First Date

       When I first came to  Roswell I was 18 just out of high school. Had never had a boyfriend. That was mostly for the popular kids. Also I had Phil to carry me everywhere so perhaps it was surmised that I had a boyfriend. With most of the boys in the armed services they were sparce.

        However this now was a different story. The  Roswell Women’s Club held a dance every Friday night and wanted all the young ladies they could muster to show up. My  brother-in-law had a niece named Mary who became a fast friend. She was 2 years younger than me making her 16 but more mature I suspect. I remember she and I traveled around in her model T Ford. I doubt that she had a license but this was in the  1940s when you couldn’t get one till you were 21. We were never stopped because she was a careful driver. Well nothing would have it but that I enter the era of doing my part for the war effort. Dancing with the boys. Had a lot of experiences both good and bad. In the course of time I met Jimmy from New Jersey a 1st  Lt. who was a pilot of a B52. He was tall. gangely, pimpley, had bad breath and a squeeky voice. He was what they called a “90 day wonder” most of the  1st Lts. were, in other words they needed officers so badly they didnt have time to send them to West Point so gave them a quicky course in 90 days. Jimmy had crash landed a B52 but  never did know how that went. This was before I met him. Well our dates were unique we did things we had never done before. One Sunday we road horses never, never again, oh how hurtful. Another time he took me up in a Piper Cub and then had me fly it for a short distance. Keep that nose up “Yes Sir”. We could see a big dust storm brewing up so had to land. Then there was Sunday rodeos held just off north Main. I couldn’t stand seeing a man get his head stomped on by a bull so never did care about rodeos. My first and last game of poker was really embarassing. No it wasn’t strip poker. I had the winning hand beginners luck is what I called it. They were all real angry they could not figure out how I won with a hand that had nothing in it. Dont ask me all I know is Jimmy made our excuses and got me out of there fast. We were only playing for matches so what was all the fuse about I won didn’t I??? I think they were jealous dont you?. We had dates that took us to homes of his friends, dancing at the Officers Club and other things I cant remember. Eventually Jimmy was sent to Germany with the Occupation Forces. I received one letter from him which didnt both me I was off to Western Union School.

Headed West Feb 1945

Can you imagine what an adventure this felt like to a young lady who had never been out of New England to be heading 2500 miles from home?

           I had a huge box to pack all my worldly possessions in. Really didn’t know how long I would be gone. Suit cases were unheard of at least in my family. A month seemed to be my target. The month  furlough Don had was cancelled after he had been home a week. So that upped the day of departure considerably. Pop decided to go to Boston with us to see we got on the train ok. On the way he told me something that made me remember that day even now. War time is not a good time for young women too be leaving home. He said if I got into trouble to come home and he would take care of me. That made me want to make sure I never got into trouble so he would be proud of me.

           We caught the train, at that time all trains were troop trains. And I mean they were full. All servicemen got the seats first so there were a lot of people standing. I was lucky enough to find a small sink to sit on. I’m really not sure how many days it took us get to NM. Troop trains moved fairly slow stopping at stations where food was given only to the boys. I still wonder what I ate. We changed trains at Chicago. What a huge train station. I remember Don and I walking one of the streets and he said on this side of the street it is 9:00 on that side it is 10:00. We thought that very strange. Lawrence Kans. has always been one of my memories. These ladies went all out to feed the boys still nothing for the rest of us. The noise on the train was something else. All day all night. Don and I were seperated until we hit a town called  Clovis, NM where we caught another train going south to Roswell our final destination. Close to Roswell Don pointed out a mountain on the left side of the train he told me to keep an eye on it and it would be on the right side pretty soon. I didnt believe him but he knew he was right smug right. Capitan Mountain is west of Roswell about 70 miles. He gave we something else to disbelieve to find he was smug right again. It was morning as we made our way and being thirsty I mentioned it, I really think he was waiting for this moment he showed me a water take on the wall and said there’s drinking water. Oh boy was I thirsty so I filled the paper cup almost full and started gulping it down man what a horrible taste. He laughed when I told him it must be rotten and then informs me that is how it tastes you’ll get use to it. And you know I did and could hardly stand other water which seemed insipid.

