My father, John Wilson Fisher, was born Feb. 6, 1868 in Neoga, Illinois. Died Oct. 22, 1953 in Phoenix, Arizona. Funeral held by Grimshaw Mortuary of Phoenix. Burial in Greenwood Memorial Park, 2300 West Van Buren Street, Phoenix, Arizona. Was nearly 86 years old.

My mother, Fannie Beasley (nee) Fisher, was born Dec. 19, 1870 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Died Sept. 26, 1946 in Phoenix, Arizona. They are buried side by side in the same cemetery. Died of a broken hip. Was nearly 76 years old. They were married March 1, 1892.

Dad lived in Zenobia, Illinois when he met Mama at a church gathering of young folks in Neoga, Illinois.

Dad's first letter was postmarked Sept. 8, 1888. I have 20 envelopes he addressed to her and 10 she addressed to him. His first letter had a green 2 cent stamp and all the rest (his and hers) had a pink 2 cent stamp. Being a stamp collector I noticed that right away. Sometimes in the middle thirty's they went through their love letters and cut the pictures off of the stationary and sent them and the envelopes to me. Thought I might like to see what kind of stationary they used when they were young.

I have heard Dad say when he used to go courting (that was the expression he used) he would hire a fancy rig from the livery stable to make an impression on Mama and her girl friends.

Dad must have been a Dude in his younger days. Since he lived in another town, he had to travel by train.

Dad was a corn shucker and worked on farms in Illinois, Nebraska, and Kansas.

He used to play a fiddle (by ear) for dances after he worked in the corn field all day. I imagine that fiddle playing was mostly on the week ends, but not always I'm sure, for one time he told the lady of the house where he had a corn shucking job, that he would shuck 3 wagon loads of corn by 3 o'clock that afternoon if she would get him up early and have breakfast ready, because he wanted to go see his girl. He must have played for a dance the night before because she called him just after he had gotten in bed (just as a joke) that it was time to get up. She knew he had just gotten in bed. It could have been 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. It was a moonlight night, so Dad said, "By George (not exactly what he said) get up and fix my breakfast and I'll start shucking corn". This lady's husband said, "your joke backfired, so fix his breakfast." Sure enough by 3 o'clock that afternoon Dad had his 3 wagon loads of corn shucked and he left by train to see Mama.

Dad was considered one of the best and fastest corn shuckers around there. Some time after Dad had shucked the 3 loads of corn, the man where he worked said, "you must have left plenty corn in the field." Dad said, "I will give you a nickel each for all ears of corn you find over the first 100 ears, that I left in the field." This man could not find enough.

Once a church in Neoga, Illinois auctioned off an album to put photos in. Uncle Charley Fisher (Dad's brother who was a little over 3 years younger) bid on it. He was single and the people knew if he set his heart on getting anything, money would not stop him, so they really made him bid high. He gave that album to Mama. I can remember seeing the album. Mama kept it for years and years. Uncle Charley never married. Was nearly 80 when he died.

Another time that same church auctioned off a 3 layer cake which had a little candy man on it. Dad was there and kept bidding on it until he got it. He also gave it to Mama. She kept this candy man in a glass jar on a mantle and referred to it as her John Fisher.

They married March 1, 1892 in Neoga, Illinois which was Tues. Left Wed. the next day for Zenobia, Illinois where Dad lived.

Miss Fannie Beasley (my Mother) was reared an orphan. Her mother Mrs. Rachel Sperlen Beasley died when Fannie (my Mama) was only 18 months old. Her father Bond Beasley married again. This lady he married had 2 children. He died shortly after when Fannie was 7 years old. Fannie was pushed from pillar to post (so to speak) after that. Fannie only went through the 3rd grade of school. She spent much of her life with her cousin Clara & Bina Haskett, where she was living when she and Dad married.

Dad & Mama adopted a baby boy (whose mother died when he was born). They named him Henry Ralph Roberson Fisher, but called him Ralph. He was born Sept. 23, 1892. Ralph's own father bragged that he would get Ralph back when he got older, so to keep from having trouble with him they left in a covered wagon for Texas sometime in Sept. of 1898. We have a replica of the covered wagon.

Triplets were born 3 months premature March 14, 1896 to Dad & Mama, 2 girls and 1 boy. Only 1 baby survived (Emily Ellen Fisher) who died Sept. 27, 1901 on a farm between Edgewood, Texas & Canton, Texas. Was a little over 5-1/2 years old. The other 2 babies (a boy & a girl) died soon after birth. 1 lived only a few hrs. and the other one 5 days. Both are buried in an old Lutheran cemetery 5 or 6 miles west of Taylorville, Illinois where my Grandfather John Amos Fisher is buried. The 2 babies were so small they could have been buried in a cigar box. The Dr. told Mama Emily could not live very long, but sure enough Emily lived to be 5-1/2 years old. Mama kept Emily in a feather bed (as incubators were not in existence at that time). Mama fed Emily ever 2 hrs. day & night with a teaspoon until the 3 months were up. Mama even nursed her from then on. The Dr. marveled at that.

During that time they hired a man to help in the field because Mama sure could not help, she had a full time job taking care of Emily.

As a rule men always liked chicken and tough dumplings. I suppose Mama fixed them a little too often as this man said, "Dumplings rough, dumplings tough, I think by gosh I've had dumplings enough". "By gosh" wasn't exactly the words he used.

This same man also attended a carnival and what they called a medicine man was there selling a remedy guaranteed to move the bowels. He went back the next day and told the medicine man he wanted his money back. The medicine man said he could not understand that it did not move his bowels. He said "no by gosh it moved what was in them though." He was always pulling some kind of prank.

I (Gladys Fisher Sy) was born March 26, 1898 in Neoga, Illinois just 6 miles from where my Dad was born.

When my Dad & Mama started for Texas they had 3 babies you might say. My adopted brother who was around 5-3/4 yrs, Emily who was 2-1/2 and me only 3 months. My adopted brother Ralph got sick some where in Arkansas and died.

I remember my Dad saying he offered to buy some corn for his team from an Ark. farmer. At first the farmer would not sell him any, so Dad told him "my team has to eat, so if you won't sell me some corn I'll steal it", so the farmer said "if you are going to steal the corn I'll sell you some."

