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Status: Married
Location:
Tennessee
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About Me

Born and raised on a farm in Middle Tennessee. I was the youngest of 6 children. My oldest sister was 18 years older than me. I'm told that my mother wasn't very happy to find herself "in the family way" again! Well, that was many years ago and both my parents have now passed away. I cherish the fond memories that I have of growing up in the country with our closest neighbors being grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I'm so happy to be married to my wonderful husband of 13 years. He is the step-father to my 3 adult children but "Papa" to my 3 grandchildren. I'm now retired and enjoying it.

Interests:
I love to read and always have a book by my bedside to read myself to sleep. If it's a really good book, I can't resist reading during the day. Over the past couple of years, I have rekindled my interest in sewing. I love to make quilted tote bags to give away to family and friends. Can't resist purchasing fabric and my stash keeps growing! I have a small vegetable garden which I enjoy working in. It not only helps lower the grocery bill but the vegetables taste much better
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Life in 1945

 

 

I was born in the year of 1945. Everything that I know about this year I have been told, have read or have seen on TV or films. But no matter how much I’ve been told or heard I can never fully understand what it was actually like to be there in that moment in time.
 
 
It makes me realize that being told or having heard or read about something can not take the place of actually being there. No matter how much or how detailed I relate memories to my children of the year in which they were born it’s just not the same for them as it is for me.
 
 
Probably the thing most people remember about 1945 was the atomic bomb being dropped on Japan. I’m not sure how much the day-to-day life on our farm was affected by World War II. Since my family was pretty much self-sufficient and didn’t depend on buying many things, they were probably more removed from the hardships that most American’s experienced. My father was 39 years old and I guess to old to serve in the military but my mother had 3 younger brothers that were in the Armed Forces during these years so I’m sure there was lot’s of worry about their welfare. All 3 came home safely.
 
 
I’ve got one of those “Time Chronicle’s” sheets. It says that in June of 1945 a loaf of bread cost .09 cents, a gallon of milk cost .62 cents, and a pound of butter cost .51 cents. I’m not sure if in 1945 our family ever bought a loaf of bread from the store but most certainly they didn’t purchase milk or butter. There were cows that had to be milked twice a day. When I got old enough, I tried to learn how to milk but could never get the hang of it to suit my mother. Maybe I could have if she had had the time and patience but there was lots of work to fill her day and I’m sure she was just thinking about getting it done. I can remember her sitting in the kitchen after supper had been eaten and the dishes had been washed churning butter.
 
 
In June of 1945 a new Ford automobile cost $1,025.00 and a gallon of gas cost .15 cents. I’m not sure if the family had a vehicle in 1945. The first car that I remember was a 1950 or 1951 Chevy. Most weeks it was probably used no more than one or two days a week. It was always used on Sunday to go to Rockfield Church of Christ.  We still had that black 4-door Chevy when my father died in 1958 and it lasted several years after that.
 
 
In June of 1945 a new home cost on average $4,625.00 and the annual income was $2,390.00. I wish I knew how much money my family had to get by on in 1945 but I’m sure it was no where near the figure given. Our home was built a few years after my parents married in 1927. It was a 5 room house but probably was originally only 4 rooms. I don’t know but I suspect that the second bedroom was added onto the end of the house as the number of children grew. All of us were born and raised in that house. When I married and left in 1963 there still wasn’t a bathroom in the house.
 
 
All this facts and figures that I’ve given from 1945 another person has written down and I have read them. If this information had not been kept and recorded I would have no way of knowing these things. When I was younger it never occurred to me just how precious the information was that my parents or grandparents could have shared with me. As I grow older I find a yearning to learn about my heritage. But no matter how much my research uncovers it can never replace what I could have know if while they were still living I had asked “Tell me about your life”. Now their memories are gone forever.       
Added: June 2, 2009
Views: 39 | Comments: 2 | Bookmarks: 0
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  Comments (152)  
we12hunt
we12hunt says:


Click here for ALeGoo Comments and Graphics...

Alegoo Comments 4th of July Comments and Graphics

HOPE YOU HAVE A FUN AND SAFE WEEKEND, LINDA
Posted: July 2, 2009 11:22PM EDT
RockyMountainGirl
RockyMountainGirl says:

Did you see my new video? I'm always so excited when I can get one to post after repeated tries. Hope you are having a great weekend!
Posted: June 28, 2009 1:35PM EDT
RockyMountainGirl
RockyMountainGirl says:

Oh, and I forgot to answer your questions about the Colorado Centennial Farm picture. I'm really not sure when the aerial picture was taken but I do know that the farm was established in about 1891 and my Uncle's family have been farming that land ever since. They grow lots of wheat and other grain crops and I think they still run cattle on a portion of the land but I'm not sure. The aerial photo shows the original house (with an addition), the bunkhouse and outbuildings. My cousins lived in that house for years so most of my memories are of the house and bunkhouse. The Little House on the Prairie that my daughter and her husband own is just about a quarter mile down the road from where the picture was taken
Posted: June 26, 2009 3:41PM EDT
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