Memories, Part 2

My mom was raised on a farm outside Maxwell, Iowa.  My dad was raised on a farm outside of Collins, Iowa.  Both of these small towns are in Story County.  My parents lived in Story County until they moved to Ankeny in Polk County around 2005?  After my mom died in 2013, my dad moved to Wisconsin to live with me.

When I was 5 we moved to Nevada, IA.  We lived in a small 2 bedroom house on 3rd St. My brothers and I shared a small bedroom.  I had the top bunk.  Behind the house was the horse barn on the 4-H grounds.  This was not usually even noticed until the fair when a very large smelly pile of horse manure arrived.  My mom stayed home with us most of the time.  I know she worked some at the local newspaper.  And we got our picture in the paper when she was featured as homemaker of the week.  I don't remember my dad being around except on the weekend. He traveled all over the state and worked for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

It was 1960, Big Bad John was on the radio every morning when I was getting ready for school.  Nixon, Nixon, he's our man.  I had morning kindergarten at West School and I walked to school with Willie Graham..  Mrs Ritgers was my teacher.  We learned to write our name.  We had music several times a week with Mrs. Hale and recess every day.  I had 1st grade there too.  Miss Roberts was the teacher who taught me to read.  I remember the first words I learned.  Look.  Look oh look.  Look, look, look.  I was so excited!  Miss Roberts is also the teacher that gave me a complex about speaking in front of the class.  She threatened us with "ruler medicine".  She wouldn't let Willie Graham go to the bathroom so he peed in his pants. A mixed record.

 I used to play with a boy named Dale Burmeister.  One day we were playing on the bleachers by the horse ring.  Dale stood on the top level and peed!  Somehow my mom found out and she never let me play with him again.  We were happy.  I remember coming home from church one Christmas and saying something that got me in trouble. We had been up early to open our presents but we had to go to Sunday school and church. When we pulled into the driveway, I said "now we can start getting used to our toys". I'm not sure why but mom looked at me like I shouldn't have said it.  It is funny what we remember.  I remember when mom had her wisdom teeth pulled.  She had an ice bag on her face. I whined that I had a headache.  I whined until she said "fine, take it!"  I brought her home a marigold plant in a paper cup at school.  Mom said " ew, I'm allergic to marigolds". I thought she was the most beautiful mom ever and loved to out make up on her and style her hair.  We got a new puppy and named him bubbles.  He had worms.  Mom wormed him and believe me that made an impression.  Mom killed a mouse with a broom in our kitchen.  Again, that made an impression. One time my mom decided that she would feed us some canned spinach.  We had been bothering her to make it so we could be strong like Popeye the Sailor man.  It was gross.  It took me 40 some years before I gave spinach another try!

I had a friend, I think her name was Luann.  Her momma came looking for her one day and whooped her butt with a switch.  Made an impression on me!

 My brother, Steve had 2 memorable accidents while we lived on 3rd St.  He rode his bike into the mulberry tree.  He was stained purple right down to his skin! He landed belly down on the floor grate that came from the furnace and had a scar like a tic tac toe board on his stomach.

You know I can't remember Mike doing anything interesting.  That's funny!  I used to read to the boys.  Of course I couldn't really read, but I had memorized the books.  Guess mom must have read to us quite a bit.  My favorite was Little Black Puppy.  I bought a copy off the internet when my grandson, Kennedy was born.

I had a birthday party when I was 5.  Cali Christy will tell you I spent too much time drawing the donkey for the pin the tail on the donkey game.  That was my one and only birthday party until my
daughter gave me a surprise 50th birthday party in 2005.

We lived on 3rd St for 2 years.

I wish I could verify some dates and events with my mom, but she has been gone over 3 years now so I have to go on my best guess.