They were 3 months getting to Edgewood, Texas from the time they left Illinois. It was 3 degrees below zero when they got to Edgewood. They only had $1.65 and 2 babies when they got there. Emily and me. That was late in Dec. of 1898. Real often they made coffee from roasted corn which they ground. Also gravy because they had no flour. How about that?

Dad bargained for 5 acres which was all covered with trees. He cut down the trees and cleared the land to farm. Built a 1 room log cabin with a shed on kitchen from the trees. The kitchen had a dirt floor. He cut the trees and built the log cabin with 1 mule, and his "main strength and awkwardness" as he always said. Of course I know my Mama did what she could to help. She always did.

I remember my Mama telling about the time they started to a church meeting and the wagon hit a stump in the middle of the road, turned over throwing both my Dad and her on a barbwire fence cutting both of their left arms between their elbows and shoulders. Did not hurt Emily nor Me. I must have been about 2 years old and Emily 4.

Emily's spine never did develop being born 3 months premature, so therefore she could never sit alone nor walk. Mama use to prop her up in a horse collar which helped her to sit up.

One day when I was learning to walk, which was before the wagon turned over, Mama was visiting a neighbor who lived in a tent. It was in the winter time so therefore this neighbor had a little fire built in the middle of the tent to keep warm. Mama was holding Emily on her lap and I was walking around holding on to her skirt. Somehow I turned loose and fell in the fire. Mama said my face was burned pretty bad, but thank the Lord I was not left scared. The leader in my little finger on my right hand was burned which left my finger crooked and I can't straightened it. The Dr. said if he operated on it, I could never bend it, that it would only stick straight out, so they did not have it operated on for which I am thankful. It does not bother me at all.

My brother John Amos Fisher was born April 15, 1901 in this log cabin. Then Sept. 27, 1901 that same year my sister Emily died. I was 3-1/2 but I can remember sitting in a window. This window had only 1 sash and must have slid sideways instead of up and down. I was looking down on Emily's coffin which was between 2 chairs and a white sheet spread over it. It was a home-made coffin. I still have some black velvet lace it was trimmed in. Mama said there was a crowd there, but I do not remember that. I also have the 2 nickels that was put on Emily's eyes to close them. Emily is buried in the Highland cemetery. This cemetery is about 5 miles from Edgewood, Texas on the way to Canton, Texas. This is what is on Emily's tombstone: 3-14-1896 to 9-27- 1901 St. Mark Chapter 10 verse 14. Bob and I have visited the grave several times since we have been living here on Kingston and since Bob has retired in May of 1962.

The fall of 1901 Dad started buying 50 acres about 2 or 3 miles from that 5 acre place I imagine. Probably traded the 5 acres in on the 50. I don't really know. Dad borrowed some money from his brother Charlie who was a little over 3 years younger, probably to buy the farm. I don't know. When Dad sold this farm some 13 years later (which I will tell later) he paid Uncle Charlie in full and Uncle Charlie only charged Dad $25.00 interest. Don't know how much my Dad owed Uncle Charlie, but he must have been real fair because Dad was really satisfied.

Dad said they lived on this farm just 1 year to the day when they moved to Dallas in 1902.

While we lived on this 50 acre farm, Dad ran a syrup mill. All I remember was, the hot syrup run in an L shape metal trough and he had a mule going around and around to crush the sugar cane or sorghum to extract the juice, because he made both kinds of syrup.

They had a neighbor who had a cow that kept getting in their field. Dad's farm had a rail fence which this cow jumped over. Mama told this farmer to keep this cow out or she would. This neighbor said he couldn't, so the very next time the cow got in the field, Mama loaded the muzzle loader gun with bird shot and shot this cow down it's backbone from its tail to its head. The cow got back over the fence faster than she got in. Dad was plowing in the corn field and did not know Mama had shot the cow. This neighbor started over to complain to Dad, Mama saw this neighbor going over to the corn field where Dad was plowing, so she took in after him. He did not Know Mama was behind him. He started to call Dad down about shooting his cow, so Mama said, "He did not shoot your cow, I did and the next time I'll kill her. This neighbor could and did keep his cow out from then on.

Mama was real good with a gun. She never wrung a chicken's head off to kill it. She shot its head off.

Mama used to blow a cow's horn to let Dad know it was time to eat.

One evening when Dad had gone to town with a load of cotton, Mama thought she saw someone moving in a clump of bushes in the road between them and a neighbor who lived about 1/4 mile down the road. She loaded the muzzle loader gun and went down there. It turned out to be some ones cow. It was just getting dark. Different ones told Dad they wouldn't be about to come around there after dark if they knew he wasn't home.

One evening both Dad and Mama went to see this particular neighbor who lived 1/4 mile down the road. Said they would be back soon and for me not to open the gate and let the pigs and horses out. said they would be a long time getting them back in. They hadn't much more than turned their backs until that was the very thing I did. If they hadn't told me not too I probably would not have thought of going out there. I saw them coming home, so I ran and got under the bed. Of course that was the first place that Dad looked. They knew it was me that did it, because my brother was too small, Dad really poured it on my rear. I needed it though.

Another thing I use to do was such raw eggs. Mama use to try to hide them, even put them up high in an old fashion kitchen safe. This safe had a drawer about middle ways, so I would get a chair, pull the drawer out and stand in it to reach the eggs. Mama must have never left the eggs in the nests long because as far as I can remember I never got a rotten egg. By the way they only got .05 cents a dozen for eggs then. When my brother got older he was just as bad as I was about raw eggs. I still like my eggs either soft boiled, poached or fried just so the whites are cooked.

In the fall of 1902, they had lots of rain, so most everyone's cotton had plenty of grass, because they couldn't get in the fields to hoe. One day a farmer said to Dad, "Fisher how is your cotton? Mine is being taken over by grass." Dad told him his was fine. Then this neighbor came over to see. Dad had a large flock of geese which kept down the grass in the cotton field. He had hid corn field fenced off from the cotton field with a rail fence or he would not have had any corn. The geese would have eaten the corn too. This neighbor said, "Now I see why you do not have grass in your cotton field. Let me use your geese."

Mama use to pluck the feathers from the geese out in the corn crib. I still have a pair of feather pillows and a feather bed that she made. The feather bed has a corn cob in it. After the cotton was picked we moved to Dallas. It was in 1902. I can remember riding on Mama's cotton picking sack.

