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Fort Worth, Texas
I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 5, 1922. My parents, Arthur Guy Abbott and Ann Elizabeth (Beth) Muir Abbott, had married on November 24, 1921, and had an apartment in my grandmother's² house at ___ N. Roosevelt Street in north Fort Worth. My father had left his work with a Chevrolet company in Wichita Falls, Texas, to live in Fort Worth and prepare for the ministry. My mother was attending Texas Christian University, planning to enter full time Christian work. She led singing in revivals during the summer. Also, she taught school for a year prior to her marriage. Both were students at TCU during the fall of 1921 and spring of 1922, but mother was unable to continue since her "condition" made it obvious she was "with child." Pregnant women did not appear boldly in public in those days.
My father was a student minister in the Handley Christian Church, just east of Fort Worth. This continued until I was 13 months old. Then we moved to Rule (a small town in northwest Texas). That was in November, 1923.
Rule, Texas
My first memories are in Rule. Although I do not remember our first apartment, I know that we lived in an apartment in a house owned by two sisters — Miss Nora and Miss Sarah. They evidently were very sweet, and very good to my mother. However, the apartment was small and very inconvenient. Soon after we moved there I burned the palm of my right hand severely. I was just beginning to use my hands to draw, eat, etc. After I burned my hand I began to use my left hand, and my mother often has said this accounted for the fact that I am left handed. I turned out to be ambidextrous. I write, eat and sew left-handed, and do everything else right-handed.
The church in Rule was small. As I recall, it was a white wooden building, built as a majority of churches in those days, with pews in a semi-circle around a pulpit, and the baptistery was under a moveable floor near the pulpit. Soon after we moved there, the congregation built a parsonage on the same block with the church. There was a vacant lot between the two. The house was small, but probably seemed quite adequate to my parents after living in the crowded apartment. There was no indoor bathroom, but that was normal at the time. There was indoor water, however. The once-a-week baths were taken in a large wash tub, with water heated on the stove. The house had two bedrooms with a double closet opening into both bathrooms. When I was two years old I received a "kiddie car" for Christmas, and I used to ride it (using only foot power, not pedals) through the living room, front bedroom, closet, back bedroom, and back into the living room. My father liked to pretend I was chasing him, and when he entered the closet he would climb up high enough for me to ride beneath him. I would "lose" him, and I don't think I ever understood where he went. It was years later that mother and I were discussing our events in Rule, and she mentioned this incident. I remember riding around the house, but I hadn't thought about what happened to dad when I was chasing him.
My first real memory of Rule was the day my brother, Roger, was born, on June 5, 1925. I was 2 years, 8 months old at the time. I was sent to the country to visit our very dear friends Mr. and Mrs. Vick. We used to spend much time with them, because Mr. & Mrs. Vick took the place of family for us. It was the first time mother had been away from home, so Mrs. Vick was a second "mother" for her. I remember when dad came after me I was playing in the Vick's yard with the Vick's teenage daughter. I have a mental picture of the vines along a fence that surrounded their house. Dad and Mrs. Vick came up to tell me that I had a new little brother. I was thrilled, but I wondered where he came from since he wasn't there when I had left in the morning. I was told the doctor brought him. That satisified my curiosity.
I have other memories of Rule. Probably most of them happened after Roger's birth. My first experience with a tornado ( or cyclone as they called it) was there. The wind was very strong, and everyone was urged to go to a storm cellar. We didn't have one, of course, so we went to one at a neighbor's house behind us. The cellar was dark and there were spiders down there. I was afraid of both darkness and spiders for many years afterward. The tornado didn't do any damage after all.
Another memory was very vivid for many years. I was playing in the yard near the vacant lot. I saw a man running from the front of the church toward our house, yelling for my father. Dad came outside, and I overheard part of the conversation. A man had been run over by a train, and for some reason I thought that this man had been "cut in two" by the train. I just couldn't understand how a train could cut a man in half and the the man could get up and run around like that.
I received my first "lesson" in sex education in Rule. I was playing in the back yard with several neighbor children. One little boy needed to "go to the bathroom" so instead of going to the outhouse nearby, he stood up and relieved himself. I thought this was quite handy, so the next time I needed to "go" I stood up and "used the bathroom." I don't remember whether I was punished for getting my dress and panties all wet, but I did learn the difference in little boys and little girls.
Some time during the years we lived in Rule my grandmother came to live with us. Her oldest son, Guy, took care of her business for her. Her husband (my grandfather) had died when mother was about 15 years old, and probably about that time they moved from the farm in White Settlement to town. Grandmother bought the house on Roosevelt where later I was born. I don't know exactly why, but Guy decided to sell the house for grandmother, which meant she had to stay with her children. It was very common then for generations to live together. She spent most of her time with us, which pleased mother since she was in very poor health after Roger's birth, and grandmother was a big help with the care of Roger and me.
