Whizzing Through America, Living Memories Tour, Zoarville - OH

Before moving to Cincinnati, we lived in my Grandparents' garage. I don't really have many specific memories from this time and don't have some memories that I possibly should, for example we supposedly had to go into the house to use the bathroom. I do remember it well but it was from much later visits.

What I do remember is falling off the upper bunk of a trundle-like bunk bed. I remember cousin Janetta's visit, on my mother's side, probably because she dated my Uncle Dale, on my father's side, and that was humorous to me even at that age.

Then there is the story that I've heard so many times that I don't know whether it is a memory or an acquired one. At least it isn't a false one.

One spring when the clover was blooming in the yard, I either with or without permission was running around barefoot. In the process, I stepped on a honey bee and got stung. Later my mother was telling my father about it and that I hadn't cried. My father congratulated me by saying, "Big boy!" To which I replied, "No, little bee."












I do remember crying at this church, Christian Chapel, though. But before I get to that, I remember going to this church before the upper part was even built and particularly the delivery and installation of the pews. Once the pews were installed and we were actually using them, I was figiting. That probably wasn't so bad except for the continued figiting after being told not to. This resulted in a whipping with the church's paddle/leather strop. I don't remember what it was made out of but do remember the holes in it and that it really stung. I wonder if they are still a "spare the rod spoil the child" church. I couldn't have been over five and probably had just turned five.

I practiced my bicycle riding, with training wheels, while my mother practiced her automobile driving. (She got her license while we lived here.)

Most of my memories of this "place" came from other times. This was the Thanksgiving gathering spot for all my Grandparents' descendants and some other relations. I remember one Thanksgiving that there were at least 60 people present, which required multiple turkeys and lots of other food. Every family brought lots of it with some forced to bring their specialty year after year.

Somehow we always had at least one game of touch football on the side yard, really a vacant lot. They eventually sold a portion of it to the neighbor so they could build a larger house, but it is still quite large.

Then there was the time that there were a number of over night guests and I ended up sharing a bed with my granddad. Although I was much older, evidentally I still figited. I remember getting whacked across the chest with the words "be still." I was still. I don't remember sleeping but I do remember being still.

I also remember losing to my grandmother in checkers and almost any other game that she played that had skill requirements: Uno, Racko, ... We played a lot of games because they never had a TV.

I also remember the last time I saw my grandfather alive. Somehow all of my sisters were there at the same time and we sang several of the simple harmonious rounds. The most beautiful was "Rose Rose," we actually just sang the chorus repeatedly in a round form.