We first moved to about 3 or 4 blocks south of Hickory St. on Bourbon. Didn't live there very long before we moved to Merlin. Dad went to work for a man named Zilliock (his name may not be spelled right) as a move man. Mr. Zilliock owned 3 rent houses on Merlin across the street from where he lived. He owned several teams & moving wagons and had several men working for him. Dad paid him $7.00 a month house rent. Dad was paid $7.00 a week wages.

One day Dad went in a saloon to buy some beer. Mr. Zilliock came along and saw the team outside, drove the team home leaving Dad stranded as a joke. That made Dad mad, so he quit him and moved to 186 Caroline St., bought a team & wagon, then went in the moving business.

This Mr. Zilliock & family moved to southwest Texas somewhere several years later. He was stabbed in the back by a Mexican and died.

Later on we moved to Hickory St. where I attend the Alamo School, then back to the same house at 186 Caroline, then to Nettie St. where I again attended Alamo School, then to 186 Caroline for the 3rd time in the same house. I attended the Cumberland Hill School then for the second time.

While we still lived on Nettie St. Mama took my brother & me to the fair. When we were going through the general exhibition bldg. Mama gave me a nickel to feed a mechanical hen and she would lay some candy eggs.

At the time Mama was holding my brother's hand so I went thru one door and she went out another. After I got the eggs I realized I was lost from Mama, So I began to cry.

It must have been in the afternoon, because a lady with 4 or 5 children saw me crying and asked if I was lost. I told her I was, then she asked if I knew where I lived and the name of the street car. I told her where I lived and that the Hickory Street car was the one that went close to where I lived.

As she was going home anyway she paid my way and saw that I got on the right street car telling the conductor to let me off at Nettie Street. In those days a street car had a motor man & a conductor.

It was getting dark. Mama was getting frantic that she couldn't find me, so she called home for Dad to come help find me.

I answered the phone, as Dad hadn't gotten home yet. Was she ever relieved.

It was now year 1908, the year of the flood in Dallas. Dad was still in the moving business. Dad used to keep quite a lot of newspaper to pack with in a barrel in the horse barn. I was 10 years old and my brother was 7. I remember we had a little puppy which we both were fond of. Playing with the puppy we took part of this paper out of the barrel, put the puppy in it, put the paper on top of the puppy, and sat on it. Of course we killed it. We were both heartbroken over killing our puppy. We buried it and decorated his grave with broken glass.

We got an older dog after that. One day the dog catcher was catching a dog down on the corner from us. Nosy me, I had to go see them catch it. I shut our gate, but our dog jumped over the fence and came running after me. Of course they took our dog too. I screamed and hollered, but to no avail. They took the dog just the same.

Another thing which shows our guardian angel is always looking after us. We had 2 large chinaberry trees in the back yard. My brother & I used to wire the 4 corners of a "toe sack" between the limbs of those 2 trees then sit in it. I'm sure we did it one at a time or we would have fallen. I was a real "tom boy".

The last year I attended the Cumberland School, I found a .50 cent piece. I took it to the principal of the school. The girl who lost it also went to the principal and told about losing a .50 cent piece. She told him the date. He then called me to the office and said "don't you think it is hers since she knew the date?" I said sure, because I did not tell anyone about it.

I want all to know my Mama tried to rear us right.

One day I saw a thimble on our next door neighbors table just like Mama's. I took it and gave it to Mama telling her Mrs. Devarough had her thimble. I really thought the thimble was Mama's. She took me next door and I was told to tell her I stole it. That was worse that getting a whipping.

Another time Mama gave my brother and me a nickel each to buy a box of cracker jacks, which was syrup coated popcorn with a little prise in each box. A drunk man was in the store and each time we gave him some popcorn he would give us some money. We both had .35 cents each when we got home. We told Mama how we came with the money, but she did not believe us. This happened at Watson's grocery store on Alamo, which was about 2 blocks away. She got a stick and marched us to the store. Mrs. Watson told my Mama we were telling the truth. We would both have gotten a whipping all the way home, if we had stolen the money.

What Mama did not know was she sent me to the grocery store to buy .10 cents worth of some thing. As kids most often do is pay for something first and that is what this grocery man thought I did, but I didn't. When I got home I had gotten the wrong thing or something, anyway I had to take it back. The grocery man gave me a dime thinking I had paid the first time. We had a boxed-in gate post with 2 squares of wood on top, one smaller than the other, so I put 1 of the dimes between the squares and took the other dime to Mama. I don't remember telling Mama about that dime, even after I was grown.

Oh! Yes! here's another time our guardian angel was looking over us. Mama sent both of us to the meat market on McKinney Ave. to buy some meat, but instead of going where Mama told us to go we ran like mad all the way to Max Hahn packing house to get it. We did that quite a number of times, but this time a freight train was on the track. Since we had to cross the tracks to get to Max Hahn we crawled under the train. An engine was on one end. That's where our guardian angel was watching over us. By the time we got back there from Max Hahn's the train was gone. That we did not tell Mama till years later. The reason we went to Max Hahn's was because they always gave us a wiener each.

This is still 1908, the year of the big flood in Dallas. Dad drove a stick in the ground near the sidewalk and said if the water got over that he would move out the back way, as he was still in the moving business. Mama had quite a few things packed, just in case we had to move. During that time Dad took us row boating over railroad box cars, because the water was over them. Saw houses floating on their sides in the water.

Watson's grocery store on Alamo was flooded - Dad helped him move lots of groceries that were high up on shelves out in his Home-made boat. By the way Dad bought groceries by the week, so when he paid his bill on Sat - Mr. Watson always gave us 2 kiddos a sack of cheap candy. Cheap or no cheap it was candy to us.

Speaking of the home-made boat, which Dad made himself, Dad made a frame on wheels which he could take apart to roll the boat down to the river. My brother and myself pulled it. I'm sure we must have more or less guided it, because Dad and Mama pushed it. I imagine the river was about 2 miles from the house the way we had to go. Then Dad would take the frame apart, put it and the wheels in the boat and row up and down to river to Records Crossing. they went every Sat. and stayed until Sun. evening for the longest.

I remember one time Dad said "Fannie have those kids got their feet in the water? This thing is hard to row." Sure enough we did. I got so tired of going fishing so much, I said to myself "If I ever get grown & married I'll never marry a fisherman. "I sure didn't. Bob is no fisherman.

