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“The Way I Remember It”

Memories & Reflections of My Past
By Hattie Lucile Curtis-Mefford

(Unedited in grammar and spelling – this is exactly the way Grandmom wrote it)

My first rememberance Louisville Kentucky and my dad sick in bed. Before he did get sick he was a conductor on the street cars. I can see him getting off the car just … house and me and my brother would meet him and walk on his feet and him holding our hands we would walk home. I went to school in … and my brother and sister’s name was Marie. Wil my mother had a butter stand and that was our living. My dad got (drunken) and was … when we took a notion to move.

Mama took Marie the oldest and Stealla the baby and went about to Paint Lick about 100 miles from where we lived in … took me and my brother on the train. I was so awful sick. And we went to Aunt Fannie’s my mother rented a little house from Mrs. Dawson and there is where we moved. Me, Robert and Marie went to school and Lady kept us at night so Mama could take care of my dad. He was down and in about a year and died. I remember going to the grave in a surey and drawn by horses and the undertaker had a casket and he took it to the grave and soon after my dad died we left the Dawson house and move to a house on a farm. We lived there a short time and moved to Kirksville, KY.

My mother was young and operated the telephone exchange. I remember the exchange was back in the field across from the school house. Mama would come there at the school every day and me, Robert would stay at the schoolhouse, dust erasers, clean the black boards and do the little jobs. Marie took Stella home after school and got supper for us. The only had about 1 mile to go.

Me, Robert and Mom would go home after he cleaned the school house. It was a 12 room building and not hard to clean. I remember my Mama cleaning the building and he janitored the churches on Saturday. She’d take us all 4 and go and clean the churches and my Mom was a worker. We would go to church on Sunday. My sister took down with the … and we all had it.

The World War was on and … while we lived there at Kirksville.

My Granny took sick and Granpa moved us in with them.

I’ll never forget the day they were many a student at Grandmas and a hail stone storm came and we gathered up the stones and cooled the water and milk. Well, we lived with them until my Grandma died and then Granpa went to live with Uncle Jerry. He rented a room from Mr. Prather and moved to it. The house was good. We did a lot of work there and none of us kids cared too much. Marie was 14 then and got aquainted with Bill Larson and they got married.

Well us kids got a lot of experience there. Aunt Lavern and them would come on and spend the nite with us. Well we managed and worked hard that year then we moved to a small house in Paint Lick, KY. There I was about 10 years old and lived on to Mrs. Knowles and every day as soon as the day would end I’d go to the store and buy me and Mama yardage to make us a dress. We lived at this place a year.

Mama helped at what ever jobs she could get. Then we moved up the road to another house. Then she got married to Nathan Ross.

We didn’t half to put up with him much until Uncle Frank showed up from LaGrange and got us to move down there. About 100 miles.

Robert didn’t go so I don’t remember how we got away from this place. Robert stayed at Ann Azbill’s he met with Ann’s girl and they got married. Well the … was a big thing from us.

I was in 7th grade at school. Stella was in the 5th and went to school every day. We worked what we could and Uncle Frank had even furntiure.

Marie and bill moved to Louisville, KY would come out to see us. I boarded away from there witha Mrs. Dick. Went to Liberty school and would come home on weekends.

We went to Aunt Ida’s to a sale they were having. I was 15 then and met Arthur at the sale. We went home with …and had a good time. Arthur was only 18 and we decided to get married. We went to Dr. Connely’s and got married in their living room. Mama was takeing me there for a cold and when the Dr. knew we were getting married he suggested we get married in his living room. He got the paster and paid for everything.

Oh yes I forgot to mention Mrs Dick and her they begged me not to get married. I told them I loved the boy and no use them talking to me.

I went and got my hair fixed and Arthur was in town to get his hair fixed and he brought me home. We had a nice wedding and went to Minnies for dinner. A crowd was there. Mary Lu… and kids and others I don’t remember. The next day we went to Mom’s and had dinner and Aunt Dora helped Mom. We had a nice day and the next day we went to Mary Lillians. She had a big dinner. Her Mom and Dad was there. Then the next day we took Mom and Nathan and Stella with us to drive to Paint Lick. We had a wonderful time. We stayed at Aunt Fannie’s and Uncle Charlie. We went to Bill’s and Maries and the weather was so terrible we couldn’t get the car started.

