Aunt Leona

     Lavonne told us this story when the family women were gathered for one of our weekend retreats years ago.  Aunt Leona was such a lady in the best sense of that image.  She was gracious and kind, had a natural poise, was wise and calm, always ready to listen....a woman we all looked up to.  She wasn't with us on this weekend because she was living in the nursing home and was physically and mentally unable.  We missed her very much.

     Lavonne:  "Sunday morning in our house when I was a girl was pretty hectic.  Dad was usually away holding revivals in distant churches.  So Mom got all of us kids ready for church by herself.  We dawdled as kids do.  Ruthie primped.  I couldn't find one patent leather shoe. Ralph snuck outside to play.  All the normal kid stuff. When Mom finally got us all shined up and packed up in the car,she told us to stay put, that she needed to go back in and check on the Sunday dinner roast in the oven. By that time the tone of her voice told us she was on her last nerve. 

     At first we waited quietly, then after a few minutes, not so much.  After another few minutes, I started getting antsy and decided to go see what was keeping her. In the kitchen my Mom was lying on the floor!  But she was laughing.....and laughing...so hard she was crying!  Her prim little pillbox hat with its mini veil was askew over one ear, one shoe was across the room, and her dress was twisted around her, her lacy slip showing.  She saw my worried face over her and patted my arm.to tell me she was okay.  She had slipped on some grease and gone down hard. When she  wasn't hurt, it struck her funny and after the stress of the morning she couldn't stop laughing."

 That picture of Aunt Leona is precious to me...one I have cherished. Even when events seemed to trip her up she could see the funny side and laugh.  Even at herself. 

THE WAR

by Faith

There was the proverbial gang to play with on Washington Boulevard when we lived in Lake Odessa in the 50's.

There was McCaul Farm kids.  Betty, Neil, Roxy and a baby (who's name escapes me).  Their farm situated kitty-corner to our house was a wonderful place to play.  Haylofts, silo's, woods, cow paths, fences, animals and tons of activity.

 

Then there was the girl directly across the street.  Her name was Lois and she was the "lady" of the neighborhood...always clean.  Her room was a showcase of pristinely kept dolls and buggys and beds.  I had no idea one could keep their room so spotless.  Sharon always told me she felt bad for Lois' doll, like they were never touched and loved.  Lois was considered part of the gang, but, to tell you the truth, I don't remember really playing with her.

Down the street lived a boy who I thought was the "hearthtrob" of the gang....David Schied.  When we played "romance", I always wanted David to be my boyfriend.  It never worked out because Roxanne would have been left with her snot-nosed brother, Neil. Oh no, I had at take Neil.  I didn't like him so much for that game.

Well, one day, Roxy's Betsy Wetsy doll came up missing.  Since Roxy's doll was exactly like MY Betsy Wetsy, and both dolls were usually naked, Roxy immediately claimed my doll as hers.  Had we kept them fully clothed like Lois, there would not have been any quarrel.

Of course I protested, loudly.  "That's MY doll!"  "No, that's MY doll!"  Valerie backed me up.  Then Neil backed up Roxy.  War broke out.  The rest of the gang  could probably care less who's doll it was but got got caught up in taking sides.  At first we argued, then we split up into camps where we would plan our next attacks.  Most of the attacks were verbal, but some included stone throwing.  We were sooo mad.  I think the war was settled by sheer exhaustion, lack of attention span.  It felt like it went on for weeks, but, looking back, it probably lasted a day and a half.  All I know is that we all were soon back in the woods together, nailing boards together to make a clubhouse.

  But, IT WAS MY DOLL!!!

«

George's Birth

From Reminiscing and Rambling 1992, by Doriene Demond (Nanny)

October 30,1930. "The evening before Halloween, Erma Gardner came to pick me up to go to her house for a party she was having, and invited me to spend the night with her. It was a nice party,--games, food--the works, but I didn't feel much like joining in with the festivities. They did get me to participate in a not-too-active game in which each one chose a slip of paper from a plate and read the fortune. Mine said "At midnight you will drop your coat of mail."

