Postcard Friendship Friday

Another postcard picture that from my late husband's side of the family. I cannot be sure at all, but I think there is a strong resemblance between the young fellow in the middle of the above picture and my late husband, Ray, pictured with his mother below when he was 20 and she was 40. Am I seeing things wrong? Ray lost his father when he was 12 years old and he had no siblings, but both his dad and mom came from fairly large families so he had lots of aunts, uncles and cousins.

So if I am right, this would go along with the father-in-law day celebration that I had not heard of before. And if I am wrong, no harm done and it's still a fun postcard.

The back of the card. Thanks to Beth at http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/
for hosting. Happy PFF to all.

First Boy Friend

This cute young fellow was my first boy friend. I was probably a junior in high school when this was taken. It would have been in the early 1940's and, of course, the war was probably at it's height. Rog had quit school and enlisted in the Marines and this was on one of his furloughs home. We never got together again after he was out of the service. It has been so long ago. I think Rog became a barber and I know he married a girl that went to our school also.

When I think back to my high school days, it was almost as if I were somewhat oblivious to the war going on. My dad was to old to go and my brother too young, so no one I loved was away. Teenagers in the 40's were not nearly as savvy as they are in this day and age. I feel that the major reason for that is television and the instant and constant communication of today. I don't think I ever read much of the newspaper back then except for Brenda Starr and Lil Abner. There was no television and the only time you "saw" any news was if you got to go to the movies once in a while and then you would get to see the newsreels. That would have been probably at the most three times a month. My, what a different world it was. Actually, we were conscious of what was happening - there were young men from the community who died in the war and that was so sad. Rationing was real - no new tires, meat and gas were rationed, sugar stamps, shoe stamps, and many items were not obtainable anymore. I think there were two cars - other than teacher's cars - that were parked at the school. The Fink brothers who lived in the country sometimes drove an old car held together with baling wire, and Buzzie, a good friend of mine in my class, occasionally drove his parents' car to school. One other set of brother's had a very old car they called "the Whippet" that they would drive sometimes.

I can remember V-J day in August of 1945. Between my junior and senior year, I worked in Peoria at Newberry's, a 5 and 10 cent store. Would take the White Star Bus every morning to make the approximately 20 mile trip between Rome and Peoria. That night instead of going home on the bus we usually did, some of us girls took the latest bus home. There was a huge crowd in the streets downtown - people were throwing baloons of water from building windows, it was mayhem and fun. That was just before my 17th birthday. Wow, eons ago.

From living with no bathroom, no telephone and going to a one room school, I have seen a multitude of changes both in my personal life and life all around me in the almost 82 years I have been alive. And I have no complaints!

Budding Artist?

While searching through old pictures and things for something to blog about, I found some very old "cards" made while I was in grade school. This little piece of art features a paper lace doily, three colors of crepe paper, and the flowers are fussy cut from wallpaper.

Inside is the message - definitely Valentine's Day - but it is not signed.

Another valentine - this time "To Daddy" - that shows off my coloring skills and also my handwriting.

Inside the card is the question asked so many times on Valentine's Day. It is dated 1937 when I was 9 years old. Although there aren't many things that I have that are links to my childhood, it is nice to have some. (Click to enlarge)

Postcard Friendship Friday

I think way back in this blog, this picture is posted. It's a good one for PFF (and a Happy PFF to you) so here it is again. Another picture of my father and two of his buddies - this time pretty much all dressed up. My dad is on the right and I'm loving the way he wears his hat. His friend on the left also has his at a jaunty angle and with his cigar is a really cool dude. The young fellow in the center is very good looking. Dated in November of 1913, Dad would have been 19 years old. I really like this old "postcard".

