Interview with a Grandmother

Interview with Virginia Darr

November 30, 2011

 

                I decided to record the life story of my Grandma. Her name is Virginia Darr. She is ninety one years old and lives in the Fairfax nursing home. I asked her, “Grandma, what is the most exciting part of your life?” “Well, she said, “The most exciting part of my life was flying. Ever since I was a little girl at age five or six she always wanted to fly. You could tell I loved flying from an early age. My parents had a two story chicken house on the farm I lived on. I loved to gather eggs up there from the straw. So one day I decided hmm. I would like to fly. So I borrowed her mother’s umbrella from the roof of the chicken house thinking the umbrella would support me as I came down.” (She chuckles)  “There was a pile of straw and I landed in the pile of straw so I didn’t hurt myself. You could say that I was an early Mary Poppins fan. The umbrella was not useable after that.” Laughing, I listened as she continued, “She said, “The most interesting part of my life was, “when I was flying and teaching being a parent. I think those things were the most important and most exciting. I love flying. I love flying and that it is most important.  I flew because I would enjoy it and I also flew because at that time her husband was flying but he didn’t have to that much of a help so I could fly to be a backup. I flew piper 180s and piper 160. Bill Clam was a friend of my fathers who owned a cement place in Alexandria and retired and lived in Tampa Florida. So we flew his plane down to him.  Bill Clam had a six passenger plane, which was large for a plane.  There my husband and I would spend some time with him.” She found flying to be the most exciting part of her life.

 

I asked her, “Do you remember a person, place, event, or story that influenced any part of your life?  What would that be?” She replied, “A person, place, event, or story that influence part of my life was moving from the Midwest and coming to Washington and working during wartime in D.C. The people that I met and worked for were important at that time in my life because I was young, Twenty years old. I worked for a New Englander and had great difficulty understanding him. I liked him and respected him a lot. But he had such an accent; it was difficult understanding him because she was from the Midwest. So he was my first employer. He was unused to somebody who unfamiliar with a New England accent. He would dictate on a machine and then I would type what letter he had dictated for office documents. I worked a secretarial job.” The experience of her first real job demonstrated how the working world functioned and how to respond to that environment for many years afterward.

 

I asked her, “Now Grandma, Are there parts of your life you would like to change?”  “I would like to have traveled more after your grandfather died. After he died, I quit traveling. If I had done it over I would have continued to different countries and seeing the sights and learning about the different cultures. I asked her, “Was it financial difficulties that prevented you from traveling? “No,” she replied.  “I could afford to travel; it was not financial at all. I would have been by myself. I did not want to go to a foreign country that had a much different language and it would not have been as much fun. I kept waiting for her sister,” who said, “I can would go with you.” “But,” my grandma replied, “She always got bogged down with her daughter and the responsibility’s that came with being a mother.” My grandma regretted that she let the lack of available time from her friendships prevent her from trying new experiences.

I asked her, “Are you like the person you were 50 years ago? 20 years ago? 10 years ago?”  She replied, “No because I have learned so many new things. Also my vision is no longer good. (My grandma is blind) I have had to change my lifestyle considerably. I can no longer drive. I cannot do a lot of things I used to be able do effortlessly. So I had to change your lifestyle of living.” Due to learning of new experiences and changing in her physical health she is changed.

 

I asked her, “Who has been affected by your life?” “Well,” she replied, “My children and my husband have been. Also political people have been affected such as Representative Gerry Connolly, Senator Mark Warner, and Bill Clinton. I worked for their campaigns and worked for a volunteer in the white house after Bill Clinton was elected. I answered the phone. They had a line to call the white house with problems so I was a live voice instead of recording. I enjoyed that very much.”  Her family and politicians were affected by her life.

 

Lastly, I asked her Grandma, “What are some of the things you have learned about life?”  She replied, “I have learned from life that I had to have a sense of humor.  I have learned that I have to work hard. I have learned that I have to have a goal. That I have to set a goal of some kind you have to accomplish. That’s about it. A person has to have a sense of humor and patience. Things do not always turn out the way you hoped. So maybe if you have patience and a sense of humor they will.” She informed me of the importance of how a person reacts to a situation.

