Grandma Jensen

well i'm back this evening. TODAY WHILE CLAY AND I SPENT GOOD TIME TOGETHER FOR ME AT LEAST HE TOLD ME SOME THINGS I SHOULD ADD TO MY STORY. I TOLD HIM THERE ARE SOME THINGS HARD TO WRITE ABOUT SUCH AS OUR LIVING CONDITIONS BUT THAT WAS PART OF MY LIFE AND AS WE TALKED I TOLD HIM MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN TWIN GROVES LIVED IN CRAMPED CONDITIONS. IF THE HOME WAS BIG ENOUGH TWO FAMILY'S SHARED IT. SO WE WERE NO BETTER AND NO WORSE THAN MANY OTHERS. I THINK IT WAS MOMS TEARS THAT CAME OFTEN DURING THOSE HARD YEARS THAT MADE ME FEEL AS I DID.
WHEN I STARTED SCHOOL I WAS STILL FIVE TURNED SIX IN LATE OCTOBER. MOM WAS WORKING AND I WAS ONE LESS FOR AUNT LEAH AND DAD TO WATCH. MY TEACHER WAS VERDA MARTINEAU. SHE HAD TAUGHT BEFORE HER MARRIAGE AND THEN IN THOSE DAYS IF A WOMAN TEACHER MARRIED THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TEACH. THEY MAY BECOME PREGNANT AND THAT WAS NOT FOR YOUNG STUDENTS TO LOOK UPON. SHE HAD'NT HAD ANY BABY'S FOR 9 OR SO YEARS AND IT DIDN'T SEEM SHE WOULD HAVE ANY. TWIN GROVES NEEDED A TEACHER AND DAD WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD HE ABOUT GOT FIRED AT THE SUGGESTION OF HER BEING THE TEACHER. HE EXPLAINED HOW IT SEEMED TO HIM AND SINCE THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYONE ELSE AND THE SCHOOL YEAR WAS UPON THEM THE OTHER'S GAVE IN AND SHE TAUGHT FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS THERE IN TWIN GROVES. THE SPRING BETWEEN MY FIRST AND SECOND GRADE GRANDMA BAKER WAS DYING OF CANCER AND UNCLES JOHN, ASA ,AND PRICE POOLED ENOUGH MONEY FOR MOM TO BRING HERSELF AND THREE YOUNGEST TO TEXAS TO BE WITH HER MOM. I SPENT MOST OF THE SUMMER OUT IN THE COUNTRY AT AUNT DELIA'S AND UNCLE VANS. THEY ALREADY HAD A LARGE FAMILY SO I GUESS ONE MORE WAS OK. UNCLE VAN HAD A DAIRY AND HAULED MILK FROM WILLIAMSON SETTLEMENT TO TOWN AND DELIVERED MILK BOTTLES TO HIS CUSTOMERS DAILY. WHEN MOM WANTED TO SEE ME SHE'D HAVE UNCLE VAN BRING ME TO TOWN THEN TAKE ME BACK THAT DAY ARE IF I WERE LUCKY I GOT TO STAY IN TOWN A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH MOM JACK AND REBA. JACK WAS MOSTLY AT UNCLE ASA'S AND AUNT ISABELL'S AS THEY HAD BOYS AROUND HIS AGE. I WENT TO THE CHURCH WITH COUSINS ALMA EFFIE ANNIE AND MAYBE BETTYLOU BUT I THINK SHE WAS TOO YOUNG TO WALK THAT FAR. WE ATTENDED THE WEEKLY PRIMARY SO MY CHURCH LIFE CONTINUED. I THINK I ALSO WENT TO S.S WITH THERE FAMILY.
ONCE WHEN MOM ASK FOR ME TO BE TAKEN TO BEAUMONT AUNT ISABELLS FATHER [GRANDPA GAMBLE] TOOK US OUT ON A SHIP AND TO AN AIRPORT WHERE THERE WAS SMALL PLANES TAKING OFF AND LANDING. MAYBE TAKING PEOPLE FOR RIDES AS THAT HAPPENED BACK THEN. AIRPLANES HADN'T AS YET MADE IT TO ST. ANTHONY. WHEN WE GOT HOME FROM TEXAS SCHOOL HAD BEEN STARTED ABOUT A WEEK. I'D PICKED UP THE SOUTHERN ACCENT AND MRS. MARTINEAU LOVED HEARING ME TALK SO SHE HAD ME GET UP AND TELL ABOUT MY SUMMER. WHEN I TOLD ABOUT THE PLANES I USED MY HANDS AND SHOWED HOW THE PLANES TOOK OFF AND LANDED. I REMEMBER TELLING THAT STORY FOR HER SEVERAL TIMES. IT WASN'T LONG TILL I'D LOST THE ACCENT AND WAS BACK TO GOOD OLD IDAHO TALK.