I'll say one thing, my Mama was not lazy. Many times she bought wallpaper and repapered the houses we moved into. She always left them cleaner than she found them. She also washed clothes and ironed them for other folks. I remember she saved up and bought what was called an art square then (a rug that covered nearly the whole room). That room was called a parlor in those days. She also bought a ladies Elgin watch in a pawn shop for $12.00. I told Mama after I was nearly grown (at least I thought I was) that if she would give me that watch I would always keep it. I still have that watch. It was while we lived on Caroline that she bought that watch. The rug too.

One Christmas while we still lived on Caroline Dad made several toys for us. They kept them in the parlor with the doors locked for about a month before Christmas. We always hung up our stockings for Santa Claus. That year I hung up Mama's instead of mine because they would hold more. You know what? They filled them with paper. I woke up about 4 Christmas morning and I was heartbroken when I only found paper in the stockings, but was all smiles when they let us go into the parlor. They did that to teach me not to be selfish.

Now this is something I did forget to mention. This happened while we still lived on Merlin and Dad worked as a move man where we only paid $7.00 a month rent. When people moved, real often they gave Dad some of their children's old toys rather than move them. Dad would fix them up for our Christmas. Se did not know the difference and could not have been more proud of them if they were new. Anyway one of their neighbors had a girl my age. This neighbor told Mama she was going to buy her daughter a new doll for Christmas. Mama offered to buy this Little girl's old doll to fix up for me, but she would not sell it to Mama. So Mama was not going to be outdone, she went to town and bought a new doll for me. Paid $2.50 for it. Dad only made $7.00 a week, so you know it must have been real nice. My doll was so much nicer than the one this neighbor got for her girl, she wouldn't speak to Mama after that. I kept this doll 25 years, but when we (Bob & I) also Dad & Mama moved to Phoenix, Arizona I did not think I could take it along without getting it broke, so I gave it to Lillian Stockdale. Her Dad was one of our neighbors who helped to build our first little house. Well anyway she did not have the doll a week until she broke the dolls head off.

Don't know how long we lived on Caroline the last time, but we moved to 2624 Louise St. Long about that time Dallas officials started 4 numerals in addresses. I believe 186 Caroline was changed to 2624. I'm not real sure about the number of either place. Anyway the Louise St. place belonged to Mr. & Mrs. Geo. McMaster. Geo. McMaster later helped to build our first little house.

Dad started working for the city in 1911. That was during the horse & buggy days. He swept the downtown streets. I still have a baby's finger ring that he found. I plan to give it to our first great granddaughter. It has 2 pearls. Set is missing and was when Dad found it probably 63 years ago now. While we lived on Louise St. Dad worked for Oliver & Meyers Furniture Manufacture Co., then Harts furniture as a repair man, then for Rogers & Meyers furniture as a repair man & packer. He also worked for Ricks furniture store too.

In 1911 Mama saved up $80.00. When she told Dad, he made plans to go to Galveston, Texas. We were in Galveston either 2 days & 3 nights or 3 days & 2 nights. that was when 2 battleships were on exhibition. We viewed one of them. We road over to the ship on a gasoline launch. That night New Years Eve they put my brother & me to bed, when we were asleep (we were staying in a hotel) they went downstairs to a dance to watch the old year out and the new year in.

Mama went to work for Fulton's Bag Company on Pearl & Pacific. Later she worked for Hughes Candy Company on south Ervay. It was during that time that Mama saved the $80.00.

From Louise St. we moved to Bexar. I attended the Colonial Hills School. While we lived there Mama started buying 2 lots in Ervay Place addition from Mr. Brock. $1.50 down & $1.50 a week. I drew the plans for a 5 room & bath bungalow house. The Owen Lumber Co. drew up a contract to build the house using my plans. They built it for $1,000.00. That addition was restricted to $1,200.00 so Owens gave Dad credit for $200.00. The first monthly payment was $30.00. Each monthly payment decreased until the last payment was & 25.00. It was about now that Dad sold that 50 acre farm and paid Uncle Charlie in full. Don't know if they applied any of the farm money on this place or not. Anyway by 1918 the place was paid for. They bought another lot on the north side of them. the street was Hohen Ave. That was in 1913 that they built. This is 1974 and that house is still there.

I quit school in 1913. Lacked one month of finishing grade school, but I wanted to go to work. Mama wanted me to go on to high school at least. She said "don't blame me if you don't get an education." I sure don't. I'm happy with my life. God has really been good to me for which I thank him.

I met Bob in Aug. of 1914. By that time I was working at Brown's Cracker & Candy Co. A lady I knew at work (a Mrs. Vina Thomas) gave a party for young folks and invited me, also Bob's sister Clara. At that time I didn't even know bob existed. Clara lived only 2 blocks from us. Clara & I met going to work although she did not work where I did. I believe she worked at Sears Roebuck & Co. I said to Clara, "are you going to that party" and she said yes, then I said do you have company (I meant an escort) and she said no, so I said may I go with you. In the mean time my girl friend, Elma Stacy called and said she was coming over and spend the night. That was the same Sat. night of the party. I asked if it would be alright for me to bring her too. It was OK!

When we got to Clara's we met Bob who was taking Clara to the party. I sure would not have gone had I known Clara had a brother our age. Sure did not want him to think I was trying to meet him.

I had seen Bob lots of times on the streetcar as Mama and I were going to work. Did not have the slightest idea who he was nor where he lived. I once said to Mama, "I bet that boy is a good boy." Mama said, "What boy?" I said the one standing up in the front of this streetcar. He doesn't pay any attention to anyone. Another time he must have changed jobs because he was asleep when we got on. I said, "Mama, there's that boy again." Mama said "I haven't been paying any attention to him" so I said "I have!"

Well anyway on our way to the party, It must have rained that day because there was water in the gutters. Bob told us to jump. He meant over, but Elma jumped in the water, got her velvet slippers wet a little, but of course I jumped over. On our way home Clara was walking in front and Bob was walking between Elma & me. Clara said are you going to let me walk alone? I said "I'll walk with you" so Bob said "good-bye" if you call that gone? I'm surprised that Bob didn't take up with Elma, because she was sure a good girl.

From then on Bob & I started going together. A little over 3-1/2 years later, we were married May 4, 1918.