 

 

Mabel

CHAPTER 6

 

Mabel clad in her warm toasty flannel nightgown found the floor very cold  that morning so she tiptoed over the soft sheepskin rug over to the window.  Looking out she saw Nels pumping water vigorously.  Not only did he have his jacket on but a warm stocking cap pulled clear down over his ears and his nose was red!  That meant long johns for sure!  So trying to stay warm, she tiptoed to her beautiful trunk and opened the lid.  First, she pulled out that heavy cap that Mother had knitted her and its matching mittens.  That wasn’t enough!  She pulled out her warm toasty long johns and a sweater she knew would keep her warm.  Washing quickly in the cold water, she hurriedly dressed and went downstairs.  Mrs. Thornsen as usual had the enormous coffee pot on the stove and a dish of oatmeal and hot homemade bread and some strawberry jam.  The jam was a real treat as their strawberries were new that year and Mrs. Thornsen was so proud of the jam she had made.

 

Hurriedly she bundled up and Nels had gone to the barn for Pet whom he adored.  Pet kept a brisk pace that cold frosty morning and relished the idea of being kept out of the sharp bitter wind that day as she munched on hay in the shed.  Soon she would be joined by the students’ ponies as well as Nels’ furry brown pony.

 

Since the students all came in with rosy faces and cold hands, Mabel decided she would start off the day having them march around the room and do some exercises.  She played a brisk tune on the guitar and soon had them singing as well as marching.  We will just learn a new song while we march and for the next twenty minutes around and around they went singing lustily.

 

She said, “I have a wonderful surprise for you!  It is in this long box.  Can anyone guess what it is?”  Although there were several attempts, none were correct.  “My father thought that you would like it.”  And so, with “oo’s “ and “ah’s”  she pulled out a very big heavy rolled-up piece of paper.  With much help un-rolling the large world map and even more help in deciding where to put it, the map found a home on the large wall opposite the row of windows.  What excitement as they all gathered around to find their home—United States and then Montana.  It was difficult to get anything else done that day!  But when Mabel wrote Papa she knew he would be so pleased.

 

 

CHAPTER 7

 

 

Snow covered the ground and the schoolroom seemed to be very cold that morning.  She tried putting more wood in the fat pot-bellied stove but it didn’t want to put out much heat that day.  Suddenly she heard a noise—a stampeding of horses and looking up, she saw at least a dozen Indian braves peering in the windows at her.  Their ponies were snorting and blowing steam, but they sat there silently staring at her, not making a sound. She knew not what to do or why they were there.  She had several Indian children but they all seemed happy and did not look up.  She decided to follow their lead and paid no attention , but shivers ran up her spine.  “What in the world did they want?”she thought.  She wasn’t beating their kids and they were doing very well.  Indeed, they were quite sweet, even Billy Redcreek.

 

 

 

 

                                                  CHAPTER 8

 

Snow made the land white and quiet.  As Pet trudged through the snow, Mabel wondered if more were yet to fall that day.  When Mabel got to school, already the fire in the big pot-bellied stove was warming the school.  As Nels hadn’t arrived yet, she wondered who had come by and put more wood  in the stove to give the room such a nice warm glow.  Sometimes some of the ranchers dropped by to see if everything was going well, and she could only suppose it was one of them.  She had brought some potatoes, onions and some more vegetables that she could grab easily from the kitchen.  She threw them in the big pot she kept for just such times.  They were all going to have hot soup together with their sandwiches or crusty bread at noon-time.  If the children were cold, they wouldn’t learn much.  Hmmm!  That nice fragrance of gently bubbling soup was wafting over to her desk.  How would she keep the children from wanting their lunch the first thing they arrived?  Nels came in and said it was blowing very hard and the snow was drifting.  By now all her precious twelve had arrived and she let them stand next to the stove as they took off their outer coats and warmed themselves briefly before going to their desks.  They did their reading assignments, all three groups, and were working diligently on their mathematics when Mabel looked out the window.  It was snowing hard, in fact, she could hardly see down to the young tree no more than fifty feet away.  That wasn’t good!! 

 

Suddenly she made up her mind.  She was afraid that the new child and some of the others would have a hard time getting back home.  “Children, we are going to stop right now whatever you are working on.  We are going to have some of that delicious soup you have been smelling and your lunch and then I am going to dismiss you early today as it is really snowing hard.”  To “Oh, thank you, Miss Mabel” and “Goodie” and shy smiles, they crowded around the stove as she ladled soup into their outstretched big cups.

Pulling on caps, scarves, mittens and with their lunch pails firmly in their mittened hands, they went out to the shed to get their ponies and be on their way home.  By now, it was really snowing  so hard, you could hardly see your pony’s head.  Mabel hurriedly banked the fire and Nels made sure they had enough wood for the next day and they both went out for Pet and Browny.

