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RETURN TO NEW STUFF OR TO DOROTHY ARTIST/TEACHER OR TO DOROTHY PAGE 1 or to FRANK DOROTHY LOUISE PAGE 2 Nellie/Wm>Dorothy Louise
Editor's Note: If BBC.com readers will send their Dorothy Louise stories to the editor, I will print them up and distribute them at the reunion. Click HERE to send stories.
BURDETT FUERST, Dorothy
Louise, 91, passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2005, at her home
in Trenton. She was born April 8, 1914, in Marion, Ohio. Dorothy's
family moved to Florida in 1921. She was an artist and ran a business,
the "Fuerst Display Co." She made outdoor displays and
designed and built floats for the Gasparilla parade. She painted
beautiful scenery but reserved these pictures for her family.
Dorothy was an avid swimmer and diver who water-skiied on her
50th wedding anniversary at 72 years old and was showing her great-grandchildren
how to dive at 83. She was preceded in death by her husband of
67 years, Frank. She is survived by their three sons, Raymond
Fuerst of Indiantown, Fla., Larry Fuerst of Trenton and Vernon
Dale Fuerst of Resaca, Ga.; a sister, Thelma Simpson of Tampa;
nine grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Viewing will be
1-2 p.m. Saturday, August 20, at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services
in Chiefland. Services will follow at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's
Witnesses in Chiefland at 4 p.m., with burial at Trenton Cemetery.
August
17, 2005 Funeral
4PM Saturday August 20, 2005 Kingdom Hall 14931 North US 19 about
5 miles north of Chiefland. If you wish to send flowers, you may
send them to either place. 08-16-2005 Report by Marilyn Fuerst-She (Dorothy) died about 7 PM (Eastern Standard Time). She had been asleep since around 4AM Saturday, so we were expecting it. Since she fell asleep she hadn't responded to anybody. We haven't made any arrangements yet, but we expect we will have the funeral sometime this weekend. Since she had began having trouble speaking she never got frustrated over trying to make us understand. She would just laugh. 08-16-2005 9AM Pacific Standard Time--I called Larry's, and they said the doctor said Aunt Dorothy has twelve or fewer hours left. I am just broken hearted. Lois Smith Miller Aunt Dorothy by Bill Johns Some
of my earliest memories of Aunt Dorothy involved her hauling lumber
from torn down barracks at Drew Field to make additions to the
Fuerst home near what is now Drew Park. This was at the end of
WW II and I was about 9 years old at the time. My Aunt was always
busy with many enterprises. I took great pride in being able to
take friends around Tampa and show them Aunt Dorothy's Christmas
displays on lawns all over the city. Her distinctive style was
recognizable from as much as a city block away. Larry Fuerst Report on Dorothy Medical Condition 08-14-2005 Mom (Dorothy) is slipping fast. She has slept since 6 AM yesterday (Saturday), and she hasn't eaten for two days. She is paralyzed in both arms and in her right leg although she can move her left leg a little.She can't talk very much. She has had a number of mini strokes since she had the major one May 10, 2003. When Dad (Frank Fuerst) died in November of 2003 we took Mom to Clearwater, but she wanted to come back up here to Trenton. My wife, Marilyn, brought her up here and stayed here in Mom's house with her while I ran back and forth between Clearwater and Trenton. Lisa, Raymond's daughter, and Dori (wife of Adrian, Larry's son) helped Marilyn with Mom. Marilyn is really good with her and has kept her laughing. Editor's
Note: Please click HERE
for information on how to contact Larry
8-14-2004---Interview with Larry Fuerst following Hurricane Charley---Larry: We didn't get anything here. In Punta Gorda they recorded a gust of 170 MPH. It hit mainly in Lake Wales, cross Kissimmee, all those little towns, through Port Charlotte, Arcadia. It did a lot of damage in Haines City, north of Lake Wales. We're getting ready to move. I fell and broke a rib three weeks ago, and it didn't get well yet. I broke it again about two weeks later. I am having to move. I don't heal up like I used to. We sent Mom to Lisa McDougall in Trenton. My son, Adrian's wife, is helping. Mom's doing pretty good. We try to keep her happy. When Dad first died she was pretty depressed. We joke around all the time. We have radios, that she can push a button and call us. We live in Pinellas County. When we moved here it was a two-lane road, and now it's a six-lane highway. They sold 65 acres north of us. It was the biggest undeveloped parcel in the county. With restrictions we can't have anything but a car in the carport. Lisa---We
didn't get much of anything from the storm. Philip & Ingrid
stopped by Friday, I think. Grandma has been doing pretty good.
She and I stay at her house at night since it's easier for her
to have her hospital bed. We stay at my house during the day.
That way I can sleep all through the night. She's already talking
about the reunion, getting us to pick out pictures to take. My
daughter painted a mural at the high school she graduated from.
I took Grandma by to see that. We have walkie-talkies. In case
I have to go out to hang laundry she can beep me. She is 90. She
turned 90 in April. Their 68th anniversary would have been Thursday
a week ago. They were married 67 years. She said Grandpa was so
hard of hearing that he turned the TV up so loud he ruined her
hearing. She reads everything she gets her hands on. She says
she's getting a good education. "I don't know what I'm going
to do with it all though." Aunt
Dorothy called yesterday afternoon to tell me that Uncle Frank
is in the hospital. She said he fell and could not use his leg...I
talked with Marilyn, and she said that after he fell he was in
a lot of pain so they took him to the hospital.....After X-ray
they said he did not break his leg, no fracture noted, but the
trauma was what was causing his pain. Aunt Dorothy said his ankle
and leg are very swolen.....Marilyn and Lisa visited him Saturday
or Sunday, and she said they had him pretty well medicated. I
don't know if Aunt Dorothy went or not. Marilyn and Lisa are going
to see him today....He is in Gainsville hospital which makes it
difficult for Aunt Dorothy to go see him. They are supposed to
move him to a therapy facility, and they are hoping it will be
the same one Aunt Dorothy was in in Trenton as it is much closer.
The motorized chair they ordered for Aunt Dorothy has been shipped,
so she should have it soon.....I hope they are able to come to
the reunion, although I know it will be hard on them as they will
have to sit for so long a time. Three hours driving each way.....I
told Philip a few weeks ago, that this year there were three of
the relatives who had pretty serious health problems..... Now
there are four....Only supposed to come in three's...Looking forward
to the reunion with anticipation.... Reatha Johns Albury 10/27/03 Conversation With Dorothy Fuerst 9-13-2003 I'm not doing so good. I can't walk. Larry has to come put me in the wheelchair from the bed. When I'm in the wheelchair I can go outside. I never thought I would get in this condition. I've never felt so helpless in my life. I hope I can get over it before the reunion because a lot of people will be disappointed if I don't go. I may have to go to it in a wheelchair, but maybe I can still be there. My right hand is absolutely worthless, so I can't paint. I will take pictures I've already painted to the reunion. Aunt Elvy said, "It's miserable getting old, so don't try it." We've got this beautiful little house. Marilyn and Larry are here taking care of us. Last Friday, Lloyd and I went to see Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Frank .......Their grandson, Matt, had come from North Georgia where he is in school to see them.....Marilyn fixed a peach cobbler for all of us to celebrate their 67th wedding anniversary which was in July. Aunt Dorothy was in the nursing home at the time.....Uncle Frank looked good, but his memory is not...At one point, Aunt Dorothy remarked that many family members have at least one of her paintings...."They will remember me when I'm gone." she said....."You'll be remembered for more than your paintings." I told her......She wanted to know for what?....I hesitated as I quickly ran several incidents through my mind to decide if they should be told. Some will have to remain there, but I started with one and then different ones sitting at the table began to tell stories. As we sat around the table reminiscing and telling funny things that they have done, we laughed and laughed....A. Dorothy tried several times to tell something that happened in the middle of the night as Marilyn was helping her. But every time she tried to tell it, she got so tickled that she could not get it out....Finally, Marilyn had to tell it.....I would not attempt to relay it, as it would not be nearly as funny in my telling as when they did.....We had such a good time....They are in the process of getting her a wheel chair that she can operate herself. She insists they are coming to the family reunion and she is bringing a painting.....I have a suggestion for the Family Reunion, 2003....Let those who want to, tell some incident involving either Aunt Dorothy or Uncle Frank that they witnessed or were involved in....Could be some accomplishment or something funny. Weigh your stories carefully.........Reatha 8/18/03 A CONVERSATION WITH DOROTHY & MARILYN FUERST 8-8-03 Marilyn: She is home but in a wheelchair. She feeds herself and helps with dressing herself although she needs help. Her spirits are fine. He (Uncle Frank) is having trouble with sleepiness. But the doctor said for a man his age he is in excellent health. Dorothy:
I had a stroke and I can't walk. Larry and Marilyn are taking
care of me. I gave the house in Okeechobee to Raymond, and I'm
giving Larry this one. I can't use this house without them, so
I may as well give it to them. They say I am making progress,
and I guess they're right. I had a funny feeling in my head, and
I couldn't get up. When I was in the hospital a lot of them had
injuries from strokes. One man broke his nose when he fell. I
was lucky because when I had a funny feeling I laid down. I told
them I need to go to the reunion because everybody will miss me
if I don't. I'll see you at the reunion. Chat
With Lois Smith Miller 8-09-03 A VISIT TO AUNT DOROTHY by Reatha Johns Albury Lloyd
and I went to see Aunt Dorothy today. She is better but has a
ways to go. She can move her right leg very well, but cannot move
her right arm and hand...Her speech is good, but her voice is
somewhat weak...I could understand every word she said if I listened
closely....The place where she is staying seems to be doing a
good job working with her...She fusses about some things, but
I guess when you are 89 years old, you have earned that privilege....She
complained that they give her noodles to eat all the time....By
this time Lisa had come ...and we kidded her several times and
she laughed....When they came to take her to eat, she didn't want
to go.....Lloyd told her, if you eat in your room, you get noodles.....She
really laughed... We needed to leave anyway....We had wanted to
leave early this morning to go up, so we could have a good visit
before they started therapy with her around 11: 30 AM... Consequently,
both of us had awakened several times in the night...Finally,
when I began waking every half hour, I just got up.....It was
5:30 AM....Lloyd got up then also...We had a good visit with Aunt
Dorothy and Lisa, and it was good to hear her laugh......Reatha
7-3-03
UPDATE BY LISA June 23, 2003 She is getting decent movement in her right leg. Sometimes she can use it better than others, moving from the bed to the wheelchair. She gets tired really fast, and they are trying to get her stamina up. She has slight movement in her wrist for the first time with the help of a vibration type stimulator---She is more feisty than she was. She was fussing and told me when I got there she had been in her wheelchair since 11:30 until close to 1PM. They seem to monitor her and give her good attention. She usually gets up for breakfast and lunch and sometimes dinner. Then there is therapy after lunch. They have been trying to split up therapy so she won't get so tired. She has been eating better. Group activities she isn't interested in. Last time they took her in they were making zucchini bread and telling jokes, and she thought it was a bunch of foolishness. "All that racket, get me out of here," she said when she was asked to take part in clapping by the group. If she doesn't participate she has to sit in the hallway in her wheelchair. She hates that. I took her outside on the porch where it was nice with a breeze, and she seemed to enjoy that. When we went out on the porch some of them were looking for her and said, "We were wondering if she went to Bingo." I thought ,"Yeah, right!" When they were making cookies she didn't want to. When I said, "Don't you want to make cookies with me when you go home?" she said , "Yes, if you don't clap." They asked her to make a kicking motion, and she said she would kick if she could kick the therapist in the nose. I take Grandma's paintings to her room She has two paintings up, and I've been switching them every two days or so. The staff say they can't wait to see what's coming next. I take flower arrangements in to her from out of her yard. There is no projection for her coming home. They are still trying to help her manipulate better from bed to chair. I haven't seen Grandpa for a couple of days. They haven't brought him to the nursing home, but I think they will today. He is doing pretty good, blood pressure good, the swelling is down...to be continued "I
wish I could go up there and take care of them awhile.They were
always so good to me when I was young. I hope I get to see them.
