Today is my mother's birthday. I got out my calculator to do the arithmetic: a lady born in 1896 turns out to be 111 years old today. As I've said before, imagine that!
As all of you know, both of my parents were teachers. He was born in Hector, Minnesota, and she was born in Glencoe, Minnesota, adjacent towns, but they didn't meet until they were enroute to a teacher's seminar in Winona, Minnesota. There were many of them traveling by train, probably an all-day trip. As my father told it, they met after my mother winked at him as he walked down the aisle. Every time he said that, she would say, I NEVER DID, STOP TELLING PEOPLE THAT. As a little girl, I never knew if she was truly angry, nor did I know if the wink was a fact. I rather doubt it, because he had a tricky look on his face when he said it and I know he enjoyed her mild hysteria. During their five-year engagement while they saved their money in order to marry, they each taught in different one-room schools all across the State. All of his schools were in the far north, close to the border, while hers were closer to home. They both boarded in family homes in the towns where the school was located. My mother told me townspeople considered it an honor for the teacher to choose their homes to live in during the school year. They paid $3 a month for the privilege; so that might be why it was considered an honor. One more memory about this time and then I'll quit. One of the things my mother taught was what she called "deportment." She would have the girls bring prepared food from home in order to have a picnic lunch at the table in the yard. They would set the table, the boys would be seated, and then the girls would serve the food. Afterwards the girls would clean up, and the boys would put the table back to the edge of the grounds, out of the way. While the boys were eating, she would instruct them on good manners -- how to use the silverware, how to drink from the glass, how to use a napkin, how to say please and thank you. While they ate, the girls would stand in attendance behind them to see that they were properly served. Don't you love it? Don't you wish things were still done this way?
I'm all for instructing boys(and girls) on good manners etc but not for girls standing in attendance to the boys. Was there an instance when the boys were in attendance to the girls?
Do love your rememberances. Grandma and Grandpa Tompkins were some fine people.
"Don't you wish things were still done this way?"
I suppose that depends on who you ask. :) And, yes, please keep telling these stories.
ditto, keep telling the stories. better yet, jot them down for future generations.
I had heard before that Grandma stopped teaching school when they married. Correct? When did Grandpa stop teaching?
They both stopped teaching when they married on June 30, 1924. Married women were not permitted to teach at that time, and Grandpa quit teaching in order to start his five-year quest for a law degree at night school. He also worked during the day, but I'm not sure what he was doing. Maybe selling life insurance for Prudential? That was his job as long as I knew him, but I don't know when he started. When Mark, Pat, and Catherine came along in quick order, he quit night school in order to devote his full attention to earning a living. Now that I think of it, that's probably when he started selling insurance. With his analytical mind, he would have made a fabulous attorney and I was always sorry that it never came about.
Please keep the stories coming Aunt Ginnie. It seems that you and your memory are the only ties left to such wonderful memories. Hyder's family can be traced back 500 years, so hearing stories from my side is such a joy for me and my children. They are so proud of their Irish heritage!
I didn't know that Grandpa went to night school for law...I do remember him selling Prudential life insurance. I remember note paper or other objects(calendar maybe?) at their house with the Prudential logo(the rock)on them.