 

Mabel soon found that she couldn’t see a thing.  She called to Nels, “Are you OK?”  Nels said don’t worry and that Pet would find the way.  She knew that Pet would have to as the snow fell even more heavily, if that was possible.  She couldn’t even see Nels!  She would have to give Pet her head, as the phrase went and let her find her way home.  She was glad she had put on that extra scarf that morning—she felt frozen.  She called out to Nels but heard only a muffled noise as if he were miles away, but she knew he wasn’t. Finally, they pulled into the corral and the barn, snow-covered and tired.  Mabel helped Nels  dry off the animals and put blankets on them as they were very cold also and their legs were wet from plunging through such deep snow.  Lots of hay and a dipper of Pet and Browny’s favorite grain fixed them for the evening.  Mabel gave Pet an extra hug for bringing her home so safely.

 

Mrs. Thornsen was not surprised to see them home early.  She had said she thought it would really be a blow-up blizzard.  She had kept Ted at home because he had a cold and she was glad she had.  Mrs. Thornsen poured a cup of very hot coffee for both Mabel and Nels and put a plate of wonderful streudel on the table.  Mabel and Nels stood by the stove and warmed themselves and sipped on their steaming coffee and nibbled on the streudel and talked of how long they thought this blizzard would last.  Nels teasingly said he hoped until spring and glanced at Mabel and laughed.  Mabel laughed too but said she hoped it would end sooner or it would be so deep they wouldn’t be able to see out the windows.  Mr. Thornsen came in and said he thought it wasn’t snowing quite so hard and he thought that the stock would be all right.  But they missed a week as the drifts were so high, it was impossible for even the horses.

 

 

                                                  CHAPTER 9

 

 

It seemed almost Christmas and she had just got started teaching the children.  They would never be where she wanted them to be in reading or math or even geography!  So more and more books they had to read!

 

Only one day had she seen the Indians.  They came up to the windows again on their beautiful snorting ponies, looked in for a time and then opened the door and came into the schoolroom.  They strode in silently, stood watching expressionless.  They kept glancing at the shiny wallmap that Father had sent but did not go over to look at it.  They just stood in the back of the room.  Finally, with no gestures whatsoever they turned and left.  Mabel decided she was their entertainment!

 

The children wanted a program for Christmas and so they planned poems, songs and a story or two and, of course, REFRESHMENTS.  And, Mabel agreed, laughingly that REFRESHMENTS were the most important thing of all.  So, on the Saturday before Christmas, parents crowded into the warm and cozy classroom and listened with pride to their children’s recitations and songs and ate REFRESHMENTS—wonderful cake filled with apples, nuts and raisins and squares of chocolate and slices of dried apples and cherries and drank, of course, strong coffee!  Each child promised to write a story or practice their handwriting on the tablet and pencil which Miss Mabel had given them.

 

Miss Mabel was homesick!  Never before had she been away from home for so long but she also had already decided not to go home when summer came.  She wanted to go to the college at Dillon, Montana.  She had written and they had a summer course which she thought would be good to take.  She also found she could live in a boarding house nearby which was what the students did and she would be a “lodger”.  She would write home and see what Mother and Father thought.  Also, it was quite expensive for the train fare and the hotel going and coming.

 

So, she tried to fill her mind with thoughts of summer and try not to miss everyone for Christmas.  She made small gifts for the Thornsens and together with what she had asked her parents to send her for them, she thought she was “prepared”.

 

And, she spent Christmas quite differently from any she had spent before.  It was impossible to go to church—still too much snow to go to Miles City.  Mr. Thornsen told the Christmas story, Mabel played her guitar and they sang some carols, Nels and Ted had prepared a funny little skit and they exchanged gifts, little surprises made when no one was looking.  Mrs. Thornsen came up with a beautiful cake and coffee.

 

Months flew by and spring showed signs of arriving and finally did arrive when some wildflowers adorned the hills.  The people of Miles City, well, everybody started planning for the big “pow wow” to be held in Miles City.  Everybody, absolutely everybody for miles around came for that—cattle ranchers, ranch hands, cowboys, town folk, church groups, Indians—all came to celebrate just being alive and getting to see one another!  There would be pie contests, best canned fruit, best canned vegetables, prettiest baby, best steer, finest hunting dog, most beautiful quilt, finest crochet work and knitting.  Just about everything.

