A Little Bird Told Us

A Little Bird Told Us (1)

Corresponds to cover of A Little Bird Told Us

A Little Bird Told Us (2)

Corresponds to title page of A Little Bird Told Us


By Eskham and Ethel Hayes


Community Library

Sunbury , Ohio

1995

A Little Bird Told Us (3)

Corresponds to photo of the authors of " A Little Bird Told Us"


Ethel & Eskham
1992

A Little Bird Told Us (4)

Corresponds to Preface of "A Little Bird Told Us "


Preface

In April 1995, I started a program at the Community
Library called 'For Our Children's Children' using Bob
Greene's book, To Our Children's Children, as a guide. many
members of the community were asked to come to the library,
pick up a copy of the book and begin a tour down memory
lane.

Eskham and Ethel Hayes attended that meeting and when
it was over they were still sitting with their heads
together discussing his first Valentine of which she knew
nothing. Thus the journey began.

Monthly, Eskham and Ethel attended an open discussion
group to help trigger the memories and erase the fears of
committing them to paper. It has been a long process as
their notebooks traveled to the library to be input into the
computer, to the Hayes' household for editing, back to the
library for computer corrections, etc.

You are holding the end result of a seven month labor
of love. You have a rich family heritage and I hope this
will start each of you on your own journey as you continue
the tradition.


Enjoy!

Polly Horn
Community Library
Director

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Ancestors


Ethel's Grandparents

Great, Great Grandfather Samuel Gilmore was born
at sea 8 days before landing from Ireland. Grandmother
Nancy Stephens married Andrew Rich March 1860. They
had one daughter, Ella Rich. Grandmother then married
Samuel Gilmore who had two children, Wesley, and Sade.
They had daughters, Mary Elizabeth Jane and Louisa
Belle. Twin boys died at birth.

My mother's mother lived on Frambes Avenue in
Columbus. She and my aunt took in students as roomers
to make their living. I never enjoyed going there
because I always had to be quiet.

My grandmother had a piano and I really wanted to play
it but I had to be quiet because grandmother was old
(she was 86 at death) and I couldn't disturb the students
that might be studying.

I did enjoy sitting on the front porch and swinging while
I watched the people go by.

My grandmother always wore a black or dark dress and
always a lace trimmed black bonnet. She had one with no
lace that she wore at night.

My grandmother Gilmore was always known for being
very frank. She only said what she thought regardless
who was around.

When I was a small girl she was at our new home
one time and a couple came to buy sheep from my Father.


Pictured top right is Nancy Rich Gilmore Ethel's Grandmother


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The man went to see the sheep and the lady was invited
in the house. She had on riding britches and when she
sat down she tried to wrap her coat around her legs and
my grandmother said, " I think I would try to cover them
up too."

When my parents were first married my father
didn't like fat meat and she told him he would see the
day that he would be glad to have a piece of fat meat.

Another saying of hers was that she told my father
that any woman could and would be a good cook if she
had plenty of supplies to run to.

I have been told I am like my grandmother Gilmore
because some times I speak and then listen.

My grandmother Gilmore died when I was in the 4th
grade. And I remember going to Monroe County to her
funeral. We went by car as far as Quaker city and from
there to the cemetery we rode in buggies. The road was
nothing but mud. I don't remember riding in buggies
before we got a car. Our first car was an Overland
Sedan. It had side curtains you put on if it rained or
in the winter time. I can remember they used to leave
one curtain off in winter time or I would get sick. We
didn't go much in the wintertime.

When he completed the local school, my Father went
to Lebanon, Ohio, and took a six weeks course. He
passed his test and he went back to Calais and was
hired to teach in a one room school. I think he was
paid $15 a month, walked 5 miles to school. He was
janitor as well as teacher.

My mother just attended the local school.


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Ed's Great-Grandparents

The story has been passed down through the years
is that Bazeal's real family name is Hohimer. His
father suppossingly died and his mother brought
his sister and him to Kentucky from Virginia. Then she
married Isaac Hayes who reared Bazeal. Bazeal was born
March 28, 1806, but no other record has been found.

Bazeal Hayes 1806-1877
1. Married Sarah Pack in 1825.
Had 13 children in 25 years. Sarah died
in 1849. He was without a wife 3 1/2
months.

2. Married Ardelia Bowling in 1850 when she
was 14 years old.
They had 14 children including one set
of twins, Walter and Matthew.

Bazeal Hayes is buried between his two wives in
George Creek Cemetery in Kentucky above Charley on a
hill above Mary Church. EB and I along with Jeffery
Stimmel and Ralph Boggs visited the grave.

His second wife, Ardelia has to be admired for accepting
such responsibilities. Three of his children were married,
two were older and one the same age as she, one was only
two. She was mother to 10 when she got married. In the first
four years she had two pregnancies that ended in miscarriages.
Then she had eleven more. Her last child was born when Ardelia
was 42 and Bazael was 71 years old. This child only lived 5 months.

There was one set of twins.


Pictured lower left is Ardelia Hayes Bazeal Hayes' wife Eskham's Great -
grandmother


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They were not identical, Walter and Matthew.

She told EB's Aunt Eva that her grandmother Ardelia told her
Walter came first and the doctor said, "there is another one
and I laughingly told him I don't want it." The twin named Walter
was Eskham's Grandfather.

Walter Hayes (12-6-1865 to 8-23-1930)
married on 3-19-1885
Sarah Frances Daniels (3-25-1867 to 1-6-1932)
1. Linzie Hayes (2-6-1886 to 7-18-1972)
Married
Maude Preston (1-24-1886 to 9-16-1973)
2. Bazeal (Bas) Hayes (5-27-1888 to 10-24-1965)
Married
Amanda Alice Ramey (6-20-1890 to 7-11-1862)
3. Eva Hayes (3-10-1893 to 5-25-1985)
Married
South Dixon (5-8-1889 to 3-24-1957)


Pictured top right Walter Hayes (twin) Eskham's grandfather


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Ethel's Family


Mordecia Harvey Warner 9-5-1871 to 3-25-56
Married 8-31-1892
Louisa Belle Gilmore 4-17-1874 to 6-28-36
1. Mildred Elvira Warner (5-23-1895 to 7-11-1907).
Burned to death when 12.
2. Rodney Johnson Warner, twin (9-16-1897 to 12-11-1969).
Married 9-9-1920,
Esther Mae Winget( 5-6-1893 to 4-17-1983)
2. Roger Barton Warner, twin, (9-16-1897 to 11-20-1983).
Married on 1-2-1920
a. Jessie Von McAdams (8-31-1900 to 6-12-1936)
Married on 12-21-1940
b. Gladys Marie Jacoby (11-21-1898 to 2-5-1988)
3. Thurman Gilmore Warner (5-20-1902 to 12-29-1982)
Married on 10-31-1921
Josephine Olney Woodward (11-26-1906 to 2-6-1986).
4. James Hubert Warner (11-5-1904 to 9-26-1988)
Married on 6-20-1929
Helen Louise Borst (4-9-1904 to 1-6-1984).


