Childhood Years

I received the letter from my great aunt Mary Jane in the mail yesterday. I was able to learn some things about my grandpa's childhood.

My great aunt described my grandpa as "dependable" and "easy going." He was cute with red hair and freckles. His parents taught him and his siblings faith in Jesus Christ, responsibility, and a strong work ethic.

My grandpa enjoyed playing the outdoor games baseball, croquet, kick the tin can. I can personally say "kick the can" is super fun, as I remember playing that with my second cousin during one of the many times I visited Pennsylvania. My grandpa also enjoyed table games like Monopoly in the winter months. He also liked spending his Sunday afternoon with his father.

Growing up, Grandpa helped out with all the farm chores--feeding the steers, collecting eggs, and feeding the chicken and pigs. He also helped grow crops and take care of two large gardens. In addition, he took part in the yearly butchering of one steer and two pigs. Grandpa enjoyed school and got good grades, though he had to drop out in 9th grade because his father wanted him to work on a farm; my grandpa worked on a dairy farm and on his family's farm as well.

My grandpa still wanted to finish high school. Later, he earned his GED and went to nursing school after he married. My great aunt Mary Jane wrote, "I think his interest in nursing was sparked by serving '1W' time in Boston, rather than going to the military, when drafted."

Something interesting and cute I learned is that when she was a freshman, Mary Jane was the "mail girl," delivering the letters that my grandpa and grandma wrote to one another when my grandma was a senior at Ephrata High.