 

When I said everyone would be there—that was true.  Calamity Jane would be there.  And all the ladies wanted to see her!  Mabel had heard she had skin like leather, swore as bad as any man and could shoot every bit as well as any man!  Mabel couldn’t wait to see her!  She didn’t want to stare but she sure hoped she would get a good look at her!  She couldn’t imagine skin like leather!

 

It wasn’t too many days until the wagons were pouring in, laden with families, picnic baskets, whatever they planned to enter the contests.  The ladies of the church groups generously loaned tables and chairs and were hospitable in every way.  Town folk were happy to see some of the ranchers who didn’t get in town very often and opened their homes to their friends.  The Indians were there too and pitched their beautiful colorful teepees on the outskirts of the grounds.  Surely there would be a rodeo!  Mabel hoped so and maybe a square dance, although she didn’t know who she would have for a pardner.

 

Mr. Thornsen had a brother in Miles City who had a feed store and who was married with two children and who had invited them all including Miss Mabel to stay with them during the fair.  This was wonderful as they intended to stay more than just the one day.  They had brought some tender roasts, some tasty strawberry jam and Mabel brought some wonderful soap which they had all liked so much.

 

So stopping at the Thornsens long enough to get rid of the dust and freshen themselves on roast beef sandwiches and cider, off they went to see the sights.  The first thing Mabel and the two Mrs. Thornsens wanted to see was Calamity Jane!  And they did!  Short wispy hair, wide brimmed cowboy hat, a divided soft deerskin riding skirt, cowboy boots.  And, yes, skin like leather and heavily tanned.  She wasn’t cursing right then and Mabel didn’t want to stare.  She figured she would be able to see her again.  Right fascinating, she was.  They took in the baking table and saw that both brothers Thornsen had signed up to judge the pies!  Their two wives both said, “That figures!”  They took in the remaining exhibits and saw that indeed there was to be a square dance and that very night too!  Well, it would be fun to go and see.

 

After returning to the Thornsen home to rest and have dinner, they all, including Nels and Ted and the two younger boys, found themselves back where the dance was being held. Mabel looked around to see if there was anyone she knew from church the few times she had been able to go, but no, not a soul that she knew.  But, wait—who was that tall auburn-haired man standing over by the door?  She poked her elbow into Mrs. Thornsen’s ribs—“Do you know who that is?”  “No.” “See if your husband knows—please”—She did as she was told.  “No” was the answer.  Mabel relayed through Mrs. Thornsen—“Find out—please.”  And so he did.

 

He found that the handsome, six foot plus auburn-haired man was Davis Bowen from Wisconsin who was traveling with his cousin returning from California where he had been visiting and just seeing the sites.  They had heard about the fair and decided to stop and see some more of Montana.  But who was that beautiful young lady over with your party?  And, of course, he meant Mabel!  After chatting some more with Davis and his cousin Fleek, they made their way over to the Thornsen ladies and Mabel for introductions.

 

Soon the fiddles and the harmonicas and the banjos were starting a lively tune and Davis invited Mabel to have that dance with him.  Mabel thought he was quite the most handsome man she had seen and she liked his bright sparkling green eyes.  So they danced another dance and another.  Davis said he and Fleek were changing their plans and were going to stay a few more days in Miles City!  And could he come and see her before they left? And could he write to her? And was she going back to Iowa when she finished that school year?  And could he come and see her there?

 

Now you can see where that is leading! All of the above took place as well as plans for a wedding after he visited her in Iowa. 

 

Mabel Gardner and Davis Bowen were married September 7, 1901, in the M. E. Church of Onawha, Iowa, by Rev. S. Bassett. Mabel looked radiant in a powder blue and rose dress with wide bands of delicate cream-colored lace.   Davis wore the traditional Prince Albert coat.  They made a handsome couple.

 

 

                                                  EPILOGUE

 

I would end this story of Mabel’s Adventures here but there are two stories that I must include in the  life of Mabel and Davis.

 

 They resided for a number of years in Brodhead, Wisconsin, and later on the Flambeau River in Wisconsin.  Davis became a woodsman, cutting down trees and preparing the logs to float down the river in the spring.  They lived in a cabin in the woods.  It was beautiful and serene.  Their nearest neighbor was about a mile away but Mabel was kept busy with the children—Jean, Lee, and Calvin a tiny baby.