Mama and our neighbor Mrs. Bokar started grape hunting, were crossing over the Trinity River on the H & T C Railroad trestle, when a freight train started across. They got out on the side and hung onto a water barrel (put there in case the trestle caught fire). Mama on one side and Mrs. Bokar on the other side. They probably would have been killed otherwise. Mama seems to think the engineer drove slow so they would not get excited, but she said it would have been much better if he had driven a little faster. They would not have had to hung on so long.

One day in l9l7 Bob pulled a fast one on me. He knew I did not like medicine. He was taking IQS and asked me to taste it. Said it didn't taste bad at all, even licked the spoon, so I just stuck my tongue in the spoon. Boy, oh boy! Was it ever bitter. I made all kinds of faces. Spit & sputtered. He got so tickled he all but rolled on the floor.

That same year Bob & I bought bicycles. I bought a second hand one at Ott's for $20.00. Paid $l0.00 down and signed a note to pay $l.00 a week for l0 weeks. Had to put someone's name on the note, so I put Mr. Jimmy Pote's. A man from Ott's came out to talk to Mr. Pote. Don't know what this man said, but Mr. Pote told him "If you think she is going to **** for the sake of $l0.00, I'll pay it". I did pay it out at $l.00 a week.

At that time bicycles came with small tires. No inner tubes. I was just learning to ride it, was going south on Ervay near Corinth, when my wheels got caught in the street car tracks, threw me, bending up my luggage carrier. A large heavy wagon and team was right behind me. The driver had real good control over his team, or I would have been run over. As it was the tongue of the wagon was only 2 feet from my head when he stopped the team.

Another time we rode our bicycles to Lancaster, Texas. As we were coming back down Lancaster Ave. south of Ledbetter or Loop l2 there was a real steep hill. Much, much steeper than it is now. I was really going down this hill when Bob said, "step on your brakes, step on your brakes." I really thought I was, but I came down the hill with brakes wide open. So Bob did the same thing then. Back 57 years, the road wasn't anything compared to what it is now. If I had struck a rock I probably would never have known what happened.

alentine Feb. l4, l9l8 Bob & I bought a bunch of l cent comic valentines. I remember two that we passed out, one to Mrs. Tucek and one to my Dad. At that time Dad was in business for himself repairing and crating furniture. This valentine referred to him as doing dirty work, as he took the old finish off and refinish it. The one to Mrs. Tucek referred to a lady who whistles and we did not know that she whistled. She did not know that Bob and I were the ones who passed it out. We just rolled the valentines up and threw them in the yard. She thought it was her next door neighbor because he had heard her whistling, so he got the blame. We just had that one left over, so just threw it in her yard.

When Bob told Dad we were going to get married, Dad said "I didn't think you would want to marry the daughter of a man who does dirty work".

Mama fixed our wedding supper for 36 guests all by herself. All I ate was some dessert. Bob and I worked until l2 that Sat.

Bob and I had a little 3 room house rented, furnished and groceries bought a week before we married. While we still lived there, Mama had cut some kindling for her cook stove. She had been cutting the kindling for a long time as Dad always had wood left from crating. This time when Mama came in with an arm load, Bob told her, "Mother, won't any of that fit in your stove?" Mama said, "Guess I should know. I've cut plenty of it". "Well, not any of that is going in, even with the top off, the door won't shut". Mama said "I'll bet you a nickel it will". She did everything but take the stove apart, but none of the kindling would go in and the door shut. Years later she tried to bet Dad, he said "I'll not bet with you. You never did pay your son-in- law that nickel you bet." Soon after that Bob got a letter from Mama and it had a nickel in it. She said in the letter "I'm joining the Holy-Rollers and want to pay my honest debts." Bob still gets a good laugh when he thinks about that.

Before Bob & I married and while Mama & I were both working, our house was robbed twice. Mama had a habit of lowering all the window shades, so the one who robbed us the first time had a field day. Emptied the dirty clothes basket, turned up the rug on the living room floor, looked in the clock on the wall shelf and even looked in my hope box. We did not have any money, but the robber did take a suit of Dad's clothes, shot gun and a few other things. Oh, yes! Helped himself to some food. He tore a hole in the front window screen, then broke the window to unlock it. Dad found his gun in a pawn shop several weeks later. Got it back.

The next time the robber used our own key, so therefore must have known where Mama hid the key. He got another suit of Dad's clothes, looked at Dad's gun, but did not take it. One of the times the robber did get a 50 cent piece. Again we had no money otherwise. Both times the robber really ransacked the house.

After Bob & I were married, a young man came to the door. Mama was not working away from home any more. I was over there. He had a Bible under his arm. He introduced himself, said he wanted to be an Apostolic Minister and could not tell others what to do until he had done it himself. He said he robbed our house and wanted to confess. He said "I'm at your mercy. You can have me arrested if you want too. Don't know what all I took. I have no job, no money, but I do have this watch which you can have to help compensate for what I took." Mama said "We've done without what you took this long, just continue to go the straight and narrow path". He said "Thank you, I'm going from here to several other places I robbed to confess". When Mama told Dad, he said that young man only had that Bible as a sham, he probably intended to rob again, but found you home. Mama knew a lady who attended the church where he said he wanted to be a minister, so she called this lady. This man was really telling the truth. Don't know if he did the robbing both times or not.

Another thing I must not forget. I was confirmed a Lutheran on Palm Sunday before we married May 4, l9l8, confirmed and bap- tized on the same day. Bob was baptized as an infant and was confirmed at the age of 13. Took confirmation 2 years. I was working at Sears & Roebuck at that time. Pastor Bernhart of Trinity Lutheran confirmed me. He also married us. since I was working, he came out to our home to give me instructions. I was not influenced by anyone to become a Lutheran. After I became a Lutheran, my Dad told me his Dad (my Grandfather) was a Lutheran. At one time both my Dad & Mama were Methodist. There was a mis- understanding, so they quit attending. Our neighbor Mrs. Pate who made my wedding dress as a wedding present also made my confirmation dress.

The first house Bob & I lived in after we married May 4, l9l8 was on Cedar St. We lived there about 3 months.

When (Bob's sister) Clara's husband had to go to war, Daddy and Mother Sy moved in John & Clara's home place. That was early in August, l9l8. We moved into their little place, then in Feb. of l9l9, we moved into our own little 3 room boxed house, which Mr. Geo. McMaster, my Dad, Mr. Jimmy Pate, Mr. Frank Stockdale, Bob and my brother John built. Bob & my brother helped after they got home from work and on Sundays. They had to work 6 days a week in those days. Did not cost us anything to get it built. That was when neighbors were real neighbors.