Pictured is Harvey Warner, Ethel's Father 1938.

Louisa Warner, Ethel's Mother 1931.


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5. Hildred Harvey Warner (7-22-1908 to 12-30-1991)
Married on 11-26-1932
Helen Rhuemilla Arthur (4-8-1910 to 3-19-1995)
6. Shirley Ethel Warner (6-29-1913 - )
Married on 9-4-1937

Eskham Bas Hayes 10-24-1911 to - )


Ethel's Parents Before Marriage

Pictured at left is Louisa Belle Gilmore, Ethel's mother.

Pictured at right is Harvey Warner and Louisa Gilmore.


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Ethel's Parents Wedding Picture

Pictured is Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Warner


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Eskham's Family


I. Bazeal (Bas) Hayes 95-27-1888 to 10-24-1965)
Married
Amanda Alice Ramey (6-20-1890 to 7-11-1862)
A. Walter Douglas Hayes (8-6-1908 to 9-3-1977)
Married on 11-3-1928
Charlotte Rhoads (10-21-1909 - )
B. Aubrey Hayes (10-9-1909 - 12-7-1995)
Married 10-21-1939
Julia Ann Smee (3-11-1920 - )
C. Eskham Bas Hayes (10-24-1911 - )
Married 9-4-1937
Shirley Ethel Warner (6-29-1913 - )


Our Family


a. Mary Louisa (6-12-1938 - )
Married on 8-10-1958
Kenneth Mackley (7-20-1938 - )
b. Alice Maxine (6-23-1939 - )
Married on 8-30-1959
Jack Leroy Stimmel (11-12-1935 - )


Pictured is Amanda Alice Hayes, Eskham's mother.


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c. Eskham Bas Jr. (7-31-1944 - )
Married on 5-22-1970
Clarice Jeane Disbennett (5-22-1949 - )
d. Shirley Juanita (8-20-1945 - )
Marred on 9-6-1964
a. Michael Lee McMullen (11-24-1944 - )
Married on 4-5-1986
b. Patrick M. McFadden (11-25-1946 - )


Eskham's Family


Pictured is the Hayes family - Eskham, Aubrey, Walter, Mother and Father


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Eskham and Ethel Remember

I have very poor memories of grandparents. all
I remember of my father's father was going back to his
funeral. Rodney carried me upstairs to see My Aunt
Jennie who was bedfast. they wanted me to talk to her
thru a funnel connected to a tube and she had the other
end of the tube in her ear. She was very hard of
hearing. I wouldn't talk to her. I don't remember
even seeing my Grandfather. I remember being at
Grandmother's once and she was preparing a chicken.
She washed the chicken with soapy water to be sure it
was clean. The when she cut it up she pulled the
lining from the intestines and fried them in a skillet
until they were real crisp. They sure were good.
Eskham had fond memories of visiting all of his
grandparents. His grandfather Hayes fell from the back
of a pick-up truck and was killed.

His grandfather Remy lived in southern Ohio. We
visited him when the girls were about 2 and 3. He had
a lot of black hair, snappy black eyes and was 6 feet
tall. He asked EB to go to the garden with him and
tell him what was wrong with his ground. His sweet
potatoes were so large the ground was cracked about the
ridges. They were sure good sweet potatoes.

At that visit I admired a beautiful small pedestal
cake plate that was in his cupboard. He gave it to me.

We went down to buy some sorghum molasses and
Grandfather took us to a neighbor to see some. He
said it wasn't good because it had a "farewell taste".
So we wet to another neighbor and bought 25 gallons.
Of course, we shared it with my brothers.

My father joined the Church of Christ when young.
It was a church that didn't believe in instrumental


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music although they did a lot of singing. My mother
was raised a Methodist. Mother always said they didn't
like my grandparents to be together because they always
argued religion or politics. The Warners were
Democrats and the Gilmores Republicans and they were of
different religions. There was only one church in
Woodstock. It was Universalist. My dad didn't like
that but Mother always encouraged me to attend the
Sunday School.

I wasn't until after we were married and had our
children that our family was baptised as a unit and EB
and I joined the Methodist Church in Sunbury. I think
we joined in 1950 and have been active ever since. The
children went thru confirmation classes and joined
later.

I always told everyone that it was tough to be
raised by 5 older brothers. They were different
personalities but I adored them all.

Four of them were OSU graduates and all were
school teachers at the same time. R.B. and R.J. became
School superintendents. J.H, left teaching and
became a County Agent. J. H. later became a beef
specialist at O.S.U. R. B. was the first to combine
Agriculture and Superintendent. H.H. left teaching and
worked as a Armour meat salesman.

T. G. quit school during his senior year because he
got married. Josephine was a freshman. Thurman and
Josephine weren't permitted to finish school because
they were married. Josephine was an only child born
after her father and sister died. She was raised by
her mother and grandmother. Thurman and Josephine had
13 children, one died at 8 months. Thurman always
farmed with our Father until he moved to Utica.
Josephine was very active in club work and could do all
kinds of handiwork. They came to Florida to visit us


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one time and she taught me to 'tat' after I learned to
tie many knots.

I think for the knowledge of my grandchildren I would
like to include the story of my sister. She was the first child
my mother and Father had. She was a very pretty 'red
headed girl' named Mildred Elvira. She was 2 1/2 when
my twin brothers were born so she acted as their babysitter.

When she was 12 1/2 Mildred was putting wood into the cook
stove. The sticks were put in from the front and as she opened
the door flames came out and caught her hair and dress on fire.
She ran out the door and Rodney (only 10) ran after her
and rolled her on the ground. Doctors did all they
could to help her and she lived 21 days. I am sure
with the new medicines we have today she might have
recovered.

Hubert was a baby when this happened. Hildred was
born a year and 11 days later. Hildred is used for
either boy or girl and that was near as they could
come to Mildred. My brother Hildred was always
disgusted whenever he got mail from some girls' school
or cosmetic company.

The fact that I was a girl when I arrived 5 years
later made them happy.


Pictured is Mildred Warner, Ethel's sister.


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In the Beginning . . .

The morning I was born my twin brothers were sent
on horseback to notify the doctor. When the doctor
left he asked my Dad what he was going to call me. He
said, "Nancy Jane." About the time of our 25th wedding
anniversary, we were required to get our Social
Security numbers. When I sent for our birth
certificates, I found that Shirley Ethel didn't exist.
My father was still living and Juanita was working at
the State office so we got it straightened out. My
mother has told it took two weeks to settle on my
name.

EB's birth certificate was messed up, too, but he
got his corrected. We didn't need them for marriage.
It was just a government ruling. We told the children
we had 4 illegitimate kids before we got our names
straightened out!

