This is the fourth article in our series “Looking Back…Memories From Anna Mary Etter”. In 1997 at the age of 84, Anna Mary shared her memories of growing up with her granddaughter Roxy (Jones) Chivington. Anna Mary’s daughter, Jean McKibben, is sharing them with the eNews. For previous articles in this series, click on the “Community” button on our home page.
OUR TIMES OF EXCITEMENT
In the winter, the river would come up in the fields and freeze. That was always an ideal place to have skating parties. Across the river from us, behind the Dupont Tile Mill, there was a real nice hill and they always kept it cleared off so we could go coasting. We would have a bonfire and have coasting and skating parties. People would come from miles around. Even older people would come. I remember even Aunt Violet (Mom’s sister) would come. One time, three of us girls were going to go across the river so we could coast down the hill. We weren’t too sure about the ice, but I assured them it was solid. To show them, I went on the ice and started jumping up and down. It wasn’t solid and I went through. Then I was afraid to go back home and let Mom know so the rest of the afternoon, I wore those wet clothes. We went on over to the hill and coasted. Fortunately I never got sick!
Candy was something you very seldom ever, ever got. I remember one time when Marie, my sister, was dating Bill Rockhold and he bought her a box of candy for Valentine’s Day. I found that box of candy and ate a couple pieces of it. Marie discovered it and she told Dad. That was the only time I can remember Dad ever turning me across his knee and giving me a whipping. I was probably seven or eight years old at that time.
Back then you just didn’t have money to buy candy or even to buy supplies to make candy. Oh, we would make pull taffy. We would use molasses. We would have a party to make taffy. Mom would cook the candy and put it out on meat platters to cool. Then when it was cool enough to handle, we would take a wad of it and start pulling it, putting it back together, and pulling it. This would take the place of beating the candy. When it got to the place it was tough, we would lay it out on wax paper to cool, then cut it into smaller pieces with scissors. We had that kind of candy because we raised our own sorghum and had sorghum molasses.
That was our kind of entertainment. We would maybe have four parties over the summer months and then a taffy party in the winter.
When I was around 10 or 12 years old, Uncle Charlie’s daughter, Beulah, and I had an act we would put on for different Grange Halls. We would wear overalls, put on an acrobatic act, and also sing. This reminds me that recently I went to the doctor and he asked me to bend over and reach toward my toes to see how far down I could get. Boy was he surprised when this 84 year old lady could reach right down and touch her toes! The therapist asked me to do the same and she was as surprised as what the doctor was.
In the fall, in the village of Dupont, we would always have a rabbit supper. All the men around town would go out, hunt rabbits, and bring them in the day before they had the rabbit supper. Different people would take them home to cook them. We would have potatoes and other food to go along with the rabbit. People would come from all around to the rabbit supper. When the supper was over we would put on a three act play and I was always in the play. I was probably a teenager then.
As a teenager, another entertainment we had was to watch black and white silent movies on Saturday nights in Warren Myer’s garage across from his store in Dupont. Later on, Mr. Myers built a building at Franconia where we would go to watch the “free shows”. They would have a concession stand where you could buy potato chips, hot dogs, coffee, and pop. Mr. Myers really did a lot for the town of Dupont. Sometimes he would have musical groups play and I can remember Tom Place’s parents playing. His Dad could play several instruments all at one time and all their kids would sing. (Anna Mary’s younger sister, Edna, married Tom Place of Melrose).
Saturday nights was a night in which everyone came to town. At that time Dupont had two grocery stores. One was owned by Randall Wagner and the other by Warren Myers. The Myer’s store also served as a Post Office There was also a little restaurant which may have been owned by Daisy Myers. Lots of times when I was 12 or 13, I would have to stay home with the younger kids, which really made me afraid. I don’t know why except we were out in the country. There wasn’t ever any crime that happened, but I was just always afraid. I was glad when I got old enough to go into town and walk around with other girls. Then it was Lloyd’s turn to stay home with the younger ones. To be continued…