After a long wait and lots of work we left and got back home in the same day. We stayed at Arthur’s for 3 months and then moved to a little place on the side of the road. Arthur’s dad went with him to a sale and he bought all the stuff we used. Even jam and canned fruit. Then we went to house keeping.

Mary and Ludie and kids made that night and ate supper. We had a good time. then Mary Lillian and Minish came down and brought us lots of good things to eat.

Well the next thing I remember was that all through the year we worked hard, raised a big crop. I canned a lot and began to sew for myself and Mrs. Fellows on the farm. Marie and Bill hired in LaGrange KY with 2 kids. Frank and Geneva they cam out once in a while. Then before I knew it Marie had a hemerage and went to Mom’s at Paint Lick.

There she was in bed for a while and they called me. Arthur took me up there and that was my first baby begining. I stayed several days. Arthur came back the day she’s to be buried. She lived for several days and left the 2 kids with Mama.

Well Arthur came on the train and stayed for a few days. Then me and him left Mom’s and went home on the train. Mama moved to LaGrange and by the time Louise, my first baby was born, I lived upstairs in the big house on the farm. Arthur and the men stripped tobacco in the little house where we lived. I’ll never forget the morning I got sick. Arthur had gone to strip tobacco and I was trying to get the house cleaned.

I’ll never forget him coming back to see about me and stayed. He called the doctor and Dr. Connell came him and his wife. Arthur got an old ham and we lived upstairs and Mrs. Fellows cooked dinner. I’ll never forget how she did for me before the baby was born and afterwards. I was sick all day.

Pappie came for mail and came on down to the house. He found out I was sick and went back to their house and told Minnie. Well she came over. Then the baby was born about sundown.

Dr. and Mrs. Connell went back to LaGrange where they lived. That nite me and Arthur took turns keeping the baby. Then next day Mom and Aunt Nellie and Stella came and I surprised them when they saw the baby. Well Stella stayed for a week with me and helped Mrs. Fellows take care of me. Mrs. Fellows took the best care of me. I stayed upstairs until the weather got good and we moved close to Mama and Nathan. Then mama helped me can all summer and that fall she took down with the flu.

We had a wonderful time all that summer with a couple ladies coming out from church. Arthur was baptized and him and his Mom and Dad. Then that winter Mom took down and died. We sure had a hard time.

Louise was less than a year old.

We moved to LaGrange and Arthur sold sewing machines. The next spring we moved back to Fellows place and worked hard and more amount to anything. then when I felt time to deliver Jr. I went to Campbellsburg to Mrs. Prathers. Well I stayed there 6 weeks and then Mary’s little boy Jack took sick and I went back to LaGrange on the train. No one to meet me and I carried Jr. and led Louise all the way to Mary’s house. Jack was real sick and died.

I stayed there for 3 weeks and after he died Mary went to Uncle Minishes and me and Mariel Ella, Mary’s grown girl moved her up town. I don’t remember he coming home but I do remember dressing an old chicken hen for dinner that day. It was in February and real bad weather.

Well the day Mary came home Arthur was gone and she wanted me to go home. She said the kids were too much for her. So after Arthur came home he drove the car up against the house and covered it up and we stayed all night. God knows where we slept. The next day we left for home and all of Mary’s went with us.

Any way it was awful. I cleaned the house all Sunday. They were there and I took food home with me. Well the next day it was a different story.

Arthur rented a farm across the road and back field there we raised a big crop and Granpa Richardson and Uncle Bob Huey was there with us.

It was a pretty place to live. You never saw so many poplar trees and a big cherry tree right beside the outside door.

I canned fruit and vegetables all year. I remember a time Arthur was cutting tobacco and a rattler snake was on the tobacco plant. He saw it and killed it before he got any bites.