Pictured are Eskham B. Hayes (1911) on the left and
Shirley Ethel Warner (1913) on the right.


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My childhood time was spent in Woodstock. We
moved there when I was 2 1/2.

I remember going to a Red Cross auction during
World War I and I rode on my father's shoulders.

I don't remember my brothers being in the service,
but they were on the train from Columbus to enter the
war when it ended. They had their basic training in
Columbus and were on their way to Chillicothe for the
army assignment.

I remember my twin brothers coming home from OSU
and there was always candy, peanuts or gum in their
pockets for me.

At that time I wearing high top laced shoes
and I always made them tie them for me.

Thurman was the one that usually walked me to
school. We lived in the last house that didn't get to
ride the wagon. When the water was high under the
bridge (RR) Thurman would ride with me on Ole Bill.

I walked past an open field and when the snow was
blowing it was just like pins being stuck into my legs.
The area between my shoes and coat even hurt today when
I see the snow blowing.

Just before my mother's birthday, I was in
Claypool and Weist store at Woodstock with Thurman. I
saw a beautiful purse I was sure my Mother would love
to have. It was gold rim clasp and a gold chain handle. It
was made from a blue flowered silk lined with pink. It
was so pretty I just had to have it for Mother. Father
had Thurman take me back and get it. Mother was
pleased but it matched my dress more than hers so she
asked me to carry it. It really was a child's purse
but I still remember how pretty it was.

Eskham has a very vivid picture that he remembers
as a child, 5 yrs. old. When they visited the neighbor
the picture scared him. Mr. and Mrs. Bidwell were


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quite old. This picture was depicting the end of the
world. It seemed to be a big roller rolling over
people and holes filled with fire. He never liked the
picture.

His family was husking corn across from their
house when they heard all the bells ringing. That was
the announcement of the end of World War I.

One fall day seven of EB's friends became
disgusted with school and everything so the boys
decided to go west. They followed the tracks beyond
Bush Lake and no slow freight car came by. Eskham
suggested to the boys they should wait until warm
weather because they weren't dressed for cold weather.
They returned home. A few months later, a couple of
the boys left.

Kenneth Smith was my neighbor. He was a year
younger than me. He used to carry a sack of hard tack
candy in his pocket. I have eaten many a piece that he
had sucked the outside coating from.

This same Kenneth used a match to look in their
gas tank to see if they needed gas. Needless to say,
his face and hair were badly burned. My older brothers
and Kenneth's older brother used to give us pennies if
we would kiss each other. Those kisses didn't mean a
thing to us. Kenneth Smith was killed in one of the
first battles in WWII.

The smiths owned a yellow car. It was the first I
ever rode in. My dad hired Mr. Smith to take my
grandmother and us to the Ohio Caverns. I got sick but
I always said I got sick because the car was yellow.

The first car I remember my Father had was an
Overland with side curtains you buttoned on in winter.

Eskham' s first automobile ride was with Dr. Baker
from Mechanicsburg, Ohio, to Mount Carmel Hospital when
he was 4 years old. He was operated on for
appendicitis. His mother stayed with him. His mother



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passed out and they brought her something to drink.
When she smelled it she came to but refused to drink
it. EB has a scar about 8 inches where they did the
surgery.

Eskham remembers another time when he was quite
small that his mother had unbuttoned the back door of
his underwear and he was running down the path to their
outdoor toilet and an old gander tried to take a
"chunk" out of his backside. He had a bruised place
for a long time.

EB made his first money by beating rugs, mowing
yard or weeding a garden. You might get paid 50c for
beating a rug or mowing a yard. He earned money
picking cherries or grapes. His older brothers were
working at a factory in town. The factory canned green
beans and tomatoes. The first time he picked beans
with his brothers the boss paid him the same as the
others. This made him happy.

He started delivering the Columbus Dispatch all
over town. He had to meet the train at 6:06 where the
papers were thrown off. He sold the papers for 2c. He
got 3/4 of a cent for delivering the paper.

In the fall when he was entering the eighth grade,
he helped O. P. Smith pick up potatoes that he had
plowed out. That evening Mr. Smith asked him if he
would like to learn to work in the store. He worked
there for the next 5 years. He was paid $5 a week. In
the summer you open store at 7 and close at 9:30 p.m.
During school you opened, returned at noon so the boss
could go eat, and then back after school. At that time
gasoline was 15c, kerosene 8c, bread 9c, round steak
25c per lb., 4 1/2 lbs. sugar 25c. When he was in high
school, the kids, (including me) always liked to buy
candy from him. He passed it out by "handfuls" rather
than weighing. For 2 or 3 pennies you could get a
couple handfuls of the best square fruit drops.


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The store keeper was not so generous. EB has seen
him weigh out crackers and he would break one in two to
make the scale balance.

This was a General Store that sold dry goods,
shoes, tools, groceries, gasoline. One of the most
embarrassing experiences in the store. A young married
lady came in asked for something and he went behind
the counter and got out a box of girl's bloomers. She
was embarrassed too, because she was asking for
balloons. This was a store where the clerk got every
item you wanted and brought it to the counter.

A short time after graduating from High School, EB
cashed in on an insurance policy and bought a small
meat market in Woodstock. He lost it because he gave
credit to too many people and they couldn't pay.

During the summer between the junior and senior
year he told Mr. Smith he could get a job on the R. R.
for $3 a day where he was only making $5 a week. He
worked on the R.R. until school started. He said it
toughened him up for the F.B. team The RR was laying
new track through Woodstock.

He worked at the grain elevator, unloading grain
from farmers and unloading coal. It was during the
depression and carloads of coal were shipped in and it
was his job to unload. All done by hand with the use
of a shovel. And the lazy bums that were receiving the
coal sat uptown in the warmth and then came down for
free coal. Made about $7 a week.

Then he started working on the fence gang with his
Dad. He was paid $7 a week plus room and board. And
on it you worked from "sunup to sun down." They
worked from "can see to can't see". They built fences
all over the county for an Insurance company. It was
the Northwestern Life Ins. on farms that they had
foreclosed on during depression 1931-32.
It was woven wire fence with board fence around


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the barn lot. Some line fences were 1000 rods long.
Some days, EB would dig 100 post holes and Aubrey (his
brother) would follow him and tamp the poles in.

In 1933 he started operating the drug store for
Ruby Clark in Woodstock. Paid $8 a week. Did
everything -- open and closing.

While in the drug store he put together a radio-
transmitter kit and he would tell his friend who was
coming in and then the friend would call them by name
and all the people would see was a small box on the
counter and couldn't understand how they could talk to
them.

Before I started to school someone put on a Tom
Thumb Wedding. E.B. and I both were in it but I didn't
know him. Eskham sang a duet at the wedding. He was
John McCormick, a great singer. He sang "I Want to
Live in Loveland" with Dorothy Martin who became a very
talented singer. James Kimball was in the wedding,
too, and when they served us little dishes of ice
cream, James didn't get a spoon so he held his dish up
and licked it from the dish. His mother was very
embarrassed.