          My Sister met us at the train and what a reunion. At that time I weighed 160 and my clothes were very tight. By six weeks and a different diet I had lost 30 lbs. My stay lasted 5 mo. and I was so homesick I had to go home. Strangely enough I became so homesick  for Roswell I came back  with Don my brothers footing the bill. The cost was $100 I worked and paid it off as soon as I could. Western Union is our next  trip….

My Brothers in WW2

Graduation was in 1944 seems like yesterday to me if it does seem like the “good old old days” to you .Ya it was 65 years ago I was all of 18, my oh my. On with my story. After graduation I worked for the Cotton Heel Co. on the border of Peadody and Salem. They furnished the heels for sandals made for  G.I.s serving in the tropical countries during WW2.  I had 3 brothers serving, one in the invasion of Europe known as D Day Dick went over from England D Day plus 2. My graduation picture in on the bottom of the English Channel which I was uncommonly proud of. Nose up in the air  sort of thing dont you know. Course Dick had to lose everything he owned when his duffle bag went over board. Sorry about that. Dick was a paramedic. These guys carried no weapons only stretchers. He was in the battle of the Battle of the Bulge which meant facing enemy fire with nothing to defend yourself. He came home pretty much a basket case.

         Lew  was stationed on Parris Island. Anyone know where that is? I think down around Florida. Lew had very bad eyesight and the island was mostly sand so of  course that didn’t help his eye problem. Lew was not a drinking man nor did he smoke but one night he gave in and went to town with his buddies. They insisted he taste a beer. Well when he did  and finished it off, he went completely blind. They carted him off to the base doctor and he was immediately discharged. His eye sight came back but he was legally blind.

           Don was in the Air Force and ended up at walker Air Force Base in Roswell NM.  Now it just happened my sister was married and living in Roswell at the time. She went west for her health and ended up in Albuquerque but moved to EaglePass Tex. learning to be an airplane mechanic this was  a Civil Service job. She was assigned to Walker and worked on the B52 bombers. She worked nights and the man who worked days would leave her work orders each day and she would do the same each night for him. After awhile personal notes became the norm and ended in marriage. now I hadn’t seen her in several years. So when Don got a furlough and came home for a month I was bound I was going back with him to see my sister. Which will be discussed in the next post. Don was an electrician on the B52s. the Air Force was always looking for ways to save money so they encouraged the men to invent what they saw as an advantgage to the aircraft. Don invented a part that saved the Air Force $10,000. on each plane It was greatfully accepted and utilized.  No monetary award followed back then just the knowledge you had helped your country. Don in later years worked as head electrician at an Air force Base in Maine.

            Phil and I held down the fort  in working in a factory. There were many letters to write every day. Life was certainly disrupted for families just as it is today. Pray for those left behind as their loved ones go off to war.  Take time to pray for our men and women in the Armed Forces right now. Have a nice weekend.

Radios,Tvs,computers

Thought you might enjoy hearing how we spent our time. When I was very young we had a Crystal radio it had a big horn on the top. As the years passed the box of the radio did too. M y memory begins when I was five or six. The boys got to choose their favorite programs after Pop listened to the news. There was Skippy and Sukie, Bobby Benson, Flash Gordon etc. After heariing the news everything frightened me. Especially Skippy I remember crying and pleading with Pop to turn it off. He use to tell me just dont listen and would pick me up and pace the floor. Many a ride I had in his arms through those years after my mother died when I was four.  Flash Gordon was one of their favorites and they thought I was so very lucky to have my middle name of Wilma since Flash’s girl friend was named Wilma. The years rolled along and we all gathered around the radio to listen to The Shadow Knows, Fibber Magee and Mollie. Amos and Andy, Lux Radio Theatre everyones favorite. One day Pop told us some day in the far future we would have a  thing callled Television  in our homes he said it would have pictures and sounds. It came about 20 years later to our house. By then I had two children. The first time I saw a TV was at my brother Lew’s house in Peabody while on a visit from NM. The screen was 3 inches across 3 deep that held no interest for us.  Several years later we got ours, the commercials were so interesting we looked forward to them as much as the programs. I am not glued to the TV now nor the computer. But they are nice to have. Amen? Wonder where the radio went? One thing about the radio that I think we lack now, We had to use our imagination all the time and that was good.

