Growing Up in Rome, Illinois

Pretty much the entire elementary school population of Rome in the mid 1930's with our teacher, Evelean Placher - such a great lady. I can still see and hear her standing and reading to us and crying if it were a sad story. In the picture, my sister is the first little girl in the second row that is seated. I am the second little girl in the row behind. Our little brother, Bud, was not in school yet. Again, this picture has been on my other blog but it also needs to be here with the rest of the old photos. Naturally, I have been thinking Christmas - and it dawns on me that there are absolutely no pictures at all of any of the Christmases in our childhood. In this day and age when almost everything a child does is documented by photo after photo and videos, also, there is nothing for many of us who grew up back in the old, old days. I wish I did have some to see what we wore, how things were decorated, or just what it "looked" like when we were little. You have pictures in your mind, but they are not always the true facts. I do enjoy the few pictures we do have and hope you enjoy them also.

One of the memories I have is of the school's Christmas program. I do not remember just what it was but everyone would gather in the school on an evening before Christmas. There was a stage at the back of the one room school and the school was set up in the auditorium, I guess you would call it. On that night, they made room for chairs for the audience and the program was held. My big memory was that a train came through at a certain time on the Rock Island Track that ran alongside the school and after the train had passed through, Santa miraculously came in with candy for everyone! Big deal, huh? Really, we thought it was. I never was really sure who "Santa" was! What is so nice to remember is the fact that we were happy with small things - none of the kids got very much so you were thrilled with what you did get. Everyone was in pretty much of the same boat in Rome, Illinois, so there certainly wasn't much of trying to keep up with the Jonses! A few people had more but I think that was just accepted. (Click to enlarge)