It will be awful to go to the reunion and them not be there. I
talked to Aunt Thelma once since A. Dot had her stroke. She said
Dorothy is a fighter, and we are getting old. I want to go to
Florida so bad. I am so afraid I will lose someone else." REPORT ON AUNT DOROTHY AND UNCLE FRANK BY LOIS SMITH MILLER 6-8-03 Vernon is staying with Uncle Frank. I called him last night and in the conversation I said I sure would like to talk to her. He said he would take his cell phone, and he called me from her bed and I talked to her. She sits up in bed but it hurts her. They put her in a wheel chair, and she goes to the dining room to eat or the therapy room. A. Dot Still can't move her right hand. She said she wished someone would bring her a couple of peaches off her trees and some figs She said she did (have them in Trenton) and they were ripe. North FL and GA have things about the same time. We are getting peaches from Georgia in the stores and the S.C. peaches in a week to 10 days. I ate a Mango yesterday. It was so good. Vernon said that Uncle Frank's mind seems to be better, but his feet and legs swell so bad. He works with them and soaks them to get the swelling out. I
wish I could go up there and take care of them awhile.They were
always so good to me when I was young. I hope I get to see them.
It will be awful to go to the reunion and them not be there. I
talked to Aunt Thelma once since A. Dot had her stroke. She said
Dorothy is a fighter, and we are getting old. I want to go to
Florida so bad. I am so afraid I will lose someone else. Report From Lisa McDougal 06-07-2003 Grandma
has slight movement back in her right arm. The therapist can pull
her arm straight, and then Grandma can pull it back toward her.
She does strain some, but she is getting movement back. She is
regaining use of her legs. Right after her stroke we would move
her, and she would be a dead weight. Now a good bit of the time
she can move with weight on her legs. Her speech isn't perfect,
but we can understand her most of the time. Her appetite is improved.
We had a meeting with the coordinator of the nursing home having
to do with what is expected. I told them she definitely will be
coming home. I told Grandma she has to be a part of helping me
move her from the bed to her wheelchair before she can leave there,
but when she gets close, we'll bring her home. To encourage her
I told her I'll start back on my diet to lose weight if she will
work to regain enough strength to come home. She seemed happy
over that deal. Vernon is taking care of Grandpa at this time.
UPDATE by Lisa McDougal Grandma's right arm is still limp. Her taste buds are back, so she is able to taste her food better. I was with her about six hours yesterday. She is eating and drinking better, sleeping and moving her legs better. She wants to come home. She told me to not throw away any stories I find in her things, that there was a relative who found a bunch of old writings and burnt them. (Editor's Note: The story, "The Beginning", Dorothy Burdett Fuerst sent to Bryburcon.com prior to her stroke, but she made an error in the mailing address, and the story was returned to her. Granddaughter, Lisa, bundled it up and sent it again to us.) 5-26-2003 Vernon was with Grandma on the day of her stroke. She wasn't feeling well, so she lay down and couldn't get up. She said she would be alright, so he didn't realize he should call for help for a couple of hours. I got a call this morning from the rehab center where Grandma is at this time. All her meals can go to another room, one-on-one with the therapist while she eats. They have her on thin liquids. She was happy to have regular liquids. Before this the consistency of all her liquids was about like cherry pie filling. She couldn't stand it and was getting dehydrated She is still on pureed food, but they are working on it. She says it needs salt. She's saying, "Yuk," a lot over what she eats. The center is getting her therapy started so they can work with her. At this time she isn't walking; with her blood pressure being up it has been hard working with her. Physical therapy and occupational therapy have begun. They called me this morning about bringing her clothes. Occupational therapy gets her back into a routine so she can take care of herself; dressing, bathing, putting on makeup, brushing teeth, feeding herself. Sometimes
we can understand her speech really clear, other times it's hard.
Everybody says she's sharp as a tack. She has been moving her
right leg all along. Yesterday she was tired in evening, and couldn't
move as well as she had been. They move her using a quilt she
is lying on. She's
about 7 miles from home at this center. One of the nurses at the
hospital had warned about moving her right away. They told me
the home she's in now is very well known. Even though it's a hassle
to drive 7 miles I would hesitate to move her at this time. The
nurses genuinely care about the patients. They have been so excellent.
5-20-2003 Conversation with Lisa McDougal, granddaughter of Dorothy Burdett Fuerst 5/17/2003 Grandma is coming out of the hospital today. You can still send cards to her home, and I will take them to her. Click here to receive address for cards I knew that it's normal to have a sleepy phase after a stroke. She was hurting after her stroke, her neck and legs, so they put her on a powerful pain medication which was knocking her out. The doctors were talking about putting a feeding tube in, but I asked them to switch pain medications which they did. She is a lot more alert now, clear in her mind. The doctor said today he's amazed at the change after the switch in medication. She never wanted to go into a nursing home, but I am talking to her about it, trying to persuade her to go into one about a mile away from her home so she can work with physical therapy. There is a waiting list for this one, so temporarily she will go into one a little further away. Dad
(Ray, Dorothy's oldest son) is going home today (back to Okeechobee),
and Vernon (youngest son, also known as Dale) will be staying
in his trailer which he has moved to their place. Also, there
is a friend I've known for many years who has volunteered to help.
Grandma is excited over everything blooming in her yard and wants
to get home. I
received a call from Lisa, Aunt Dorothy's granddaughter, this
noon. She said Aunt Dorothy has had a stroke and is in the Gainesville
hospital.. She said there have been some encouraging signs, as
she has moved her legs. At the present time, they are keeping
her pretty sedated.. She is having a problem talking, so Lisa
said the best thing to do is send cards.. She said to send them
to the home address and she will take them to her. ...Aunt Dorothy
has certainly been an asset to this family and I know it will
encourage her to receive cards from the family members..Click
here to receive address for cards ..Reatha
Albury 5-13-03 I'm sending you a story I wrote about 50 years ago. Let me know what you think of it. I'm glad you like my stories. Frank never reads them. If he wrote stories I couldn't wait to read them. Graveyard
Treasure Something awakened Mac Nelson. Mac's eyes opened slowly as the drone of voices blending with the crackling of the night fire came to his ears. He turned his head so that he might see out of the tent flap. Dim light from the fire danced in the faces of his hunting companions. Big Fred, a twenty-four year old blond, was sharpening his hunting knife. Ryan, a year younger than Fred, was checking batteries for his headlight. Fred's voice came through the flap opening sharp and clear like a cold January wind. "That's one treasure I really want, and I intend to get it. Why should I share if I don't have to?" "What ya plan on doin?" asked Ryan. His red hair shone in the firelight like a flame. "You tried getting rid of him once and failed." One goose pimple joined others to run up Mac's spine and a spasm of pain shot through his wounded arm. "I have a plan but haven't figured out the details." Fred's voice was tight. "He won't be around much longer. I won't fail a second time." Now don't go getting yourself into any trouble," said Ryan cautiously. "I don't usually let myself in for trouble, do I?" Fred asked. "As soon as we get back I'll get rid of him. Then we'll celebrate." Sweat bathed Mac's eighteen-year-old face, though the night was cold. They wanted the treasure he'd found yesterday… He had seen a rabbit run down a hole, and since they hadn't shot anything thus far, he had remarked, "There goes our dinner." He got a shovel from the Jeep and said to Ryan, "When I oust him be ready to shoot."His shovel had turned up a small jewelry box that was blackened and dirty, but the jewels inside didn't seem damaged. "Well, it looks like we can have a real celebration when we return home," he said. "Look what I found."After examining the jewels, Ryan said excitedly, "They were probably buried with some eccentric old woman that just couldn't bear to part with them." "Perhaps she thought she could take them with her to Heaven," Mac observed. "If they were mine I could buy that garage," Fred had looked at them eagerly. Now Ryan strapped the light to his head. "Maybe I can help." "Yes…perhaps you can." Mac saw the sly smile on Fred's face. "I'll let you know." He got up, picking up a large flashlight. "Let's go." They started walking toward the lake, and Ryan said, "Do you think Mac will split the jewels three ways like he says? He wants to buy a car with his share." "You know how things are." Fred's flashlight knifed through the Florida darkness. "Out here he wants to split three ways, but when he gets home he'll see some new sporty car that he can't resist…His voice faded away. PART TWO Mac's heart was beating like a tom tom. The shooting wasn't an accident. He wondered what Alice Marsh would think of Fred killing his best friend. Or was Bowen Alman her boy friend now? Fred had meant to kill Mac, but had only winged him. His injured arm suddenly hurt painfully again. Damn the treasure! That Fred was in desperate need of money to close a business deal was no secret. But to kill for it! Mac crawled from his sleeping bag and pulled his boots over his long legs. He didn't believe he could kill Fred even to save his own life. Fred had been like a big brother. Fred asked him on these trips when others would have liked to have been included. Mac shivered as he poured coffee from the blackened pot that Fred had just removed from the fire; but his discomfort wasn't from the cold. They could have that old treasure, he thought. He wanted his life. Mac's fear and anger were mounting like the flames that licked around the log. No doubt it would be a hunting accident, like yesterday. He had flushed a covey of quail and Fred had shot, but instead of shooting skyward he had shot straight across and hit him in the arm. As Fred helped him back to camp and bandaged his wound, he seemed so sympathetic. Fred explained that he stepped into a hole just as he shot. Mac was sure it was the first time Fred ever hit something he hadn't aimed to hit, for he was sure that Fred could shoot the ear off a rabbit at fifty yards. After me, will Ryan be next, Fred? Mac could see lights from Fred's and Ryan's flashlights at the west end of the lake where they were gigging for frogs. On the east end a hill had formed where a huge tree had fallen and the ground had built up around it. At this spot the lake was deep and clear, and they had swam here many times. Their camping site was about seven miles into the Pasco County woods from the main highway. Although Mac had been here many times with Fred and Ryan, he wondered if he could find his way out, as Fred had always led the way. Now he wished he had been more observant. GRAVEYARD TREASURE PART THREE He felt lonely and bitter, as he was sure he was leaving these woods for the last time. Half a mile from camp he came to the first fork. The ruts were dim, but he was afraid to use the light. It was now eleven-twenty. He knew that Fred and Ryan would circle the lake which would take three or four hours. Mac should make it home before daylight, providing he could catch a ride when he reached the highway. Fear pulled his eyes back to the lake, but they hadn't heard him. Another mile and he reached the old weeded graveyard, neglected for more than twenty years, silent as death and gruesome. The dark stones were lying at all sorts of crazy angles. This was where he had found the treasure. Mac cursed the jewels. If it wasn't for them he'd be frog hunting with his friends. Money always brought out the worst in people. He'd bet if Alice knew Fred's thoughts, she'd never have another date with him. She was