In December 1922, Mother and I went to Rodney's to
care for Esther when their son James was born. Rodney
was teaching school in Linden, in the north edge of
Columbus.

When we arrived I found sitting in a chair the
most beautiful doll you have ever seen. It was a ma-ma
doll, had painted hair and patent leather shoes. She
was beautiful. Esther made a dress for the doll which
she still wears.

Many years later after I quit playing with dolls
it was stored away upstairs. One Christmas I decided
I'd like to have the doll down stairs so I brought her
down and she was so cold I placed her close to the
heating store. Before long we heard a loud crack and


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her head split. It was a big crack across her forehead
and down her face.

I didn't play much with her after that but she was
so precious to me I wouldn't let my own daughters play
with her for fear her head would come apart.

She lays on my closet shelf and whenever I see her
foot hang down, I get a little thrill about how happy
my brother Rodney made me with one of the first ma-ma
dolls.

My brother Thurman had one question he never
failed to ask me when we were in a group together.
"What is that dirty spot on your hose?" My hose were
alright, it was a brown birthmark on the inside of my
left leg. Mother said when she first saw it, it looked
like a freckle about the size of a pin head. Now it is
about 1/2 X 3/4 inches. It has never bothered me.

When I was quite small, perhaps 3, my cousin,
Louise Hagedorn, who was a milner made me a hat and she
put a bow with long streamers on the back. It made my
hat very stylish but Mother thought they were too long
for a little girl so she cut them off and greatly
disappointed my cousin.

During World War I there was an epidemic of
influenza . EB's family were all sick and couldn't take
care of each other. A neighbor lady about twice a week
cooked a pot of oatmeal and set it on the back steps
for them. For years none of them would eat oatmeal.

My home was in southeastern Ohio where I was born.
My family moved to Woodstock when I was little past
two. My mother told me one time that one of the main
reasons for them to move so far was because where they
lived everybody was related to each other and she
didn't want the boys to marry cousins. The twins were
about 18 or 19 years old.

When EB was a small child he was riding on a buggy
with his mother. She was driving a horse named "Gyp".


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He could hardly wait to get his harness on so he could
run. His mother stopped the buggy real fast and EB
fell out over the front of the buggy and his head
landed in the spokes of the wheel. He said his mother
really talked nice to Gyp to get him to stand still so
she could get out and rescue him from the wheel or it
would have broken his neck.

Another time his mother took the three boys out of
school and they walked about 4 miles to the train and
went to Kentucky. They stayed about two weeks and came
back on the train.

I remember when our house was being wired for
electricity. It was such a thrill to turn a light on
at the bottom of the stairs and then run up and turn it
off. They use to tell me I was going to wear the
carpeting out going back and forth turning the light.

Then when we moved to Sunbury there wasn't any
electricity through the county. So we had our own
Delco plant that generated our electricity. Whenever I
washed or ironed, I had to start the motor and have it
run all the time. Then in March R.E.A. came thru and
we hooked up with it.

Eskham used to wire some of the houses in
Woodstock. He talked about stepping thru the ceiling light in
of one house when he was putting the ceiling lights in.

EB was always interested in flying. He took a
ride one Sunday in a "barn storming plane." That was
what they called a plane that would land in a field and
take people up for a ride. He really had something to
tell at sharing in school. The plane crashed in the
afternoon after his ride in the morning!

When he was in school he took a correspondence
course for aviation. After he graduated he took some
flying lessons in Columbus. The first time he was up
the teacher asked him if he had flown before. He told
him he had only book knowledge. After we were married,


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he couldn't afford any more lessons.

Eskham remembers his first valentine. He was in
the first grade and it came from a French girl. Her
father spoke very poor English. He said he remembers
her as a very sweet little girl.

The night EB graduated form the eighth grade, he
walked Dorothy Smith home and before she went in the
house she gave him a big "smooch." The next morning
she came into the store early and he chased her and
gave her a couple more. This was his bosses' daughter.

Rodney and Esther were married in Chillicothe. I
got to be the ring bearer. I was only 6 years old. I
went down with Rodney a couple days early. It was a
long car ride. Mother packed us sandwiches but I got
hungry and had to eat before we got very far from home.
It was September 9th and Esther's folks had Concord
grapes. They couldn't keep me out of them.

Mother made me a yellow organdy dress with lots of
ruffles. She said everytime she wanted me to try it on
for a fitting, I would be out with the boys who were
helping Father build a large barn. One time they
called her out to see me. I was sitting straddle on
the cone of the barn. Of course one of the boys was in
the back holding me.

They taught me how to go down the isle but I went
so slow they let me get almost clear down before they
started. After the wedding, they had a sit-down dinner
and I guess I never had eaten where they served the
meal in courses. I was sitting by my Mother and as
soon as we sat down I saw the small dishes of
appetizers and I looked up at Mother and asked if that
was all we were going to have to eat. She really was
embarrassed.

One year when I was quite small I went to the Ohio
State Fair with my folks. Mother and I were looking
around in a building that was wall-to-wall people . I


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got lost from Mother. I started to cry and a policeman
came up and asked what was wrong. When I told him, he
promised he would help find her. It wasn't long until
we found each other. Mother always told me that
policeman were there to help and not to be afraid of
them. I always tried to tell my children that they are
friends and not to be afraid of them.

When my brothers were to come home on weekends in
the summertime, someone always prompted me to take up a
collection so we could make ice cream. That was
always a special treat that we all enjoyed on hot
summer evenings.

We used to have an ice box which had an insulated
box at the top that we could store ice in and keep the
lower part cool for our butter and milk. We didn't
have ice all the time because it was expensive and we
could take our things to the basement by the well to
keep them cool. And I really hated the trip to the
basement because I had to go down the steps and back
around them into another room where the well was. And
our basement had an outside door into that room and I
never liked to go there.

These iceboxes had a pan under them to collect the
water as the ice melted. Those pans usually ran over
before we thought to empty them. When we were married
EB cut a hole in the floor and put a funnel in it to
catch the water and I never had to empty another pan of
water.

My dad and I had an automobile accident between my
freshman and sophomore year. We had gone to eastern
Ohio and brought back crates of blackberries. The
crash caused the windshield to break and hit me in the
face. I was taken to Grant Hospital and the doctor
used 150 stitches across my face. He said he matched
the freckles. He said he laid my nose back on my


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forehead to sew it together underneath. I have very
little scar. While I was lying on the ground waiting
for the ambulance, some woman said, "Her jugular vein
was cut." That scared me but it didn't hurt. For
years whenever I got real tired the scar would show.
The doctor who did my surgery was killed in a hunting
accident about a month after my accident.