When Roger was about a year old we went to Colorado to visit my grandfather Abbott. All five of us (mother, dad, grandmother, Roger and I) were loaded into the car, along with luggage, tent and food. There were two things I particularly remember about the trip. First, we camped in a school yard one night, and I thought it was such fun to be able to play on the swings and things in the school yard. (I don't know where we spent the other nights, but it probably took two days to get there and two days back.) When we got to Colorado, we stayed with an uncle in Colorado Springs. The only thing I remember there was that my grandfather was a very handsome old gentleman, with a white beard and white hair. He, my uncle, my father and I went to a restaurant in Colorado Springs. I guess mother, grandmother and Roger stayed with my aunt at her home. I was fascinated with the fact that my grandfather could put a toothpick in his mouth, make it disappear, and then stick it out of his mouth again. This was my only visit with my grandfather. He died a few years later.
Our house in Rule had a front porch all the way across the front of the house. The house faced west, so in the summer my mother and grandmother planted beautiful blue morning glories that ran up a wire fence that dad placed from the ground to the roof. This made a cool place to play in the heat of the summer. There was no air conditioning. No one had it in those days.
Spur, Texas
I don't remember just when our family moved to Spur, but it was probably during the late summer or early fall of 1926 — just before my 4th birthday. Spur is about 75 miles northwest of Rule. The town is slightly larger than Rule, but it was quite small compared to the area where mother grew up. Dad seemed to like West Texas, but mother never did adjust to the climate, wind, dust storms, etc. The church in Spur was larger than Rule — both in membership and in the building. Instead of the semi-circular pattern of the pews, they had the more straight auditorium. The baptistry was behind and above the pulpit, and was permanently in place.
During the time we lived in Spur, I had all the usual childhood diseases — measles, chicken pox and whooping cough. I remember having to stay in a dark room while I had the measles. Chicken pox made me very uncomfortable, and I was very sick with the whooping cough. There were no shots at time to keep children from taking these diseases. Of course, Roger took them from me, so we had to stay in much of the winter and early spring when I was four and five years old.
I was very eager to learn to read and write at a very early age, so mother and grandmother spent much time with me as I learned at home. Mother's experience as a school teacher helped, and since I tended to use my left hand in holding a pencil or crayola, she encouraged me to turn the paper in such a way that I didn't write upside down as so many "lefties" did at that time. The education laws in the state of Texas at that time required a child to be seven years old on September 1st in order to start school. There was no public kindergarten, so when a Miss Whigham opened a private kindergarten that met in the high school building several afternoons each week, they let me enroll. This was in the spring of 1929 when I was 6 years old. It was more of a "play school" but it did give me the opportunity to be with other children my age. I remember being in a program where I had to give a "reading" all by myself. It was about a little stuffed doll. I was scared, but I managed to get through it.
I was still only six years old when school started in the fall of 1929. I was very ready to go to school, so by paying tuition I was allowed to enter the first grade. The school was only a block from my home, so I was able to walk. I loved school, and Miss Whigham, the woman who had the kindergarten the spring before, had been hired as the first grade teacher. I loved her. I was so fortunate to get a good start in school. I was very shy, but I managed well in the classwork.
There are several memories of my years in Spur. After church on Sunday dad used to walk to the drug store to buy the Sunday paper. I would go with him, and he would buy me an ice cream cone. Then we would walk home for lunch. Of course, I wasn't hungry after the ice cream. Yet I didn't understand why mother was "mad" at dad for buying the cone for me.
Dad had given mother a beautiful engagement ring — a diamond solitare. The wedding band was a plain gold band to match the engagement ring. Evidently the engagement ring was a little large, so mother had the habit of removing the ring when she was at home. Sometimes she would wear the wedding ring behind the diamond in order to keep it from slipping. One spring afternoon she was helping the other mothers of the church hide Easter eggs for a children's party. Later that evening she missed her ring, and she felt she had lost it in the field where we had the party. We spent hours, and days, looking for the ring. We went at night, hoping the flashlight would pick up the sparkle, and we looked in the daylight, hoping the sun would shine on it. It was never found, and mother was heart broken. It was more than thirty years later before dad could afford to give her another diamond. I was too young to remember the first ring, but it must have been beautiful.
Dad held a revival at the church during the summer of 1929 — when I was six years old. I had heard Bible stories all my life, and had never missed church and Sunday School except when I was sick, so I felt I wanted to join the church. I talked it over with my parents, and they said they felt I was ready, so on the last day of the revival I went to the front to make my confession. Many of us were baptized the following Sunday.
There were several children in the church who were my age. My best friend was Peggy Glover. Others I remember were Ouida and Shirley Glen. Both of those names were fascinating to me. I couldn't understand why Ouida was pronounced "Weeda." I thought Shirley Glen was a beautiful name, but mother told me "Glen" was a boy's name.