a nice girl. He thought of the Jeep and how quick they could catch him if they missed him. Quickening his steps he followed the trail around the graveyard and soon came to a small hill where a shack had burned, leaving only some rain-soaked and weather-splintered charred pieces of timber scattered about. Near a group of oaks a pig pen had rotted to the ground. Looking toward it, he heard a scraping noise, and his hair raised on end as black forms moved in the darkness. He eased to a tree, his eyes probing the night. If there were only a moon or less trees. The grunting and scraping noises continued, and the figures moved around in a circle, like redskins hunched over in a war dance. Suddenly a large round figure headed toward him. He shimmied up the tree faster than he thought possible while under him fought half a dozen wild hogs over a carcass. Later he came to a spot where there were four trails. He chose one, but soon backtracked to try another. After a mile or more this trail became clearer, and he thought he was headed in the right direction. Anxiously he wondered what Fred and Ryan were doing. Had they missed him yet? Numerous stumps showed that timber cutters had been here. The ruts became clear and deep, but soon he was so confused that he knew he was hopelessly lost as the woodsmen had made many trails. GRAVEYARD TREASURE - PART FOUR Mac discovered he was lost in the swamp, and he cursed himself for putting too much dependence on Fred and therefore not being more woods wise. Eyes seemed to be everywhere. The snort of an alligator reached his ears. In his panic to get away he stepped into soft muck, and he was sure the earth was going to swallow him. He held onto a cypress knee while he worked himself out of the slime. Water had filled his boots, and his pants were wet up past the knees. He was so cold that his back, legs, feet and hands were numbed. He had never heard of anyone freezing in Florida, but he was sure this was happening to him. He heard a purring noise in the distance but was too numb to look in the direction from which it came. The noise became louder and, desperately, Mac tried to get away. They had found him! Headlights picked up his hunched form. "There he is!" yelled Ryan. As the Jeep pulled alongside, Fred and Ryan grabbed him and put him in the back seat and covered him with blankets. Mac was too tired to resist. No words were spoken, and Mac lay still as death. Probably would be dead soon. His brain, like his body, was so numbed he didn't care anymore. Fred drove like crazy through the woods. After some time Ryan asked, "What do you think we should do?" "Let's head back," said Fred. Mrs. Nelson held the door open as Fred and Ryan brought Mac in, stretcher style. She had a fire going in the old wood stove. "What happened?" she asked in alarm. "He's shot in more ways than one," answered Fred. "Why don't you take him to a hospital?" exclaimed Mrs. Nelson. "Hot coffee will do him more good right now," Fred answered. "I don't want to go to a hospital," Mac mumbled. A lot of things could happen on the way. Mrs. Nelson hurried to the kitchen. Mac was warmed with hot coffee before Fred spoke, "What the hell, Mac. Why'd ya leave camp?" Mac fell silent as Fred waited. Suddenly Mac said, "If you want that darned treasure so bad, why don't you just take it? I don't want it." "What the devil are you talking about? You didn't have to try to walk home. That's a thirty-mile hike, boy! You found the treasure, and it's yours to do with as you please." "Then how come you want to kill me for it?" Mac's words hung tensely in the air. "I heard you and Ryan talking just before you went frog hunting. You said you wanted the treasure, and that you were going to get rid of me to get it. Then you'd celebrate."
Suddenly Ryan began laughing. "Oh, you silly kid. We were
talking about that chiseler, Bowen Alman, who is trying to beat
Fred's time with Alice."
Dear
Virginia, I read the Bryant Burdett Connection book when I first received it from you. Well, I began reading it again just because it was there, or guess I needed a laugh. I liked the story about a fellow named Ben Dover. As Lloyd (Lloyd Albury, husband of Reatha Johns Albury) went to take a picture of the girls a neighbor named Ben Dover walks up, and Betty yells, "Ben Dover," so they all did. Now,
you may think this one is funny, but maybe not. During the Second
World War we lived on Hillsborough Avenue (Tampa) near Drew Park,
an Army camp. Hitchhiking was common those days. I drove a pickup
truck and often drove through Drew Park as a shortcut to town.
One day a lone soldier was hitchhiking. At least I thought he
was alone, so I stopped and said, "Get on the back."
Suddenly I heard a bump bump. In fact I heard a lot of bumps.
Wondering what he was doing I looked back and there were eight
more soldiers hopping on the back. They had been hiding behind
a sign. Drew Park was about ten miles from town, so the soldiers
hitched to town.
Part
two Here's one I wrote about Edna. Nellie had two girls, two boys, three more girls, and then she had Edna. Even though there were three more girls, and the last child a boy, Edna was different. The other children were obedient and did what their parents told them to do immediately. Edna was rebellious. She just didn't want to be bossed, so she'd go to the neighbors', ignoring her parents' requests. She spent more time at the neighbors' than she did at home. Her father blamed her for any mischief that the children did. Once when the children marked on the screen door with crayon Edna got the blame. Dorothy thought this was unfair, but what could she do? She knew that Billie did it, but in her father's opinion Billie or Bud could do no wrong. That was William Burdett. He spoiled the babies, and when they got school age he tried to knock it out of them. Edna tried every way to get her father's approval. Once she went into an old man's house and stole a nice white dress shirt. She was so sure her father would be pleased to get a nice shirt like that. At five years old she didn't consider size. Instead, her mother Nellie lectured her on the wrongdoing of stealing and made her take it back. Instead of returning the shirt she threw it into a neighbor's chicken yard. When her father believed she had done something wrong he would pull her hair. When Edna was near thirteen years old, and Dorothy was twelve they went with their father on roofing jobs and carried shingles up the ladder to the roof. That's when her father changed his attitude about Edna. On the way home he'd buy the girls treats. After all he was getting cheap labor. The
men would slide along the roof on their butts, so wore out their
pants there. Nellie would put patches on their pants with upholstery
scraps from the shop where she worked. The men usually took paper
bag lunches, but sometimes they would eat at a restaurant. One
day a woman stared in disbelief that people would walk the streets
like that. William had a big awning patch on the seat of his pants.
Austin had a patch over a patch, and Gerald had a patch over a
patch and a hole in the middle. PART THREE Aunt Elva said, "It's miserable getting old, so don't try it." Well, it can be miserable, but if you don't try it you'll have to die young. Everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to die. We just love this cute little house. I disliked that house in Okeechobee. Our granddaughter, Lisa, wanted us to move up here so she could take care of us. She sure is doing a good job of it. She takes us everywhere and does a lot of our grocery shopping. Frank is 90, so it's a big help for Lisa to take us places as I don't trust his driving anymore. He can't hear very well and he's forgetful. If he went into town by himself he'd never find his way back. We went to the reunion with Lisa last year, but I'd rather go in the van as they go so late. I don't have time to see everyone, and then it's dark before we get back. Trenton is a lot closer than Okeechobee. At least that's something. There was something unusual that happened over 60 years ago. I thought perhaps I could make a story from it. Hope to see you at the reunion if not before. Come stay with us someday. Aunt
Dorothy
NO
TWO PEOPLE DO THINGS THE SAME I think I've figured out what makes some people so mean. They think they are so perfect that everybody should do things the way they do them, and when they don't it upsets them because that person is so dumb. Now, I think no two people do anything the same way. Frank and I sure don't. We don't wash our faces the same. We don't brush our teeth the same or even wash our hands the same. Frank's sister laughed when I said Frank would never make a mother. He's too slow. A mother has to be fast, especially when the children are small. I rub my hands together, and I rub fast. He washes one finger at a time. We don't sleep the same. I don't move unless I wake up. He flops back and forth all night. He reads the funnies and the horoscope. I read the whole paper, at least the headlines. If they sound interesting I read the rest of the story. I eat breakfast at 8 AM, and he eats at eleven. I take ten minutes to wash my face, brush my teeth, and comb my hair. He takes half an hour just to brush his teeth, another to comb his hair and wash his face (and I'm not kidding). No wonder he eats breakfast at eleven. I can put on makeup in less than five minutes. He takes half an hour to shave. I can fix dinner, eat it and wash the dishes (put them into the dishwasher) in less time than he can wash his hands and eat dinner (he takes as long to wash his hands as he takes to eat his dinner). I can get ready to go to town in the time it takes him to get the car out of the garage. I can fill my cart up with groceries in the time he can add one item to it. He has to read the label from cover to cover or top to bottom even though we've used the same item a hundred times. I can pick up the mail, read it, pay the bills, while he is reading one letter or bill. I can fast read an item. If I'm interested, then I read the complete item. I've learned fast reading; when you look down the center of the page and get the whole idea. Once Martha Nell said I couldn't get the idea of what's in a letter with that method, so I told her what it was all about. Boy, was she surprised. I've always been fast. I even entered the world fast. I was a seven-month baby who only weighed three pounds. Of course, I almost killed myself doing it that way. When Mother, Edna and I worked at the awning shop they always gave me the orders when a customer was in a hurry. Boy, did the owners like me! When I was seventeen one of the owner's brothers wanted to marry me. My father told him he was coo-coo. I said he sure is coo-coo if he thought I would ever marry him. Yes,
Frank and I are different, but we like it that way and don't try
to change each other. His mother tried to change me and almost
gave me a nervous breakdown with her nagging. I told Frank, "I'm
leaving before she gets me into the nut house," so we moved
way on the other end of town. See why I love that pokey guy; he
always took up for me. Frank says it was love at first sight,
and after sixty-six years of marriage he still loves me just as
much as he did at that first sight. He says I'd better not die
and leave him, as it would break his heart. I'm the lucky one,
don't you think? AN
AMERICAN FOLK SONG I've
read almost half of the book you sent about the family. The song
about the 2 babies lost in the woods was one Mother used to sing
to us when we were very young. She'd lie on the bed, and we'd
crowd around her and she'd sing songs to us or tell stories. (Alta's
Lullaby-reprinted from Bryburcon.com First Edition) VERSE
2 VERSE
3 (EDITOR'S NOTE: ALTA RUTH BURDETT (JOHNS) WOULD SING THIS SONG TO HER SEVEN LITTLE CHILDREN. WHILE I WAS READING DOROTHY B FUERST'S STORY OF THE BABY AND THE WOLVES I WAS STRUCK BY HOW GRIM SOME OF THESE FOLK STORIES AND SONGS WERE. I AGAIN ENCOUNTERED THIS SONG IN A BOOK OF AMERICAN FOLK WRITINGS WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE, AND I THEN REALIZED THAT SHE HAD CHANGED "STRAWBERRY LEAVES" TO "MULBERRY LEAVES" SINCE THAT'S WHAT WE HAD GROWING IN OUR YARD. I SANG IT TO BOTH OF MY BABIES WHO DIDN'T LIKE HEARING ABOUT THE POOR BABES IN THE WOODS ANY MORE THAN I HAD. HOWEVER, MAMA'S SONG, GRIM OR NOT, I MEANT TO PASS ON TO THE NEW GENERATION. I WONDER IF ANY OF THE COUSINS HAD THIS SONG AS A LULLABY, AS I SUSPECT IT WAS SUNG TO ALTA RUTH BY NELLIE. VIRGINIA) THE DOUBLECROSS Who
could be calling at five o'clock in the morning? Dorothy opened
the door a small amount and saw three young boys. One had a bruise
above his eye, another was shirtless.