Louise was so small and once she was on the toilet and I went to see about her and she was sitting there waiting. There was 2 big black snakes laying on a rafter in the toilet. I called Arthur and he came and killed them. That fall came and the old tobacco was stripped and ready for market.

We had killed hogs and had plenty of meat. Granpa and Uncle Bob was there with me. Arthur hired a truck to take the tobacco off to Shelbyville and while he was gone the dogs got in the room where the meat was and drug out all of it and we found the meat next day where the dog had buried half the hog.

It was terrible. Well Arthur stayed so long that I went and called about him.

He came home had bought an old car and spent the rest of the crop. We didn’t have enough to pay our … bill so he started out again. Next spring in the same old way. Raising children and tobacco. We moved back to Fellows house and there worked and tryed to put up all I could that.

L.D.Warren stayed with us most of the time. Then last of year Arthur’s dad lost his farm and we all moved to the place up by Buckner, Ky. It wasn’t far. Anyway I had Mary Martha while living on the Fellows place.

Just one thing after another. Maud caused most of our trouble and when we moved she went to the Clifton house and there Maud Ella came to stay with us.

While there she went to Carrolton and stayed two weeks with an aunt. Ond day five of the young girls were going to hide one from another and Maud Ella and 1 girl were in the front of the others and ran across the road to hide and right in front of a car. Well it just tore Maud Ella up. She died that nite at 12 o’clock. Her dad never left her and Mary Maud Mommy Papy me and Arthur all waited in the Doctors office.

I had 3 children, left 2 at the Warren’s house and took the baby. Anyway after she died they brought the body next day to Mammie and Pappies. There the funeral was held and I did all I could to help out. Anyway, after the funeral Mary and Ludie left the place in LaGrange and went to live in Campbellsburg, KY.

That was a long time. Anyway Mamie and Pappie moved to a farm over on Pattons Creek and we also moved over near them. It was a nice house and plenty to live on. Anyway we lived there most of the next 2 years. Fran was born there.So that made us 4 kids.

Arthur and Charlie Redmond just about drove me crazy that year. They drink and run to parties. It was a bad year and I’d sew and take milk to town and sell it. We didn’t have much to go on but I remember I had 2 pet hogs and sold them, took the money and went to Stella’s house.

By the way Stella had married Bill Lawson a way back and took care of Frank and Gen.

I stayed 3 weeks up there and then went home. Well we just felt like no one could have a baby and not stay in bed for a week. Anyway that’s what happened to her. Then after I came back home Arthur had met some people and we all moved to Shelbyville County.

I’ll never forget that. Anyway the house we were to move into had to be washed all inside. The windows were broken out and well I just made the best of it.

Slyvia Redmond was a good friend and her sister in law lived down across the road. Well anyway Arthur got sick there and was ill a long time. My brother died at Paint Lick and Uncle Jerry came to tell me. I never had anything to hurt like that. I couldn’t go for I had Arthur and four kids to care for.

His mother came over there and just complained about the kids and I was glad when they came and got her. I’ll never forget how Arthur was. He was sick most of the time. Well we had a good garden and Arthur and me just canned an put up lots of jars full. M.. and Bob came to see us and spent some time there. Uncle Frank stayed there with us and helped. And then after were there a few weeks I took a 50 lbs ham to Shelbyville on the bus and sold it to a restaurant for a dollar pound.

Well that got us lots of grocerys. We didn’t have a car so never went anywhere.

I’ll never forget I had a tooth ache so bad I left all the kids there with Arthur and walked and went to car line and on to the dentist. He pulled my tooth and was I glad. Anyway Louise started school then and her and the kids up at the corner went to school together.

Anyway lots of things happened there. I’ll never forget the living we had at the Shelbyville place. Anyway towards the end we had rented the Abbot place and moved there and then I took down with liver trouble. Anyway I would go get medicine and Dr. Walsh tryed to drain it. He couldn’t and then sent me into Louisville Ky to a Dr Pryor at the Heyborn place. Fr.Pryor told me I’d half to be operated on. Anyway I was and went back home and then went several times to this Dr. before I got OK.

Anyway it was a nice place to live and we had a good living. We brought out a lot of calves and run the farm.

