I recently wrote a post about a letter from my Grandma Cera that I almost threw away, but didn't. I wanted to share what she wrote to me:
"Dear Megan Wed. AM. May 21, 1997
...You asked what it was like when I was your age- well there wasn't much going on. "The depression" was in the years 1929-1941- most everyone was poor (the average people) many couldn't find jobs but then in 1941 World War II (we got attached at Pearl Harbor) so the 4 years I was in High School was the 4 years the war was going on. About 12 million guys from U.S.- Most got drafted to go to war right after they graduated-They had no choice. Many (1,000's) never came back alive, many crippled. It was hard times. Things were rationed because of shortage- We had to have stamp books- for meats, butter, sugar, gas, plus shortages of other stuff because it all had to be used for armed forces- So it is hard for you to understand unless you lived in those times-otherwise people lived normally- I graduate May 1945. War ended later that year- I had 4 years of perfect attendance in High School- had good grades and wanted to go to College but my folks were against it- My Mom only went to 5th grade, my Dad
only to 8th grade. They lived on farms and had to help with the hard work. I got a bog- got only 42 cents an hr. in those days- it was light factory work- I was very shy so I didn't even go our with a guys till I was 19 yr. old- and then it was with 2 or 3 other couples- went to dance (had ballroom dances-nice-) and roller skating rinks. When I started to work I had my teeth fixed and tonsils removed- had to pay for it out of my meager wages as my folks didn't believe in paying for anything when we start working so I had to pay my graduation costs (photos, gown, etc.) as I worked wince 2nd semester Senior year part time. It was hard- I was always broke- Later I bought a bicycle and my girlfriends and I did a lot of Bike Riding on weekends our in the country-side and town- Sometimes dogs, barking like mad would chase us- well, we went to movies a lot (They were decent and better then) There was no T.V.
I met grandpa Joe when my best girlfriend and I were at the Movies- He was with a friend (guy) of my girlfriends Phyllis. She worked at same place I did- So I got introduced to Joe and he asked for date later- We double dated with other couples (more fun that way- went to dances at Ballrooms- did the Waltzes, Polkas, Two Step- other dances different from now. I never got to travel- Only the rich people traveled then- (I was 61 years old before I was more than 200 miles from home- Well, Joe and I went steady fro 1 1/2 years. got engaged on my 21st birthday- got married about 7 months later- Engagements in those days were shorter than now days. I think it is smarter to wait till you are past 25 yrs to get married- Joe was 22 yrs. old- but in those days most girls married between 19 to 21 yrs. Donna and Nancy Raschka (your Moms cousins) were 31 yrs and 34 yrs old- Now own their homes. I used to sew most all my clothes- No one wore slack then- till 1960's- I sewed a lot of dressed, jumpers, blouses. I loved to sew- still do- if I'm not too lazy- Well, I better quit before I bore you..."
This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.
"Dear Megan Wed. AM. May 21, 1997
...You asked what it was like when I was your age- well there wasn't much going on. "The depression" was in the years 1929-1941- most everyone was poor (the average people) many couldn't find jobs but then in 1941 World War II (we got attached at Pearl Harbor) so the 4 years I was in High School was the 4 years the war was going on. About 12 million guys from U.S.- Most got drafted to go to war right after they graduated-They had no choice. Many (1,000's) never came back alive, many crippled. It was hard times. Things were rationed because of shortage- We had to have stamp books- for meats, butter, sugar, gas, plus shortages of other stuff because it all had to be used for armed forces- So it is hard for you to understand unless you lived in those times-otherwise people lived normally- I graduate May 1945. War ended later that year- I had 4 years of perfect attendance in High School- had good grades and wanted to go to College but my folks were against it- My Mom only went to 5th grade, my Dad
only to 8th grade. They lived on farms and had to help with the hard work. I got a bog- got only 42 cents an hr. in those days- it was light factory work- I was very shy so I didn't even go our with a guys till I was 19 yr. old- and then it was with 2 or 3 other couples- went to dance (had ballroom dances-nice-) and roller skating rinks. When I started to work I had my teeth fixed and tonsils removed- had to pay for it out of my meager wages as my folks didn't believe in paying for anything when we start working so I had to pay my graduation costs (photos, gown, etc.) as I worked wince 2nd semester Senior year part time. It was hard- I was always broke- Later I bought a bicycle and my girlfriends and I did a lot of Bike Riding on weekends our in the country-side and town- Sometimes dogs, barking like mad would chase us- well, we went to movies a lot (They were decent and better then) There was no T.V.
I met grandpa Joe when my best girlfriend and I were at the Movies- He was with a friend (guy) of my girlfriends Phyllis. She worked at same place I did- So I got introduced to Joe and he asked for date later- We double dated with other couples (more fun that way- went to dances at Ballrooms- did the Waltzes, Polkas, Two Step- other dances different from now. I never got to travel- Only the rich people traveled then- (I was 61 years old before I was more than 200 miles from home- Well, Joe and I went steady fro 1 1/2 years. got engaged on my 21st birthday- got married about 7 months later- Engagements in those days were shorter than now days. I think it is smarter to wait till you are past 25 yrs to get married- Joe was 22 yrs. old- but in those days most girls married between 19 to 21 yrs. Donna and Nancy Raschka (your Moms cousins) were 31 yrs and 34 yrs old- Now own their homes. I used to sew most all my clothes- No one wore slack then- till 1960's- I sewed a lot of dressed, jumpers, blouses. I loved to sew- still do- if I'm not too lazy- Well, I better quit before I bore you..."
This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.
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David