 

One day Mabel wanted some supplies from town and Davis said he would hitch one of the horses to the buggy and go after them.  He promised he would be back before dark and told Mabel not to worry. 

 

It was almost dusk and Davis had not returned.  Mabel was worried and kept going to the door to check.  Suddenly  she heard a horse neighing in fright.  She hurriedly gathered up Jean and Lee and posted them down next to the road.  She took baby Calvin and started up the road where she could hear the horse still neighing.  Soon she saw the buggy over on one side and the horse had managed to free itself.  An ENORMOUS BEAR was heading off also.  Davis was partly under the buggy and barely conscious .  Mabel, carrying Calvin with Jean and Lee following close behind hurried to the neighbor for help.  They took Davis to the doctor in town who said lucky man, no broken bones and a few day’s rest and you will be all right.

 

About six months later and the final episode of life in the woods.  Davis had stacked his logs in a cleared space.  They were stacked upright so they would dry evenly and float more readily. 

 

Their neighbor came to the house and said he could see fire in the distance.  Lightning had struck some of the pines some miles away.  Hurriedly they both plowed the usual area so the fire wouldn’t jump onto their land but it looked like it was getting too close for comfort.  Davis rushed into the house and told them to start loading the wagon—take the important stuff—make sure to get quilts and warm stuff.  With smoke and fire crackling all too close, the horses were hitched to the wagon and Davis grabbed the reins.  The horses reared and whinnied!  Mabel got down from the wagon, ran to get some cotton feed sacks and wet them in the rain barrel next to the house.  Davis covered the rearing horses’ heads and said, “Mabel, you are going to have to take the reins while I lead these fool horses!” (He really didn’t say “fool”!) Jean held Calvin, and Lee, a sturdy little boy, tried to help with the reins.  Somehow, with fire crackling and sparks flying next to the lane, Davis led the reluctant horses down the corduroy (the road just the same as material) road to safety. A whole year’s work—the logs were lost!

 

To this strong, vibrant, intelligent and beautiful couple three more children were born—Francis, Eula and Virginia with Jean, Lee, and Calvin making a warm, close-knit family—all of whom went different ways career-wise but all were tied to nature and the environment in some way.

A! My Life as a Teen-Ager

Ah!  My Life as a Teen-Ager

 

First-the setting!  I lived in a huge white seven-bedroom house just five minutes from the college campus.  I could make it to class in five minutes for the first bell and into the side door which was the entrance for the high school.  You see, I attended the college high school, a school which  had students especially for prospective teacher to practice on –built-in guinea pigs!But I loved it.  We had access to the college library, we got to use the gymnasium for my favorite, volleyball, and we could swim in the college pool and even play tennis on the courts when they were not in use.

 

But back to my home.  It was like a small farm; we had seven acres with chickens, a cow and her calf Bubbles, a huge garden, a large pasture, the traditional red barn and a big yard.  We lived on the very edge of town, Maryville, a town of six thousand residents, not counting the college students. Prather Avenue was the last street of the town and it ended with a road going into the neighboring farms: we were on the corner.  Our front yard must have been designed by someone from the Dakotas because it had two rows of trees, enormous trees on the north and west sides of the land.  This was designed as a protection from the high winds and snows which were so common in Missouri.  The trees were enormous and formed a double lane all around the house and yard.  It was beautifully cool in summer and MAYBE it was a help in the winter!

 

Almost all across the back of the house was a huge porch with fancy designs next to the roofline.  There was a porch with a wonderful hand-cranked doorbell and a beautiful stained glass door opening to it and also another stained glass door to the parlor that also opened to this porch!  Oh, no, we are not finished with porches.  There were two for the kitchen!  Don’t know why two unless one was for the servant’s entrance—and of course, no one had servants.  Take that back—the owner of the grocery store had a cook! But I am getting away from my story.  We had a parlor with sliding wooden doors-pocket doors that we did not use in winter.  A living room with a large picture window with a stained glass panel above it.  That is where we mainly lived.  Mother had the window full of beautiful plants, we had a big brown stove for coal or wood.  Our dining room was off the living room, a large room which opened onto the long porch.  Next to it, the kitchen, the pantry and yes, the bathroom.  It had a zinc tub and sink.  This is grey metal and cold! We had two stoves in the kitchen (it was very large) one for winter cooking and one for summer.  We did a lot of canning so it kept the kitchen from being so hot!  The stove which we used most of the time had the equivalent of about six burners and to the side a reservoir.  You filled the reservoir tank with water and as you cooked the water heated and you had nice hot water for dishes or whatever.  Above the top of the stove surface were two warming ovens.  You could put anything in there and it would keep warm.  This was separate from the oven, a big oven that would hold several loaves of bread to bake.