Although Spur was far away from "civilization," we did have company several times. My aunt and uncle and cousins from Wichita Falls visited once — Mary and Earnest Durrett and Mary Lou and Mildred. I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the girls. Another time dad's nephew Kenneth Abbott and his family visited from Brownfield. They had a little girl about my age and we had fun.
I remember going to Lubbock one time when we lived in Spur. I don't know why we decided to go there for the day — maybe just to have a picnic. The town wasn't very large at that time. I remember going to a park, and people were swimming in a river that ran through it. Mother helped me change into my swimming suit, and then afterward when I changed back into my clothes they left my suit on the car to dry while we ate our lunch. I don't know whether the suit was stolen or whether it fell off the car when we drove off. Anyway, I didn't get home with it.
Evidently the communion bread for Sunday services was all homemade, and mother took her turn in preparing it. On those Sunday mornings she would make pie crust and "score it" so it could be broken more easily. I don't remember how it was done in other churches we served, but in Spur it was made by the members.
Dad liked to raise chickens — both for the eggs and for food. One time when we had baby chickens I was in the back yard having lots of fun. Mother heard me laughing and screaming as I picked up the chicks, kissed them and threw them in the air. Mother came out to investigate, and the fun came to abrupt end. I'm sure I received a severe paddling, because many of the chickens lay dead.
The house in Spur was a little larger than the one in Rule. It had an indoor bathroom making it much more convenient. The living room was fairly large, and in the winter time the house was heated by a coal stove that was in the living room.
Evidently Roger and I were both bothered with sore throats, ear problems or something. The doctor told our parents we should have our tonsils removed, so I remember going to his office early one morning. We were both in our pajamas. He took us one at a time, and we were given ether and then our tonsils and adenoids were removed. We stayed in a bed in his office for several hours, and then mother and dad took us home. The best part of all of this was getting to have ice cream.
Sabinal, Texas
We moved to Sabinal right after the first of the year in 1930. It was a small town about 65 miles southwest of San Antonio. The church was very active, and the building was a cream colored brick building near the downtown area. The parsonage was about 10 blocks away, on a dirt street just across from a railroad. It was about the same size as the one in Spur. Again, it was heated with a coal stove placed in the living-dining room.
The happiest times of my life were in Sabinal. I was in the first grade when we moved, and although I hated to leave my beloved Miss Whigham, I immediately fell in love with my first grade teacher in Sabinal — Miss Bell. She was an older woman who "mothered" her children. I continued to enjoy school, and it was easy to make excellent grades. We lived there for almost four years, and all the teachers were wonderful. I was so fortunate.
My very best friend was named Myra Nell Peters. She and her parents and younger brother lived with their grandmother in her large house several blocks from me. There was no fear of walking alone in those days, so many times I would walk to her house to spend the day, or she would walk to mine. Myra Nell was just four months older that I. She was blonde and I was brunette. She was very talented musically, and played the piano and violin. We enjoyed playing in the huge fig trees in her back yard, and we had play houses under the branches. We spent many contented hours with our dolls and make believe. The house had a huge attic, and on colder days we would play up there.
Mother's health continued to get worse, and soon after we moved to Sabinal she had to have a hysterectomy. This was done at the Nix Hospital in San Antonio. Grandmother was with us, so we were kept in school without interruption. We did get to go to San Antonio to see her, and that was quite a treat to ride the elevator, see the sights of the big city and go to a movie. I didn't realize how serious the surgery was.
I had many friends in Sabinal. Besides Myra Nell, there were Sarah Sue Fowler, Louise Ligon, twins Maxine and Maurine Shane, Lucille [last name not provided].
The family next door had a girl my age — Evelyn Hill. They had several younger children also. One day I was at their house and I noticed her mother awfully fat under her apron. I didn't think much about it then, but I did wonder why she got so much smaller a few weeks later. Also, they had a new baby boy. That was my first experience in observing a pregnant woman.
My father had begun to gain lots of weight, and he was large enough to make an ideal Santa Clause when we were in Sabanal. I still didn't know for sure about Santa, but I began to suspect something when dad didn't go with us to the community Santa party. We were at the church afterward, and Roger accidently opened the door of a classroom after dad had changed from his Santa suit. He was very excited to find that Santa had been there, but of course he never suspected anything. I finally knew for sure when the doll that was under the Christmas tree had my name on it, but it was in mother's handwriting. I was eight years old.
The highway from Sabinal to Uvalde, just to the west of Sabinal, had to cross three rivers — the Sabinal, Frio and Leona. They didn't have high bridges, but the highway followed the contour of the land, with a deep chasm going down to the river. One summer there was a flood which knocked out the highway at all three places. It took months before travel could be resumed between Sabinal and Uvalde. I thought it was fun going on the highway as far as we could, just to see how far the river had risen, and then to see how much it had gone down.