Danvers, MA

I just scanned Danvers on Google Earth 5 gosh I hardly know the place. So much of what was there is gone. Went to Ash St. first. Where Ash and Chester cross I dream about so much of my life was a part of that corner. One time we sold lemonaide there had a pretty good business but once the pitcher ran out we had to quit. We were down to the last cupful and Don made a suggestion that once executed made us all sick. He decided my girl friend up the street would be the recepient. Now he couldn’t leave it at that we must put something in the drink. Oh this is sickening just in the telling  but it gives you a view of the 30s and what kind of kids were running loose at the time. Well he came up with buggers of the nose variety. He had just deposited them when a man drove up and wouldn’t let us off  the hook we must sell him that cup full he was dying of thirst. We did argue very much but he would have that drink. So Don gave it to him he downed it and handed him the class. Drove off amid our guilty little minds leaving us with a lesson we never forgot, dont tamper with the goods and other peoples lives.  Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Aunt Maybelle cont..

I have to start with Glenn. When he was two he and I were seated in the car down town waiting for Daddy to come out of the drug store. You must keep in mind that at 2 Glenn could not tolerate women but loved men. He saw a man coming along the sidewalk and started jabbering and making his fists go summoning the man to come to the car. The man stumbled over to us drunk as a skunk. Glenn squealed with glee I wanted to sink through the floor. Marshall came out of the store about then and demanded to know who my friend was. See how things snowball? shush!

               Now what does this have to do with aunt Maybelle. My father is also a part of this. Pop was a very superstitious man.  One time he told me my Grandmother Minnie my mother’s mother was a witch. Proof -in that day the womem used sad irons that they had to heat on the stove. Then she would put it on the kiichen shelf to cool after finishing ironing. He contended that every time she got near the iron it would come flying  off the shelf at her. Oh, he had a pocket full of them; must be why I was never superstitious mystelf. Thank you Lord. Well ever hear of the evil eye? he just knew he had it because children ran from him. In comes Glenn. We all went back East on vacation as often as possible. Susie you weren’t born yet. Glenn was two Linda was 5.  Well you kids didn’t know any better than to love Grand dad Johnson. Any way this time he came to Alice’s house to see us all. Glenn went to squealing and practically jumped into he arms. He broke down crying he was so sure you kids wouldn’t have anything to do with him either bacause of his evileye. That blew that theory all to smittherines. You became his pets then. Linda said in later years she asked  Clinton why didn’t he pay attention to him he was so interesting to talk to. Clinton finally got acquainted with his gramdfather.

            Aunt Maybelle came by in a few days  later and Alice told her not to be offended because Glenn closed his eyes and turned his head when he met women. Now she loved kids so this was going to be hard on her. Sure enough he pulled it on her until she opened her mouth. I mentioned her mannish voice. He heard that voice opened his eye and squealed to go to her.  Sat on her lap all afternoon. Aunt Maybelle understood and we all had a good laugh.

Aunt Mabelle

I dont suppose you know about her Susie so I’ll introduce you to her. She was married to my father’s brother Elmer. Now Elmer, uncle Myron uncle ,and uncle Edwin were short men not much over 5ft 5, Newton, Arthur and Jack were 6 ft 2.  Aunt Mabelle was shorter than Elmer. They were both dear people. He worked at the Eastman Gelatine Co. in Peabody. He died in 1950. He was a very quiet man which could be accountable by the fact that aunt Maybelle was the life of the party. They lived on the way to Salem from Danvers but actually were in Peabody.  Alice, Jesse ,and I ate there one time and Oh it was grand. Dont remember what we ate but we drank water. Now the water was the talk of the meal. Aunt Maybelle was the  proud owner of a new fangled thing called a refrigerator. It made what were called ice cubes, Now folks we had ice water for dinner, what a luxury!

