1939 - What A Year

The great depression was just ending and things were still very hard in America. Me, along with my mother, dad, and 3 brothers lived in Arkansas. Now, I do not remember the following, but my mom would talk to us about it. She and dad worked picking cotton in hot, hot sun and got very little pay for it. I and my brother, Sam, were not in school, so we would be with mom and dad in the fields.

Dad had been told that their were jobs up in Illinois. So, we packed up everthing we owned and put it in a big trunk. Tied the trunk to the back of our car and left for Illinois. I'm not sure how long it took to drive in those days (now, we could get that far in about 10 hours), but we made it and if I am correct, our first Illinois home was in Rochelle, Illinois.

Now, here are a few tidbits that I have been told what happened. When I was about 3 I was jumping across a small fire (the burning of old wood etc.) and happened to land right in it. Well, we wore ankle high shoes then and my shoestring was in a knot. By the time my mom got it off of me, I had a giant burn on my ankle. Today the scar is still there.

I do vaghly remember living on a farm they called the "Fell" farm. We used to jump from the second floor down onto the hay pile. My brothers and I had a great time doing simple fun things like that.

I don't remember just when we moved to Malta, Illinois, but it was just before I started school. Now, some of the things my brothers played on me were terrible. They loved to scare me. We lived right on Route 38. Our yard was right next to the road. Well, Bill and Bob would come running and say, "Sam is laying the middle of the road and a car is coming." Of course, I would look and see him and then run in the house screaming and crying. They would take turns to scare me like that. Oh boys are awful little guys. I always wished I had a sister.

Well, that's about it for some goofy little memories, but I will get to more just as soon as I find a way to get my picture of 1939 to come up. Then, you can see the car we loaded up as we headed for the great state of Illinois. Until then, remember God is Love and He does love you so much. Our whole lives are really kept in His Hand and all these little things that have happened to us is only because He allows us to enjoy His great pleasure in our life. Yes, even those hard time and in those times when we have brothers that like to tease us. So, "Until then, my heart will go on singing".