Dorothy had left the screen door locked and her hand on the door
in case they tried to force their way in. "OK, just one can
come in." Her husband, Frank, came in sleepily rubbing his
eyes. "Can we come in?" asked the other two. "It's
cold out here." Frank let them in, and Dorothy went into
a bedroom and brought out a shirt.
Seeing a picture of a young girl on the TV cabinet, one boy asked,
"Is that your daughter?" The boy's brother said he didn't have enough gas to come this far out of town. "I'll call my sister," said another boy. After making the call he said, "She's gonna come for us. We can wait out front."
The boys went out to the edge of the road. They had been petting
the boxer dog that slept on the front porch. Frank kissed Dorothy
goodbye. "You can't leave me here all alone while those boys
are out there," she exclaimed. "As soon as you leave
they'll be up at this door."
An idea hit her. "Go on! Go on! I'll fix it." That did it. Those boys stayed out near the road until the sister picked them up.
This happened when we lived on Hillsborough Ave. near Oldsmar.
I thought you would like it. HOW TO SHOCK THE PUBLIC - FACT and FICTION The driver couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a woman's arm hanging from the trunk of the car in front of him. "I should call the police," he thought. Several
days later a call came in to the Police Department. "There's
a man driving down Tampa Street with a nude woman sitting beside
him." As
the Aldan brothers were driving along Central Avenue they hit
a woman who was crossing the street in the middle of the block.
"Oh! My goodness, what shall we do?" asked James. Sometime
later a thief came into the funeral home looking for jewelry to
lift off of a corpse. As he tried to remove an expensive looking
ring off of the lady's finger she sat bolt upright. The thief
screamed, and then he murmured, "I'll never steal anything
again." The
woman climbed from the coffin wondering how she got there and
why she had such a headache. The
Aldan boys were on their way to the next town of Lutz to deliver
a mannequin that was still in the box. They stopped at a filling
station for gas. James, feeling a little tired, decided to get
into the back to rest. A man came out of the store part of the
filling station and asked Albert if he could get a ride. "Sure,"
said Albert. "There's a dead woman in the back if you don't
mind that." HOW
TO SHOCK THE PUBLIC Dorothy
went into a paint store to get some art supplies. A woman approached
the salesman with a cheap paintbrush. "Will this be suitable
to paint a small stand?" she asked. PART TWO Mrs.
Aldon introduced her to Ollie, the man who repaired mannequins.
He said, "Am I glad to meet you. I was worried about not
having someone to paint the faces." Dorothy
was in an accident. Since she was unable to drive Mrs. Aldon brought
the mannequins to her home. It was cooler in the breezeway, so
Dorothy had Mrs. Aldon put them in there. One day when the breezeway
was crowded with more than a dozen mannequins a neighbor woman
came slowly up the walk looking from side to side. "Oh, I
thought you were having a party," she said. PART THREE
Raymond, age ten and Larry, age
eight, were in the kitchen working on a school project. Vernon,
age six, was already in bed. The preacher demanded to know why
the children weren't at church. "I've been in an accident,
and I can't drive them." One day I was painting some trees white that were to go on small shelves at the ends of the stage for the crowning of the King and Queen of Gasparilla. The trees were at least ten feet high. Only the bare branches. Since the play was The king and I, a Japanese play, the white trees were covered with pink flowers later. "How am I going to paint them white without getting paint all over me?" I thought. Start in the center, and paint out to the ends seemed to be the only way. All of the seats were removed from the floor of the auditorium, and the trees were on the floor. I was squatting down in the center of those branches. As the stage workers went by they'd remark, "Painting trees." "I see you're painting trees," or some such remark. Jack Berger who worked with me painting the Pirate Floats was a big clown, always cutting up, so he wasn't about to say, "I see you're painting trees," which was plain to see. Instead, he yelled from the stage, "Hey, Dottie! What are you doing in the bushes?" One night at midnight I was painting on a sixteen-foot bunny that was to go over the door of the Tampa Electric Building at the Fair. The theme was Alice in Wonderland. The bunny was made of wood and in two parts; the head up and the feet up. Lyle, the boss wanted an inch black line to outline the whole bunny. I was standing on a chair to reach the top. I had all my paints mixed to perfection in cans sitting around on the floor. Lyle said to put papers down so as not to get any paint on the floor. I was painting the black line when Lyle said, "I'll help you." I guess he was tired and wanted to go home. Well, he got on another chair with a can of black paint and fell, spilling that black paint on the floor and into my pink paints. Then he left, saying, "Clean up this mess." Some help he was. I
had a lot of interesting experiences painting and lots of fun
too. I'd have missed all of this if I'd just kept making awnings.
The moral to this is to follow your own desires and hunches instead
of listening to other people. THE END |
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SETTLING
IN
...continued from Dorothy Louise Page 1...Nellie had bought a small pair of scissors that had gold handles. Mrs. Shrum came over, sat on the bed and talked for awhile. Nellie showed her the scissors. When Mrs. Shrum left, the scissors were gone. Nellie told Reatha that she hated to accuse anyone of anything, but she was quite sure that Mrs. Shrum had taken them. Reatha went into the Shrums' living quarters. There was a huge trunk near the door. Reatha opened it and was surprised to see it almost full of gold trinkets. That’s when she realized that Mrs. Shrum was a kleptomaniac. Reatha took the scissors out and told her mother what she had discovered. Reatha often went to the trunk when Mrs. Shrum was gone to look over all the trinkets and realized they were from the five- and-ten-cent stores. Just cheap stuff with gold colored decorations. SAND SPURS The house was on five acres of land. The weeded land was full of sandspurs. Now the children had never seen sandspurs before, so they often had the small, round spurs stick into their feet as they ran through the field barefooted. The stickers were sometimes hard to get out. Nellie often used Octagon soap and sugar to draw out splinters and boils. She would shave off some soap, sprinkle some sugar, wet it to make a paste, put this plaster on a small piece of cloth and attach it to the splinter when the child went to bed. Next morning the splinter was drawn out of the flesh. THE NEIGHBORHOOD In town, the Spanish children ran around calling "Benny CA! Benny CA!" It was slang for Venga Aqui, meaning "Come here." They also called each other "loco" meaning Crazy. The children couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw small Spanish boys, some at least five years old running around with nothing on except a shirt-waist. (blouse). "Why don’t they wear pants?" Dorothy asked. "I guess it’s because their mothers don’t want to wash a lot of clothes," Answered Edna. So many people that lived in West Tampa were poor, and washing clothes on a wash-board was hard. QUESTA SCHOOL Nellie had kept Dorothy out of school for over a year. She had found a teacher that gave private lessons to the older girls. Now Dorothy was well enough to attend public school. Because of her age, they put her in third grade, which was so confusing to her, they may as well have put her in a Spanish class. After two days they put her in the second grade. Nellie went to the school and explained her illness and how she had been kept out of school the past year, so she was put in the first grade. The first grade teacher liked her and tried to help her as often as she could. THE THANKSGIVING SONG As Thanksgiving was approaching, the teacher asked if any of the children knew a Thanksgiving song. Dorothy raised her hand. She then sang the song she had learned in first grade in Ohio. There’s a big fat turkey out on Grandpa’s farm and he thinks he’s very gay. He spreads his tail into a great big fan, and struts around all day. You should hear him gobble at the girls and boys For he thinks he’s singing when he makes that noise. But he’ll sing his song another way Upon Thanksgiving Day. Oh, how we love to go to Grandma’s house upon Thanksgiving Day. She always knows what we love to eat, and what we love to play. There’s a big plum pudding and there’s tarts and cake. The turkey’s ready and the pies are made And he sang his song another way, Glad Thanksgiving Day. The teacher had Dorothy say each line while she wrote it on the blackboard. Every day Dorothy led the class in singing the Thanksgiving Song. William had been making good money roofing, so they decided to move into a better part of town, and Nellie was tired of fighting head lice. HEAD LICE It seemed that all the children at Questa School had head lice. As the children stood in line to enter the school, a girl that was always in line in front of Dorothy had so many head lice that her black hair looked like the salt and pepper color of the elderly. Dorothy was sure the lice could jump from one person’s head to another’s, so she was careful not to get her head near them. Still, every day the children came home with lice. Nellie tried everything she could think of to get rid of them. Picking them off, kerosene, etc. We all got very short haircuts. Mrs. Shrum paid Reatha a penny for every one she picked off her head. It wasn’t any wonder William wanted to move. When Dorothy told her teacher they were moving, the teacher said sadly, "Now we won’t have anyone to lead us in the Thanksgiving Song." SEMINOLE HEIGHTS William found a nice two-story house on a creek that flowed into the Hillsborough River. The house was about two blocks from Seminole School, a grammar school that the children could walk to. The girls loved playing in the creek. THE WILD BOY The first time they saw the boy he was up in the top of a tree. He looked down at the girls, then jumped from branch to branch, also tree to tree. They called him the "wild boy" as he never spoke, just teased them by jumping from limb to limb. The girls still had their little, white rat. They made a hole and lined it with rags so he could go to sleep in peace. They named him Billy. They were given a big cat they simply called the Big Cat. The cat played with the rat. One day a stray cat came and tried to catch the rat. The Big Cat chased it off, then sat outside Billy’s sleeping hole to keep the stray cat away. When William came home after work, he sat in a rocker as he read the paper. The white rat sat on his shoulder and the cat sat in his lap. One day Billy was found dead. The girls figured he had gotten some rat poison in the new house. They made a nice grave for him. The Big Cat sat on the grave for three days and wouldn’t eat. He just sat there as if his grief was too much. William decided that until he got established as a roofer in this new neighborhood, he had to get a less expensive house. The family moved a short distance away into a much smaller house. THE ACCIDENT Dorothy came home from school one day to a dark, quiet house. It seemed so strange that no one was home. A neighbor came over and said, "There’s been a bad accident. Your father fell off a roof and he’s in the hospital." The children had planned on going to the fair. The Gorden Kelly Hospital was where William was, so that’s where Nellie would be. The hospital was next to the fair grounds. She told them to go on to the fair. William was on a stretcher in the hall when a young boy was brought in who had a broken arm from where one of the rides at the fair had come crashing down on his arm. When the boy was wheeled into the hall of the hospital, he looked at William with tears in his eyes, "Mister, I’ve had a bad day. Did you have a bad day too?" Although William was in pain, he couldn’t help but smile. "Yes, sonny, I’ve had a bad day too." William had stepped backwards as he was sweeping the roof of trash on the two-story house. He was falling head down. Now William had always been a quick thinker. He knew he’d be killed if he hit the sidewalk head first, so he made a flip in the air. No use breaking both legs, so he landed on one foot. Nellie was at her wits end as to how to feed her family. She was determined to keep the children in school no matter what it took. Her father had been superintendent of ten schools and principal of the one Nellie went to. He also owned the land her school was on. She was brought up to realize that education was extremely important. Nellie didn’t drive a car, but the house was purposely rented near a school