Written in 1983
I never really knew my cousins, we never saw them. Some of the older girls used to come to visit with Trena and Jo. They'd go out at night and come home late down our long driveway, singing at the top of their lungs. When they got to the house, they'd take off their shoes and tip-toe in. They slept crossways in the bed, we little kids never did.
Jo and on up were the big kids, Anna and on down were always the little kids. I don't remember much of what we did. We played a lot with paper dolls and took long, fun walks to Little Black Creek, which was a mile or so from home. We sure did scramble through the woods and brush.
When the older girls went to work, the younger ones had to wash the supper dishes because they'd worked all day. When we went to work, we had to wash the supper dishes because there was no one else there. I'd spent a good part of my life in the dishpan. (Don't believe it has hurt me very bad though).
I started kindergarten in Moon School, about a mile away from our home on Getty Street. I had to come home by myself and I was terrified. Nearly every day a long, big freight train came down that way just on the other side of the road from me. (It never did get me!) I finally teamed up with Catherine Hartman, also in kindergarten, and we walked together. She was my friend from then on.
One time the snow was awfully deep. Henrietta took me to school on the sled. We crossed the field behind the East Lawn Church. She was running along as fast as she could go. I fell off the sled and she ran on. It seemed some time before she missed me and we got back together again.
We always had to go home for dinner in grade school. (No hot lunches to complain about). That was a lot of walking for a 6, 7 or 8 year old, about four miles a day. I always got a red card on weigh-in day. I was always underweight!
Henry Bush - Grandpa Bush. We lived in his house when I was about in the fifth grade. We moved to Laketon Avenue and we went to Porter School. I don't know where Grandpa lived then, but he didn't come around very often. He had a lot of stuff stored in the upstairs bedroom. It was a joy to me when he came around and unlocked the door so we could see all the "treasures". I guess it really wasn't so much to see, just the idea we could get in and look around. He stayed with us for a while after that, I don't know how long, though. He always bragged that he never ate breakfast, just 6 eggs beat up with hot coffee over it. (I don't know how he made it till noon!) Uncle John said Grandpa was over at his house and stood on his head when he was 81 years old. Maybe we should all eat more eggs.
I don't remember Grandma Bush very well. She told Anna (only spoke Dutch) she forgot to dust the table legs. Mom wore black dresses for a long time after she died. I remember how I didn't like them.
Uncle Ray Bush and Aunt Elsie came to see us about once a year. I never did get to know them. We all liked Uncle John Bush, and like to visit him when he moved to Carson City. The first farm I'd ever been on. It was an all day ride over there, no way could we come back the same day.
Jeannette stayed with us when her mother died of the flu. I don't remember this, but Mom has told us. Mom's brother, George, died of the flu in 1918. Uncle John's wife died of the flu, then Henrietta was very sick with it. I was about 2 years old, Jeannette a little older, maybe, and Anna was about 4. Mom had her hands full and appreciated the neighbor that came in the back door and got to work on the dirty dishes and dirty clothes, etc.
Florence kidnapped Raymond. She had left home and left the baby with Uncle John. We kept him for Uncle John. Florence came to see us one day and ran out the door with the baby when Mom went to get a diaper. She took the street car to town and I don't believe they ever saw her again. Of course we had no car ot telephone, so we couldn't follow her. I remember that!!
Uncle Henry Bush lived on Larch Avenue and had an ice cream store after he retired. Aunt Bertha and Gladys worked there part time. I worked for him for a while. He was pretty hard to please.
We seldom saw Uncle Peter, though he didn't live too far away. I remember we went to his wedding, it was at Aunt Annie's home, a large white house. The grown folks ate in the dining room and the kids went in the kitchen. They had olives, the first I'd seen. They tasted terrible! (I still think so).
Now to my Dad's family. I didn't care to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We didn't go very often. They spoke Dutch most of the time and I couldn't understand them. They had a pigeon cage over the kitchen door. They build their home on Apple and Kenneth Street in Muskegon when the place was still woods. Grandpa worked in the sawmill and probably cut the trees and made the lumber for the house. They lived there until they moved to the Holland Home for the Aged sometime before the depression. They went to church with us one time at East Lawn. I sat next to Grandma. She gave me a peppermint out of her coat pocket. Her coat had been in moth balls and the peppermint was gross! Grandpa stayed with us one night. She said she liked to stay with us - we didn't slam the doors.
Aunt Minnie was one of the most fun people I knew. She was always good for a laugh. One time they were on their way to church at Easter all dressed up and a bird flew over. Little Charlotte had to go home and change her clothes. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And the time Aunt Minnie made soft soap for the Monday washing and Uncle bill served it up for oatmeal. There was always something funny going on over there. Except when their baby, Shirley Ann, about 9 months old died. It was very sudden, crib death, I suppose. Uncle Jake's baby boy died the next night the same way.
I could always tell when it was Sunday morning when I was small because Pa was playing the piano. It seemed someone was always playing the piano. We all enjoyed music. I never learned to play or sing, but I liked to hear other perform. I'm proud of the fact that all my three children enjoy playing and singing.
Ma was always busy sewing, knitting, crocheting or some other hand work. She also like to read. She never just sat there with empty hands. Her right hand was badly burned when she was a child. She couldn't open it out flat, but it didn't stop her from using it.
I guess we didn't have much when we were growing up, but I didn't know we were poor folks. There was always something to eat, I was proud of all the hand-me-downs I owned - guess I had more than anyone else. I'm still getting them, from my daughters now!!
We had lots of good company. We always went to church and Sunday School. One of my earliest memories is getting ready for Sunday School, standing on a chair in the kitchen, and Hinky putting a starched white slip over my head. When the preacher came for dinner, as it seems they did quite often, sometimes it was F.H.B., meaning the food was a little scarce, Family Hold Back!