Concan, near Sabinal, was on the Frio River. Now there is a state park in that area. It was quite a resort when I lived there in the early 30's and many people had cabins on its banks. We used to take church groups up there for picnics. Swimming was great. There weren't any city swimming pools then, so it was a real treat to get to go swimming in the river. The large cyprus trees were beautiful.
We went to Corpus Christi during one of our summer vacations. We found a cabin on the gulf, and spent a few days swimming in the salt water and relaxing. One time we were driving around and stopped for a soft drink just before going out on the causeway to one of the islands. As we returned from the island, a woman from the restaurant stopped our car and asked if dad was Rev. Abbott. He had left his billfold on the counter when he paid for the drinks, and she thought she could catch him as we returned from the island. We were so thankful that she was an honest waitress.
The stock market crash of 1929 had occurred just before we moved to Sabinal. The economy went from bad to worse, and many people were out of work. Men began riding the freight trains from one place to another trying to find something to do. When the train stopped, they would get off and ask for food at the various houses in the area. They seemed to have a secret code, passed from one to another. Since we lived across the street from the railroad, they headed straight for our house. The Depression had hit us also, but we always gave them something to eat — even if it was just bread and butter. One time we had watermelon, and offered a slice to one of the men. Soon another man came and asked if he could have a slice.
Dad had his usual chickens in Sabinal, and this time he also had a cow. One of our neighbors, a Mrs. Adams, owned quite a bit of land behind us. She let us keep one of her cows and we were able to have fresh milk. We also had a garden, so we had milk, eggs and fresh vegetables. That helped since money was so hard to get.
Mrs. Adams gave me my first real pet — a beautiful long-haired cat. I officially named her "Fluffy," but soon was calling her sugar-pie. This changed as I talked baby-talk to her, and became "Dubi." She was the love of my life. Of course, she did "what came naturally" and had a litter of kittens a couple of times a year. She made all of the moves our family made (once with kittens), and finally died at the age of 17.
Hoover, a Republican, was president at the time of the stock market crash. My father was a faithful Republican, so when Roosevelt, a Democrat, was elected he was sure our country was ruined. Nothing that Roosevelt did pleased dad — especially when he closed the banks. We didn't have any money to lose, but those who did lost a lot. Roosevelt's New Deal brought many government programs, but the economy didn't recover very quickly. Soon the church was having financial problems, and could no longer afford a full time minister. We loved Sabinal, and they seemed to love us. Mr. Leon Heard, his daughter and son-in Lois and Clarence Crane, and many other leaders did all they could to keep the church financially stable, but the time finally came when dad had to look for another church.
Pecos, Texas
During the Thanksgiving holidays we moved to far west Texas. Pecos was the worst place we ever lived. Mother thought northwest Texas, but it was nothing compared to Pecos. There was white alkali soil that made the water taste terrible, no trees, and the wind blew constantly. One of the few good things about the area was that they grew delicious cantaloupes. The alkali seemed to add to their flavor.
My father liked to see to it that we made certain records. We had moved from Spur to Sabinal right after Christmas, so I didn't have to miss any school. This move was during Thanksgiving, so again I didn't have to miss school. I had had the early childhood diseases before I started school, so I began a record of never being absent or tardy. Also, since I was a good student, he wanted me to excel in everything so I could be valedictorian. Mother wanted me to take music, so I was busy trying to be perfect in both fields. It really didn't bother me, though, since I enjoyed school and music.
I didn't have any close friends in Pecos. Shirley Glasscock was my age and with me in school and church. We had fun together, but she became interested in boys at an early age, and I was not yet ready for that. For that reason we soon drifted apart. Also, the Depression seemed to affect our family. I remember having two school dresses and one Sunday dress. I don't remember going hungary, but I probably didn't have very nourishing meals. I began growing tall, but I was skin and bones. I was quite self-conscious.
During each summer that we were in Pecos, we took two trips that were enjoyable. Each June we went to Carlsbad Caverns. I thoroughly enjoyed those all-day trips — especially the walk out of the cavern when we would first see the sun shining into the cave.
Each August we spent a week at the Boys Camp Meeting in the Davis Mountains, a non-denominational church meeting.
We camped in tents, attended services in large open air tabernacles and ate with a group of people of our denomination. There were several denominations represented, and each had their own kitchen area. Some of the wealthy ranch owners provided the food, and the people paid what they could afford. Although there were church services three times a day, I didn't have to attend all of them, and I enjoyed playing with the other children. The last time we went, however, was a most unpleasant experience. To begin with, mother finally had materal to make a new dress for herself. She made it especially to take with us to the camp meeting. After it was finished, I was pressing it and I accidently left the iron on it and scorched it beyond repair. We were both heart broken. We packed our things and had to tie most of them on the running boards of the car since there wasn't enough trunk space for the tent and everything. On the way to the camp meeting, there was a terrible flood and many cars were marooned in the mountains until the waters went down enough to ford the streams. We had to spend a night in a motel, and found that most of our clothes were soaked. When we got to the camp meeting, there wasn't a good place to camp so we had to take what was left. This was an experience we all wanted to forget.Another experience in the Davis Mountains happened with dad and Roger. To celebrate his birthday one June, dad took Roger and a few of his friends to the Davis Mountains for an all day outing. They cooked outside and roamed around the area. They noticed a cloud, so decided to come home a little earlier than planned. Summer floods would come without warning, and since the roads in the valleys had to ford the streams many times, it could get quite dangerous. They packed up and started home, but suddenly realized the rains had already started upstream. They had to drive fast to keep ahead of a wall of water that was coming toward them. Fortunately they got out just in time, but it was quite a harrowing experience for all of them.