We all laughed, but after they left about 10:30pm I was enduring such stomach cramps that Erma insisted on timing them. she found they were consistently 10 minutes apart, so, taking no chances she also insisted on taking me to the hospital which was located on Euclid and 94Th Streets (Cleveland,OH). So after stopping at the bakery to inform Joe, we arrived about midnight. I had been going to the clinic there for several month for checkups. The CBI (Cleveland Bible Institute} students were allowed free examinations and delivery. One never knew who the doctor would be but we really got excellent care.
I guess they didn't have much room so was put into the delivery room. Nothing happened so about 10:30 am I got to walk around for an hour or sol In the late afternoon the doctor (a real nice, sympathetic young intern said, Pretty rugged, isn't it?" He seemed shocked when I replied, Oh yes, but its worth it all" and said, "Man, we don't hear that very often here."
Baby George made his appearance at 6pm weighing 6lb 3oz and 19 inches long.
In those days they had strange and strict rules for care and kept me in bed for 10 day before letting me sit up in bed, then only let me go home the 14Th day. Quite a session for free delivery and hospital care! According to instructions, Joe had to carry me up the 3 flights of stairs to our apartment on returning home.
George only weighed 5 1/2 lbs when they dismissed me from the hospital and I hardly knew what to do with him. My mind was set at ease when a visiting nurse who came the week or so later said as she watched me bathing him in the kitchen sink, "Don't be so afraid. You can hurt yourself before you can hurt him."
Being alone at night was a bit scary because that was the time he opted to cry with the colic. I finally decided to put warm water in a hot water bottle (good thing we had one), place it on my lap and drape him over it. That usually did the trick. We couldn't afford formula, so was happy to be able to nurse him for 9 months."

IN WHICH Aunts Shirley and Valerie Run Away

IN WHICH Aunts Shirley and Valerie Run Away

(As requested by Par Jason)

Faith and Val had to help me remember this story, so when we were together basking in the sunshine and love at Eileen's, they told it to me in tandem.
It all started one day when Mama made Shirley and Valerie, about 5 and 9 years old, clean their room. They had serious play planned so they were really mad. It just wasn't fair. As they worked (there was no way out of it) they became more convinced that they were made to work harder than any child should be made to. In fact, their whole lives had become intolerable in this house. There was nothing to do but run away. They knew they couldn't get far in the daylight so they decided to get up in the middle of the night and sneak out of the house when everybody was asleep.
So they got out the small cardboard suitcase and and hunted up stuff to put in it. They couldn't remember what, but Faith thought she would have brought a doll. They tucked it back under the bed and got on with their plans.
Plan 1. They would definitely live in the backroom of Scheid's furniture Store. David Schied was a boy who lived on our block who's family own the small store downtown. Their were windows in the back looking onto the street and we girls loved looking in on the extra beds, chairs, and tables--even lamps--stored there. It would be a perfectly comfortable place to live! And the Sheid's were nice people and wouldn't mind.
Plan 2. They would be able to get food at the meat market downtown. Our brother Paul was a 16 year old apprentice but it seemed like he owned it to us. Paul would give food to them or they could just get it for themselves. The more they thought about the steaks and candy Paul brought home to eat himself (never shared, I add bitterly), the more they liked this part pf the plan.
You may wonder how two little girls who worked so hard and never played during the day and who had never heard of an alarm clock would be able to wake up in the night. Hmmm.
Sooo....in the morning they got up and forgot all about their plan to run away.
For Aunts Faith and Valerie this ended the story. But I remember more of the story:
Days, maybe weeks later, our bedroom started to have a certain ripe odor. Cleaning Saturday came and went and the smell got worse, not better. Mama began to inspect and suspect a mouse had died in the wall. She pulled out the bed and went through all the toys, dirty clothes, and stuff under it. Hmmm. The suitcase reeked. She opened it up to find a rotten piece of chicken along with a missing doll, cheese, an apple and other such provisions long forgotten. The last thing I remember was her hollering, "SHIRLEY!", " VALERIE!"

Nanny tells about the fall of 1929

Nanny's "Reminiscing and Rambling"

Joe and I were married Feb. 10th, 1929 in Iowa. I had been called home {from Cleveland Bible college} the first of Nov. to care for mom.who was very ill, so I did not get to graduate from CBI in May, 1930 as planned.Work was scarce in Cleveland, but, in the fall of 1930 we went back, and I started my last year in Oct., and, after finding some work, Joe returned to school in Feb. 1931 to finish the second semester of his second year.
We lived in a furnished apartment above Mrs. Lipske's (she lived on the first floor and cooked noon meals for those living close by) on 33rd Street 2 or 3 blocks from school. The living room served also as a bedroom. There was a good sized kitchen with cook stove, cupboards, kitchen table and chairs, and had a window on the outside of which was built a large "box affair" in which we put food to keep cool (frozen most of the winter) --our icebox, nonetheless. I had use of a conventional washer in the basement, of course, getting permission each time of use. We shared the bathroom with another Bible School couple who lived in the adjacent apartment.
........There were 2 or 3 couples attending CBI who were expecting an increase in their families and students were questioning, "Who's going to be next?"It wasn't long before they founnd out.
..........Then Joe's folks sent us, so graciously, a large smoked ham and a strip of bacon which Dad Speas had cured himself.....

Par Jason requests a story.

I knew it would happen. Jason finally wants me to retell a story he liked as a kid. It's the one about Aunt Val and Aunt Faith running away from home.
I'll put it up as soon as I research some of the finer points. If it goes up in print, Jammer, I can't just make it up as usual. :)