27. What is your first memory of as a child?

From: Connie Farrington

I recall sitting on the edge of the small front porch at our house on Ridge Road. My father was telling me two digit numbers and I was supposed to be adding them up in my head, like 31, 45, 68, 72 and 52. I think he had them written down on a paper in his hand. I was supposed to be giving him the total without writing anything down. He told me to imagine I had the paper
in my head, and was writing them down as he said them. I thought this was loads of fun and it seems like we did it over and over with different lists of numbers. I don't know how old I was, but it was before I went to school at the one room school house at the corner of Pickle Hill Road. And I started there in September of 1944, 3 months after my fourth birthday. I think this was an important event for me because Dad always worked long hours at his two jobs. With this little adding trick, I had found a way to get his undivided attention for a whole bunch of minutes in a row.

From: Philip Harris

The earliest memory as a child was when I messed my pants and it went all over the outside pump house at Uncle C's. I do remember he chased me in to the house and I ran to the arms of my mother. I was terrified. Uncle C was the brother of my grandfather Leroy Harris. He was a batchler and would shave and bath once a year. Usually in the spring when my Grandfather and grandmother would catch him. In his younger years, he was a bicycle racer. I understand he won several races. He road his bicycle every place he went. It was nothing for him to ride 10 miles to Glens Falls and back again, even in his older years. He raised exotic chickens and would show them at fairs around the country. You could always tell when Uncle C was around because you could smell him a mile away. He smoked Mechanics Delight Tobacco in his pipe and chewed Beach Nut chewing Tobacco. I also remember as a child tipping over the rain barrell. I was petrified because I was told I couldn't go on a family picnic.The family did relent and let me go after what seemed like hours upstairs crying. I never tiped over the rain barrell again.

From: Connie Olson

My mom’s mother died when I was two. I only remember her lying on a bed that to me seemed very high, or was it I was very short being so young. I remember her having pitch black hair and was very pretty lady. She had on a high necked night gown. She was looking down from the bed and was smiling at me, she then asked me to come closer to her bedside. When I was walking up to her one of my Aunts came in and grabbed me by the hand, then scolded me for being in there as gramma was suppose to be resting. She then took me off into the kitchen where all the adults were sitting and talking. That is as far back as I can remember.

From: Brenda Olszewski

I don't really recall how old I was or if this was a first memory, but I remember playing with a doll bigger than me I had gotten for christmas. It was when we lived on 9 Hudson St in South Glens Falls. The doll looked like a huge barbie doll. She had 2 dresses to change into and high heel shoes and earrings I dragged her around because she was so big.

From: Jenny McMurray

My first real memory as a child was when Carrie came home from the hospital after she was born. I remember being so excited to see her and then seeing my mom open her suitcase to give me a winnie the pooh stuffed bear.

From: Lois Rotella

This is a hard question. It was such a long time ago that I was a child. I believe that the first memory was visiting my father's sister, Lucy, and her husband. They lived about 6 blocks away from us. She used to fuss over us kids. I think it was because she never had children herself. She was such a kind and wonderful woman. She died when I was 10 years old. I still miss her very much and she has been deceased for 42 years now.

From: Lucy Welden

My first memory as a child, I wanted to spend the night at my grand parents with my aunt Florence and cousin Tom and my dad had to come and get me because I wanted to go home. I was about 3 .

From: Joyce Eggleston

My first memory as a child was when I was about three. Curt Harris had a camp at Harris Bay of Lake George. He invited us to go fishing. I remember going out on the dock and seeing the water and I was petrified. I wasn't going! My father picked me up and told me it was okay. He let me sit with him down in the boat.

From: Heidi MacDuff

When I was 3 years old and in the hospital having my tonsils out.