bus and street car line. She went to the school and explained her situation to the principal. "When their father gets out of the hospital, the children will have to take turns staying home to take care of him, as I’ll have to find a job to feed them. He broke every bone in his left heel." The principal, Mrs. Hammon, said, "We can give them free lunches, and I’ll get in touch with the Salvation Army to help out." The Salvation Army brought food and clothing. Nellie took in washing, but that wasn’t enough. The owner of their rented house said, "I really need the rent money, but I know of a house that you can live in free. It’s small, but perhaps you can cope until your husband can get on his feet. THE LITTLE GREEN HOUSE The house was a small, green house, so was always called the "LITTLE GREEN HOUSE." It had a long room that was the living room and kitchen. William had built a long, oblong table that served them well. They had a gasoline stove that had a tank on a pipe high above the stove. There were two bedrooms and a screened-in-porch. There was a long closet in the living room that held all the family’s clothes. Dorothy slept on a pad under the clothes William slept on a bed next to windows that slid to the side. He figured if he couldn’t do roofing perhaps he could paint signs. Now William had a lot of musical and artistic talent. He painted birds and signs on the windows, cleaned his painting off, then painted other ones. One was Chesterfield in the trademark. The children had fun with the neighbors' children. There were two lots, then the Gants' house. It was an unpainted, cracker style house. Louise Gant was Dorothy’s age. The other girl was Billie’s age. There were three boys. They all played baseball in the sandy dead-end road, as there were very few cars. Across the road from the Gants was Louise Little, she had a brother Charles. The Little’s house was a nice brick house. Their mother was very ill, so unlike the Gants' house, it was always dark and quiet. DOROTHY’S LUCK HOLDS OUT There were castor bean bushes all over the place. The beans had a stiff, gray & white striped shell. Inside was a bean. One day Edna began eating the beans. "These are good," she said to Dorothy. "Why don’t you try some?" Now Edna was a curious, inquisitive child, and that often got her in trouble. Dorothy was more cautious so didn’t want to eat unknown seeds. To please Edna’s insistence, she chewed some up, but then spit them out. That night Edna became very ill, she was near death. Nellie worked on her all night. She figured the castor beans must be poisonous, so she tried to make her vomit them all up. Then to make sure, she got all the poison out, she gave her a good dose of Epson Salts. Edna was better the next morning, but Nellie kept close watch over her. Bud was given a small cat that had no manners. It would try to eat on the table, and the Big Cat would smack it down. One morning the cat was dead, stiff with it’s paws spread out straight. Bud, now four years old, dug a round hole, put the cat in head first and left the tail sticking out of the ground after covering it up. "Why did you let the tail stick out?" Edna asked. "So I would know where he was buried, " said Bud. The next door neighbor, Mr. Gant, went fishing a lot. One evening he brought home a lot of crabs. They put on a five gallon bucket, boiled the water and dumped the crabs in the boiling water while they were still alive. Now the Gants front and back doors seemed to be open all the time so their children and their neighbor’s children walked in at anytime. It seemed everyone was there eating crabs. They sucked the flesh out of the legs and claws and cracked the bodies open to get the meat. Edna said to Dorothy, "They are eating crabs over there. Let’s go get some." Now Edna ate one crab after another. Dorothy thought it all looked repulsive. "Live crabs put in boiling water, I don’t want any." That night Edna became very sick. "I’m glad I didn’t eat any of those crabs." Dorothy said. "But they tasted so good." said Edna, between ejection of the vile crabs. Mr. Gant won a Model T Ford. He was so delighted with that car. In 1924, few people owned a car. A Model T cost $600.00, so only the upper class, some middle class or rich could afford cars. There were street cars; the fare was 5 cents or buses which cost 10 cents into town. One day the car got stalled on a railroad track. To re-start it, one had to get out of the car, get the crank and spin it around and around until the motor started. So while Mr. Grant was getting out of the car, Mrs. Gant jumped out, ran to the back and pushed the car off the tracks. She wasn’t about to lose that precious car. Alta left college and came to Florida. Instead of staying in that crowded house, she got a job as a teacher for two children, a boy and a girl, who lived on the Island of Fort Desoto. When William fell of the roof, he was getting ready to roof the house for the contractor, Mr. Jewel. Mr. Jewel had learned of William’s excellent reputation as a roofer. That day in the hospital, he told Nellie to go see Mr. Jewel and tell him about the accident so he could get another roofer. Nellie walked the three miles at night to Mr. Jewel’s house to tell him the sad news. Mr. Jewel appreciated that William wasn’t only a good roofer, but reliable. "As soon as he gets well, let me know and I’ll give him all my roofing jobs." William had graduated from crutches to a cane. The Doctor who set his foot had left it terribly crooked, so he needed some support. Two years had passed since the accident.
ANOTHER ACCIDENT Reatha and Dorothy were sitting at the top of a large sign. Edna and Thelma were playing on the back of a truck parked in front of the Gants' house. The men had delivered a new mattress there. "That looks like fun," Dorothy said. With that she climbed off the sign and ran to the truck. About that time, the men came out and the children jumped off the truck. "Get back on and we’ll ride you to Florida Avenue." one of the men said. Florida Avenue was a red brick road and the main road in that part of town. It was just two lanes and about a block away. Half way there was the little green house. The girls got back on the truck. The men were backing up and when they got to the little green house, the girls jumped off. "Get back on and you can ride to Florida Avenue." So the girls got back on. Edna was sitting on the left, Thelma in the center and Dorothy on the right. When they got to Florida Avenue, Edna and Thelma jumped into the street. Dorothy jumped on the grass. The men had backed into Florida Avenue. When Edna and Thelma jumped into the street a couple of boys on a motorcycle hit both of them. The men got out and were putting them on a mattress in the truck. Dorothy had to run to the house to tell her parents. William forgot his cane and went limping to Florida Avenue, Nellie running behind him. They got into the truck with the girls and the men drove them to the hospital At the hospital, Edna and Thelma were examined by a doctor. Thelma had a broken shoulder and a contusion. Edna’s ear was cut across and she also had a contusion. The doctor sent them home. He said due to the fact that they were so young, if they woke up in the hospital, they would be so distressed it may do more harm. Their mother sat up all night in the semi-darkness and watched over them. William blamed Edna for the accident. Dorothy blamed herself. "If I hadn’t gotten down from the sign and got on the truck with them, they may have jumped on the grass." she cried to Reatha. "It was an accident." Reatha tried to calm her down. "It could have been worse. A car could have hit them instead of a motorcycle. One never knows." "It was the truck driver’s fault for insisting on you getting back on the truck," She said. Nellie didn’t blame anyone. "It was an unforeseen accident." she said. That was Nellie. She just wasn’t one to blame others for anything. MAY 1924 Dorothy got the measles and had to stay out of school the last three weeks before school got out for the summer. Mrs. Head was her second grade teacher. Mrs. Head’s husband , Doctor Head, was her preacher. They would come pick Dorothy up every Sunday and take her to church. They came over one evening bringing food and Dorothy some gifts. A doll and shoes. They knew of William’s accident and also of Edna and Thelma’s accident. Each time they came they brought food. Every New Years, Dr. Head had a fish fry for the church and every summer they had a picnic. The women of the church brought food. The fish for the fry was obtained by the men going out in Tampa Bay and catching the fish. The women brought fish and other food. After the picnic or fish fry, Dr. Head gathered up the left over food and delivered it to the families he knew needed it, so all the time William was laid-up with a broken foot he brought some left over food. Dorothy was so hot, she’d crawl under the bed to cool off. Nellie knew that you never give anyone with measles hot soup or ice cold drinks. Never, never, she said, change from hot to cold. Cool food and drink or room temperature food and drink. She always said, "It’s best to keep the outside of the body warm and the inside cool. If the outside gets chilled, the measles can go in on the patient and settle in their weakest spot, so she was continually pulling Dorothy from under the bed, scolding her to stay on the bed. William was getting restless and anxious to get back to work. Nellie and William were getting tired of being poor. Something they had never had to contend with until they came to Florida. William called Mr. Jewel, the contractor, and told him his foot was well enough to roof again. Mr. Jewel needed a roofer to roof the Bay View Hotel in Clearwater, Florida, not too far from Tampa. It was the largest hotel in Florida with lots of peaks and would take months to roof. William called his eldest son, Austin, in Ohio to come to Florida and help him with the job, and said he could make good money. Austin was a farmer, so he could take off to help out. William’s foot still gave him problems and he still used a cane. After a few weeks on the job, William slid from the top of a peak to the main roof on the building and he re-broke the same foot. He had Austin take charge of the roofing job. Austin was only 18 years old, but his father trusted him to do a good job, as after all Austin was a perfectionist like his father. Austin paid the other workers and brought his father his share. ELIZABETH STREET HOME 1925 After the job was finished, William took his money and bought a nice home on Elizabeth Street. It was on a short, sandy road. The house was on the end of the block, so the children could play in safety. Mr. Jewel gave William the roofing jobs for all the big hotels in West Palm Beach and Miami. The Royal Poncencia. It was too much work for William so he had his other son, Gerald, and his son-in-law, Charlie come from Ohio to help. Charlie was married to Dorothy’s oldest sister, Voila. They had two children, Eva Mae, a four -year-old girl and Buddy, a two year-old boy. They all moved into the new house on Elizabeth Street. Since the house had just two bedrooms, William made half of the front porch into a sleeping porch for Mildred and Reatha, and a back bedroom on the back porch into a bedroom for Edna and Thelma. The boys, Austin and Gerald had the front bedroom. So Dorothy slept on a cot in the dining room. The house was too crowded for all of Dorothy’s family and Viola and Charlie’s family too. William had built a three-car garage on two lots he and Nellie had bought on Hamilton Avenue. He had intended to build a two-story house in front, so the garage was built on the back of one lot. He put a floor in the garage and windows in and moved Viola and her family into it He also built a small porch on the front. The lots had lots of beautiful oak trees on it and strangers were cutting them down, so William and Nellie figured if Viola and her family lived there, that would stop the tree cutting thieves. Charlie had been gassed in the war. He had received the Purple Heart for bravery. He was a Sergeant and had saved all his men who were caught in a cross fire, by bringing them back to the trenches one by one. At the Elizabeth Street house, there was a shed in the back yard. The girls played in it. Reatha liked to read and draw, so she drew pictures on the walls. Nellie liked to grow plants, so she had a garden in the back yard and flower beds on each side of the house. William bought two cars, a Page and a Model T Ford. The Model T was open. It had no key, you just turned the switch. He kept his tools in it and used it for his work. Gerald wrecked the Page, so William sold his lot on Hamilton Avenue. Nellie had bought the lot that had the house on it. She had gone to work at an awning shop, so she bought the lot that William sold. Now Viola and Charlie lived on it. William bought a one-seated Nash. He had changed. Got him a girl friend and didn’t want his family with him anymore.
