I saw a girl do the shimmy!

I was in my teens from 1927 thru 1933. The Great Depression happened during most of my teenage years. Nevertheless, there were many Fun Times.

I turned 13 in November before starting to high school the following September. I had a wonderful person, Miss Lavonne, as my 8th grade teacher. I actually enjoyed being an 8th grader! She had me help do special things such as help teach the little kids songs or memorize poems. She "let" me help her grade papers; to me, that was Fun!

When I graduated from 8th grade she offered to help me get into college at Maryville after I graduated from high school if I chose to go there. She kept in contact with me off and on and sent me a graduation present.

During the summer before school started I got acquainted with Maxine, who would be starting to high school also. We "ran around" together and had many fun times going horseback riding, getting together on weekends, going to the free movies in Sheridan, and flirting with the boys, of course. She and her mother lived with her grandparents. They had a large house, and I always looked forward to going there. Her mom would serve us our meal at the dining room table. After I was married Maxine came to visit us. Mary was just learning to talk and called her Magazine!

Every summer the Sheridan Picnic was a big event with a merry-go-round, loop-the-loop, music and programs in the bandstand, and all the rest. We kids would hoe the cockle-burrs, butter-print, pigweeds, and thistles out of the pastures to earn money to spend at the fair. I remember once that Janice and I went to a side show (which we were not supposed to do) and saw a girl do the shimmy!  I think dad found it out by the grapevine and no doubt and gave us a little lecture.

Back then, many people drove a team of horses or rode horse-back to town. The hitching posts were around the south and west sides of the park and the watering tank was at the NE side. Going to town on Saturday nights, taking the cream and eggs to sell, getting the groceries, seeing friends and neighbors, window shopping/looking, free movies, getting an ice-cream cone for 5 cents: All these things were "fun".

The window shopping included the telephone office, the produce store, Pete Stingley’s General store that sold everything from shoe strings to barrels of beans; next was the cafe, hardware store, Parman’s grocery, post office, opera house, hotel, jewelry store. Then further on where we didn't go was the lumber yard and the railroad station. I should have mentioned the Hhat shop, which I passed by when I walked to school and LOVED to window shop there. During some of my teen years I liked rollerskating, ice skating, horseback riding, and going to movies.

After graduating from high school the last of May, 1932, I attended Gards Business College and worked a while at the American Red Cross and Quaker Oats. At age nineteen years and five months I married, so I hadn't grown up until the following November at age 20.

If I have any more to say it is this: At least wait till after your teens to get married. It's o.k. to marry that guy or gal, but its o.k.'er to wait a while!!!!!

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