A Letter from Aunt Lolly
aunt lolly
Aunt Naomi’s Story (Part 43)
The chicken yard was on the south side of the yard, also the woodpile and chopping block (used to chop wood and chicken’s heads off). We would gather kindling, and carry in split wood with the red wagon. Daddy would split the wood just the right size to fit in the wood burning kitchen stove.
The west pasture land was full of rocks and goat weeds. We had to help pick up rocks for days and put them in piles. The goat weeds were terrible and we had to pull them for days and days. One day we were pulling and Lolly felt dizzy so she got to stop. It was very hot and she may have had too much sun. Another time in that field, she got bitten by a scorpion. It was under some rocks and boards that she was working around.
Aunt Lolly’s Story (part 15)
When Naomi and I were in high school, Cleo gave us each a beautiful expensive skirt and sweater for Christmas. One spring morning, I asked Naomi if I could wear hers to school. She finally agreed. I loved the color. It was pink and gray with pleats all around and the sweater was pink. After milking the cows and getting ready for school, I was running late and had to walk and run the 1/2 mile to catch the bus. It had rained hard during the night and the road had two-foot deep ruts in it from the milk truck. I was trying to get around them and my feet slipped in the mud and I fell flat on my face in the mud and water. I never was so sick in my life. My sister’s beautiful outfit was covered with mud! I just walked back home and I missed school that day. The dry cleaners were able to get it clean, but they ironed out all the pleats. I am reminded of the old saying “Into each life some rain must fall”. It poured on me that day. Ha!
Aunt Lolly & Uncle Ralph Wedding
Uncle Mahlon’s Story (part 3)
I can remember a time during confirmation school around the sixth or seventh grade we would have to walk all the way to school and do our chores before school. If I were running late due to being behind on my chores, I would run to school seven miles, five of which were through the woods. The school was a small one-room school located in Oak Grove, Missouri. I would cut back all of the weeds in order to create a path to walk on with Cleopha, Lolly, and Naomi. I remembers cutting holes in the barbwire and wrapping them with gunnysacks so the barbwire did not tear their clothing. The children were expected to attend no matter what the weather was like and even during the winter the girls still wore dresses. Cleopha, Beatrice, and Lolly later walked this path to school and across the creek in 2011. I also remembers a time when the creek was frozen. I saw a minnow in the creek, so I ran jumping onto the frozen creek with one foot on the creek and the other on the creek bank. The foot on the frozen creek fell through causing me to hit the ice with my bottom. Once I arrived home, my pant leg was frozen dry to my leg.
Aunt Lolly’s Story (part 14)
Mahlon came home on leave from the Air Force. He bought us each a new toothbrush and a big tube of Colgate toothpaste! This was my first toothbrush and paste. It was wonderful!! We had to use our fingers dipped in baking soda to clean our mouth and teeth. He also bought us a very good softball glove. We loved it.
The best times for us were when our older brothers and sisters and their families came home to visit. Our nieces and nephews were such joys to us.