Beatrice Abbott was still at home and would come a visit us. Anyway Hubert was born there and was a nice baby.

I’ll never forget his time. Well we left there and went to a place down by Goch…

Anyway while we lived at Abbott place Arthur was drinking heavy and would go down on with Pappie and Mamie and spend the weekend. They would all go out drinking and all did the same thing. Well anyway once when Arthur was gone Fran took sick with worms and I didn’t know what was wrong. She had convulsions and would pass out. We called Dr. from LaGrange and he came and gave her some medicine and it was to kill the worms. She was so terrible sick from that and it took a long time to bring her back to good health.

Mrs. Abbot set up with me. I didn’t know what became of the cows. I’d milk them anyway. No one else was big enough to take care of them but me. Well that winter my head hurt so bad and finally after going to the doctor he sent me into Louisville to have xray of my head (sinus). Dr. William Prior took the xray and found out the trouble and then operated on me. Stella, Bill had just moved down and they lived in Paint Lick, KY. Well they decided to make the move and rented a house at Pendleton and that was a lot of help. Anyway we lived through it some way.

Arthur took sick while we were there and I took him into LaGrange and they found he had TB starting.

I got a boy to help do the work and the Reigh… paid him to stay there and milk. Anyway after a year of this I would move anywhere on earth to get to know better. Anyway Hubert was born there and I sure had plenty to do and work for.

Arthur got busy after that year and we decided to make a move down to Prospect KY. Arthur’s sister and her family came down and spent several days picking peaches. The work had to go on there and I didn’t get up many peaches just canned what I could out of the garden and took good care of the milking situtation.

Mr. and Mrs.Temple came down and brought Beatrice Abbot. I fixed a good dinner for them. They went to the orchard and brought peaches. Well Louise went to Mr. Riegle’s for a few days. I sure do miss her.

Anyway that was a bad place to live. Arthur would drink and didn’t want to leave Louisville where we bought our grocerys and there was a big stretch of time where we didn’t have a car and went to train with the neighbors and got our groceries.

Anyway I was so glad when we left that place. Oh yes, I forgot to mention Mr. Fellows girls on a farm not too far. We went to see them one Saturday. Well anyway it was a rough year with Arthur drinking. He had to have help and hired a man to help him. The man stayed in the house. I don’t know how I lived and just put up with him. Mary and Ludie came down and stayed one week nearly I guess I put up the best I could. Anyway before the year was up Mrs. Fallon who lived on the road down by the school house came and we rented from her. It was a nice place and all the conveniences we needed. Well with Arthur drinking and me sick from being pregnant we just got by.

I don’t know how we did but we did. There were times when I didn’t know what to do. We had Louise, Jr., Mary Martha, Fran and Hubert and the Riglers helped us up. They would come and bring all they could. I remember Flo and Norris being born there. Well that was the year Flo, Norris was born. I was just too bad but I just couldn’t do one thing about the whole situation.

Anyway Granpa stayed a while and then when fall came I took Norris and Louise took care of the others. Anyway Jr. took bad sick and we had to take him to Louisville to be operated on. Well he sure came near dying but anyway he lived and that was before we moved down at the Elsin Acre place.

That was a nice place and we had a good living there. I remember Mr. Layton came to see us there and I didn’t know if but he remembered all the kids and their sizes. So that was 1 week before Xmas and Gene was born there. Well I was cleaning up from trimming the tree and there came Mr. and Mrs. Layton. And Arthur had taken Jr and gone over to his brothers and picked up Louise. Well they all stayed for a time and left. There was just everything under the sun in the big basket and then they all had arms full. They picked up the baby and played with him then they all left.

I just set everything on the floor and when Arthur came back was he surprised. We had the best Xmas and never cost us a cent. Arthur didn’t drink any that week just hung around and him and Mr. Farris was tickled that he had the big Xmas we had.

Well we stayed there most of the next year and moved up on the road where we lived once before at the Abbot place. I was there and I took down the tree without any trouble.

Anyway I went to Louisvlle and Dr. Wm.Prior operated on my head when I got better. Well a lot of things happened to me.