Eskham and I were in school from the third grade on.
We only had 8 in our graduation class. We always had
fun in school but always as friends. At our baccalaureate,
the eight of us could sit in one church pew. I was between
Eskham and Edgar Borst and all thru the service they
kept bumping me with their elbows and sniffing, trying to
make me cry - as the girls usually did. But I was determined
not to. I played the piano for our school activities.

I belonged to an orchestra that played during the summer.
We practiced in the evening. I drove to practice by myself and
just as I left town EB jumped up from the back seat where he had
hidden. Said he just wanted a ride home. I let him out at his
house. We weren't dating but we always had fun together.


Pictured at right is Eskham B. Hayes , Graduation 1931.

Picture at lower left is Shirley E. Warner, Graduation 1931.


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Picture of the Woodstock Football Team - 1927
Eskham in back row 4th from right.
His brothers, Walter and Aubrey,
2 and 4 from right in front row.

When we were in school we only had about fifty in
our high school. The football team only had about 16
players. In 1928 they played the Urbana team as their
last game for the season. Woodstock team had had an
undefeated team. They won the game with three Hayes
boys playing in the back field. Aubrey, was
quarterback, Walter was left half, and EB was right
half. They had only six helmets and old suits about 10
years old and very little padding. EB never wore a
helmet. The Urbana team was a county seat town. They
had new uniforms. At their games the Woodstock coach
never sent any plays in. The quarterback called all
the plays. Coach sat on the sideline and watched.

I wasn't permitted to stay and watch the ball
games because my brothers played. Hubert and Thurman
both got injured and I cried when they took them to the
hospital. Mother never wanted me to watch the games.





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I only stayed after school for the games if I worked at
the popcorn stand.

While working at the store, they ground their own
hamburg. EB's folks sent down a bucket full of pork to
be run through the grinder. Instead of using the wood
plunger to force the meat down, EB was in a hurry and
was feeding it by hand. When he was about half
through, he got his finger caught and it took off the
end. Dick Lincoln took him to Lewisburg to get it
stitched. His Dad wouldn't eat any of the sausage.

EB one Monday morning in school told about taking
an airplane ride. Everytime he saw planes taking up
riders if he had enough to pay the charge he went. One
year he took three rides. He said they only put enough
gas in to run for a specific time. (That was so if they
crashed there wouldn't be too much extra gas.) The gas
was strained through a "shamy" cloth to take all
foreign objects out.

Before Hubert and Helen were married, he bought
her a beautiful dresser set of a comb, brush, and
mirror. I thought it was so very pretty and I was just
16 and I thought how romantic to be given such a nice
gift from your boyfriend. I was permitted to help him
wrap it an put on a bow but I was pledged to secrecy.

Hubert always said he started to go with Helen so
she would pass me from the 5th grade. She was E.B.'s
and my fifth grade teacher. I don't think it helped
because he didn't start until April and school was out
in May.

When I was about 13 or 14, I wanted a wrist watch.
That was all I talked about and all I asked for for
Christmas. When Hubert came home from college for
Christmas, he brought a blue velvet box about five
inches square and put it with our Christmas things. I
was sure I had my watch. I was told I couldn't open it
until morning. The next morning I got up real early


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and opened my watch. It was a watch all right but one
he had bought at the 10¢ store for a child's play
watch. I went back to bed and cried and Mother came in
and talked to me. Hubert was in college and money was
scarce and Hubert had planned it as a joke. When I
showed up at the breakfast table I showed them my new
watch and I wore it for days.

But many years later when he came to Florida to
visit Eskham and I, he brought me another blue velvet
box and this time it contained a lovely gold watch.

It was a very eventful time when my first nephew
was born. I was eight years old. Jessie was living
with us while RB finished college. One evening
Josephine and Thurman asked me to go home with them and
stay all night at Josephine's mother's. The next day I
went to school as usual but the boys Hubert and Hildred
waited and walked home with me. I was only in the
third grade and usually I couldn't keep up with them
because they walked too fast. They started telling me
about some thing special at home. Of course I guessed
everything and finally decided they had made fudge the
night before and it was put in the back bedroom to
cool. When we got home, I went to the back bedroom and
there was my little nephew Paul. I've always kidded him that I
was disappointed because I didn't get the fudge.


When I was keeping house for my brother RB, his son Paul
had a paper route. He would usually come in the back door and
drop his paper carrier right down inside the door by the
window. I got tired of picking it up and walking about 5 steps
to hang it in the basement hallway. So I


Photo of Ethel and Eskham in 1937.


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warned him if I had to pick it up again, I would toss
it out the backdoor. About the third time he picked it
up out of the snow, he learned that he could hang it up
himself.

After my folks moved from Woodstock to Sunbury, I
got to drive to Woodstock and then on to Champaign Co.
Fair. I stopped at the drug store and saw EB. He
couldn't get away right then from the drug store so I
went on to the fair and he came as soon as he could get
someone to take over. There was a plane there taking
up rides. He finally convinced me to go up with him
and two other boy friends. The boys kept holding the
paper sack for me because they were sure I would get
sick but I was determined that I wouldn't. And I didn't.

Eskham and I dated for a month between our junior
and senior year. He had been jilted by his girl friend
at a last day of school party. So that night he called
me and we went to Mechanicsburg to see a show. We had
a few more dates and he went back to his old girl
friend.

Eskham always carried candy bars in his coat
pocket at school. Miriam Turner used to take them out
and then we ate them. I never took any out but I
helped eat them.

He finally broke up with his girl and two days
before he was 21 he called me and asked me to go to a
midnight show in Urbana. I accepted, which surprised
him because he thought I was very involved with another
guy. That night before the show, we stopped in at
Islays in Urbana and got a big ice cream cone.Then we
went together 5 years before we got married. We spent
most of our time dating at home because my mother
was bedfast and it upset her so if I left home.

The reason he hesitated to call me was because he
thought I was very involved with some else and I


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wasn't. Everett had brought up his mother's diamond
ring and wanted me try it on to see how near it fit,
and I refused to even try it on because I knew I wasn't
going to get involved.

I never liked the way Everett talked about his
father and his sister-in-law. I visited his house
about three times, was there for 2 dinners and I was
never permitted to see into the kitchen. Everitt had a
baby grand piano and played the violin. We did enjoy
our music together.

When I was a freshman, we had county Music
Contest. At that time I was taking piano lessons from
Mr. Synder, our music teacher. This contest consisted
of vocal , male and female, duets, trios, and chorus and
piano solo. He gave the piano solo to the Senior and
Junior girls but they refused because it was so
difficult He brought it to my lesson one night and
told me to work on it and if I could master it I could
play in the contest. It was Beethoven's "Moonlight
Sonata". My dad even bought a recording so I could
play with it. I really worked and I won the contest.
It was a surprise to the others that played. I also
played the piano for our school orchestra.