 

Although we lived in a huge house, I shared a room with my sister Eula.  I am not sure just exactly why, maybe we liked company!  Our room was very plain with a white iron bedstead and a pretty walnut dresser.  Of course when we were having an argument with each other, we would draw a line figuratively down the center of the bed.  It had white metal rods for the head and foot  with fancy scrolls at the top of each rod.

 

Enough about “the setting”.  On to spring.  I lived a very gentle life—not much excitement .  It was time to clean –spring clean--.  We did not have a vacuum  but generally our carpet sweeper served very well and a dust mop, but no, not for SPRING CLEANING.  Everything  must be cleaned and polished and waxed.  Eula and I took the huge rug outdoors, put it on the beautiful freshsmelling green grass and pulled it around the yard.  Around and around we went and soon it smelled fresh as spring. Our neighbors put their carpets on the clothes line and beat them but this was much more fun.

 

Dusk came and my best friend, Grace Whitehead and some of her siblings, came by to play Hide and Seek.  I know that sounds very childish but it was lots of fun.  We would hide behind the trunks of the huge trees.  We had extra excitement because there was an owl that would come down and nip us on our heads.  I guess he didn’t like to be disturbed and we sure disturbed him with shreeeeeks and loud calls. Wonder we didn’t get rabies or something!  But after all, we didn’t have TV, movies were too expensive and we had only one radio and my father listened to sports and news.

 

Saturday night arrived and we, Grace and I, headed for town.  That was what EVERYONE did on Saturday night in little towns.  The farmers brought their produce in and shopped for what they needed the next week.  There often were band concerts as the town was designed around the handsome red brick courthouse and there was a bandstand on the lawn.  All of the stores were next to each other around the courthouse.  So, Saturday night Grace and I and lots of people walked around the square, saw our friends, chatted, listened to the music and then went to Cobbs Ice Cream Parlor for a double dip ice cream cone (five cents).  It was the most delicious, mouth-watering thing we could posssibly have for our five cents—because this was all we could afford.  There were no jobs of any kind to be had either for adult or teen-ager.  My senior year of high school I worked  in the principal’s office first period and earned $7.00 per month.  I remember how excited I was. I could buy my clothes and have some left over to help expenses at home.

 

On some nights during the summer an outdoor dance floor was set up next to a restaurant and you could dance to the juke box tunes.  That was lots of fun

 

In the fall, along came the ferris wheel, and all of the rides.  Of course, we saved up our money for our favorite rides and would yell happily when the ferris wheel stopped at the very top and everything looked very far down!

 

Summertime Eula and I would mow the lawn—no, we did not take turns.  We would each get one end of the handle of the push mower and around and around and around (big yard) we would go.  Usually, we would sing.  Also, we had to water the garden.  It was beyond the fence and a slight distance from the house.  We would take turns pumping and pumping pail after pail of water.  The garden was very important both when everything was fresh and when canning time came around and we shelled peas, picked green beans, tomatoes, corn and everything I am sure in the whole wide world!

 

One hot summer day my parents were away  tending to the hatchery.  It seemed very hot and steamy but also very still.  Very still.  The sky grew dark and the wind began to blow.  The dining room door blew open.  I closed it.  It blew open again and again.  Even locking it made no difference.  I decided to hold it shut.  It took all my strength but I managed to keep it shut but the wind was so loud-sounded like a train. Soon the wind died down and I opened the door.  In shock, what did I see but one of the  enormous oak trunks directly above, crashed onto the roof and just a few feet from my head!  No, I didn’t faint but I thought what a ninny I was not to have gone to the cellar when the wind started blowing so hard!   There was not a lot of damage. Nothing had collapsed. However, all of the windows on the Administration Building of the college which faced in our direction were blown out.  Our next door neighbor’s garage was turned around and faced in a new direction still on its foundation.  But one of the most unusual, was one of our chickens  did not go into the chicken house.  Usually, when it begins to get dark, they go to bed!  I guess that is where the saying came from—“You go to bed with the chickens!”  Anyway, this chicken didn’t go with the rest of them and was running around the yard , sqwauking and screeching!  It had good reason—the tornado had taken off every one of its feathers!  Poor thing! I hunted for it in vain, thinking it would need suntan lotion!  However, several days later we had chicken pot pie for dinner!  Mother swore she was thinning out the flock of chickens.  I half-believed her!

