Written by my Sister Virginia R. Mcclure,
Boulder, Colorado
Probably in the late 1950’S
My Sister Ginger, (Virginia) wrote that she also went to Kansas with Uncle Guy and Brother John on a later trip to Kansas, than the one I took with them.
Ginger writes:
I did not go with you and Uncle Guy and John. I went on a separate trip later with them. Unlike you, I did not come home on a train as you did-I have not ridden a train, except for the Narrow Gage rails here in Colorado.
When we arrived in Kansas, I remember the pull down ladder at Aunt Alma’s and Uncle Ted’s that lead to the attic bedrooms for their five boys.
I also remember Uncle Evan and Aunt Ruth and that everywhere we went we had to eat a huge home cooked meal. Even if we’d just eaten!
In later years, I drove Dad to Kansas on his 50th (I think) class reunion. First, when we started to leave Colorado, Dad crawled in the back seat and left me and Mom to navigate. I missed a turn in east Denver and ended up in far eastern Colorado. When Dad woke up he was immediately in a bad mood. We asked a gas attendant how to get to Kansas and he replied “ You can’t get there from here!
Well, Dad, always a person you can’t say “you can’t” – guided me through back roads into Kansas, and we made it to Dad’s reunion in Westfall.
The next day we went to see Dad’s Aunt Vena and Uncle Alfred and their daughter Lola. Aunt Vena wanted to go visit the cemeteries as it was Memorial Day. The cemeteries were scatter all over the farm lands of Kansas, most of the nearby houses and farmers were gone, but the cemeteries were all well kept. So, me driving and Lola in the front seat beside me, Aunt Vena, Mom and Dad in the back seat, we visited several cemeteries included the one with Dads parents. When we left as I was driving down a country dirt road, I saw yet another cemetery and started to turn in the driveway. Aunt Vena screamed from the back seat “don’t go in there, they are Lutherans!”
Lola and I got the giggles as I backed out and we headed back to Aunt Vena’s house. I assume Mom had a hard time not giggling also!
This story still makes me smile!
A short story that Ginger wrote about Dad’s recipe for cooking Carp. We heard this every spring!
Carp were plentiful in Black Hollow Lake not to far from the farm.
Dad would tell us, catch the biggest, ugliest, most-est bottom-feeding Carp you can find. Bring it home and measure it. Go to the lumber stack and select a nice piece of flat wood plank, freshly cut is best, the same length as the fish. Lay the cleaned fish on top of the plank. Add lemon slices, salt and pepper and put in oven for one hour at 350°. Remove from oven – throw away the Carp and eat the plank. He would tell us that is the only way he would ever eat carp!
Thank You Ginger!
I wish my daughter, Gail a very Happy Happy Birthday, June 13.