EDNA AND DOROTHY There were two large oak trees at the end of the road. The girls climbed up the front tree, then had to really do some stretching to get to the other one. One day Edna decided to put a 2' by 6' plank across the two trees so they could just walk across from one tree to the other. Of course she needed Dorothy to help her. She had managed to hoist the plank up the front tree and was pushing it over to the back tree. She then crossed over to the back tree and wanted Dorothy to push the plank so she could lead it through the crotch of the back tree. The girls wore coveralls that had wide straps across the back. When Dorothy tried to push the plank, she fell and a stob on the front tree was conveniently located so that it caught Dorothy’s coverall strap and held her there, thus keeping her from falling to the ground. She managed to grab a limb so was able to pull herself up enough to get her coverall strap loose. She climbed down the tree and told Edna to forget it, but Edna was determined and pulled the plank through the crotch so they had their walk way between the trees. The girls aggravated Nellie by swinging up and down on the limbs high up in the trees. They sang, "When Mother was a girl, but Daughter Oh!", when Nellie called to them to get down. There was a one-armed lady who took care of two small children. They lived in a bungalette across the street about a half block from where Edna and Dorothy lived. The children were a young boy, Bobby, who was four years old and a little girl, three years old. The one-armed lady’s arm as cut off at the elbow but she could hold the children with that stump and smack them good if they misbehaved. During the summer months, Edna was there helping the lady with the children. Across the street from the bungalette was a family by the name of Jones. A boy, about 12 years old, a girl, Grace was about 10 years old. The youngest boy was eight or nine. They called him "Boo", and he was mean. Grace was prissy and always bragging how rich they were. One day she tells Edna, "We had steak, potatoes, carrots, etc. for supper." Edna says, sarcastic, "Yes!, We had vegetable soup too." Grace says, "I have so many diamond rings." Edna says, "Yes, I’ve got some dime ones too." THE LINE IN THE SAND One day Boo Jones hit the four year old boy, Bobby, on the head with a heavy Coca Cola bottle. In 1925, the Coca Cola bottles were made of heavy, green-tinted glass. Such a blow could have given a child brain damage or even killed him. This made Edna so angry, she jumped on Boo and beat him up good. Boo went crying and told his father about Edna’s attack. Mr. Jones came rushing out of the house, "I’ll tell your father about this!" he storms at Edna. Edna draws a line across the dirt road and dared Mr. Jones to cross it. Mr. Jones was so startled that a twelve ( ed. note: Dorothy told this story verbally and said that Edna was 10.) year old girl would stand up to a grown man, that he stopped short. "Now I’ll tell you what really happened," demanded Edna. After Edna told him how his mean brat, Boo, had hit four year old Bobby on the head, Mr. Jones went back to his house and spanked Boo really hard. CHILDREN PLAYING The children played baseball and marbles at the end of the sand road. There was a garage at the end of the road, but they seldom saw a car come in or go out. There was a fence that went along the far side of the children’s house. A neglected orange grove was on the other side of the fence that had a large hole in it. The children crawled through the fence and picked the oranges. There was a large house with a fence around it on the other side of the street where an elderly woman lived alone. One day the children’s ball flew over the fence. The old lady got the ball and wouldn’t give it to the children. "I’ll tell your father on you!" she yelled. "He’s real strict and he’ll punish you." When William came home, the old lady called on the telephone and complained about the children playing ball in the street. "Their balls fly into my yard. What are you going to do about it?" she asked. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, You old battle axe, picking on little children that’s just having fun." William said disgustedly. The old lady was so surprised that she slammed down the receiver but she threw the ball over the fence into the street. There was a nice German woman who lived at the other end of the block. She had a fenced-in chicken yard that ran along the alley which was in back of the homes. The garbage trucks used this alley to pick up the garbage that the home owners put out. The children gathered all the table scraps for her chickens, and the lady would come out and give them small gifts. This caused the children to gather any bits of food they could find and take it for the chickens, wondering what kind of gift they’d get. Mildred did the cooking. Reatha looked after Bud and did some housework. She also told Edna, Dorothy and Thelma what part of the house they were to clean. Nellie had always made a game of everything, whether it was yard work, cooking, housework, etc., so the girls would make a game of doing the housework. "Let’s see who can clean a room the fastest." Dorothy cleaned Austin and Gerald’s. Edna cleaned William and Nellie’s room. Then the one who finished first got her choice of the living room or dining room. They even made a game of washing and drying the dishes. It was a silly game because the one who washed the dishes was no doubt always the winner. Austin played the Jews Harp. Gerald played the mouth harp. After working all day with their father, Gerald laid on the living room floor playing his harp. Their father, William, sat on the front porch chewing his tobacco with his feet propped on the railing. He’d spit his tobacco juice in the corners of the porch. This irritated Mildred to distraction as she was the one who cleaned the porch, and also she thought chewing tobacco was an extremely dirty habit. William paid Austin, Gerald and Charlie every Saturday for their jobs roofing with him. Austin’s wages lasted until the next pay day. Gerald’s wages were gone by Monday or Tuesday. Dorothy could always manage to make some money even though she was only 11 years old. For example: One day some men were working down in the manhole in the alley. It was hot, so Dorothy felt sorry for them, so she took them some ice water. They were so grateful they gave her fifty cents. As soon as Gerald heard she had fifty cents, he wanted to borrow it. "I’ll pay you back with interest," he said. When he got paid on Saturday, he paid Dorothy $1.00. By Tuesday, he borrowed the dollar back. When he got paid on Saturday, he paid Dorothy $1.50. This went on for some time and Dorothy, all business, thought she was earning good interest so continued to loan him the money... LITTLE CHILDREN LITTLE PROBLEMS...BIG CHILDREN... William had gotten blown off a thrashing machine engine when he was farming in Ohio. He had gotten a badly damaged neck. Now all that roofing must have made his neck worse. It seems he always picked on someone in the family. First one he had picked on was Isabelle, so Nellie sent her to Nashville, Tennessee. Now Gerald was the one he picked on. Austin was a responsible, serious son and could be depended on. Gerald was just the opposite. He was a playboy. William just couldn’t get along with Gerald and one day, ran him off. Gerald was only 17 years old. What William didn’t understand was Gerald (…was ill). The doctor said he had spots on his lungs and should go to sea as the salt air should help him. Gerald left and got a job on a boat that crossed the ocean. Isabelle was 17 years old and came home, but William soon ran her off again. She got a job as governess to a couple of children. The family soon moved to New York, taking Isabelle with them Viola and Charlie had twin girls, Charlotte and Charlene. Dorothy went to the house on Hamilton Avenue and helped her with the twins. William began to pick on Edna. She was as stubborn as William was. When he asked her to do something, she ignored him, usually going to the neighbors’ house. He could always depend on Reatha and Dorothy. Viola and Charlie went back to Ohio. Nellie went to work at an Awning shop. CHARLES A. LINDBERGH Charles A. Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris. William would bring home a phonograph record every Saturday night when he and Nellie went to town to get groceries. The large grocery stores, such as Piggley Wiggley and A& P stores were in town as were the five and ten cent stores, large department stores, clothing stores, etc. When Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris, the phonograph songs, Lucky Lindy and Lindbergh came on the market. William bought both of them. When William and Nellie got home with the groceries, William would play his new records over and over. THE STOCK MARKET CRASH When the stock market crashed in 1929, so many people lost all they had. Some committed suicide. Most wealth was on paper. William lost everything but the two lots and house on Hamilton Avenue. He lost the house on Elizabeth Street. THE HOME ON HAMILTON AVENUE The house on Hamilton which he built as a three-car garage, then put a floor and windows in so that Viola and Charlie could live there was much too small for the two parents and seven children, so he decided the cheapest way to enlarge it was to raise the roof and make a two-story out of it. He and Nellie could sleep downstairs and the girls could sleep upstairs. He asked four carpenters to help him raise the roof, but they all refused, saying that it was impossible, that it couldn’t be done. William was a stubborn man and declared it could be done and he would show them by doing it himself. He loosened the roof, then went to each corner, raising each up a small amount each time. He had worked all day when a hurricane started blowing up by evening. Worried that the wind would blow the roof off the house, Dorothy could hear him calling, "Nellie, shall I nail her down." Dark was coming on and the wind got stronger, so he decided to nail it down even though it would make the upstairs ceiling low. Mildred was a very proud girl. She was ashamed of the house on Hamilton Avenue as the downstairs was one big room and the walls had no plaster on them..The rest of the girls loved it there as the Hillsborough River was only a block away. The woods had a cement pool that had a large wheel and a pipe that was near the top. There were cement steps that went down to a natural spring which flowed into the river. The girls could turn the wheel to let the water in or out of the pool. They couldn’t swim as they had never lived near water. There was a deep end in one corner of the square pool so they would dive into it, then manage to get to the shallow part. They learned to dive before they learned to swim. There were pieces of street car tracks near it. There was also a small round pool that had a natural spring in the center of it. They were told it was built for cattle to drink from. One day Edna and Dorothy went to the pool for a swim, but the water was too deep for them to touch bottom. It would take hours for the water to flow into the stream through the pipe so the pool would be shallow enough for them to touch bottom. "I’m going to go in anyway," Edna said as she jumped in and swam across. "If you can do it, I can too." said Dorothy. So she jumped in and swam across and that was how they both began to swim. The girl’s played in the square pool, the round pool and soon were swimming in the river. They roamed the woods and picked wild flowers. The woods and swimming pools seemed to be their private playground. Only once did they see a couple of boys there. Mildred and Harry Greene got married.