 

Enough excitement for the day!  In fact, several days.  It took a bit of time to get things back to normal.  We missed the big tree; it was the closest one to the house but there were plenty more in the yard.

Still Teenage Years

What fun!Shall I think of all the dance steps I know!  Of course we won’t be able to dance them all, probably just a variety of slow and fast dances with maybe a tango thrown in once in awhile.  This was exciting—Glenn Miller and His Band of Renown were going to be in St. Joseph just for one night.  Yes, it was horrible—it was winter time.  And Missouri winter, at that!  St. Jo, as it was always called, was thirty miles away. The road was Highway 71—a U.S. highway, but still it was only two lanes wide—one lane going each way.  But my friends and I immediately started planning.  Who had the best car for driving in snow-covered roads?  Finally, it was decided that we would go in two cars.  Leland, whom I had dated for awhile had been the one to suggest how wonderful it would be to dance to Glenn Miller’s band.

 

So, home I went with a somewhat queasy stomach and a racing heart.  How would be the best way to ask Father?  He loved to dance and had taught me how to do the waltz and the polka.  What fun that was!  We would waltz around the living room dangerously missing the rocking chair and the stove and having a great time.  He would say it was OK except maybe since it was snowy, he wouldn’t like it so much but still it would be OK.

I waited until after dinner before I broached the subject.  Meanwhile I had made an apple pie, his favorite, just to be on the safe side!

 

Well, that pie wasn’t enough!  When I told Father all about Glenn Miller being in St. Jo and that Leland and Grace and Slim would be going, he said it sounded like we had planned well.  But, he said, the roads are not good and Mother and I would be very uneasy and would be unable to rest until you got back home.  Despite the fact that you love to dance, I just don’t think it would be a good idea.  He said he was sure they or one of the other big bands would be coming through for a night or two and I could go then.

 

I told Leland and Grace and Slim and they said they understood but still wanted to go.  It sounded so wonderful and such fun—I decided TO GO TOO!  I would not tell my folks.  I would go out just like a regular date and come back at the usual time.  And so we did!

 

The music was wonderful.  Such smooth great songs.  Dance after dance—terrific.  What time was it—did we have to start back?  More dancing.  More wonderful music.  The dance hall was full and everyone was enjoying themselves. Another dance.  Was it time to start for home?  Yes, it was time if we were going to make it  before it was too late.  All the way back those thirty snowy miles, I kept my fingers crossed that we wouldn’t end up in the ditch –have a serious accident or have to be pulled out.  After all, the hospital was a long ways away and my parents would know and be worried.

 

Luckily, Leland was a good driver and we, indeed, did arrive home safely.  I checked my hair for white strands that I knew must be apparent somewhere!  Just kidding. I had been so tense that I really didn’t enjoy myself  that much.  I never did tell my father.  Although I knew he probably wouldn’t have said very much, he would have been greatly disappointed that I was so untrustworthy.  Later, when I thought about it, I decided that it really wasn’t worth the anguish and I would have had a clean conscience.

 

That particular episode in my life stayed with me and I remember it vividly!  Now many teen-agers might think “Oh, well, that is just Dad pontificating!  We will be OK and everything will be just fine and he doesn’t need to know..”  Somehow the idea that my father would be disappointed in me was very important.  I am not sure just how he came to make such a big impression in my mind—but obviously he did as I remember it so well after all these years!

 

 

TO MY GRANDDAUGHTERS   HILLARY AND GILLIAN

 

These are just a few of the trials and tribulations of my life as a teen-ager.  So much different than what you have experienced Hillary, and you are experiencing Gillian. I hope you have enjoyed reading them.

 

And, Gillian, I hope your teen-age years are super-wonderful!  I know they will be.

Still a Young-Un!

Perhaps, since a quilt made by your great grandmother hangs on your bedroom wall, you might be interested in knowing how it came into being the beautiful finished product.  Although quilting and sewing the tiny pieces went on all year long, the actual quilting at our house was done only in the warm weather.