Sometime between Feb. & May 8th (when our first baby was born) we had a tornado which blew our house off its foundation. Mama was helping me get Johnson grass roots out of the garden spot. We saw a dark cloud coming across from Oak Cliff, so I said to Mama "we better get in the house because it is going to rain pitch forks and nigger babies." That was an expression they used in those days. Mama went on home as they lived across the street, but not direct across. When our little house started going off its foundation, I got our Bible and sat down in the middle of the end room. I had heard older folks say all that was left of a house at a time like that would be a pile of lumber, so I knew there was nothing I could do but go with it. The room I sat down in did not move, but the other two rooms did. Mr. Stockdale rebuilt the brick flue, as he was a bricklayer and plasterer by trade. He did not charge us, but we did have to pay to get the house back on the foundation - $25 I believe.

Just as Mama got home the wind struck, blew Mama over the porch banister, laying the two end pillows on each side of her. The fence was about 4 feet from the house. She was blown between the fence and the house. As she was blown over the banister, the porch swing hit her on her shoulder blade. Dr. Brooks had to tape her shoulder. That was when Drs. came out to the house. This same Dr., who was our Dr. also, said if I had followed Mama home I probably would not have lived to tell it, because I was expecting our first baby. Mama took care of us.

Then in the late summer of 1920 Mama and Dad decided to go by wagon & team to Pueblo, Colo. Were gone 3 months. T was expecting our second baby. We rented our house out & moved into their house to take care of it. When they got back to Texas as far as Amarillo, Texas, Dad sold the wagon & team. Shipped their belongings, came the rest of the way home by train. They wanted to be sure they were back in time. Our boy John was born Nov. 15, 1920. They got back just 1 month before. As before, Mama took care of me.

When John was one and a half months old, Bob and I with our two babies moved to a farm 5 miles from Cedar Hill, just off Belt Line Rd. going toward Grand Prairie. We lived on this farm about 8 months, then moved back to our own 3 room house. Rented our house out for $15 a month that 8 months.

The very day our son John was 2 years old, we moved to Phoenix, Arizona. We did not plan it that way, a coincidence. Dad and Mama sold their home on Hohen Ave. to Mr. Frank Stockdale for $5,000. We did not sell our place. Rented it out again for $15 a month. Mr. Frank Stockdale collected the rent for us every time we had it rented. Paid him $1.50 a month to collect. He said he was not as lucky with his own rent houses. Never had any trouble collecting the rent on our place.

Dad & Mama wanted to move to Phoenix, Arizona too, so we all went together in Dad's Model T Ford truck. Dad called it a worm drive. Had solid tires, so we did not have to worry about getting a flat. We planned going a northern route, but bridges were washed out the other side of Decatur, Texas due to heavy rains, so we drove south to Fort Worth, then took a southern route - Fort Worth, Grandbury, Stephenville, Dublin, Comanche, Brownwood, Santa Anna, Ballinger, San Angelo. I believe it was just out of San Angelo always that we started driving on a freshly graded road. It was early, so no one else had travelled it. Took us a day to go 26 miles. Then to Mertzon where we washed clothes, next to Ozona. When we got to the Pecos River, we ate dinner. It seemed to be a favorite spot for campers. Someone had dumped a cat & kittens at this camping place. When we got to Sheffield, one of the kittens had hitched a ride - at least one showed up at Sheffield. we drove on to Fort Stockton, then to Balmorhea. Between Balmorhea and Van Horn the front spring of the truck broke. Dad used a brick, so we could travel until he could get it fix at Van Horn, then to Sierra Blanco & Fabens where the people had to pay to get water hauled in by train. We saw people getting water at the railroad tank car, we got what water we needed. then we were told that the people of Fabens had to pay for that water - at least, we did not take any more water than we needed.

Just before we got to El Paso, we took the wrong road and crossed over the Rio Grande River into Old Mexico. That was when we knew we took the wrong road, so we turned around and started back across the Rio Grande, then the customs officers stopped us. They did not see us going over to Old Mexico. All they did was feel of our canvas water bag hanging on the side of the truck, then flagged us on.

rove on the outside of El Paso on thru Las Cruces, Deming and Lordsburg, New Mexico down to Douglas, Arizona. All that separated Arizona & Old Mexico in Douglas, Arizona was a fence.

From Douglas, Arizona it was up grade all the way to Bisbee, Arizona. The highway thru Bisbee, Arizona was over the great Continental Divide. a 10 per cent grade drive all the way, 6 miles up and 6 miles down. Drove in low. Did not even heat up the truck motor. We were told that a person could look down and see plenty of cars & trucks leaving the impression that they had fallen off.

Daddy had the truck fixed up like a covered wagon, so Mama, our 2 little ones and I got way back so we could not see out. Bob & Dad were in the drivers seat. The road winds is the reason you could see the cars & trucks. They were moving.

we spent 1 night at my cousins Gladys Hoben in Tucson, Ariz. on our way to Phoenix.

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Must get on with my narration , as I'm the only one left who knows about all this since both parents, my brother and Bob have all passed away. All that are left are our 4 children, their families , and myself. I'll soon be 82, so i'll start where I left off several years ago. Bob & I celebrated our 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries and would have been married 62 years May 4, 1980, but he passed away Sept. 28, 1979. He was a wonderful husband and father. Was well liked by everyone who knew him.

It took us 3 weeks to get to Phoenix from Dallas. Of course, we took our time. Really was not in a hurry. Took time out to wash clothes.

We put up a tent and camped on a real ranch out on the edge of Phoenix. I knew their names then, but I don't now. They were Mormons and were real nice. I well remember the Mrs. fixed a big pot of pinto beans & corn bread and invited us to eat with them. The pinto beans and corn bread were delicious.

We did not camp there very long. rented a house on West Van Buren. Lived there until we moved back to Texas. It seems to me that Greenwood Memorial Park where my Mother and Father are buried is only about 3 blocks further out. I remember Daddy used to walk from where he lived at 915 West Buckeye to the cemetery to put flowers on Mama's grave. He was 78 years old when she died. It was probably 4 miles there and back. I'm just guessing about the distance. Daddy had flowers in his yard.

