I did not know any of my siblings really well. They were all far enough apart, but I do remember some specific memories of a few. From oldest to youngest they are: Elizabeth, Lillian (Sis), Bud (Earhart), Felix, Marjorie, Vernon, Beatrice, Me, Cleopha, Lolly, Naomi, and Lloyd.
I remembers Elizabeth cleaned the house and took care of the siblings because she was the oldest. Once she moved to Saint Louis, Missouri, Elizabeth did the same things for other people as well. Elizabeth was grown up and moved out before I was born.
I remembered a time with Vernon when a neighbor gave a horse drawn wagon load of apples to our family. The apples were either bought or picked. To keep the apples fresh for a longer period of time, we had to dig a hole then line and cover the bottom with straw. After the straw, the hole was lined with tarpaper to waterproof it. Straw was then put on top of the tarpaper. When someone wanted an apple out of the hole you had to dig another hole to get back in, grab an apple, and then cover the hole back up with the dirt. Because of this system with the tarpaper and straw, the apples would not freeze, but would be kept fresh. Anytime work was done like this there were never tractors, but rather horses with manual plows.
I remembers Felix and Bud worked in the Civilian Conservation Core (CCC). This was a government program for boys who worked on rocks, bridges, and around cemeteries. The boys were allowed to keep half and the other half went to the boy’s parents.
Wow that’s a lot of trouble for an apple! It must have been a real luxury!
Something is wrong with this story and here is what I think it is: Elizabeth never lived in St Louis . cousin Frieda and her husband who was August Beck (not sure) took Elizabeth to Jefferson City and she lived with them Because they had no children of their own. Thet sent Elizabeth to school and she had many different job and stayed with the Becks . Augie Beck work the same place where Justin worked ( the book bindery) which was in Jefferson City many years. They were in Jefferson City for many years. , under different names. Justin and Elizabeth married and lived a few years in Jefferson City and Justin got a job in Washington D C ……l. Lillian also left home very early. Lillian worked at Wulfords. They had chickens and eggs and baby chicks. After that job she went to St Louis, Mo. To take care of people’s children until She marriedTheodore Kuegele. I really believe that Margie was the one at home who raised us.
I think Cleo is 100% right. I don’t know when or where the information quoted came from. Margie was more responsible for taking care of the younger children than Mom was. I dearly love Mom but she had to cook and do the stuff she had to do for all us kids.
I’ve never seen these two photos before anywhere! I’m glad you put them on the site. I’ll bet they canned some of those apples, too. I remember we stored some in the cellar at the 7th place, and when you would go to the cellar to get something, the apples smelled so good!
Cousin Frieda was Elizabeth’s God parent. She wanted Elizabeth to have an education,so they kept her and put her through school. I was always told that Lillian was 14 years old when she went to St.Louis to take care of some peoples kids. That left Margie, who would have been about 10 years old to take care of the rest of the kids. I don’t remember Margie living with us as a child. She was probably gone by the time I was 3 years old. The only thing I remember about Vernon, is one winter after a big snow, He came in the house an got me all dressed up in my snow suit, took me out side and pulled me all around the barn yard in a big scoop shovel. That was so much fun. I will always remember that.
I had never seen whose pictures before either. I wonder where they came from. Those apples probably and other things given to our family after the depression , from our aunts and uncles and others was the difference between eating and not eating. Beatrice has born in 1929 the same year as the depression. Our parents lost almost everything . They moved from there to the. Second place and Mahlon was born at the next place they moved to : The Relius Beck farm. Relius Beck needed to move back to his farm because he lost his job in Jefferson City . I don’t know who or how this farm in Schuberts Mo was found for us (I wish I knew) we moved there after Mahlon was born and before I was born . I don’t remember a lot about the house but I know all my brothers and sisters loved it. I think Naomi put a picture of the house on here sometime ago.’my brothers and sisters all worked anywhere they could find jobs. mother made cheese and bread , cake anything they could peddle to make money in Jeff City. The apples were a blessing.
These stories are taken from a document that Penny Watson put together. I imagine the pictures are some that Uncle Mahlon has, but I’m just guessing.
Mother always said that the money the boys made from the CCC was split this way, The boys got to keep 5 dollars and the rest, 25 dollars was sent home to the parents. That is how I remember it. Who knows for sure????
Lloyd thinks they ( boys) got half and he did not think it was that much.
Wekipedia says you are right Lolly. The boys got 5 and family 25. Felix told Lloyd for a short time he and Bud were in together. Bud was transferred in as cook.