Living in Pecos was hard on all of us. Dad, a staunch Republican, was unhappy with the political turn of events. Also the church situation was getting bad. The Church of Christ denomination had broken away from our church and they wanted to argue the scriptures with anyone from our denomination — especially the minister. They were of the opinion that anyone who was not a member of their church was going to hell. I can remember times when the minister of the Church of Christ would come to our house to argue with dad. This was very upsetting to all of us.
Most of my friends had bicycles, and I wanted one very badly. However, there was no way my parents could afford one, so I received skates that Christmas instead. I did enjoy skating, but I thought life would be much happier if I could have had a bike.
Grandmother was with us part of the time we were in Pecos, but she stayed with some of her other children most of the time we were out there. During those years, mother and Roger and I would entertain ourselves with games, long walks, etc. When dad had time, he would join us for table games. Roger and I enjoyed each other more in Pecos than other towns. In Sabinal, he was too young, and after I was in high school, he again was too young. Here, though, we seemed to need each other and enjoyed playing "make believe" in our large yard.
We both learned to swim in Pecos. There was a city swimming pool, and they let the ministers' families in free. We both became quite good swimmers, although he was better than I. We went to many movies, also. This was the first town we had lived in that had a movie theater, and fortunately they too let ministers and their families in free. We went nearly every Saturday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed the cowboy serials — wondering from week to week if the hero would die after falling from the cliff, riding a run-away horse, etc.
I was quite a tomboy, and liked to play outside in tree houses, on swings, etc. One summer soon after school was out I was swinging on a one-rope swing. I would swing from a saw horse in order to go higher, and then catch myself on the saw horse when the swing came back. Once I missed the saw horse, and scraped my skin to the bone. I should have gone to the doctor, but instead dad tried to doctor it himself. It got worse over time and soon became infected. I had to stay in bed and could only walk with help. Finally, I was taken to the doctor, but it was too late for the doctor to take any stitches. Therefore, I have always had a large scar on my right leg. It finally got well, but it took all summer.
During the summer mother and I would take long walks. Daddy was busy with church activities, and Roger was playing softball with his friends. She and I would walk and talk several evenings a week. These were some of our happier times in Pecos. I enjoyed hearing about her childhood. I just wish one of us had put it all on paper.
There was an "ice cream war" one summer while we lived in Pecos, and we could buy a triple dip cone for 5¢. About once a week we all went to the ice cream parlor and had a huge cone. The only flavors were vanilla, chocolate and strawberry — and sometimes banana nut. My, that ice cream was delicious.
One of the church members loaned us her piano, so at last I was able to take real piano lessons. Mother had taught Roger and me some music by using pianos at the churches in Sabanal and Pecos, but I had had no formal lessons. I enjoyed this experience, although I soon became tired of all the practicing it required. There was a radio station in Pecos, and one time some of the pupils performed on the radio. I was scared, but evidently I did all right. The recital at the end of the school year was very exciting. Grandmother was with us at the time, and somehow we were able to find the money to buy material for a new dress for the recital. Grandmother was an excellent seamstress, and my dress was one of the prettiest I had ever had. Also, she made a new dress for me for the elementary school graduation. Two new dresses in one month was quite a treat.
I finished the seventh grade in Pecos. This was the last grade in elementary school, and we had a formal graduation ceremony. It was in 1936 — the Texas Centennial year. Our theme was Davy Crockett's saying — "Be sure you are right, then go ahead." Dad had pushed me to make perfect grades so I could be valedictorian, but another girl had perfect grades also. Since I was a transfer student (I moved there when I was in the fifth grade), they made Ruthie Reeder valedictorian and I was salutatorian. We both had to make a speech at graduation, and my speech was on "Public Education in Texas." I did a lot of research, using some of my neighbor's encyclopedias, and I practiced long and hard. Ruthie's speech was short, but mine was longer, and well prepared. I received a standing ovation, and then someone (probably the neighbor who had let me use her encyclopedia) sent me a bouquet of flowers. I felt coming in second wasn't so bad after all. Many of the families in the church gave me gifts after the ceremony. It made me feel very special.