 

The parlor, the dreaded “ice box”, was open in the warm weather—the sliding double pocket doors were wide and the spacious room, full of horsehair furniture made additional room to our living room.  I call it the “ice box” because in winter it was not heated and if my sister and I got into an argument, we knew exactly where we would end up—the “ice box”.  My mother would tell us not to come out until we had a smile on our faces!  Believe me, between the icy room and the itchy horsehair sofa, it did not take very long to manufacture beautiful toothy smiles!  But I am getting away from the subject I wanted to tell you about—quilting the quilt.

 

First came the stretchers.  They were long poles with small sharp pins all the entire length of the poles.  The backing for the quilt would be put on the pins, then the cotton batting from J. C. Penney’s carefully was smoothed out.  Next, the finished top in a beautiful pattern all of cotton pieces carefully hand-sewn and pressed.  We could pick out our dresses, blouses and aprons.  In fact, sometimes when we couldn’t fall asleep, and we had one of Mother’s quilts on the bed, we would do just that, pick out our dresses.  Sometimes the quilting just followed the pattern of the design of the pieces, sometimes the pattern was put on with carbon paper, a fancy swirly, feathery design.  All of this was carefully smoothed out ready to be quilted.

 

Mother would have a luncheon and usually the ladies would bring a dish for the luncheon also.  Lemonade with lots of ice because that was the day the iceman came and left a big square for the icebox on the back porch.  We had to remember to put the sign “ice” in the window next to the road.  The ladies from Mother’s Church Circle came and ate and chatted and finally settled down to work.  I think every chair in the house would be lined up on either side of the quilt.  Each brought white thread, a couple of needles and a comfortable thimble.  A thimble was necessary because you must push through quite a bit of material and only tiny stitches were acceptable. So they would work several hours and would roll the quilt as they finished a few inches at a time so they didn’t have to lean over so far.  Of course, all of the local news and gossip was well-discussed.

 

I could not tell you how long it took your great grandmother, Mabel Gardner Bowen, to finish the handsewing—just making the top of the quilt, but it took several sessions to hand quilt it.  I am sure that you will enjoy that quilt for a long time.  And remember that it was quilted in the “ice box” parlor of a big, white house on Prather Avenue in Maryville, Missouri somewhere around 1937.

Ginny in Second Grade

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a little girl named Virginia, but often times called Ginny. She was in the second grade, with big blue eyes, freckles across her nose and a Butcher Boy haircut--bangs and hair cut just to the bottom of your ears. Her hair was red-brown.
Ginny and Gladys who was also in the second grade and lived on the next hill over were going home from school, walking on the narrow dirt road and just chatting. Ginny knew she was to come straight home but might be able to go to Gladys' house later. They both congratulated each other-on not
having homework and that meant playtime for sure.
 
 Gladys headed on home and Ginny headed for the attic. The most prized
 treasure could be found there--several large sacks, and I do mean
 large--the size of pillowcases were filled with dried apples. How absolutely
 delicious--bite into a dried apple slice--yum, yum. Grabbing a handful,
 Ginny proceeded downstairs to see if she could find the new puppy.
 Probably she would find it at the barn. Oh, no, she had to go back in and change
 into her play clothes or Mama would certainly fuss at her. OK--mouth
 loaded with dried apples, clothes changed . It would be fun to go to Gladys'
 house.
 
 Mama who was down in the garden picking beans had no objection but she
 must be home by five. Up the dusty road with dust squishing wonderfully
 between her toes --how utterly delightful and so soft!
 
 The one most important wonderful thing at Gladys' house was their
 player-piano. Yes, it looked like a regular piano, well almost, except
 where you would put the music you were going to play--well that opened
 up and you put rolls. long rolls that had holes in them and went round and
 round and you pumped the pedals and it played all kinds of songs. This
 was truly stupendous and such great fun. Much better than our piano which
 you had to know all the notes and how to play songs!!! So Gladys asked her
 mother if we could play and she said OK but only four songs. Well, four
 songs would be just right and it would be time to go back home. We
 looked over the rolls with their titles, found four and put them in very, very
 carefully and then pedaled like crazy, laughing like fools and loving
 every minute of it.
 
 Soon it was time for me to go home. Gladys' mom gave me a little basket
 of damson plums to take home. My mom had given her some strawberries a few
 days ago. No, I must not taste them--although they looked awfully good!
 
 Home I went, gathered the egg basket, gathered all of the eggs and there
 were lots of them. Washed my face and hands, set the table, ate dinner
 and soon was sleepily heading for bed. Of course there was no TV and no
 radio, but plenty of books to read and so I would read myself to sleep.