The duplex had a long enclosed porch on the front. We had a living room, a pretty decent size bedroom that we three shared, a kitchen that had enough room for a table with four chairs. We had a basement...I use to be scared to death to go downstairs!
Daddy worked for McDonnel aircraft and he made $27.00 a week(I found it recorded in a ledger book after he passed away).
Daddy had a horrible accident a day after I was born...he had all the fingers on his right hand cut off in a sheet metal machine and was in the hospital at the same time Mom was in the hospital. Aunt Winnie came up to St.Louis and really took care of all of us. She worked really hard to help Daddy regain the use of his right hand. I always admired the way he taught himself to use his left hand and he could fix anything mechanical. Dad was the first major accident that happened at McDonnell and eventually he was given a $2,000.00 settlement. He always said that that was the most money he had ever had at one time. There were some of the high ups at work that wanted Daddy to invest that money, but Daddy put it in a savings account and after my second grade year, Mom and Dad were able to use that money as a down payment on a house.