           Aunt Maybelle had a mannish voice also a trick knee. She had a sense of humor a mile long. We use to go into howling laughter when she told of her escapades. Coming in by bus to Danvers one day  as she stepped off the bus she caught her heel in  the hem of her slip and pulled it off. In order to pick it up with the least commotion she leaned down and grabbed it up too quickly and her trick knee did a trick. Now what do you do when you know you’re going to fall, well you take off running naturally. Off she went straight across Danvers square.  Cars horns blaring, folks yelling and you think you’ve been embarassed. All because of a heel, a slip hem and a trick knee. Love ya. Bye till next time.

Weekend

It’s FRIDAY!  Have a grteat weekend. See you at church?

Hurricane of 1938

Since it is the season I’ll tell you of our experiences with such. When you have seven kids with the 3 youngest always ready to do the dumb stuff you dont leave them at the mercy of a hurricane or visa versa. It had been an errie day, cloudy strange air and very very still. We were released early from school and told to go right home. I didn’t see Don or Phil any place so dutifully went home. Pop wasn’t there nobody was and by myself I was very apt to do as I was told. The blow hit just before night Don, Phil, and I were there alone contemplating what to do. Madeline came home and suggested we go see what it was like in such a storm. I will admit this was the first one we had ever seen. You know the old saying the bigger  they are the harder they fall. Huge trees were blown down while weakling spindly trees like we had in our yard swayed with the breeze. Was always embarassed by those trees until that day never was again. Well lets see we walked down the street lined with trees until we came to two that were slowly tearing up the sidewalk. We rode the walk as the trees bent up and down. This was shear pleasure.  Nuts, they finally fell over now what?  The roar of the wind was scary but when you’re having fun who cares.We then decided to head toward the woods on the way to the library. It was raining naturally and kids are not afraid of anything. I stopped by the house to get my long coat, ya it was getting cold. Now kids love woods and what safer place to be than in the woods during the hurricane. Dumb, dumb, dumb! As we neared a curve in the road the wind caught us from the back, sent my coat flipping over my head about the same time, wack a flying limb landed on my head. Of course with the street lights out it was hard to see anyway but with the coat over my head it was like being in prison naturally I did the good old bawlling scene naturally the party was over and we all went home. Don and Phil were not happy campers but then none of us were when we arrived home and were met at the door by a not too happy father. After that we knew better that to get out in bad weather.

       Lew was in Salem seeing a doctor one  time  and was stranded on a bus by a blizzard between Salem and Danvers. Spent one cold night got home late afternoon the next day after being rescued. He went to the Dr. because he was sick and needed some medicine. The Doc  checked him out and said he was fine but besure to stop drinking coffee and tea and he would be fine. So he said well I guess there is nothing wrong with me and since I never tasted coffee and tea I will never get sick. Get off that stuff folks!!!

Hummingbirds, sparrows, wasps, and a bee!

I know it might get boring but I have a ringside seat to our hummingbird feeder outside my window. And having oddles of time resting on the bed it keeps me interested. This summer we have had two hummingbirds period who come occasionally. But the traffic is so thick they get turned away so much I haven’t seen them in a couple of weeks. Sparrows waiting in line hang about till they can grab a turn. We still cant figure how they can get any of the sweet water but they do. Wasps are here every day there are 3 of them. One was a scream he tried everything trying to figure out were the place was  to get  to the nectar. One week later he was still hunting I called him the searcher.  Enter the bee who wanted to make friends with one of the wasps who wasn’t at all friendly. So Mr lazy the bee comes several times a day. If he is suppose to be hunting pollen he’s not doing the hive much good. One day mom, dad, and  4 kids came and all stood on the feeder at the same time. These were sparrows, dad got a leg caught in a chain the holds the feeder up. I never heard such a terrified scream. He fought until he got free — never did see the family again. Thats life at my house. Well what did you do this week that can top that???