This letter was written by Margaret McIntyre-Parker, born to John and Hazel Hammers-McIntyre. The letter, except where you see *, is exactly word for word. I only made corrections when absolutely necessary.

January 1976

For some time I've pondered over the thought of writing down the things I remember about my childhood.  The good memories about my Grandparents, my parents, even though I've told some of these things. I remember, *(and) it's good to remind the Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren of things and events in a generation or two back. 

As a child as far back as I remember we first think of Grandparents, Grandmother Ellen McIntyre, Grandfather Jack McIntyre *(and) Grandmother Anna Hammers, *(Grandfather) Charles on my Mother's side of the family.  So different now. Visiting Pappy and Mommy, as all the McIntyre family would say was not on weekends but every night. Yes, every night. Two miles or more on foot for the few of us who had no car. We hopped and loved every minute of it.  My Grandmother and Grandfather McIntyre were two of the most warm hearted people I can think of.  They were the parents of George, Frank, Edward, Edna, Mayre, John, Charlie, Phillip, Ralph and William.  There were no "pets" or special ones in that family as every one was respected as an individual and loved for what they were.  Edward and Edna died one day apart from *(what was called back then) Black Lung Disease *(Better known today as Scarlet Fever).

Uncle George never married, but the rest were all married and thinking of the Grandchildren by name there was Thelva, Delvin, Margaret, Dorothy, Howard *(thinking she means Edward here), Caroline, Evelyn, Norma, Ellen, Ardella, Geniveve, Cleve, Gloria Jean, Dolly, Frankie, Margaret, Donna and Jack.  To go to our Grandmother's was a delight.  The farm has many memories.  The Parlor, with the velvet rug, with pink roses, The Portieres that hung in the doorways, lace curtains that she would say "mustn't touch" and would smack our fingers if we needed it.  We loved her or it.

Very pretty, dainty statues that were on the dresser, in the bedroom and lovely quilts by the dozens *(that) she would piece together in the winter; what she couldn't make out of the feed sacks. Beautiful curtains with drawn work by pulling threads.  Lace by the yards, all the kitchen curtains had big wide lace, tablecloths with embroidery work.  Made all her slips to go with her good dresses, that she had tailor made.  Her dress-maker, or one that I remember in particular was Minnie Wiley.  To go for a fitting she would get on the train at Misco and come to McLuney, which at times we made this trip with her.  Her choice was wine and green crepe which were made very flattering.  Grandmother Ellen was a very hard worker.  Never was there a time when the stone jar in the pantry didn't have a fresh supply of sugar cookies.  Churning day was fun for us. We would take turns turning the crank on the churn which we always were treated with a big glass of buttermilk with chunks of butter.

There were always a variety of six or more pies to choose from, home made jelly was poured in quart jars instead of the small ones that we use.  Breakfast consisted of two or three dozen eggs fried, skillets of fried potatoes were served to the men who were at home early in the morning before daylight as the minters left for work, using the carbide light to light the way for their long walk to the coal mines to work eight hours in the mine then the long walk back home to enjoy the comforts of home for the evening.  Evenings were all of the children coming home with their little ones staying two or three hours each, and when leaving receiving everything that was loose or she could spare to each family, milk, eggs, butter.

Weekends were still more company on the farm.  Grandpa and Grandma's brothers and sisters coming with their children.  Shopping was done at the Big Shopping Centre or the kitchen table-The Sears Roebuck, Larkin Orders.  All of the women, daughters-in-law *(too) enjoyed this.  The daily mail was the Mail Buggy, pulled by horse.  Packages were picked up at the depot, Misco, Sayre being the closest ones.  The amusement of the day was The Sunday Ballgame which everyone was involved.  Refreshments were the Homemade Ice Cream *(and) tubs filled with chunks of ice with pop bottles in the ice water.  Back in the days of 5 cents for a bottle of pop!

I remember Thanksgivings at Grandma's house.  What I remember  is everyone being together, a day of butchering for the meat to be used all year, fires burning, wood being piled under huge iron kettles of boiling water, a large drum of water being heated to scald the hogs.  How we dreaded that moment when they shot the hogs with the rifle.  We would run and hide, hold our ears, then curiosity getting the best of us we would run back just in time to see them shot.  We would take off running again. They would work late into the night cleaning and cutting meat.  That day Grandma was really happy knowing that all of her family would leave with fresh meat.  Days followed with stuffing sausage, making Head Cheese, Mince Meat, lard, *(and) smoking meat.

