton’s house. The Silvey Family lived just across the alley. Mrs. Silvey came to our house with Wilma Fay who was screaming at the top of her voice. Mrs. Silvey said “Mrs. McClure, Mrs. McClure, your boy shot my girl.
While Papa and Mrs. Silvey examined Wilma Fay - Mama went to hunt the boys. There was either a hand dug well or a cistern in the back lot. There wasn’t any water in it and the boys used it for a hideout. Mama found them there and told them to stay there for awhile. I don’t know which one shot the BB gun but Walter got the blame. Really Wilma Fay wasn’t hurt and I imagine she made a good target bent over.
There were five or six kids in the Silvy family. Mrs. Silvey loved to go to funerals whether she knew the family or not. She would take a syrup pail of water for the kids to drink. It took a whole pew for all of them.
Walter belonged to the Boy Scouts. Rev. Bunch, the Federated preacher, was Scout Master. One Sunday night after church he had Walter and some of the others demonstrate tying knots.
We would stay with Uncle Walter, Aunt Jessie and their son Clifford. Mama, Walter, and I went on the train and they met us. Aunt Jessie had strawberries one meal for dessert. Uncle Walter put some red radishes in Walter’s dish just to watch him fish them out.
Aunt Kate and Uncle Nick Elledge and their daughter Lavone lived in Ottawa, Kansas for a while. Sometimes we would go on the train and spend a weekend with them. Aunt Kate was lighting her gas cookstove when Walter asked “Aunt Kate, are those gas matches?” We burned wood and he thought the gas would take a different kind of matches.
Anything that our parents didn’t want told they didn’t dare mention it before Walter. They had a neighbor Sid Thyer, who was always wanting to borrow things. If he even returned them they would be broken. Papa knew Sid wanted to borrow his cultivator shovels so he hid them in the chicken house. Well, he came by and wanted them and Mama didn’t know where they were. Walter said “I know, Papa put them in the chicken house.” After that they were more careful what they said before Walter. One time they mentioned a woman they knew and said she was crazy but they thought she was harmless. A few days later Mama said something that Walter didn’t think sounded right. He said “Are you cazy? I guess you are hameless.”
When I was small I had scarlet fever and it left me with a bad ear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_fever Papa took me to Dr. Jarret at Ft. Scott but he couldn’t seem to help it. I still don’t hear well with it.
Walter played with our cousin Bobby Wiles and Elwood Compton who lived across the alley. One day they were in the shed back of Compton’s house. The Silvey Family lived just across the alley. Mrs. Silvey came to our house with Wilma Fay who was screaming at the top of her voice. Mrs. Silvey said “Mrs. McClure, Mrs. McClure, your boy shot my girl.
While Papa and Mrs. Silvey examined Wilma Fay - Mama went to hunt the boys. There was either a hand dug well or a cistern in the back lot. There wasn’t any water in it and the boys used it for a hideout. Mama found them there and told them to stay there for awhile. I don’t know which one shot the BB gun but Walter got the blame. Really Wilma Fay wasn’t hurt and I imagine she made a good target bent over.
There were five or six kids in the Silvy family. Mrs. Silvey loved to go to funerals whether she knew the family or not. She would take a syrup pail of water for the kids to drink. It took a whole pew for all of them.
Walter belonged to the Boy Scouts. Rev. Bunch, the Federated preacher, was Scout Master. One Sunday night after church he had Walter and some of the others demonstrate tying knots.
We would stay with Uncle Walter, Aunt Jessie and their son Clifford. Mama, Walter, and I went on the train and they met us. Aunt Jessie had strawberries one meal for dessert. Uncle Walter put some red radishes in Walter’s dish just to watch him fish them out.
Aunt Kate and Uncle Nick Elledge and their daughter Lavone lived in Ottawa, Kansas for a while. Sometimes we would go on the train and spend a weekend with them. Aunt Kate was lighting her gas cookstove when Walter asked “Aunt Kate, are those gas matches?” We burned wood and he thought the gas would take a different kind of matches.
Anything that our parents didn’t want told they didn’t dare mention it before Walter. They had a neighbor Sid Thyer, who was always wanting to borrow things. If he even returned them they would be broken. Papa knew Sid wanted to borrow his cultivator shovels so he hid them in the chicken house. Well, he came by and wanted them and Mama didn’t know where they were. Walter said “I know, Papa put them in the chicken house.” After that they were more careful what they said before Walter. One time they mentioned a woman they knew and said she was crazy but they thought she was harmless. A few days later Mama said something that Walter didn’t think sounded right. He said “Are you cazy? I guess you are hameless.”
