Saturday, June 10, 2006

Teacher's License for Melton and Gertrude

Grandma and Grandpa traveled over to Eureka Springs Arkansas to take their Teacher Test. I hope these came through all right. Grandma gave these to me when I graduated from William Jewell College with my BA in Elementary Education. I was so thrilled to get them.
I hope the picture of the scores comes through, it seems Grandma saw fit to change the scores before she turned them over to me.
Originally Grandpa's scores were higher than Grandma's. However, once I was given the licenses I noticed that on the scoring there was some blue ink on the score tallies. Some how Grandma came up with a score of 947, where as Grandpa mysteriously ended up with a score of 936. Somehow his Physiology score turned into a 73 - I always thought this was a riot. Of course Mom and Winn said that there was no way that "Mom" beat "Pop" - but you know if it made her happy in 1964, so be it.
I really hope these come through good enough for you to read. It states that both took the test on June 18, 1910 and that you had to have an average of 75% in all Branches. Nothing below 65% to be considered.

The scores!

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Grandpa's Teacher's License

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Grandma's Teacher's License

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Remembering our Grandparents:

When I think back and remember our grandparents, a smile always comes across my face. They treated me with such love and affection and WOW what role models they were!
I really don't ever remember them saying one cross word to me. Grandpa always had concerns that I might get hurt, but he soon learned that I could take care of myself.
I often tell people that my grandparents were certainly ahead of most people of their time. The truly valued education. Times were extrememly hard and they tried to scratch a living out of the soil. They sold milk, raised chicken and had a fantastic garden and good water. They even survived a cyclone that tore down the house and the barn. But they saved all their children by using feather mattresses and the old oak table.
My Mom always said Grandma hated house work and that as a child she was always disappointed in the way Grandma sewed their clothes. They had absolutely no shape to them, but Mom said she did the best she could - I think she was shocked when she saw what a beautiful hand she had at making quilts.
I know that my faith in God certainly was passed down through my grandparents to Mom and then to me. I use to love to go to Sunny Lane and listen to Grandpa teach - he was so beloved by all his neighbors and the community. Mom always said that whenever someone had a problem or they were sick they would come to "Pop" no matter what the hour or day or night.
I am so glad that I was fortunate to have these two wonderful people in my life - they were a treasure and I look forward someday to seeing them all in Heaven.

Grandma and Grandpa -'45 Harrison Arkansas

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Grandma and Grandpa's Wedding Day

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Gathering at the farm

Back in '48 this must have been a real effort to get the whole group together, but I am ever so thankful that they did. I have this grouping of pictures all in the album together with Grandma and Grandpa. I just really remember these being very happy times, but you know - we were just as worried about paying for gas then as we are now! This is the trip I so remember when Grandpa took a bunch of us little ones into town in his old car. Just think, no seat belts, no airconditioning and I wasn't even sure Grandpa had breaks. He would run down one hill real fast so that he would make it up the next hill. He always drove right in the middle of the road and I don't think we ever met another car on the road. In my minds eye, the trip with Grandpa in his car were just as scary as any roller coaster ride I have ever been on - maybe that's why I have always had such a fear of those kind of rides.

Reunion '48, Lined up in birth order

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Family Reunion - '48

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Boys at family reunion -'48

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This is from the family reunion in '48

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This is also one of the older ones

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I think this is the oldest one I have of the 4

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Friday, June 09, 2006

Nov. 15, 1954

George Leo Reed Junior arrived and were we all excited! We all thought for days what he should be called instead of "George", and their good friend Mrs. Mannering came up with the name "Skipper" - it was perfect for our special little guy - he was just too little to be called George when he was a little boy. Even to this day he will always be "Skip" to me and my family.
We all really worked on spoiling him - we had waited along time for Jim to have a brother. He was probably the strongest willed child any of us had ever seen - but oh sooo smart. He could make us all giggle, but if he didn't want to do something- no one could make him do it.
He stole my heart way back then and he still has my heart - I truly love him as a brother. He is not only a great husband and a great father, but he is just an all around good guy and I am very, very proud of him. Actually, he only really has one fault - he is a Republican and I don't seem to be able to change his mind.

Wow - could Jim ever make Skip laugh!

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Jim and his brother Skip

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Aunt Flete and Skip

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Skip was always the mascot for the Cub Scouts

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Skip with his rifle and monkey

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Winn, George, Jim and Skip

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Fish Tales!

It seems like on every other page in my albums someone is holding a fish. Maybe that's why flyfishing is my passion today.
Daddy would usually only get a short vacation in the summer, lucky if it ever was 2 weeks. We would usually head for White River and camp on Dad's friends property in a large, heavy army tent. Many times Jimmy would go with us - but Dad always had to sleep in front of the tent door because Jimmy was a sleepwalker.
There are three picture of the same big cat fish that Jimmy and I caught ( acutally, we ran it up on shore when we were playing in the water!). Daddy cut it into fish-steaks, put it on ice and we took it down to Grandma - oh how she loved to eat fried catfish!
This type of camping stopped once the damn was built - the water was then too cold to really have fun swimming and playing.

First boat we owned - note the name!

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Uncle Merk helping Jimmy hold the "fish"

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Jimmy could hardly hold the fish up.

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Jimmy and I caught this one!

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Branson Vacation - '49 Uncle George

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I start fishing really early - these are our neighbors

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White River outside of Hollister

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New House - '49:

We were finally able to buy a house in 1949, just before I was to go into 3rd Grade. We had been living in a duplex since I was born and I had completed 2nd grade. Dad was awarded some money because of his major hand injury - many people tried to get him to invest in Indian Point at Branson, but Dad wanted us to have a home. He had been moved 15 times alone when he was in grade school and he was determined that that would never happen to me.
The two cars you see below were a '48 Buick Roadmaster, dark green and stick shift. The other car is a little yellow and black Crossley ( Dad drove it to work). He tried everything to teach Mom to drive the buick and even sent her to driving school where she passed with flying colors. Now it's hard to imagine my father making a person nervous driving(ha-ha), but he made Mom a wreck. The incident I remember most is when she ran through a red light( I was in the back seat, of course) and Dad ask her why in the h-- she just did that? Her response, " I thought you were going to tell me to do that!"
Well the next day he traided in the buick he loved, and bought an automatic, light blue chevy coupe with an automatic transmission and I don't think she ever drove again with him as a passenger!

Dad's cars - '49

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