WE HAD PACKED READY TO LEAVE SO WE'D GET HOME FOR SCHOOL WHEN GRANDMA BECAME WORSE AND SO WE STAYED ON FOR HER FUNERAL. SOME ONE OF THE FAMILY HAD A PHOTOGRAPHER COME TO AUNT BERNICE AND GRANDMA'S PLACE AND TAKE A FAMILY PICTURE. LOUISE WHO HAD LIVED WITH HER MOM AND GRANDMOTHER CRIED WHEN SHE COULDN'T B BE INTHE PICTURE AS SHE CALLED GRANDMA MAMA AND HER MOM MOTHER SO FELT SHE WAS ONE OF GRANDMA'S CHILDREN ALSO. I'M GLAD I INHERITED THAT PICTURE.
IN FIRST GRADE WE READ THE STORY OF THE LITTLE RED HEN AND OTHER GOOD STORY'S AFTER JACK'S FIRST GRADE HAD READ THE STORY MRS. MARTINEAU TOLD THE CLASS TO DRAW AND COLOR A RED HEN. THEN SHE WENT ON TO THE NEXT GROUP PROBABLY SECOND GRADE AND ON THRU THE THIRD AND FOURTH. WHEN WE GOT OUT FOR RECESS THE FIRST GRADERS LEFT THEIR PICTURES ON THEIR DESK AND WENT OUT TO PLAY. I'M NOT SURE HOW CLEO MANAGED TO FIND IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE JACKS PICTURE AND TRADE FOR HERS. WHEN JACK FOUND HERS IT WAS NOT WHAT HE DREW AND HE TORE IT UP AND THREW IT IN THE WASTE BASKET AND WENT HOME CRYING. HE TOLD MOM CLEO STOLE MY PICTURE AND HER LITTLE RED HEN WAS BIG AS A HEPHALANT. SORRY I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ABOUT HER PUNISHMENT IF SHE EVER GOT ANY. WE LEARNED ARITHMETIC IN ALL FOUR GRADES AND HAD SOME HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY BEFORE WE MOVED ON TO THE BIG ROOM. EVERY SPRING SOME ONE QUETLY LET ALL THE STUDENTS KNOW TO MORROW WILL BE THE PEANUT BUST. THAT WAS WHERE WE TOOK A FEW PEANUTS IN SHELLS TO SCHOOL AND AT A SIGNAL IN THE AFTERNOON PEANUTS WOULD BE THROWN AT THE TEACHERS. THEN WE DID FUN THINGS THE REST OF THE DAY. I THINK IT WAS ALWAYS DONE AFTER THE AFTERNOON RECESS ARE JUST BEFORE. PROBABLY THE TEACHER SUSPECTED IT JUST DIDN'T KNOW THE TIME CHOSEN.
WE HAD ARBOR DAY AND WENT OUT AND PICKED UP ANY TRASH THAT WAS ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS FROM THE WINTER MONTHS.
THE CHRISTMAS PLAYS WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. WHEN WE DID A PLAY ABOUT THE SAVIOR MOST OF THE KIDS WOULD BE IN THE CHOIR. OUR MOMS MADE US ROBES OUT OF OLD WHITE SHEETS. IN FACT THAT WAS THE ONLY COLIOR WE HAD BACK THEN. THE TEACHER SPENT LOTS OF TIME TEACHING US THE SONGS AND WE WOULD SING THEM TILL WE'D LEARNED THE WORDS AND SOME EVEN HAD THE TUNE DOWN WELL. WE'D ALL WALK TO THE CHURCH FOR OUR DRESS OR NOT DRESS REHEARSALS SO WE COULD BE ARRANGED WHERE WE'D STAND.