Bob & I only lived in phoenix around 6 months. Bob first worked at the Ariz. Feed & Seed Co., then for the Ariz. Sash & Door Co. the last place he worked they asked him if he could drive a truck. He told them he did not know, that he had driven very little. They told Bob "There is the truck, to get in and drive it." Bob had the attendant at the company parking lot to park it for him just one time, so from then on he did it. His pay was $12 a week.

Daddy did some shingling when we all first got to Phoenix. Bob helped him until he found work. Mama picked cotton, but not too much.

I had the 2 little ones, so I did not work out, however I did do some ironing at a neighborhood laundry. Got 25 cents an hour. I was doing that for just a little while before we moved back to Texas.

Before that, Mama & I attended quite a few auctions. We both enjoyed that. Took the 2 children with us. Quite often she and I would buy a quart jar of home canned olives, open the jar there, pass it around among the people and the jar would soon be empty. They were really good.

I remember buying a couple trinkets at the auction for a nickel and played with my two children. A Mr. John Bonner said to me "You must have a mighty fine man for him to let you squander his money like that." I said I sure do, one of the very best.

Mr. Bonner owned several business places, but you wouldn't know it the way he acted. He was real nice and always neat & clean.

Once while we were living on York St. in south Dallas in 1926, Mr. Bonner was on his way to Chicago he had a Taxi Cab bring him out to our house only to greet me and shake hands. He kept the cab waiting for him. He was having to change planes at the airport.

Mr. Bonner was especially nice to my Mother & Daddy. my parents moved back and forth from Phoenix to Dallas several times and Mr. Bonner would always tell them to stay in one of his places without pay as long as they wanted to. Mother & Daddy had a second hand business several different places in Phoenix, would sell out and move back to Dallas, then move back to Phoenix. Mr. Bonner once told Mama that he sure did like Bob & I. That we were his kind of people.

Mr. Tate our landlord had a large house on the front and to the side and back of his place - he had 2 rent houses. Daddy & Mama , Bob & I and our 2 children lived in one of those houses. Ethel Wallace & her mother lived in the other rent house. Mr. Tate had at least one and a half acres. Out there that is called a ranch.

One evening we were visiting Mr. Tate on his front porch. When we started home, Bob said "want a ride?" He carried me piggy back home. Another time a neighbor said to another neighbor "Who is that boy?" The other neighbor said "Boy, my foot! He's a married man and has 2 kids."

Easter Sunday in 1923 Ethel Wallace & her mother went with us all to the South Mts. for an Easter egg hunt. Bob found a tomahawk on the 3rd range of the mts. I still have it.

Another day while Bob was working either for the Ariz. Feed & Seed Co. or the Ariz. Sash & Door Co., Daddy & Mama drove us out to the Cave Creek Dam that was being built. I picked up 5 or 6 rocks which I still have. They are of no value, just eye appeal. Guess that started me being a rock hound.

Bob Martin wanted to sell Bob & I 3 acres, but his wife would not sign the papers. Otherwise, we probably would still be out there.

A neighbor once asked Ethel Wallace if she wasn't worried to death with the folks from Texas with those 2 kids. She said "Land no. She won't let the children cross over a little ditch between the 2 rent houses." There was no fence between the houses. They both got to being so good to our children I could hardly keep them home. Everyday they were giving them some little something. One day I said to Ethel "You are really spoiling them". She said "I don't care. I don't have to live with them."

Ethel was an "old maid" being 10 years older than I was. She was really good to her mother. Her Dad was a gold miner, but died years ago when Ethel was just a child. Later on, I'll say maybe 10 or 12 yrs. Ethel sent our 2 children each a finger ring. At the same time she sent the rings, she sent me her mother's Eastern Star pin and Bob her dad's Masonic lapel button. By that time Ethel's mother had passed away and we were living on York St. here in Dallas.

Ethel & her mother fixed dinner for us the day we left Phoenix. Ethel and I corresponded up until she died on Feb. 12, 1952. Her address was Mrs. Dan O. Covaciw, Box 567, Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York. Ethel married late in life after her mother died.

This is another reason we moved back to Texas. When Bob Martin's wife would not sign the papers to sell us the 3 acres, Bob's Aunt Lena Weiss who lived near Alba, Texas said a 40 acre farm next to hers was for sale, so we decided to buy it. His aunt was supposed to buy it for us. I don't remember what it was to cost, but anyway when the folks found out we were coming from Ariz. to buy it, they doubled the price so we did not take it, but we did settle on Mother & Daddy Sy's 15 acre farm. Gathered their crop and we made a crop the next year before moving back to our little place on Hohen & Emery in Dallas. Brother Paul (Bob's only brother) helped us to gather the crop - his Mother & Dad's crop. I pulled a fast one on Paul. He just would not pick over 35 or 40 lbs. of cotton a day, so I bet with him that I could pick more than he could. I picked as hard as I could. Couldn't quite get 100 lbs, but Paul picked a little over that much, so I said to him "Big Boy, you are going to pick that much from now on or I'm now going to the field." Then later on he said picking cotton was making him sick, so I said alright you take a dose of castor oil. He did and even licked the spoon. He told me later that if I had said epson salts, he just couldn't have taken it. Paul also said picking cotton didn't make him sick, he was just sick of picking cotton.

That fall when we got ready to dig the peanuts, we had a neighbor named Bellamy who let his pigs run loose. I sent Paul over to tell Bellamy that we were going to dig the peanuts and that if he wanted his pigs to stay alive he had better pen them up. He was not at home when Paul got there so he must have told someone, because Mr. Bellamy was in Golden, a little town 3/4 of a mile from the farm and he was there in no time to get the hogs out. A Mrs. Craig who lived across the railroad from us said he sure would not have done that for Mother Sy. She even had to put her pans of buttermilk that she fed her chicken up on something so the hogs wouldn't get it. I said, "Well, I'm a Mama Sy, but I'm not putting up with his hogs." We kept our hogs up - ours didn't bother anyone.

After we made a crop the next year we moved back to the Hohen Street place. That was in the fall of 1924. We sold the Hohen Street place, bought a lot on York St. Will Taylor with Bob helping when he could after work built a 2 room house. The rooms were 14' x 14'. After we sold the Hohen Street place, we rented a house on Myrtle & Harding for 3 months while the York Street house was being built. That was in 1925.