I entered 4-H when I was 9 and I continued every
year in sewing and cooking. I got a lot of A's on my
sewing. I was also in the calf club. You had to lead
your steer in the show. I admit I didn't do much of
the feeding but I could always handle them in the show
ring. I had one angus that was a real kicker. When we
showed at Cleveland everyone had to show his own
unattended. The only way you could keep this angus
from kicking was hit him on the nose with a knot in the
rope. I am sure his nose was sore when the show was
over. He was 14 out out of about 100. I am sure he would
have ranked higher if he would have behaved. I had a
Hereford named Chubby that was Reserve Champion at


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Ohio State Fair. He was only about 5th in the
Cleveland Show in November. One year our club took our
calves to Buffalo to the show. We had a charted
train and everybody went together. These trips to
Cleveland and Buffalo were lot of fun. One year we had
our steer sale in Urbana and we took a trip to Chicago to
the World Fair.

I remember at the World's Fair a group of us weren't used
to the big event. We went in one place to get a coke. It
was "Ben and Bernie's Band" and the cover charge was $4.
We left real quick before the waitress came to take our
order.

I continued in 4-H work until I became an advisor.
I was leader several years while at Woodstock and then
at Ashley and on to Sunbury when our girls were old
enough. I put in 20 years and then quit. Whenever I
see any of my 4-H girls today, they remember our motto
"Rip with a smile."

While attending our school '64 alumni banquet one
lady came up and said I was her first 4-H leader and we
had made an apron and tea towel.

When I was in 4-H I always took cooking, sewing,
and calf club. One year we had to give demonstrations.
Winifred Clark and I won our local by making an angel
food cake. Of course we had to practice a lot and it
was a lot of fun. Then when in high school every rime


Pictured above is Champion Chubby and Ethel.


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we had a picnic. I was always asked to bake a an angel
food cake. We didn't have mixes then.
When Shirley was in high school she was in a cherry pie
baking contest. She used Mary Ellen Miller's recipe
for her crust. She even went to state level. Everyone
enjoyed her pies because she always had to practice.
Now she says she only bakes them when she knows her
Father is going to be there.

After graduation I attended Urbana Junior College
for two years. During my second year my mother became
bedfast and I stayed home to take care of her. I was
starting to become a teacher.

Mother was bedfast for about four years and I was
her full time nurse. She got so couldn't get her
breath when she laid down but she couldn't sit in a
chair. The relief she got was when we were
sitting on the the bed and let her lean against us.

After mother died my brothers wanted me to go back
to college but I didn't want to. I wanted to get
married but I didn't for 15 months.

While EB was operating his meat market in
Woodstock, I would ago to town to get groceries and, of
course, I wanted an excuse to get to talk to him but
some of the other girls that always hung around the
drug store would see me go in so I never had "time
alone".

One day he showed me a centerfold of a magazine of
a girl putting "Ethyl" gasoline into her car. The
caption was "You get better compression with high test
Ethyl gasoline." He called me "High Test" and it
wasn't long until that stuck as my nickname.

Eskham was always called "Ikey" when he left it
there. I never called him Ikey.

Eskham says he was always a good boy when he was
young but he laughs about how mad the mayor of our town


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used to get at some of the boys. They probably ignored
the stop signs and EB said he drove his car on the
sidewalks one night. And then they would wait for a
light to turn red and if nobody was coming they would
drive there. There was never much traffic in
Woodstock.

After high school I attended Urbana Junior College
for two years. I was taking courses headed for a
teaching career like my brothers. I drove from
Woodstock to Urbana about 15 miles each way. Claudine
Dunham attended and rode with me. Coming home one day,
my car stopped and I pulled in at a farmhouse. The man
looked at my car and said it was the fan belt. He had
a car just like mine, a Dodge. He took the fan belt
from his car, put it on mine and told me to bring his
back the next morning. He didn't know me and I didn't
know him but he said he had seen me go past night and
morning and he trusted me. Times have changed.

At final graduation at Urbana Junior College,
Clandine was graduated from the 2 year college. I
didn't qualify for graduation because I hadn't taken
the required courses as I was planning on going for
Education some where else. But during my second year
Mother became ill and we had a difficult time with me
going to school and being her nurse.

On graduation night, Thurman and Josephine took
Eskham and me to the program. My friend Everitt had
come too (uninvited) and he talked to Thurman at the
door while Josephine, Eskham and I waited in the car.
Finally Josephine said, "Some things sure stick like
Fly Paper." That became a popular saying with us.

Before we were married and still lived in
Woodstock, E.B. was working with his Dad on the fence
gang. At that time they lived in tenant houses if it
was far from Woodstock. Then E. B. would "thumb" his
way home on the weekends.


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One evening he was coming through Marysville and
he saw Rodney and Esther pull into a gasoline station.
He caught up with them and asked for a ride on on to
Woodstock. He got out at his house but he was down to
my house before Rodney left.

Another time he was "thumbing" a ride thought
Bellefountaine and there was a detour. He got about
half way home and it started to rain. He started to
thumb which ever way the car was going.

On those weekends when he came home, he went back
to his house and slept in a cold house.

One evening when Eskham came down he brought me a
two pound box of candy. He hid it on the porch before
he came in. I think Rodney was there and he saw the
box when he started to leave. He took it with him down
to the road and then called me to come after it. That
evening we opened it and each ate a piece. I started
to take a second piece and Eskham said, "Wait, I don't
think I'd eat." I looked down and there was a
nice fat white worm crawling up from a piece. Poor EB
was so embarrassed. He took it back to the store but
they only had one pound boxes. So I was happy with a
one pound box.

The summer E.B. and I went together, we double dated
with Hildred and his friends. One Sunday we went to
Indian Lake. Hildred's girlfriend's Dad was the Lake
Patrol. So he took us a ride in the patrol boat. E. B. and
I had to sit in the back. E.B. had on a new suit and I had
on a new hat. Needless to say we both got soaked, when
we got out of the boat we didn't have a dry stitch on us.
It was fun anyway.


Pictured are Ethel and Eskham in1930.


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Another time we went to Indian Lake with three
couples, all in one car. They were having a dance at
the ballroom. We sat on the outside and watched the
dancers. I couldn't dance so we just enjoyed the
popcorn.

When Mother first took sick, our doctor made
housecalls. He was down one evening and mother needed
some other medicine from Mechanicsburg. It was almost
dark and I said I didn't want to drive down after dark.
Before my Father could say anything, Dr. Sharp said,
"Eskham was home when I passed, I'll stop and have him
come down and go with you." So my father stayed with
Mother and we got to spend the evening together.

EB worked for a friend Leonard Ropp who had
inherited some money and he purchased a small drug
store on High Street in Columbus. EB was helping him
run it. He wasn't able to keep it very long until he
lost his investment.

