A Little Tale From Back in the Day!

 Good morning all.  Today I am going to relay a little story of my Momma and her young life.  Her perspectives and how things have changed over the years.  I hope you get a smile and maybe a chuckle from this.

My mom grew up fairly poor.  The house they lived in was a clothing store before they got it and turned it into a house.  Mom and her brother and sis's slept in the upstairs attic room, that had a floor - but I never ever saw insulation up there (in my years).  The house was right next door to a church and it set on the top of a very steep hilly yard.  The back yard had been terraced to grow some garden over the years and the outhouse was at the very bottom of the steep hill!  What a walk in the cold.

This is an 'updated' look of the house - with new windows and door.  It was until recently covered in that roofing looking siding (prob. asbestos).  It wasn't big at all - grandma, grandpa and 4 kiddos lived here!  My spinster aunt and uncle lived there until they passed.  This pic looks decent - I don't remember it looking this good.

Grandma came from a very wealthy family in Cincinnati.  She met grandpa, they married and moved here to Indy.  They were not well to do AT ALL.  Her brother - my great Uncle Edwin - was constantly helping the family out (he seemed to be the only one that helped).  Grandpa worked hard - but never enough for grandma (that tells you something).

On a Christmas note - the Christmas tree was delivered by Santa!  That was because uncle would have one sent to the house along with extra gifts on Christmas Eve.  The tree always was set and decorated on the library table they had and set in the middle of the living room    .  I have that table now and when I DO put up a tree it sets on that table.

My uncle was a very wealthy business owner.  He and his brother had a very high-end custom jewelry store in Cincy.  They all lived grandly.

My great uncle.  He and his brother/business partner, built houses right next to each other in a very exclusive area - then and now - area of Cincy.  

Amazingly I have a couple of items that were uncles.  I have his Masonic pin, his union pin for the jeweler's guild and a small custom piece he made.  He was also an avid inventor and had many patents.

Well - I digress.  My mom got married at 16!  Needless to say, the house was not always pleasant with grandma's attitude about life.  (from what I hear).

I think mom met Lester at the park nearby and he was quite a bit older (in his 20's). (I cringe to think about this today!).  Times have changed.  Lester was my eldest sister's dad.  The marriage ended when sis was 4.  Mom didn't have her until she 21.

BUT - when he and mom married - Uncle Edwin offered to have a party for all the Cincy family to attend for the young just married couple and offered them a nice room as a honeymoon suite!  So that is what they did.

Mom always talked about the house as a mansion.  Knowing our mom, we figured it was just a smaller nice house - because mom (even until she passed) thought a lot of places were mansions that weren't.  LOL

Well, as I began doing ancestry research, I came across a cousin and we talked a lot.  (in the 90's).  She told me Edwins's old home was actually for sale at that time and I should call the realtor.  I did, and they asked if they could send me the booklet on the house!  Booklet?  I figured it must be nice - as I have never seen a 'booklet' on a house for sale.  I SAID YES!

Well, this is the house - still as it was originally.  It was built and brand new the year mom stayed there.  8 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, 3 floors - back in 1928!  Over an acre of large wooded land.  

OK - I think mom was right.  Definitely a mansion back in the day - and kind of today!  Today worth almost $2 mil.

This is the crest over the door that is still there to this day!  How cool is that?

So yes, momma did stay in a 'mansion' on her honeymoon!

All the extended family was there and had a mighty celebration from what she said.

NOW THIS IS THE FUNNY - as the party was winding down - her aunts pulled her to the side to have 'the talk' with her!  (yes, she was that innocent).  They told her to make sure that no matter what, that she leave her 'bloomers' on that night!!  To put on her nighty OVER her bloomers.  This makes me laugh to think about.  SHE DID what they said, much to the disdain of Lester, I am sure.

What a honeymoon he had - LOL.

Well, it took her 5 years to have my sister - so I wonder how long those bloomers stayed on!  HAHA

SO a sweet story about family helping family.  Growing up rich and then living poor.  Family getting involved to help, but also making others feel bad.  A story from both sides of the 'track'.

A tale of innocence and young love. 

I always felt sorry for grandpa - he passed when I was 2.  I wish I had known him - mom said he adored me.  When he would visit, she said he always set with me on his lap and fussed over me.  Grandma passed a couple years later, and I really don't remember her either.  From mom and what my siblings had to say - she was so NOT nice to grandpa and made her kids pretty miserable.  I guess she adored the grandkids though.  It is amazing how life goes.

I have gone to Cincy and visited all the graves and monuments of that side of the family - they were pretty impressive.  There was a lot of money there.  I wish I had known about the house when I went - that would have been neat to see.

Kind of glad that I grew up as I did.  It seems money was very important to most of that branch of the family (so many stories) - glad our life was a simple and humble one.

So I hope you smiled and maybe chuckled a little.

My sweet momma!  Oh, the stories!