THE GIRLS DISCOVERED SULPHUR SPRINGS SWIMMING POOL Sulphur Springs was about one and one-half to two miles from the girl’s home. Sulphur had everything: two pools, a dance hall, skating rink, two theaters. It was an athlete’s paradise. The main pool was built over a huge natural spring, so was very deep. There was a 2 X 6 plank built along side one side. A cement bottom was built under the water so small children could swim there. Since the plank was built flat above the water, the girls never saw small children in there as it looked too dangerous. They could easily walk under the plank and be in deep water. The main pool had a five-foot diving board, a ten-foot diving board and a tower where one could dive from fifteen-feet, twenty-five feet and fifty-feet. The girls soon passed up the five-foot diving board for the ten-foot one. At the other end of the pool, the water went down a waterfall into a lower pool. On one side a wooden slide was built so the swimmers could slide down to the lower pool. On the other side next to the slide was a waterfall that had a cement shelf a few feet wide. The girls could duck under the waterfall and stand on this shelf with the water going over them. When they wanted to hide, they would duck under the falls and stand on this shelf. In the lower pool was a sandbar. Specially built into the water were wooden sides that had been filled with sand. The only way one could get to it was to swim to it. There was a bridge between the two pools that led to the bath house. At the far end was a toboggan. One had to climb the high steps. At the top were sleds that cost 25 cents for each trip down the toboggan into the Hillsborough River where all the thousands of gallons of water dumped into it. The temperature of the water was 78 degrees all year long. Edna was 15 years of age, Dorothy 14, and Thelma 13 years old. They didn’t have any money so wore their bathing suits to Sulphur Springs pool and jumped right in. After doing this three or four times, Gene, the lifeguard came over and told them that you had to pay to use the pool. It cost 15 cents for 12 and under and 25 cents for those over 12 years of age. They didn’t have the money, so Gene let them stay in swimming that day. After that they brought 15 cents each, but when Reatha went with them, she paid 25 cents. The girls became very good at swimming and diving. There was a huge oak tree that had a rope hanging on it which had a cross bar. One had to take a pole with a wire hook to pull the rope in. The girls would swing out and pump themselves until they were pretty high, then dive into the water. Soon the boys noticed the good-looking girls, so they would climb up the huge trunk and wait on a huge plank so when the girls came up, they would pull the rope in for them. Soon the girls were playing a game of "gator" with the boys. It was really a game of tag. Frank Maxon, who said he was 14 years old but was really only 12, was especially fond of playing gator with the girls. One day he brought his extremely good-looking brother, Earl, who was 16 years old, to the Sulphur Springs pool. Edna was attracted to him, but he spent most of the time talking with Dorothy. A 14 year old boy named Boyce Gillette was also attracted to Dorothy. He bootlegged whiskey and made $25.00 a week, a huge amount those days for a kid. He was always trying to buy Dorothy something. Dorothy was interested in Earl, so was not particularly fond of Boyce. "How about some chewing gum?" he asked. "What kind do you want?" I don’t want any," insisted Dorothy. Boyce kept on insisting. "O K!" said the exasperated Dorothy. "Any kind." So Boyce brought back a dozen packages of gum, one of each kind. So that was the way it went every weekend. The girls had a hard time getting the 15 cents to get into the pool, so couldn’t afford the 25 cents to go on the toboggan. One day Boyce asked Dorothy about going on the toboggan with him. Dorothy had never gone on the toboggan, so she agreed. Boyce bought a dozen tickets. Earl went up to the top with them. Boyce said it was O.K. Dorothy went down the toboggan a couple of times with Boyce, then she went down the other 10 times with Earl on Boyce’s tickets. There was a fellow named Curt Bass who was interested in Edna. Curt had a twin brother named Erwin. They didn’t look like brothers much less like twins. Curt was big and husky, whereas Erwin was small and thin. Curt was very ticklish and would automatically throw his arm out whenever anyone poked him in the side. The other boys delighted in poking him in the side, being careful to stay away from his swinging arm. One day Curt was standing near a plate glass window when some stupid boy poked him. Out goes Curt’s arm and busted the window. His real friends became very angry, so decided the best way to help Curt was to cure him of being ticklish. They took him into the woods away from trees and took turns tickling him until he quit throwing his arm out. After that the other boys quit trying to get him to swing that arm. Sulphur Springs was about a mile and a half from the girl’s house, so Earl and Curt walked home with them. Now the boys lived in Sulphur Springs about a mile the other way, so had about two and one-half miles to walk back home. Depression days were hard on just about every body. Jobs were hard to find, so money was scarce. Earl worked at a radio shop, so helped out with the money situation at home. Curt worked and supported Erwin. Dorothy worked at the awning shop with her mother, Nellie, so helped out. Nellie only made $15.00 a week and was trying to keep six children in school, so she asked Alta to come from Ohio to help out. Alta worked at the Western Union in Ohio, so she had to take a cut in wages when she came to Florida. The first time Earl came to the house, Edna and Thelma were fussing over him and combing his hair. Alta asked Reatha, "Whose boyfriend is he, Edna or Thelma’s?" "Neither," answered Reatha, "He’s Dorothy’s." This made Alta angry. Now Alta never showed anger, so Dorothy was surprised. Dorothy had been doing other things and ignored the whole situation. "If they can get him, they can have him." she said. That was the way she felt. If he was that easy to get, she didn’t even want him
DATING YEARS FOR THE BURDETT GIRLS Boyce Gillette was often saying to Dorothy, "Let’s run away to California and get married." Now Dorothy wasn’t about to run away or get married, especially to a bootlegger. Selling or using alcohol was against the law in the 1920's and 30's and Dorothy and her family were against anything that was unlawful When the girls went swimming at Sulphur Springs, they usually stayed all day long, especially on Sundays. They always paid their own way so they could choose the boy they wanted to date that night. Sometimes they went to the cheaper theater that cost 10 cents, but once-in-awhile they got to go to the nice theater which cost 25 cents. They began going to the skating rink, but never went into the dance hall. Nellie didn’t think they should go to a dance hall, and the girls believed they should always do what their mother wanted and expected of them. There was never any rowdiness at the dance hall. The only time the girls saw the people from the dance hall was if they were in swimming at 11:00 PM at night as that was the time the music stopped and the dancers left. They talked in low tones and were polite. There was a boy by the name of Lewis. He often talked with Edna. Dorothy didn’t like him much, so never talked to him. One Sunday afternoon Edna kept saying, "I hope Curt asks me for a date tonight." Later Lewis asked her for a date. Rather than be without a date for the evening, she agreed. A short while later Curt did ask her for a date, so Edna agreed to date him too. When we got home from swimming and ate supper, Edna got ready for a date. She kept saying, "I hope Curt gets here first." As luck, or un-luck would have it’s way, Lewis got there first. Edna didn’t want to go with him, so tried to persuade Dorothy to go with him. Dorothy didn’t like Lewis very much, so insisted that she didn’t want to go with him. Earl had sprained his ankle skating, so Edna knew Dorothy didn’t have a date for the evening and was taking advantage of the situation. "He doesn’t want to go with me, he wants to go with you." Dorothy insisted. "Oh, Yes I do," Lewis piped up. "Ha!" Laughed Dorothy, "If you wanted to go with me, you would have asked me instead of Edna." Lewis just wasn’t Dorothy’s type, but with both Edna and Lewis insisting, she finally gave in. The street car was about three blocks away, so they got on it and rode to the Seminole Theater, a nice theater about three miles away. Earl had hobbled down to the girls' house on his sprained ankle only to be told that Dorothy had gone to the show with Lewis. He hobbled to the street car stop and went to the Seminole Theater looking for her. His search was unsuccessful, so he went home. A few nights later Edna and Dorothy were skating at the Sulphur Springs Skating Rink. The wall around the rink was about four feet high so people who weren’t skating would stand on the outside to watch the skaters. Dorothy noticed Earl was standing outside the wall, so she skated over to him. "Well! If you would rather go with Lewis instead of me," he said. "What are you talking about! I just went with him to get Edna out of a bad spot." "He said you have a date with him next Thursday," Earl said. "OH! That lying so and so, I don’t even like him. I would never go with him again," said Dorothy, exasperated. "That’s how some people are. You do them a favor and then they try to make trouble. From now on if Edna makes a date with two boys on the same night, she can figure out how to get out of it without my help!" Edna never made a date with Lewis again. Dorothy dated Earl, and Edna went with his kid brother, Frank. One afternoon the four of them went to a theater together. Edna had to pay full price of 25 cents while Frank got in at a child’s price of 15 cents. "Boy!" exclaimed Dorothy, "I sure wouldn’t go with a boy who could get into a show for a child’s price." There was a family named Higgs. Now Mrs. Higgs had three boys. She lived with Mr. Bass, Curt’s father, for 20 years. None of them had much education. Mrs. Higgs was a heavy, sloppy type, whereas, Mr. Bass was the string bean type. The eldest Higgs boy was named James. He was a dirty mouthed trouble maker. He had been in Dorothy’s 5th grade class. The middle boy, called Rusty, seemed fond of Edna. Although Edna talked to him a lot at Sulphur Springs, she never dated him as she liked his younger brother, Jack, better. One night Nellie gave a party for Thelma’s birthday which was October 30th. Rusty came uninvited and drunk. Nellie told him she didn’t allow drunks at her house. "Get out of here and don’t you ever come back!" She demanded. His younger brother, Jack, didn’t have much education, but was polite, good-natured and kind-hearted. THE BURDETTS -KNEE DEEP IN BOYS ALTA GETS MARRIED In the 1930's, in the depression days, jobs were hard to find so many people were so poor they couldn’t afford to send their children to school. So many of the boys only had a sixth grade education. The lucky ones got through 9th grade or 12th grade. College to many was unheard of. Many of these boys had to quit school and get a job to help the other members of the family survive The breadlines were long. Panhandlers were on almost every corner in downtown Tampa. Curt’s father, Mr. Bass and Jack’s mother, Mrs. Higgs lived together to save rent money. Curt was the only one working full time. Mr. Bass played the fiddle, so when Nellie gave a few square dances, she had Mr. Bass do the calling and play his fiddle. William had taken Alta and Billie to Ohio and stayed for two years. Nellie was lonesome, so gave lots of parties and a few square dances. She wanted to know the children’s friends so she could advise them on undesirables. SWEET SIXTEEN AND NEVER BEEN KISSED Dorothy had gone with Earl almost a year. He was a very nice boy who never pushed himself on her. Most of the boys couldn’t afford cars, but once in awhile, Earl got his father’s car or an old green truck that belonged to his boss at the Radio Shop. It had a ladder on the driver’s side. Earl delivered radios. One night Edna and Earl’s younger brother, Frank, were cutting up in the back seat of the car. Earl and Dorothy were in the front seat. They had come home from a theater. It was late, so Earl had parked at the edge of the front lawn. Earl and Dorothy were facing each other, watching the shenanigans of Edna and Frank. Edna said to Earl, "If you get any closer, you’ll get your face slapped." Earl gave Dorothy a quick kiss. It took Dorothy by surprise. She was disappointed, as she had always heard the saying "Sweet 16 and Never Been Kissed". Now Earl had spoiled it for her and she would never ever live to see that come true. If he’d only have waited until after her birthday, she wouldn’t have been