Family Memories

I have decided to post some old pictures of my family and tell some stories of the past.  I have been doing this on facebook, but decided to do it on my blog instead.  Some of my family members were enjoying the pictures and stories as most of my nieces and nephews didn't get to meet my Mom and want to know more about her.

These are some really old photos of Mom and Aunt Kay taken in front of our duplex in Salt Lake City, UT. I think it was on 5th North.  The duplex is no longer there and there is an overpass on that street now.  The top photo is of Mom holding Bobby, and Aunt Kay holding Chris.  The sad story about Bobby and Chris is, that as adults, they both took their own lives.  Chris several years before Bobby.  Uncle Gene would bring Aunt Kay in from Knowls, UT, where he was running a garage.  I loved those times when Aunt Kay would come and stay for several days.

The Bottom picture is all of us kids.  Penny, me, Patty, and Bobby and Chris. The picture has to be in the early 1950's.  I remember the duplex well, (they called it a shot gun cabin, as it was a straight shot from front to back.) it had a living room in the front, then a bedroom, a hallway with a bathroom, and then the kitchen.  There was a closet in the bedroom and there was a roll away bed in it for us kids, I imagine there was a a crib for Bobby.  We all slept in the same room.  My favorite memory is on the nights my Dad was on his over night runs on the U.P. Railroad, I would get to sleep with Mom and we would listen to the radio programs.  "The Shadow Knows" and the "Creepy Door," and others. No TV in those days.

I can also remember begging my Mom to go to Wasatch Springs a natural hot springs swimming pool not too far from our home.  She finally caved in and let me go.  Then I got really sick with a bad earache. I thought I was being punished for begging my Mom. I was so afraid my Dad would get mad at me for begging my Mom to go swimming, So I tried to fake not being sick.  He noticed immediately when he came home the next day.  To my surprise, he was very sympathetic. I just remember being really sick.  Probably had an ear infection.

I also remember having Measles and there was a quarantine sign on our front door.  Mom had to have our groceries delivered.  I remember the shades be drawn closed and being in a dark bedroom, because Mom was afraid of me going blind as that was one of the side effects.  I do remember being afraid and being really sick.

Another fun memory is playing hide and seek in the house and I decided to hide in a flour bin.  It was a pull out bin, a part of the cupboards.  I got flour all over the place.  Needless to say, I got in big trouble with Mom.  This is the home where Mom played hopscotch, and  jump rope with me.  Mom helped me learn how to roller skate, which I about gave up on because I fell so many times.  Once I got the hang of it, I remember skating around the big city block several times. I remember walking to the drug store several blocks away and buying comic books.

Back in those days we played outside most of the day, and I can remember Mom calling me in to eat dinner. Or just to check on me. One day, I got in trouble and Mom made me go out and pick out my own switch so she could spank me.  Maybe a good old Southern way of discipline. On my way to elementary school, I would see the West High School kids walking to school, and I wished  that I could be that age.  Back then time seemed to go by slowly.  That time came and I remembered the day I made that wish.

One more memory, is when Patty disappeared and we frantically looked all over the area for her. It was a pretty dramatic experience for all of us.  I don't know who found her, but I think it was me.  She was sound asleep behind our couch.

During the years that we lived in the Duplex, My Aunt Linda and Uncle Dick moved into a home not too far from us and we would visit back and forth.  Michael, my cousin was a year or so younger than me, and we would play together quite often.  Their home was close to Wasatch Springs.  Eventually, Dad bought our new home in Rose Park. I think he rented out the duplex, and then sold them.  Not really sure about this. So our adventure in Rose Park began.