Mama & Daddy had moved back from Phoenix, Ariz. in the summer of 1926. They did not know i was expecting. I did not write them about that, so Mama took care of me as she had done both times before. Then when our twins were only a month old Daddy moved back to Phoenix because Daddy couldn't seem to find work. That was their third and last move. It was always Mama's idea to move back to Dallas in the first place, because my brother & I lived here. Each time they moved back to Dallas they had to sell their second hand business. The first time they moved back they built a small house on Scyene and had moved into it again when our twins were born. I tried to keep it rented for them. Got only $10 1 month, I believe. I don't remember for sure.

Shortly after that we added 2 rooms & a bath. In the spring of l931 Atkins closed the pastry shop, so Bob was out of work. He walked the streets of Dallas looking for work over a month. Even rubbed the big toe on his right foot until his toe nail came off. By then I was doing a little sewing for other folks. I finally told Bob let us start making pies, cakes, etc. in our kitchen. Maybe we can start a bakery of our own. Then Bob said "What will the folks do that you are sewing for?" I said "They can do what they did before I started sewing for them." So we started.

Business was slow getting started. The cafes wouldn't even accept my samples. Did not want to be bothered I suppose. First one waitress, then another would recommend us, so that is how we got started. Soon we had all we could do in our kitchen. We were not long turning our garage into a bakery.

Uncle Ed DeMoss wired the garage connecting it with the house and did not charge us. Uncle John Hancock concreted the floor of the garage at $l.50 an hour for his labor. I don't remember for sure, but I believe Bob put the window in over the workbench so he could load and unload the car (a Chev. sedan which he made shelves in to carry the pies, cakes, rolls and doughnuts). Put 2 screen doors in front of the garage and screened the windows to make it fly-proof. Bought a bakery oven, mixing machine and ice box. Bought ice in 100 lb. blocks. Also had water & gas piped in. Bob made a shed-on roof to cover the sedan so he could load the car in any kind of weather. He used telephone poles for uprights to the roof. Mr. St. Clair our neighbor split the poles for us. We paid him. In the spring of l934 Bob was operated on for appendicitis. Had to close our bakery for a month. Never lost a customer. They even called to find out when we were going to start again. Said they could not buy anything fit to eat. I'm sure it was not near that bad, but it sounded good to know they were satisfied with what we were making. When we started back we made only pies, because the pie business got so good that was all we could handle and get the pies to our customers in time. By the way, we only got 20 cents each for the pies and they were 8 inch pies.

Nowhere today can you buy as good a stuff to eat as Bob could make!

One of our customers wanted to start us in business in Highland Park with him being co-owner, but we did not want to spread out. With others working for us, the pies just would not be the same. May 8, 1936 Bob's mother passed away. They were living in my Mama's and Dad's place on Scyene. Bob's Dad passed away Aug. 2, 1942. Had a stroke. was in the hospital 2 weeks.

Early that fall (1942) my Mother got sick with pneumonia. Daddy sent me a telegram telling me Mama was sick and was calling for me. I did not know how we were going to manage the bakery, but I knew I needed to go to her. Our John was going to high school, so he cut classes and helped all he could.

Katherine had graduated in 1937 from high school and was working at Sears Roebuck. She did what she could to help. I was gone 3 weeks, but with our children's help, we got by and Mama got well. I wanted to put Mama in the hospital, but the Dr. said I was giving her more attention than she could get in the hospital.

Dec. 7, 1941 we got in the 2nd World War. The government started rationing gas as well as sugar and flour. Other items too. They only allowed us 3 gal. of gas a week to make our deliveries on and of course we couldn't, so that put us out of business.

We had bought a 40 acre farm near Lewisville, Texas in 1941, so we moved to this farm - the last load New Years Day of 1942. Rented out this York St. place to Mr. & Mrs. LaQuey at $18 a mo. They were still living there when we moved back.

Our John married March 22, 1941 to Miss Frances Harrott.

We lived on this 40 farm about 8 and a half years, then moved to our little house on York St. Nov. 5, 1950, Frances' birthday. About the last 1 and a half years on the farm we dairied. Had 19 milk cows. Was raising a few calves as replacements when we sold out. Got cash for everything. I remember when we switched over from farming to the dairy, rather than sell some of the farm equipment for little or nothing we gave it away. Even tried to give the team to 2 different ones, but they did not understand that we were trying to give them away until it was too late. We finally took $15 each for the 2 horses. Needed the pasture for the cows. One horse can eat as much pasture as 2 cows. We were needing to but a few more cows anyway.

The next year after we sold out the well went dry so it was a good thing we sold. It was just in time.

This happen in 1948. Mary Albert (Dad's neighbor in Phoenix) wrote me that Daddy fell off the roof of his workshop on Buckeye. Landed standing up, but did not get hurt. Probably shook him up, I'm sure. He was after squabs and slipped. He told Mary not to let me know, but did anyway.

Then in 1950 after we had moved back to Dallas Mary Albert called me long distance to let me know Dad's heart was giving him trouble, the maybe I should come out there. She was afraid the authorities would put him in the rest home since he was living by himself and she knew Dad would not want to go to the rest home.

My brother, Ethel and I went out there. We took him to a good heart Dr. and sure enough Dad's heart was enlarged and had dropped down. The Dr. fluoroscoped him and let me be in the room to see. The Dr. gave him medicine to take. On Father's Day in 1953 he came to visit us on his way to Ill. Dad died that fall Oct. 22, 1953.

We spent $2,500 fixing up the York St. place. Had it raised $ leveled, put on siding, wall papered & painted inside and outside. Lived there 6 years (just long enough to wear the new off) sold & bought here on Kingston.

It must have been sometime in 1951 or 1952 that we bought 123 3/10 acres near Mansfield. Bob & I planned to build a little house on it. Do the building ourselves, but our Dr. Brooks advised us not to, so that is when we bought and moved to 2614 Kingston. That was in 1956 and we've been here ever since.

Bob retired in May of 1962 just after he bought a new Chev. truck. He took me to Houston 4 different times going the same way to Houston, but coming back a different way every time. He knew I enjoyed that.

Bob passed away Sept. 28, 1979. This coming Monday he will be gone 4 months. I plan to stay here until it's my time to go be with him. Our children are wonderful to me. I'm never in want for attention or anything. They know how I like to go riding and they see to that too.

The Lord has blessed me in every way, shape and form.

Sincerely,

Gladys Sy