Here is the back. Thanks, Beth, at http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ for hosting.
(Click to enlarge)

Rome Grade School Puts on an Operetta

The cast of an operetta that was held probably 70 years ago at Rome School. Cannot remember the name of the production or the plot - but do know that I played the part of a gypsy. I have a bandana tied around my hair and am standing behind the "fellow" in the derby hat. There seems to be a little guy with a lasso, one with a sombrero and Buddy McDonald must be a bear in his fur coat in the front of the ensemble. Could the little girl with the umbrella be a tight rope walker? My sister, Joanne, is the little girl in the next to the last row directly behind the "bear". For some reason, my brother is not in the cast. Can't figure that out! It amazes me how I can remember the names of almost all of my old schoolmates in the picture. The little boy in the front who is on crutches was Roland Kelly. Roland actually had a hump back and never did grow very tall. I don't remember him being on crutches in school so they must have been part of his role. I think Mary, the girl in the very striped stockings, is holding one of those jointed toy snakes. Enjoyed looking at all the expressions - many looking so serious and very few grins. As I am thinking about this, I think it might have been Rebecca of Sunnybrooke Farm - but that is just a guess and probably a bad one. Thought you might enjoy this old, old piece of the past. (Click to enlarge)

Sauerkraut Days for PFF

Another postcard from my husband's family's things. When I googled Sauerkraut Day in Forreston, I found that it was held in a little town in north central Illinois from 1913 through 1960 and drew as many as 20,000 people to take part in the celebration. I am a native of Illinois and had not heard of Forreston, but there are lots and lots of small towns throughout the state so there are many I haven't heard of. Looks like it was a fun festival.

The back of the postcard is stamped and ready to go. Happy PFF and thanks to Beth at

http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ for hosting. (Click to enlarge)

Dan Pearce's Sisters

On the back of this photograph is written "May Waugh, Sallie & Lizzie, all sisters of Dads." Sallie looks delicate and rather frail while the other two women appear to be hardier. I can see that Lizzie looks a bit like my grandfather. All three have curly hair - wish I had inherited that gene! Their dresses are so similar with the mandarin collars and pins. I so wonder how they took care of their nice clothing. Was there dry cleaning back then? Everyday life certainly was more difficult to live then than it is now. Hope you enjoy this picture of my great aunts. (Click to enlarge)

Friday Postcard

Here is another card that is with the group of postcards that were in my mother-in-law's things.
This must have been the mess hall for the men working on the Spruce Railroad Trail at Lake Crescent in Washington. (Speculation, of course). If you wish, you can check the post on June 18th. Looks like the food was pretty simple - but if you have been working hard and are hungry I guess you can fill up on most anything. The fellow sans hair in the center of the picture intrigues me. Wonder what he was saying or doing. All in all, it looks like a good group of guys. Would be so nice to know for sure what they were doing and where they were. Anyway, Happy PFF and enjoy the postcard. Thanks to Beth at http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/, for hosting. (Click to enlarge)

Picnic in the Park

Back in 1952, we were young parents and our little girl, Sherry, was a year old. Sometime during that summer, we joined Ray's family for a picnic at a park in Chillicothe that was held for relatives that were visiting. I cannot remember who they were or where they were from. We sit at the right end of the middle row. All five of the Rusk siblings (Ray's mom and her sisters and brothers) were present as well as some of their family members. One of Ray's uncles and his wife had ten children and were still having children when their older children were giving them grandchildren. I think the little fellow in the white shirt in front had some nieces and nephews older than he was. A glaring difference in the bygone days - the way we dressed for a summer picnic. Where were the shorts (except for the one little boy), jeans, teeshirts? Ray's cousin, Wanda Mae, even wears an apron. And I have dressed Sherry up in a pretty dress, too.

Postcard Friendship Friday

Here it is - Rome, Illinois - probably in the early 1920's. The old automobile is headed south on the road to Peoria which was about 20 miles away. This ran right close to the Illinois River for much of the trip. The building on the extreme right of the card is Lawson's General Merchandise which was there for many years. Much later it was located across the street facing the left of the picture and included a hardware store and post office. If the car would have turned left at the street you can see, it would have been about a block to the river. If it would have turned right, it would have driven out into the countryside. In 1984 when my husband and I moved back to Illinois, we actually lived about a mile west from where the old grocery store stands. It was still there but only used for storage. Just south down the road a bit was where my grandparents', the Pearces, had their summer cottage. A family named Ferguson lived in the two story house by the store, and Gerstners lived in the little house on the left. Chillicothe was the town about three miles north and that is where you went to shop and also where the Rome kids went to high school. We had a one room school, grocery store and 3 taverns in our little village. This is where I grew up from the time I was 7 years old. I have fond memories of that little old place. Beth from http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ is our host. Happy PFF! and a Happy 4th of July! (Click to enlarge)