so upset. When she told Edna later, she said, "Do you think you’ll never be sweet because of that one kiss?" Dorothy jumped from the car and headed for the house. Earl went after her and apologized, "Edna teased me into it," he said. "Don’t be mad." Oh boy! her first kiss and now an apology for it, Dorothy thought, but forgave him. Alta had been engaged to Otto. They lived in Dayton, Ohio. Nellie wrote Alta to come to Florida to help keep the younger girls in school as she didn’t make enough money to do it alone. Nellie believed in education. After all, her father had built the school she had gone to. He was superintendent of 10 schools and the principal of the one Nellie went to. She told of the time that a teacher had stood on her younger brother to discipline him, so Nellie had gone up and pushed the teacher off of him. "I’ll tell your father about this!" said the angry teacher. Nellie told her father and he fired the teacher. Alta came to Tampa to help out and stayed a year. The next summer on her vacation, she wanted to go back to Ohio to marry Otto. William took her and Billie to Ohio, but Otto had gotten another girl and wouldn’t take Alta back, so she came on back to Florida by bus, leaving William and Billie in Ohio. Alta met Everett Johns on the bus. Due to the disappointment of the events, she married Everett after knowing him for just two weeks. DOROTHY AND EARL Billie was shoved from one relative to another. William stayed in Ohio for two years so Nellie had the burden of trying to keep the younger children in school on the $15.00 a week she earned at the Awning Shop. Dorothy worked at the Awning Shop during the summer and after school, and on Saturdays during the winter months. Earl was no deadbeat. He wanted to take Dorothy places, but because of helping out with his family, he couldn’t afford much. Dorothy didn’t mind for just being with him and her sisters was enough. Dorothy and her sisters could always have fun with very little expense. Dorothy could pay Edna and Thelma’s way if needed. Thelma babysat during the summer months and they all did house work for extra money. One night Dorothy and Earl went to the Seminole Theater riding the street car. On the way home Earl was very quiet, looking out the street car window into the darkness. Dorothy was thinking, "I have never realized that Earl was so temperamental." She was a little peeved, but when they reached her house Earl said, "I don’t think we should go together anymore as I’m getting very fond of you." Dorothy understood, but was willing to let things rock along as they were. She was very fond of Earl too, but had made up her mind since she was 15 that she had no intentions of getting married before she was 20 years old. She had decided that if a boy loved her, he’d be willing to wait for her. If he wasn’t, she didn’t want him anyway. After that night, Earl came around now and then, but he played checkers with William. Dorothy went about her chores and ignored him. She met him at parties and he even started going to the same church that Dorothy had been going since she was in the 2nd grade. Now Dorothy wouldn’t date a boy who was dating another girl. She felt that she wouldn’t like it if a boy she was going with steady dated another girl, so she didn’t want to hurt a girl who dated a boy on a steady basis. There was this girl named Selma and she had slant eyes. At a swimming party, she hung around Earl as if she owned him. She didn’t go in swimming, so the only time she was more than three feet from him was when he was swimming. Now Dorothy was a swimmer. She figured that Earl was going with Selma, so she stayed away from Earl even when they were both in swimming. At other parties, it was the same thing. Selma was always next to Earl. At one party, Dorothy wore a dress that had a bow at the back of the neck and another at the waist. She went out of the house and sat on the porch. Earl came out and kept untying the bow at the top. Dorothy would tell him again and again, "Stop untying my bow." "You have too many bows." he answered. Earl would come to the house every now and then. Dorothy thought he was going steady with Selma, so pretty well ignored him. Edna said, "Earl why don’t you go with Dorothy instead of Selma. Dorothy’s a lot prettier. Earl didn’t say anything, so that clinched it, he was dating Selma. "She is his steady girl now." Dorothy thought. CAN I HAVE DOROTHY? It seems someone was always trying to take Dorothy away from her mother. While the family was living in Ohio when Dorothy was five years old and very sick, some woman tried her very best to get Dorothy’s mother, Nellie to let her adopt Dorothy. "I can afford to get the best doctors for her. With all your other children, you can’t," she told Nellie. "I don’t have any children to give away!" Nellie said indignantly. Dorothy was lucky Nellie kept her as Nellie’s father was a doctor, so Nellie knew what to do for her. She had kept Dorothy alive by giving her cod liver oil, ionized yeast, beef, wine and iron, and then brought her to Florida so she could play in the sun to get plenty of Vitamin D. Being in the sun all year long was what she needed for strength. When Dorothy was 11 years old, a widow woman asked Nellie if Dorothy could come live with her. Now Nellie was a kind hearted woman, so felt sorry for the widow, thinking how lonesome she must be. Dorothy didn’t want to go, but all Nellie’s children were used to obeying their mother without questioning her reasons, so with a heavy heart, she went with the widow. The first night, the woman cooked fish, head and all. Dorothy looked at those dead fish eyes and lost her appetite. She had never seen fish cooked with their head and tail still attached. Dorothy soon learned the reason the widow wanted someone to live with her. She wanted someone to play solitaire with her every night. There was a teen aged boy named John who was a handyman around the widow’s home. The widow often said, "John does this and John does that, but John’s a good boy." After a few days she was saying, "Dorothy does this and Dorothy does that, but Dorothy’s a good girl." The widow had a little dog that jumped on the bed where Dorothy was sleeping. The dog jumped on the bed and kept sniffing around. Now Dorothy wasn’t used to having a dog in her bed, so threw the dog off. The dog went yapping to the widow. One morning the wind-up clock stopped. Not knowing what time it was, the widow got Dorothy up at 5:00 AM to get ready for school. Dorothy protested that it was too early. The widow said, "If you are late for school your mother will make you go home." "Good," thought Dorothy as she was homesick for her sisters and the outdoor fun she always had with them. It was still dark when Dorothy arrived at school which was about one-half mile away. It was only 6:00 AM and school didn’t start until 9:00 AM. She paced around in the cold and dark alone until the other students began to arrive. After school Dorothy walked home and told her mother that she didn’t want to stay with the widow anymore. Nellie went after Dorothy’s clothes and explained that she was too homesick to stay with her. Dorothy never saw the widow again. When Dorothy was 15 years old, she had a boyfriend named Earl. Her cousin Dale Parish was staying at their house. He had come to Florida from Ohio to stay for the summer. Dorothy’s mother, Nellie, saw an advertisement in the paper where an elderly couple wanted a teenager to come live with them, with a promise to send them to college and give them the advantages of becoming well educated and wealthy. Nellie couldn’t give her children that advantage and thought it was a good chance for Dorothy or Dale. When the couple came from Nobleton, Florida, twelve miles north of Dade City, Nellie presented Dorothy and Dale to them. Old General Wilson, an 80 year old, immediately said he wanted Dorothy. With a sad heart Dorothy packed her clothes, climbed into the huge car and silently rode to Nobleton, wondering why her mother was always willing to give her away. The house was small, not what Dorothy expected at all. It had a row of servants' quarters situated on one side and was on the Withlacoochee River. As soon as they arrived, the old General invited Dorothy to come with him to go into town, and he would buy her some jewelry. Dorothy said, "I don’t accept jewelry from men." The old General then invited her to go with him to see the dock. At the end of the dock were wooden seats on each side and a boat tied up under the dock to keep it out of the sun. The General invited her to sit on one of the benches. He sat down beside her and began kissing her on her eyes. When Dorothy objected, he said, "I just want to kiss your beautiful eyes." Dorothy tried to pull away. "I just want to be a father figure to you," he said. "My father doesn't treat me like that!" snapped Dorothy. He said he had a big house in Virginia and since he was 80 years old, he wanted to leave everything to someone other than his several nieces, as they were fast girls. When he tried to touch her just below her breast, Dorothy got up and exclaimed, "No wonder your nieces are fast girls if all the men are like you!" She got up and headed for the house, staying close to his wife. "Can I help you with lunch or clean the house?" she asked. "No! Oh no, the servants will do it. You are not to do any work." When Dorothy would go out on the dock, she could hear children playing in the Withlacoochee River. She wanted to swim and play in the river, but the General would not let her as he was afraid she would drown. He wanted her to stay in the house and read. The house had enough books to stock a small library. The old General took his anger out on his wife if the dinner was cold, etc. Dorothy knew she had to leave as she didn’t want to make any trouble between the General and his wife. She told them she was homesick and wanted to go home. The next day he had his servant take Dorothy to the bus stop and send her home. (Reatha's note: In a recent telephone conversation with Aunt Dorothy, she told me the following: After the General’s wife died, he got to the place he could not take care of himself. He must have been around 85 years old. Isabelle took Lois and went to Nobleton to stay with him to take care of him, get his meals and so forth. The old General was crazy about Lois who was three years old at the time. He pampered and spoiled her, he was so glad to have her there. When he died he left some shares of stock to her. Isabelle gave him to understand right from the start to keep his hands off of her.) Nellie, Dorothy’s mother, seemed to be determined to give Dorothy away, even though Dorothy was one of her favorite children. Nellie had always said, "She’s the sickest of the bunch, but has more guts than any of them. The reason for this was she wanted Dorothy to have the college education she couldn’t afford to give her. If she was talking to someone that wanted a child, all they had to say was they would see to it that the child would go to college. Bingo! Take Dorothy! The next woman who took Dorothy with a promise that she would send her to college, Dorothy quickly learned what she really wanted was a young girl to do all her house work. The woman worked out of her home. The very first day Dorothy was there, before leaving for work, she told Dorothy to clean the house and have supper ready when she got home. Dorothy caught on fast. "The heck with her, I’m not going to be her servant." she thought. Now Dorothy didn’t mind work, but she didn’t like being used, so she sat down and read the whole day. When the woman came home, she was furious. "I’m going home, I’m not your servant." Dorothy said. So home she went. Dorothy knew that woman had no intention of sending her to college. School maybe, but not college. The next woman who wanted Dorothy owned a small college. A good opportunity for Dorothy her mother said. Dorothy had had enough. Although she always did as her mother said, "NO! I’m not leaving home again. Besides I’m not college material. I'd rather be healthy than smart," she said. Viola, Alta, Mildred and Reatha were college material. After that Dorothy had fun in the sun swimming, skating, dancing, and going with lots and lots of boys and her sisters. She became healthy and happy in her ignorance. Dorothy won an art scholarship. Dorothy worked at the Bilt-Rite Awning shop, making $25.00 to $30.00 a week, hated the job, but became an expert at making round awnings, square awnings, caterpillar tents, etc. She then decided she wanted an art job. She could start low and work up. She took a $12.00 a week job as a window decorator. Two weeks later she got a job at $20.00 a week, making things to go in the store windows. "If I get art jobs, I’ll get paid while I am learning." she thought. One year later she was making $98.00 a week painting at the fair grounds and on the pirate floats, DOING ART WORK, which she loved.
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