So EB started to look for a job. He went to
Columbus Coated Fabrics at 6 A.M. and there was about a
hundred there putting their applications. EB went
back when the shift changed at 2 P.M. and there was
only one other guy showed up. The man in charge asked
EB if he could do heavy work and EB said yes because he
had spent the summer building fences. So the foreman
told him to report at 10 PM for work. He drove up to
Sunbury, had supper and went right back to Columbus to
go to work at 10 PM . He worked there about six years
printing plastic and oil cloth. He didn't like the
work but he was making a $1 an hour and that was good
pay then. About six years later he heard Nestles
needed an electrician's helper and he applied. They
hired him for 60c an hour but it was better pay than
Coated Fabrics because he didn't have the long drive
into Columbus. As soon as he was hired at Nestles he
went to Columbus to a book store and bought several


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Electrician's books and he spent a lot of hours
studying.

While EB was staying in Columbus he would come up
on Saturdays or Sunday but he would usually write during
the week. In one letter he said the only reason he got
hired at Coated Fabrics was he had marked he was
married.

Joy May, Lenabelle and Juanita was visiting us and
they found the letter and read it. They though they
really had something on me. They thought I was married
and wasn't telling anyone about it. They were so
embarrassed they never read anymore.

EB and I took our first real vacation with Rodney
and Esther. They planned the trip. Esther was great
reading ahead about all the history of all the area we
were passing thru. Her greatest delight was stopping
in old "Cathedral" and big churches. EB said we
stopped at a church in each town. Our first night we
stopped in Washington D.C. EB and I had never stayed
in a motel and while we were eating dinner, I was
telling Rodney how the porter carried our bags in,
turned on the bathroom lights and showed us where the
towels were and I thought he would never leave. Rodney
started to laugh and he said, "He was waiting for a
tip." Guess we showed that we hadn't traveled much.
We learned fast.

While we were in Washington D. C., workman were
tearing down seats that had been built for the
inauguration services for President Carter. I have a
piece of wood that I picked up from the extra seats
they put in.

Rodney took us thru the Chesapeake tunnel and I
was really scarred. But we got thru O.K.

Then we stopped at Elvira's at Newport News and
Rodney was going to take us out for a lobster dinner.
They had about a quarter inch of snow and everything


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was closed down because they didn't know how to drive
in snow. I never did get my lobster dinner.

We stopped at Kitty Hawk and saw Wilbur Wright's
plane.

We stopped at some place and walked down to the
beach and Rodney got his feet wet and EB had to drive
and Rodney dried his shoes under the heater.

Rodney and Esther really showed us a wonderful
time on our first vacation.

When we went on our first vacation, Shirley was
married and she came down and stayed with Eskham Jr.
He kept up the service calls while we were gone.

My nephew Harvey started out to be an opera
singer. When he was small he like to sing. Between
his baby days and little boy days, his mother had him
trained to sing "When Its Spring in the Rockies" while
she was changing his clothes.

My nephew was very proud of his penmanship and he
judged people by the way the wrote. I don't know what
he would have said to one of his grandsons that told me
he never like to write and for that reason he was
going to be a doctor. I am sure Dave is a fine doctor
but I understand he still doesn't like to write.

When I was keeping house for R.B. he started
dating Marie. Of course the family was all interested
in his activities and they were asking me questions. I
told the other brothers I'd tell them for a dime and
then I'd tell R.B. I needed a dime to stop me from
telling. We had a lot of fun but I never told any
secret. R.B. and I used to take turns babysitting.
Eskham and I would l keep the kids one weekend
and he would the next.

Sometimes in E.B.'s young days he obtained a silver
dollar and he never spent it. He told me when we
started going together that was the only thing that
kept him form being broke. The engraving was


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Corresponds to page 37 of A Little Bird Told Us


completely worn off of both sides. He used it as a
"worry stone" I think.

One year while we were in Florida we had some car
trouble and pulled over into the ditch. He laid down
and crawled under the car but before he did he put some
things from his pocket into my purse.

The next time he changed clothes he realized that
his dollar was missing. We searched his clothes and
even went back to the spot where we had car trouble and
searched the sand and grass. Some time later, I
cleaned my purse and I found his silver dollar in my
purse. It had slipped in with a folding magnifying
glass. He felt like he had found his long lost friend.
But a year later it disappeared again and we have never
found it. Whoever found it will just think it is a
smooth piece of metal because there are no markings on
it. He thinks it fell from his pocket in a restroom
because of the shallow pocket in his pants.

The next year Shirley gave him a silver dollar
(sealed) but he carries it in his billfold with his
penny.

While we were in Florida for Christmas 1982,
Eskham, Jeanne and the boys came down. The weather
down there was so nice that we went to the ocean in the
afternoon of Christmas Day. On the 29th E.B. and
Junior had gone to the mailbox and brought me a letter
from Thurman. I was just putting dinner on the table
and laid the letter on my plate and said I would read
it when I sat down. I started to read the letter and
Thurman was telling about his kids being home for
Christmas and the telephone rang. I was the closest to
the phone so I stopped to answer it. It was Hubert
telling me Thurman had died that morning just as he sat
down to watch the news. It sure was a shock.

When I was growing up card playing and dancing
were not allowed in our home. I can remember when I


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was quite small, Thurman brought home a deck of cards.
My dad just had a fit, and I can remember seeing him
throw them in our heating stove. Mother and Father
used to have a set of dominos that they played. It was
too much math for me to like to play with them. For
some reason they mellowed at one New Year's Eve, Jimmy
Louden and I taught them to play 500 Rum. (That was the
first New Years after I started going with Eskham. I
thought sure he would be down but I found out later he
went to Springfield with brother Aub and "others".)
Anyway after Father and Mother learned to play cards,
E.B. and I use to have to play. Mother always had a
hard time getting my Dad to quit playing and to go to bed.
And I confess, sometimes I regretted ever teaching them
to play.

Mother always enjoyed seeing people play games and
dancing but my Dad though it was awful. Me being an
obedient daughter, I never tried to dance while he was
living.

When Mary Lou and Kenny were dating, they often
decided to make pizza at home. Of course Maxine,
Shirley and Eskham Jr had to help them. Lawrence Welk
was on T.V. and E.B. taught me to dance in our living
room. E.B. had always liked to dance and had attended
some dances. When we went to Florida at the park, they
had dances about 4 times a year. I fear my Dad turned
over in his grave the first time I went out on the
floor and danced with E.B. I really enjoy it and we've
spent some good evenings dancing.


.38.

A Little Bird Told Us (42)

Corresponds to page 39 of A Little Bird Told Us

Marriage


Ethel and Eskam Hayes

After we were engaged EB said we couldn't get
married until his weekly pay check was $25. He came to
Ashley on Friday evening and said he had a $25 pay
check. We were married three weeks later at the Church
of Christ in Columbus by a Dr. Walker.

