This bit of Aunt Marie's story is about how she met Uncle Tom and a little of their life together. Enjoy.... Jacque Wood After gradation, I decided to go to summer school at Emporia State Teacher's College. My mother's mother was a schoolteacher and Mamma hoped I would teach. Mamma always felt badly about her lack of education. She knew if her mother had lived that she would have been better educated, although she never criticized her father. She thought he did a good job taking care of all of them. When the summer was over I didn't get a school to teach, so continued on at Emporia for the winter and also the following summer. (She was the oldest female in the household, and had to quit school to help take over some of her mother's chores. JW) In the fall of 1924, I taught in a one-room schoolhouse over in Wichita County. I taught Arnold in the 7th grade, Norma in the 6th, and Tommy in 2nd. (Her siblings. JW) In the fall that year I attended a Teacher's Convention. When I arrived in Scott City by train I didn't have a way to get back to school and my home. A girl I know who said she knew a man who had a Buick, and she bet he would take me home (it was a Sunday). She asked him and it was Tom (Kenyon) who volunteered to take me. She went along but before he left he asked me if I wanted him to come to get me for a weekend. I had a friend, Hazel Schoonover, who had asked me to stay with her whenever I was in town. I liked her and her mother always made me feel so welcome. Tom & I went together that winter, and decided to get married and did so on March 29, 1925. I had given this a great deal of thought, since I was engaged to a professional baseball player. We were to have been married after my school was out. We had met at Emporia when he was in the minor league. (Later I followed his career in the Major Leagues until I didn't see his name anymore). His name was Calhoun Coyle. I had written a letter to him, breaking our engagement. The letter I received in return made me cry, and I kept it in my trunk for a long time. One day Tom got into the trunk and read the letter. Then I burned it. There were other obstacles - the difference in our ages for one. He also had three children: Olivia 15 years, Francis 12, and Tommy soon to be 10. Their mother had been dead for 5 years. I respected and cared a great deal for him. His love for children and the way he had kept the three together against all odds made me really love him. I fully expected to have a large family as my mother had, and wanted a man who would be a good father to them. I could not see following a baseball player around the country with children. Being a stepmother is not easy and we had problems, mostly caused by their mother's people and outsiders. This problem was resolved a few years later, when their mother's parents and I became good friends…I tried very hard to not be angry with them. It was so difficult for them, losing their only daughter and seeing another woman taking over. After being married for two years I decided to go to a school of Cosmetology. It was difficult not having my own money, and my disappointment in not having a baby became almost unbearable. It took me a year, however, to complete a six-month course. I would stay in school a few weeks, then come home and get everything lined out (food, laundry, etc.), then go back to school. I opened and operated a Beauty Shop for 53 years. I loved the work. Many times people would come in depressed, and would leave walking a little more erectly and proudly, although I doubt if they realized it. It was rewarding work. We had been married 8 years. I was 28 years old when God blessed us with a very special gift, our son Larry. He was born April 28, 1933, and has brought me pride and joy. He and his lovely wife Carol have given me three dear grandsons and a darling granddaughter. They in turn have delighted me with great grandchildren. When Larry was a few weeks old, I was playing and talking to him when he cooed. I was so thrilled and hurried to tell Tom. He really laughed and said, "Marie, all babies coo". I was indignant and replied - "Not this young". We had a little fox terrier dog named Tinker. One day when Larry saw Tinker, he waved his arms and said, "Tinker, Tinker". He was six month's old. When I told Tom that he laughed and said "Don't say that to anyone else. You just imagined it". Several nights later he and Tommy came home and Tinker was with them. Larry was sitting on the divan and waving his arms, said, "Tinker, Tinker". I will never forget the look on their faces. They didn't doubt me again. Larry never crawled; he just got up and walked when he was 11 months old. He also said some words and made short sentences at 11 months, such as "See the dog", "See the car", etc. He probably didn't crawl because I kept him in a play pen most of the time. We had oak floors then and they were cold. He was two years old when we had the terrible dust storms. They would come in a black cloud. The dust penetrated everything except the refrigerator. One storm lasted three days. We would just get something out of the refrigerator to eat. It was impossible to cook. One could not see their own porch light. I kept a handkerchief over Larry's nose and mouth. Many had dust pneumonia and lots of livestock died. We were in the Great Depression Era and many of us were fighting to keep from losing our homes. Since the crops were so poor, Tom's business was practically nil. I was giving shampoos and sets for 25 cents and perms for $2.95, and not doing much of either of them. I traded for chickens, milk, and even quilts. Hamburger was 2 lbs. For 25 cents. I bought day old bread and cinnamon rolls for 5 cents a package, coal was 25 cents a sack. We got behind on our payments on our home. We were paying $15.00 per month. The F. H. A. agreed to add what we owed to the principal if we could start paying the $15.00 a month. By that time the economy was beginning to improve. There were many foreclosures but we managed to keep our home. Oliva and Bernard lived in California. Their oldest son, Billy, was three and Gary about 6 months. (Larry was two) when she wanted to come home for a visit. Her in-laws argued that it was dangerous to bring those children to Kansas where there were tornadoes and dust storms. Oliva said, "I lived in Kansas all my life, and California for the past two years. In the past two years I have been in a forest fire, earthquake and flood". Thy had lived through a disastrous flood that had swept away the houses around them, but their little house was left standing. It was a miracle they were saved. While they were here visiting, there were a number of rabbit drives. The rabbits were eating what little crops were left and it was necessary to kill them. We went to one of the drives, but I didn't get out of the car. If I remember correctly - people holding hands would circle to a place located in the center with a wire fence enclosure. They would drive the rabbits into the enclosure, where they would then be killed. This was necessary for the survival of the people in this area. However, I could not stand to see the killing. I can still hear the screams of the rabbits, and would never go on another drive. Teddy (her youngest brother, JW) was born May 27, 1927. Mamma and Dad lived 25 miles out in the country. Their car was broken down when Mamma knew it was time for the baby to arrive. Dad sent Arnold by horseback to a neighbor to bring Mamma to town. Teddy was born in our home and I was thrilled to take care of him until Mamma was up and around. When Dad came in after Teddy was born the doctor said, "Mr. Wood, you have another "Little Splinter". --------------------------------- Don't be flakey. Get Yahoo! 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