When I was small I had scarlet fever and it left me with a bad ear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_fever Papa took me to Dr. Jarret at Ft. Scott but he couldn’t seem to help it. I still don’t hear well with it.
Courtesy of Google Images Aunt Jessie and uncle Will Sparks came from Missouri about 1912. They had two sons and both enlisted. Merle in the Navy and Guy in the Army. Merle stayed near the Great Lakes for the duration of the war.
Courtesy of Google Images Guy was in the 23rd Engineers in France and in the thick of it. He never had much to say afterward about it. I have a picture of Guy and the truck he drove in France. (note: this is not that picture)
Uncle Will worried so much about Guy that he got where he couldn’t work. They left the farm and moved to Blue Mound. Aunt Jessie was a good cook so she kept boarders to make a living. Uncle Will lived until 1923 but he was almost helpless by then.
Uncle Will worried so much about Guy that he got where he couldn’t work. They left the farm and moved to Blue Mound. Aunt Jessie was a good cook so she kept boarders to make a living. Uncle Will lived until 1923 but he was almost helpless by then.
Google Image. This is similar the homemade crystal radio I had as a boy. The first radio I ever saw or listened to was about 1919 or 1920. It was a homemade set Merle and Guy owned. It was a head phone set so we had to take turns listening.
Google Image There was a pond on that land and when Papa went to cultivate his corn Walter went with him. He learned to swim but never told Mama or I that he could. One day when we were picking blackberries we heard Walter yelling for help. We were really scared until we learned that he could swim.
Courtesy of Google Images Our parents bought a white pony for Walter. Her Name was Cute and maybe she was when she was named. It was hard for her to get up.
Courtesy of Google Images No one ever heard of influenza until the winter of 1918. It was brought back to the states by service men returning from Europe. Before it was called grippe but not so severe as influenza or flu as it was called. Hundreds died from it. (note: 850,000 deaths in the U.S. alone.) The schools were closed and public meetings were canceled. Note: Best description I have read is here http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/)
My cousin Frank Farhner who lived in the state of Washington was one who died. They brought him back to Missouri for burial. His mother and sister came back to Kansas before returning to Washington. His mother was Mama’s sister Tillie and her daughter Gina. We had a bad snow storm before they came to Kansas and it was almost impossible to get to the depot in the buggy so Papa took the wagon and made it through the drifts. They were both large ladies and both wore those heavy black plush coats. Then they got off the train, Mr. Weaver the depot agent said “Leonard they will break your wagon down.” Well, they didn’t, and by the time they left we could travel in the buggy. They visited Aunt Jessie and Uncle Will also.
Grandma McClure had the habit of inviting herself and Grandpa to our home for dinner. She would call on Saturday and no matter what Mama had planned she had to change it and get Sunday dinner for them.
What I have written is all from memory so if I have made mistakes. There is no one around old enough to know that I did. Just memories of the simple life we all lived. No one tried to keep up with the Jones as we were all poor and didn’t know that we were. But we were happy and content. We worked hard with none of the conveniences we have today. A person’s word was as good as a contract then. So after eighty years and all the crime we have today I just wonder what eighty more will bring. I hope there is a change for the better way of life.
My cousin Frank Farhner who lived in the state of Washington was one who died. They brought him back to Missouri for burial. His mother and sister came back to Kansas before returning to Washington. His mother was Mama’s sister Tillie and her daughter Gina. We had a bad snow storm before they came to Kansas and it was almost impossible to get to the depot in the buggy so Papa took the wagon and made it through the drifts. They were both large ladies and both wore those heavy black plush coats. Then they got off the train, Mr. Weaver the depot agent said “Leonard they will break your wagon down.” Well, they didn’t, and by the time they left we could travel in the buggy. They visited Aunt Jessie and Uncle Will also.
Grandma McClure had the habit of inviting herself and Grandpa to our home for dinner. She would call on Saturday and no matter what Mama had planned she had to change it and get Sunday dinner for them.
What I have written is all from memory so if I have made mistakes. There is no one around old enough to know that I did. Just memories of the simple life we all lived. No one tried to keep up with the Jones as we were all poor and didn’t know that we were. But we were happy and content. We worked hard with none of the conveniences we have today. A person’s word was as good as a contract then. So after eighty years and all the crime we have today I just wonder what eighty more will bring. I hope there is a change for the better way of life.
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