Although I disliked Pecos in general, there were some wonderful people who lived there, and they were very kind to our family. Mr. & Mrs. Wilhite and their daughter, Golda, were wonderful to us. They lived across the alley and were very supportive. Golda was the choir director, and her parents were church "pillars." Dr. & Mrs. Jim Camp, Mr. & Mrs. Collier, and the Glasscocks, were other church and community leaders.
One enjoyable experience came the second Thanksgiving we lived in Pecos. Dad decided at the last minute to take us to El Paso. He always liked to decide suddenly to go somewhere rather than planning ahead, which made it very hard on mother getting clothes packed and food ready. However, I thought it was exciting, and I was always ready to jump at the chance for adventure. We spent the night in a motel in El Paso, and the next day we went across the border into Juarez for a few hours.
Since grandmother wasn't with us much of the time in Pecos, I learned to cook and take care of the house in order to help mother. She was never able to do much heavy work. I enjoyed cooking, and I learned a lot that would help me later in life.
Dad began to wonder if he should leave the ministry. Although many of the members were wonderful, he didn't have the general support for the church programs. The economy was very bad, and there wasn't much financial support for the ministry. He discussed going into the grocery business with the financial backing of one of the church members, but that didn't get much farther than the discussion stage. I think the deciding factor was that the government decided during the summer of 1936 to give a bonus to the World War veterans. That gave us a little money to live on for a couple of months, so he resigned from the church in Pecos, and we left without any definite destination ahead of us. Our furniture was stored in the Wilhite's barn across the alley, and we took our few clothes and headed for Fort Worth. We stayed with my aunt and uncle (mother's brother) and their new baby, and also visited with other relatives.
Texas was celebrating the Centennial, and they were having special events in both Fort Worth and Dallas. We attended the event in Fort Worth, and then our family joined the Durretts (mother's sister and family from Wichita Falls) and rented a large room for the eight of us just across from the State Fair grounds in Dallas so we could attend that special Fair. Roger, the Durrett children (Mary Lou and Mildred) and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with rides on the midway and other fun programs. The very best part of the Centennial was the "Cavalcade of Texas." They had a huge open air arena and the drama presented the history of the Lone Star State. The curtain between the acts was a wall of water, with colored lights shining on it. There was a cattle stampede and many other exciting stories depicting the taming of the west. I still have a program of the Cavalcade.
Belton, Texas
During the latter part of August we moved to Belton. Dad had contacted the Texas Christian Missionary Society while we were in Fort Worth, and had made arrangements to become minister of the church in Belton. This was an exciting time because at last we felt we were moving back to "civilization." Central Texas was beautiful, and the church was fairly active. One difficulty, though, was that the church was supposed to send a truck to Pecos to bring our furniture to the parsonage in Belton. They sent a small truck, which wasn't nearly large enough for a house full of furniture. Instead of asking them to make another trip, dad just sold the furniture that couldn't be loaded on the truck. Of course, he didn't get much money for the second hand furniture, and he wasn't selective in the furniture he brought back with him. One chair, in particular, was sold that had been mother's favorite. It was a small rocker without arms that had been ideal for rocking Roger and me when we were babies, and it was nice for her to use as she sewed and pieced quilts.
Since we didn't have enough furniture, dad used the rest of the money he had received as the War bonus to buy furniture for us. We not only had the necessities (bedroom furniture, etc.), but he also bought a desk for Roger and me, a new dining room suite an a small piano. I was very excited. Mother was still unhappy about the necessity of buying so much new furniture, but she didn't say much. In those days men made most of the decisions for the families without discussing things with their wives or families.
The parsonage in Belton was a very old solid brick house, but the church had completely remodeled it. It had new wallpaper, and the kitchen had a nice kitchen cabinet — the first one we had had. The house was rather inconvenient, but it was fairly comfortable. There was a small entrance room which they had made into the living room. The room to the right of it had originally been the living room, but they added a closet and it became my room. Behind that room was the dining room, and then the kitchen. Mother and dad's bedroom was behind the living room, and then Roger's room. There was a back porch, and the bathroom had been made from part of the porch. The house, of course, had been built before there was indoor plumbing. Since the bathroom was an "add-on" it meant it was quite cold going to the bathroom in the winter as the back porch was screened in.
There were many girls my age in Belton, and it didn't take long to make close friends. We were all within walking distance since the town was rather small. Charline Cook (now Mrs. Leonard Kimsey) lived one block from the school, so most of the time I would go by her house and we would walk together. Other friends were Doris Giles, Lois Durham, Norma Green and Eleanor Metcalf.
Eleanor had a car, and we often went riding with her. She liked to go to Temple, and we would go to a drive-in and order a hamburger, cold drink or something. The hamburgers only cost a nickel, so I was able to participate in this activity. By this time dad had a little extra change to give to Roger and me for doing chores around the house. I was very careful in the way I spent my money, but I was able to go to a movie (for only 10¢), get a coke, etc. with my friends.