EVERY ONE IN THE WARD CAME LDS ARE NOT BECAUSE THE CHILDREN WAS DOING THE PLAY OF THE YEAR. THEN SANTA THE REAL ONE CAME AFTER THE PLAY AND HANDED OUT AN ORANGE APPLE ARE SOME FEW PIECES OF CANDY AND NUTS. I SUPPOSE IT DEPENDED ON HOW FLUSH THE TEACHERS AND ANY PARENTS WERE WHAT WAS HANDED OUT BY SANTA. WHEN WE DID THE SANTA PLAYS LIKE HIS WORK SHOP AND ELVES ONE YEAR AND THAT STUFF WE FOLLOWED THE SAME ROUTINE AND HAD A CHOIR THAT SANG THE OTHER CHRISTMAS SONGS. WISH I COULD REMEMBER SOME OF THEM NOW.
IN THE SPRING AFTER WE GOT HOME FROM TEXAS I BECAME ILL AND THE DR. DIANOSED ME AS HAVING ST. VITAS DANCE. PENNY ASK HER DR. WHAT IT WAS AND HE SAID THAT WAS RHUMATIC FEVER. I MISSED SEVERAL WEEKS OF SCHOOL AND DAD CAUGHT FISH TO FEED ME AND OTHERS IN THE WARD AND SOME NOT IN THE WARD WHO WENT TO THE RIVER BY SLACKS LEFT FISH WITH AUNT LEAH TO GET TO US. THE DR. HAD PRESCRIBED LOTS OF FISH AND OOPS I CAN'T THINK WHAT IT WAS CALLED BUT WAS OILY AND FISHY TO THE TASTE ALSO THICK. MOM WRAPPED ME IN A QUILT AND PUT ME IN THE LITTLE RED WAGON WHEN THE SUN SHONE BRIGHT. I FINALLY RECOVERED AND WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AND DIDN'T EVER CATCH UP WITH THE OTHER STUDENTS. I'M STILL WORKING AT IT. IT WAS ABOUT THAT TIME THAT MRS. MARTINEAU TOOK ME IN TO TOWN TO STAY AT HER HOME AS SHE HAD SEWED ME TWO OR THREE DRESSES AND SHE WANTED TO FIT THEM TO ME AND HEM THEM. IT WAS SO NICE TO HAVE BRAND NEW DRESSES THAT WAS MINE NOT WELL WORN HAND ME DOWNS.
EVERY MORNING IN SCHOOL WE SAID THE PLEDGE OF ALLIGANCE SANG"AMERICA"OR" HERE WE HAVE IDAHO" AND HAD A PRAYER USUALLY THE LORDS PRAYER. THAT WAS DONE IN ALL EIGHT GRADES EVERY MORNING.
WHEN HYWAY 91 WAS BUILT AND THE NEW BRIDGE THAT SPANNED THE RIVER WAS COMPLETED THE GOVERNOR CAME TO ST. ANTHONY. DAD TOOK US KIDS ALL WALKING TO THE BRIDGE FOR THE GOVERNOR TO DEDICATE IT. I THINK THE GOVERNOR WAS C.C. MOORE AND HE LATER BOUGHT AND BUILT A HOME BY THE RIVER AND I PICKED RASBERRIES ONE SUMMER AT HIS PLACE. ANOTHER STORY FOR LATER
BEFORE THAT BRIDGE WAS BUILT WE HAD A DIRT ROAD THAT HAD A PLANK BRIDGE NO SIDE RAILS AND A STEEP HILL TO CLIMB FORM THE ST. ANTHONY SIDE ARE TO CAREFULLY CROSS FROM THE TWIN GROVES SIDE GOING DOWN HILL. MOM DIDN'T EVER DRIVE MUCH AND THAT MAY BE WHY AS SHE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM TOWN AND EITHER BAKER OR JACK WAS WITH HER. SHE RAN THE BACK WHEEL OF THE CAR OFF THE NARROW BRIDGE. WHICH EVER SON WAS WITH HER CLIMBED OUT THE CAR WINDOW VERY CAREFULLY AND WENT AND FOUND ONE OT THE EDGINGTON MEN TO COME TO HER ASSISTANCE. WITH HORSES AND LOTS OF FAITH SHE AND THE OLD FORD SURVIVED AND SHE DROVE ON HOME. MORE TOMORROW MAYBE.