Mildred Ratliff, b. Feb 1911 in Oklahoma, d. July 1998. AKA "Buck", as her father wanted boys so each daughter received his choice of a Son's name. Dau of Joseph "Joe" and Elsie Rogers Ratliff Mildred wanted nothing more than to leave her small corner of Oklahoma after her mother drown, but her father would not allow her to go until she turned 18. Working in the family hotel, she saw many a newspaper left behind by over night guests who were waiting for other trains. One of those newspapers was the Denver Post. Reading it front to back, she decided that was the place for her. On April Fool's Day, 1929 (and she always said "the date was fitting") she packed up her small wicker suitcase. You know the kind with the little flop over latch, held in place by a wooden peg. It contained a dress if you could call it that, as she had said "It really looked more like a sack with holes cut out for my arms and head to peek through". It was her first venture in sewing, which she hated and she used the needle more like a challenging swordsman than a seamstress. Beside her dress she placed her only pair of shoes worth wearing, a few personals and the family photo albums. (Thank Heavens for those photos!!) She wore a light blue home spun shirt and a pair of bib overalls, with some worn out canvas shoes. Her hair was cropped close as she had a habit of taking the scissors and pulling out chunks of hair that would not behave and chopping them off randomly. Such a sight. (The hair cutting Habit stuck even after I learned how to cut her hair myself..) Having the small amount of cash that her mother's insurance had left each of the girls she bought her Train ticket and got on board. There she rode for three days, starving all the way because she had no idea that food could be purchased on the train in the dining car. Thank heavens for a Potter, who noticed she hadn't eaten. He nabbed an apple off a plate that had been left over and gave it too her. She said that was the best apple she ever ate. Once arriving in Denver she went straight way to the YWCA as instructed by one of the gamblers who frequented her father's gambling tables. There for a few dollars she received a shared room, and a meal once a day. After meeting her room mate, and the gal finding out she had a few dollars left to spend, she enticed her to pay their way into the picture show. Al Jolson. It was the very first time Mildred had ever seen a movie with sound. She was so exhausted from her trip she fell asleep, but she will never forget that what she did see of it was bigger than life and louder too. Kelly ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]