Charline and I became close friends. One of our favorite activities was making candy at my house. Neither of us had a bicycle, but we were able to borrow bikes and would take long rides in the country. The young people seemed to congregate at Charline's house on weekends, and I spent many enjoyable evenings there with a bunch of boys and girls.
I had learned to drive the car while we were in Pecos, but I didn't get to drive alone until we moved to Belton. It was so exciting when dad told me to go on some errand "by myself." I was only 13, but at that time there was no age limit and no test to take. In fact, a driver's license wasn't required until a few years later, and I didn't have to take a test to get it.
It was almost time for school to start when we moved to Belton. I was in the eighth grade, which was a freshman in high school (there were only eleven grades in public school at that time). Everyone was assigned a place at a double desk in the combination auditorium-study hall. This assignment had been made at the close of school the spring before, so I didn't have a place to sit. I was very fortunate, however, to be placed with a girl who was a member of our church. She was a year older than I, and a grade ahead of me. However, I felt very fortunate to be placed with such a nice person.
I always loved going to school. The teachers seemed to think I was a good student so they asked me to help put things on the blackboard, run errands, etc. I was elected as a freshman representative to the student council, and also I was asked to work in the library during study hall.
I discovered boys in Belton, although nothing serious. There was one boy, Walter Roy Cole, who seemed to like me and kept wanting me to go out with him. I was quite reluctant, however, to date him alone. I had much rather be with a group of boys and girls. We had lots of parties at our house sponsored by our church. There were some wonderful people in Belton.
My grandmother lived with us the first winter in Belton, but in the fall of 1937 my father's sister, Aunt Daisy, stayed with us for about eight months. She was from Iowa, so it was a treat for her to get out of that extremely cold weather. I enjoyed her very much. I remember in January 1938 mother and dad had gone to Fort Worth for the annual minister's week, and she and Roger and I were home alone. Often during minister's week the weather would get bad, and we happened to have a severe ice storm the day they were to return to Belton. I knew dad was a good driver, so I wasn't too worried, but Aunt Daisy was "pacing the floors" she was so worried. Fortunately, mother and dad got home just fine, but it was extremely difficult driving for them since they didn't have a defroster and their heater wasn't adequate. Now that I am grown I can understand more fully Aunt Daisy's concern. Then, I only knew dad always made it home in any kind of weather.
Taylor, Texas
All good things come to an end, however, and our life in Belton seemed to come to an abrupt halt. In the spring of my sophomore year dad accepted a call to the church in Taylor. This was only miles southeast. In fact, the Taylor Ducks played the Belton Tigers in football. I felt the world had ended, though. I was almost as happy in Belton as I had been in Sabinal.
When I enrolled in school I found that students in my first-year Spanish class were already studying things that weren't offered in Belton until the second year. Other classes were acceptable — but since I was used to having perfect grades I was devastated. Fortunately, I had a study hall during my Spanish teacher's off period, so she worked with me each day until I caught up with the other students and I finished the year at their level.
I thoroughly enjoyed Homemaking (or Home Economics as it was called then). During my senior year I went to the state meet in Dallas to show off my dress. Our teacher and three other girls went also. We had a wonderful time in the "big city." We stayed at the Adolphus Hotel and saw many sights that were unfamiliar to a "country" girl like me.
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I had my first experience in being "rejected" when I applied for admission to a club in high school and was not elected. There were only a limited number being accepted for membership, and my friends told me I probably wasn't elected because the older girls (seniors) didn't know me. I was a junior by that time. I tried not to show my disappointment and didn't say much about it at home. However, I feel sure mother and dad talked to the principal about having clubs in high school that limited membership. The next year this club was outlawed and other clubs that had "open membership" were organized.
Dorothy Campbell became a very close friend. She and I were the same age, and her parents and sister were all leaders in our church. Other friends were Shirley and Lucille Johnson, Dorothy Cornforth and Novis Bozarth. We would get together on Saturday nights in someone's home rather than going on dates. Some girls dated, but most of us just enjoyed getting together without pairing up.
As usual, we didn't have any money to spare. Ministers in those days were usually quite poor, and we were among the poorest. The country was still trying to recover from the Depression, and no one had much money to spare. My senior class ring cost about $12.00, but I wasn't able to order one during the first order. When they sent off the second order, I asked if I could get one, and was told it might still be impossible. Then a strange thing happened. The Lord probably had a hand in it. The radio indicated that someone would visit people's homes, and if the housewife had a carton of Meadowlake Margarine in the refrigerator, she would receive $10.00. That was the brand we used (we couldn't afford butter). Fortunately, the person came to our house and presented mother with $10 when she produced the carton. I was able to order the ring.
