I have so many good memories, especially of Christmas, when we would always hang our stockings by the fireplace under the mantel board and what fun it was on Christmas morning to see them bulging with all kinds of goodies...candy, nuts, apples, oranges, and toys. A doll was always peeping out the top of our stockings or standing on top of everything else holding its arms out to us.
I remember how Papa would gather us around the fireplace every night and tell us a story he never seemed to finish...he would make them up as he went along, and how we looked forward to hearing more the next night. Sometimes he would play the fiddle for us which his parents had given him when he was very young, and we would all sing together, or he would read to us from the Arabian Knights, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Pathfinder, and even articles from the Semi-Weekly Farm News. One thing in particuliarI remember waiting for him to read each week when I was little was the column about "The Adventures of Uncle Wiggly". I also looked forward to the little story each month about "Cubby Bear and His Friends" in the Comfort Magazine. As you know, there were no radios or televisions in our community in those days. I was born August 19, 1910.
My grandmother Green lived nearby. My grandfather had passed away and she was alone, so she was always glad to help out all she could and was always there to take care of us when Papa had to go to Glenrose for supplies. It usually took the whole day to do that, in the wagon or buggy, and it was a "red letter day" when we all went with him. We always attended the May Day celebration, and it was such fun dancing around the maypole and entering the different contests in the park.
On May 19, 1917, Papa married my mother's younger sister, Mary Lucinda, and for 56 years he was privileged to enjoy her love and companionship. She was such a gentle person, and was loved by every one who knew her.
On April 6, 1917, the United States entered the First World War. It was an anxious time for everyone...so many of our friends and relatives had to go, and we were so afraid Papa would be next. He would have gone in the next group if the war had not ended, and November ll, 1918 had to be the happiest time of all, when we were told that the Armistice had been signed.
1918 was a sad year for us too, because that was the year that the worst influenza epidemic I ever remember hit our community and most of the country. We lost our beloved grandmother and many of our friends and neighbors. Although I was only 8 years old, I will never forget the loving care and guidance my grandmother provided for us. She was always there when we needed her, and now that I am older, I know she needed all of us as much as we needed her, because I am living alone now, and I know the feeling.
Gracie Green Holden |