My Grandad I'll never forget. All the boys called him Poppy.  Grandma had a way of talking to him by saying "Jack" like no one else did.  He listened. He was very small, quiet.  He found a corner beside the kitchen stove on the floor where there was always a bushel of corn on the cobs.  He would sit there between chores shelling corn in the gallon dinner bucket.  He kept it full to throw out in the back yard when he would go out and yell "Chick-ee-ee".

I don't ever remember them attending church, but whenever we would go in the parlor she always asked my Mother to play "The Pearly White City", a song played at her Mother's and Father's funerals.  She would always stand in the doorway and raise her apron up to her face and wipe tears from her eyes.  Later in her life she enjoyed the Cradle Tabernacle program very much.  "Ere You Left Your Room This Morning Did You Think To Pray" as sung by Mrs. E. Howard Cradle.  She passed from this life at the age of 65 loved by one and all.

That farm home was never the same again without Mommy.  Years went by after the children.  Howard *(thinking she means Edward) and Edna died without the loss of anymore in the immediate family until my Father, John, passed away in 1931.  My Grandmother began to fail then, never got her health back.  Granddad lived to be 85 years yrs. old. While her life was lived on the farm performing all the duties connected with a big family, besides loving the ball games, she dearly loved to dance.  She gracefully whirled around and round on the floor square dancing.  Even her own family could hardly believe it was Mommy *(here meaning Grandmother), so young at heart. My last visit with her was after she had suffered a hemorrhage. She knew me but was not able to talk much.  She drew my hand close, pressed it to her, smiled and was glad that I had come. 

Our childhood days were spent in the Misco, Rose Farm area.  All the school days were walking to school which we enjoyed.  One of the things I remember that I enjoyed the most was whistling walking in the rain.  All the going to and from the groceries, walking to and from.  Except for the times we went from the Rose Farm area to Crooksville for our Mother on the train, carrying a split basket, a note, coin purse.  We had one hour, fifteen minutes to leave the depot platform, go to the A&P store to purchase food, *(and) go to the Tedrow Variety Store, (which was operated by Dr. Tedrow's mother). Having purchased all we were sent for, back to the depot, and what a thrill to hear that train coming, a high step, but we would get on.  Now I wonder if that conductor that helped us on that train didn't wonder if we was like "Topsy", just growed, that our Mother would let us do the "family business."

The first and only car my Father ever had was a new Graham Page, purchased off the showroom floor which is now the Lamb's Saundry.  I was 15 years old when that car was bought.

On my Mother's side was Charles and Anna Hammers.  Lived at Misco for a beginning.  Their children were Hazel Pearl *(Margaret's Mother), Rolland, Charlie, Sam, Harry, Olive, Margaret, Helen, Jesse, *(and) Mary. Jessie and myself were the same age. Dorothy *(Margaret's sister) and Mary were also born in the same year.  So when we went to visit the Hammers Grandparents there was "No Vacancy." More kids than beds, but they were always glad for the McIntyre girls to visit, and stay over night.  Then our grandmother Anna would see if there were any clothes around, outgrown, that she could pass on to us, and see us back home, which, when we left, we always coaxed her to let Helen and Mary return with us.  Grandmother Hammers, like Grandmother McIntyre was a total stay at homer.  She was always at home to be found in the kitchen working.  Cooking for a large family.  I guess there Mothers didn't shop, the family of children did it for them.  She was very jolly, real witty, fun to be around.  She could always make a joke out of any situation. Then she was very stern, what she said they knew she meant it.  Wonderful grandparents. 

You talk about the style shows we see now on television.  They are nothing to be compared to what we saw live. Our Grandmother Anna trying on hats.  She would pose and strut and have us laughing.  She enjoyed it more than all. 

Grandma McIntyre called the Miner life Feast and Famine.  She stocked the shelves with al types of food. Jellies, Lard, potatoes, beans...because there was no work in the summer.

It is fun to remember the good things from the past, but as we go back, and realize the things that have slipped away, especially all this wonderful family. We don't realize what we have today is going to change and our children and Grandchildren will look back about growing up.  What wouldn't we give of what we have to be able to go back to Mommy and Poppy, to Dad and Moms just for one hour.

A rewarding afternoon, one afternoon, when we lived at Stringtown after my Father had passed away, we were out of coal.  Mom had ordered it, but you had to wait, so I picked up the bucket , started for the door and Mom said "Where are you going?" I answered "Out for a bucket of coal." She answered "Where?" I went out where we had our coal delivered other times and started checking for coal in and around the ground.  With a little effort I started digging pieces of coal out of the dirt.  No, they were not big pieces, but in no time at all I had a bucket full.  I did this repeatedly while we were waiting.  The fire was never out.

Memories of Margaret McIntyre Parker