Another time we received an unexpected and much needed gift of money was at Christmas, 1938. Grandmother was staying with some of her family in Fort Worth, and her health was quite poor. Mother was quite depressed for many reasons: we had little money for Christmas gifts for our immediate family, mother's health was getting worse, and she also feared grandmother wouldn't be here much longer. She wanted so badly to go to Fort Worth to see her. One of the men from the church came by during the holidays and gave dad a gift of $10.00. That was enough to buy gasoline for the round trip to Fort Worth (gasoline was only about 20¢ per gallon). We stayed with relatives and had a nice visit with grandmother. It gave us all a much better Christmas.
Grandmother died in the spring of 1939. I had never missed a day of school in my entire school years until that time. Grandmother died on Saturday, and they couldn't have the funeral until Monday. That meant I would miss school on Monday if I went to the funeral — but there was no question about it. I would stay for the funeral and give up any goal of perfect attendance during my entire 11 years of public school. Dad, however, was called to Taylor to preach another funeral on Monday afternoon, so he and Roger and I left immediately after grandmother's service at the church so he could get home in time for the church member's funeral. I always resented that, because I felt he should have considered his own family's feelings and should have stayed in Fort Worth for grandmother's burial. Mother had to come home alone on the bus.
I finished high school in 1940. Dad had urged me for years to work hard in school so I could be valedictorian and get a scholarship for college. He knew it would be difficult for him to send me off to school without some help. I realized in my senior year that it would be almost impossible to finish first since there were so many other students with excellent grades. I became quite depressed, and wondered what would happen if I didn't get that scholarship. When grades were announced, I had finished second. There were about five of us who were so close together it was hard to determine the winner. My grade point average was 93.75. The highest was 93.79. She received the scholarship for the girls, and a boy who had finished fifth received the scholarship for the boys. I received recognition, but no monetary reward. I was glad it was over because it had been quite a struggle.
San Marcos, Texas
I did get to go to college, however. Somehow I was able to enroll in Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos (now Texas Satate University). Dorothy Campbell was my roommate. I had thought all my life that I would be a school teacher since I loved children and I loved school. However, I changed my mind after a few months of school. Chemistry was very interesting in high school, and I was enjoying it as a freshman in college, so I decided perhaps that would be my major. I found that I changed my mind several times during the two years I was at San Marcos.
I was supposed to have a job at the school to cover my tuition. Dorothy was also promised work. Several weeks went by without the expected employment. Finally, I went to work in the school library, and Dorothy became secretary to one of the professors. We were both pleased with these assignments. Our dormitory was quite a "fire trap" but we didn't realize how inconvenient everything was. We were so happy to have a place to stay. This was an old wooden dormitory — probably built when the college began. It was called "The Annex." The girls were all very nice, and most of us were freshmen since upper classmen were given rooms in the new dormitory.
Since this was my first time away from home, I was very home sick from time to time. It was good to have Dorothy as my roommate since we had been best friends in high school. She soon had a boy friend, and although I still wasn't interested in "real" dating, I did go out with her boy friend's best friend. At least it made it nice to have someone to go with to football games and other school activities.
During the spring of 1941 my parents told me that dad was going to resign from the church in Taylor. I wasn't to tell anyone — not even Dorothy. This was a terrible strain on me since I was still bothered with homesickness from time to time. I didn't need this extra burden of secretiveness. Also, mother's health was very bad, and after dad had accepted a call to the church in Quanah, mother learned she would need immediate gall bladder surgery at Scott & White Hospital in Temple (just north of Taylor). Also, Roger didn't want to leave Taylor at the end of his junior year since mother would be unable to join dad in Quanah when he moved. Dorothy Campbell's parents agreed to let Roger live with them and finish school. Some of mother's dear friends — Zaida Brown and [first name not provided] Jones — looked after mother during her surgery and recovery. That meant all four of us were in different places those several weeks for mother's sugery and recovery. (She was in the hospital for almost three weeks.) Dad came back for us when school was out, and the four of us went to our new home in Quannah.
Both mother and I disliked West Texas. It was o.k. for Roger, because he seemed content wherever he was. Dad seemed to like West Texas fine. At least it was a little better than Pecos.
I was afraid I wouldn't be able to go back to school in the fall, but fortunately they were somehow able to find the money to send me. I was able to work in the cafeteria during my sophomore year, and this covered all room and board.
There wasn't anything outstanding that I can recall about the fall semester (1942), until December 7th. I was walking back to the campus after Sunday School in order to get ready to go to work. When I reached the dormitory, they were just getting the first news about Pearl Harbor. That was a day I will always remember. All activity seemed to stop, and everyone was listening to the radio. I really didn't understand the full impact of the meaning of the attack, but by the next day boys on campus were lining up to volunteer for service. Campus life would never be the same.
¹From a seventeen-page typewritten account titled, "LIFE OF IDA MARGARET ABBOTT GRIGG ATKINS." It is a personal reflection of her childhood and meant for her children, but its importance here is in providing a timeline of the numerous moves the family made. In fact, the various segments are titled by the towns in which they lived.
²All references to "grandmother" are to her maternal grandmother, Ida May Redford Muir.
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