We heard lots of stories growing up from Grandpa and Grandma both, Grandpa was a rambler, he'd start a story and back up a few times, tell a few side stories along the way, back up again if he'd forgot some detail, and boy did he tell the details. He was a great storyteller and if I would have written down or recorded him telling them I could have had a thick book of memories. But of course, when I was younger I didn't see the need of remembering the stories, and to my shame was a little impatient listening to the same stories over and over and tuned out sometimes.
One I remember Grandma or Grandpa telling was when they first met. Grandma was the new schoolteacher. I don't know where exactly, but Grandpa was raised up around Bruner, Mo so it was probably in that area.
Anyway, so the story as I remember it was Grandpa and Grandma were at some kind of gathering (not together) and some of the other young men dared Grandpa to go up and ask the pretty new school teacher out. Whatever that meant back then, I'm sure they didn't go "out" like they did in my day or today, probably asked to sit with her or come see her at her house or some such thing. Anyway, of course, Grandpa took the dare and here we all are.....LOL
I think Grandpa must have been quite the rascal or daredevil because I remember another time his friends dared him to go up and pull the preacher's chin whiskers. So....yes, Grandpa did it. I can't imagine that ended very well, but I never heard the end of the story. I have wondered if the preacher was my great great grandfather, my grandma's grandpa, who was a preacher at Garrison, but I think maybe the time frame wasn't right for it to be him. I need to visit my Aunt Betty and ask her some of these stories and see if she knows more details.
Grandma and Grandpa Richardson got married on April 27,1919, at the preachers house. He lived where Ollin and Pauline Lee lived for many years, north of Bradleyville on Highway 125. The dogwoods were blooming and in all their glory. I think it sounds like a wonderful time to be married.
In 1922 they were blessed with their first child, a girl they named Georgia Viola; in 1924, another girl they named Juanita Fern. Around 14 months later, in 1925, another girl they named Alma Francis. Then a girl named Betty Louise in 1927 and finally in 1934, a boy named Lotus Vernon. Grandma also lost 4 babies, two of them were a set of twins, and then two single births, but I have forgotten which were boys or girls. I had heard the twins were a boy and girl, but some of the family insists it was two boys, so I'm not sure.
Grandma was quite a prankster and one time my mom told of a time when Grandpa got his overalls really dirty, and Grandma made him take them off in the barn. She took them to the house and was supposed to bring out a clean pair. Then company came and she left Grandpa out in the barn without his overalls for quite a while.
More later as I think of stories or hear them from Aunt Betty.
No comments:
Post a Comment