NY CHILDHOOD

My sister, Esther, told me I didn’t write anything about my own early years.

To write about the real early years is not easy. I am going to try, gentle reader so be patient with me.

I was born & raised in Columbia City Indiana so There was 8 children (four boys & four girls. I was the 4^th one born. . I know now we were poor but I never knew this when I was a child. No one ever told me I was poor so I figured we were like everyone else. OH!! The innocence of kids. I remember how we all liked raw potatoes and we were always barefooted. To this day I don’t like shoes. When my brother, Jerry, was in second grade the teacher asked him where his shoes were and he told her it wasn’t his turn to wear them!! If we got a hole in the bottom of the shoes we put a piece of cardboard in and it worked for a while.

I never had new clothes because I could wear my sisters so it worked out w

My father was a Plummer and he was never home. He was always working but he was always home

for supper. I guess it was hard back than to care for a large family.

I was happy and had a lot of kids in the neighborhood.

My brother Paul was killed in an accident when he was 7. It was a terrible accident. WE had been playing in the house when we got company. Pau Ted & I ran out the back door in a race for the roof. WE could climb on top of the oil barrel and than get on the garage roof. Than when someone came out the door we could jump on then. We had done this before and it was fun. This time Paul was the first one on the top of the barrel when it fell. It threw Paul backwards and he hit his head on a brick. He died about ten minutes later. They never found a reason for the barrel falling and it was ruled an accident.

Death takes it toll on the family. The neighbors were all great and took is under their wings. They kept us busy with games and so much food. They even took us to church with them!!!

When I was about 9 I would go to my grandfathers house after school. I would walk to the Farmers Grain & Feed store and hitch hike!!! I never gave it a second thought, gentle reader. Try something like that today!!!! Everyone one knew my grandfather and they gave me a ride to the end of the lane.

I just loved going there.

More on this next time, gentle reader.

Until than call someone you haven’t called in a long time and say hello!!!!

Love Red