We left Lindsay and I believe stopped in Paul's Valley and in Ulysses. I did not go to school in either of these places. They must have been very brief stops. I know in Ulysses we stayed, or at least visited the Paul Corn family. Paul was Mom's cousin. His mother, Mildred, was Grandma Kruse's sister.
When we got to G'burg, it must have been to stay because we sold the trailer. We stayed with Luther and Peggy Shuck. At that time, they lived in the basement of what would be their house. I only remember mealtime. There were five of us kids, Gary and Diane Shuck and the three Perrys. Mom commented that all of us kids ate more when we ate together. Once, Peggy made do-nuts, letting them raise and then deep-frying them and dipping them in powdered sugar. I had never seen Mom do that, so I was impressed! (I have no memory of sleeping arrangements. I do know the lay-out of that basement, so I wonder if the Perrys stayed in the trailer until it was sold, and joined the Shucks for meals. Perhaps my brother can help with that.
Shucks lived right across the street from the grade school which was handy! Ginger's first grade teacher was Miss Gann and my third grade teacher was LaVerne DeWeese (more recently Mrs. John Rosenberger.)
When the class was writing on the blackboard, Miss DeWeese commented that I was ahead of the rest as I was writing longhand. (That is what we called "cursive" back then!) They were still printing. I was also ahead in reading, and that continued throughout grade school. Mom said that phonics were to be credited with that.
We moved to the house on Nebraska Street next. We were right across the street from Clifford and Lesta Davis. (Cheryl Weese's family) Across the alley behind the house lived my classmate, Valonda Unruh. Her sister's family also lived there...her son was the infamous "Butch" (Russell) Olinger! We rented that house from Ruth and Ray Price. We had a big backyard and played soft ball there. We spent a lot of time playing outside. It was a pretty good walk to school. We could cut down the alley behind the house and follow it almost to the school.
While we lived there, Daddy came across some baby skunks whose mother had left them. Daddy brought them home and he and Luther "de-stunk" them. I guess that involved removing the little "stink" sacs. Luther and Peggy took one and he was like a big kitten. Very gentle and cuddly. I don't know what happened to all the others. I think there were maybe six of them.
I am guessing we lived there from fourth through sixth grades. I am not sure. Next stop, the house on Olive Street!
I heard that one of the skunks got into the neighbor's basement and was shot. The neighbor claimed that he did not realize it was the pet skunk. Mom's opinion was that the neighbor never would have shot the skunk in his basement unless he was sure it had been de-scented...
ReplyDeleteYes, that would be Mrs. Helton. She was the neighborhood crabby lady. We did not step on her lawn, or ring her doorbell to sell buddy poppies (on memorial day.) Not a happy person.
ReplyDeleteI have vague memories of living at the Shuck's house . I believe that house was originally a basement house like aunt Estella's. at one time, Luther had a tiny elevator that carried him from the bottom of the basement steps to a point just outside of the back door of the upper house . it seems to me that they had just finished the upper house or were finishing it when we lived there. I think they moved a house in and set it on top of the basement house then added the garage and shop later. Entering the basement you found yourself first in the living room then walking by a bathroom on the right and then into the kitchen /dining area . as you proceeded along this path there were 2 or 3 large bedrooms on the left. with a furnace and hot water heater in it , I thought the first bedroom was very spooky. I do not know the time line but at some point that bedroom ,also, contained chinchillas.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we stayed with Luther and peggy very long . Even at 4 or 5 years old I remember thinking that things were very nice there .
About this same time I recall being in our trailer house while it was parked next to a row of large trees in front of Valonda Unruh's house???
I think this is about the same time that I remember grandma and grandpa Kruse's house being jacked up off of the ground perhaps to add indoor plumbing ,the front sun porch and the enclosed back porch . There was a concrete bunker installed in the ground next to the windmill which contained the pressure tank for the water and Grover's (grandpa's hired hand) chewing tobacco stash.
There I go wondering, or perhaps staggering down memory lane .