Our marriage was announced by Roger by inviting my
brothers and Eskham's family for a picnic supper.
It was supposed to be a birthday party for my Dad. But
he was suspicious of us and refused to come. The next


Pictured are Ethel and Eskham Hayes in their wedding picture -1937.


.39.

A Little Bird Told Us (43)

Corresponds to page 40 of A Little Bird Told Us


day we went down to his house and he was reading the
paper. I told him I had brought him a birthday gift
and he asked me what. I said a new son-in-law. He
kept right on reading and didn't say a word.

We went to Lima the next day and stayed all night
with Hubert and Helen. We came home on Monday and EB
went to Columbus and I stayed at Ashley. He came back
on Friday.

First two years of our married life we lived with
my father on 656 near 61. Then we bought a home in
East Liberty about 2 miles up 656. We bought about 3
acres for $675. We made down payment with $25 we had
saved in dimes. Our next batch of dimes we saved and
used to help install a bathroom.

I had prepared a company dinner (Smiths were
coming up). I had fixed chicken and all the trimmings.
I had it ready at noon and they weren't there so I
saved everything for evening. Only one came was
Eskham. So my father, EB and I sat down to a dinner
prepared for eight.

Later that evening I told EB I would give him a
penny for his thoughts. He said give me the penny. He
said he was just wondering if I would marry him. And
he said no more. Two weeks later he did ask me and got
his answer. We had a date during that time but he
never mentioned it. He still carries his penny.

My father, Mother and I moved from Woodstock on
May 14, 1934 to Sunbury. I said it was the saddest day
of my life. My mother was moved in an ambulance to
Ashley. I went with her because she was bedfast.
After we left, my father packed our furniture and
household stuff and moved it to Sunbury. I cried from
the time I left Woodstock until I got to Ashley. I
thought my life was over, I knew EB didn't have a car
and would have no way to come 45 miles to see me.

Many keepsakes and antiques were left in Woodstock

.40.

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Corresponds to page 41 of A Little Bird Told Us


that I would like to have had. A coffee grinder and a
couple of large floral pictures made from hair.

My mother had been sick for a couple of years
when we had the Ashley Doctor come down and met with
Dr. Sharp to see what medicine he was giving mother.
Dr Davis said he couldn't doctor my mother as she had
been because he used different medicines. She lived
two years after we moved, bedfast all the time. Dr.
Davis said Dr. Sharp doctored with herbs. When Doctor
Sharp gave medicine he asked for a 1/2 glass of water..
He would open several bottles of powder or liquid, pour
a little in the water, he would stir it up and tell you
how much to give and how often.

I was engaged about 4 months before my mother
died. She seemed more content when she knew what my
future was going to be. She asked Eskham not to take
me while she needed me. She died June 28 about 15
months before we were married.

My sister-in-law, Jessie, died on June 12 and my
mother on June 28. Jessie's death was unexpected and
left RB with three kids, Paul 14, Juanita 12 and Harvey
6. I kept house for my dad and for RB during the
summer. Finally I stayed at RB's most of the time. I
started Harvey to school in first grade and he has
always seemed as mine. When I was staying with RB's
and EB came up, Harvey was very jealous. One evening
EB slipped his arm around me while I was sitting on the
davenport by him. Harvey threw a book across the room
at him. He was very protective of me.

The FFA of Sunbury had a plane come to Delaware
and they took people rides over their own home. After
EB got home from work in Columbus we went to
Delaware to the airport to take a ride. It was an open
cockpit. I had Shirley and Mary Lou with me. We could
see the other plane all the time. We passed over our
house and could see our dog in the yard. It was a nice


.41.

A Little Bird Told Us (45)

Corresponds to page 42 of A Little Bird Told Us


trip for all us.

When Eskham was doing some service work on the
side, I had a negro lady bring in a radio. I told her
I could check the tubes and maybe that was all that was
wrong. I sat it on the corner of the table and took
the back off the radio. I saw something inside move
and I suggested we take it out on the back porch. I
cleaned out a small mouse nest with little ones and the
lady was so embarrassed. She begged me not to tell my
husband what I had found. I laughed and told her I
wouldn't have to because the girls that were watching
would tell him as soon as he got home. She left the
radio for him to check.

One night while Eskham was working at the
Hydraulic we began to have some electric problems. The
lights stayed on but there was a frying noise in our
big panel board. It scared me so I made the kids and
my Dad go to bed and I pulled the handle at the side of
the box. I went to bed but I didn't sleep till EB came
home about 4 o'clock. He looked inside and a lonely
little mouse was fried across the bars. He flipped it
off and we had lights. Marie had the same thing happen
to her stove. When she would turn the oven on she
could hear a noise. When Eskham took her stove apart
she was really embarrassed, when he found it had been
caused by a mouse.

Before the high school building was ready to start
school, they delayed school a week. That was when we
took our trip to Niagara Falls. We stayed all night
close to the falls and next morning we rode the "Maid
of the Mist" in back of the falls. Then we crossed
into Canada and went over toward Detroit and back to
Ohio. We visited the Ford Museum and came back to
Hildred's and spent the night. it was really our first
family vacation.


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Corresponds to page 43 of A Little Bird Told Us


The biggest explosion of our life took place on
Jan. 17, 1952. The evening before we had a terrific
thunder storm and lightning struck the maple tree in
our front yard. EB and I were still up as he checked
everything before we went to bed. He even looked back
in the attic to be sure there was no fire. Our two
oil burning stoves were turned down on pilot because it
was so warm. At ten minutes before 7 A.M., the hot
water tank took off like a rocket and went up through
the house. It caused the living room floor to go up
and hit the living room ceiling and mashed our
furniture flat. As things came back down the things
in the upstairs slid out into the front yard. The
single beds the girls slept on slid out
into the yard with the girls on them. A large chunk of
the chimney was laying on one of the beds but it missed
whoever was on it. The 2 x 10's that formed the floor


Pictured above is Our Home on January 17, 1952. Pictured below is another view of the house.


.43.

A Little Bird Told Us (47)

Corresponds to page 44 of A Little Bird Told Us


of our bedroom pulled apart and formed a V. I was
under some but EB managed to get out and on the way out
he found some pants. His first thought was to shut off
the fuel oil that was running in from the outside tank.
I was trapped in the basement until he came and helped
move some of the timbers. While I was pinned down the
thought ran through my mind (after smelling the fuel
oil) wouldn't it be awful if I lost my life by burning
since my sister had died because of a fire. I could
move my hand around and I felt broken jars of peaches.
Shirley was still sleeping in a crib bed and part of
the spindles from her bed were stuck in the ceiling.
She was folded in her mattress and was held by the 2 x
10's. EB climbed over them and handed her out of the
window to a neighbor who carried her up to Mrs. Ruhl's.
EB, jr., didn't have a basement under his room so he
stayed in bed but he talked to me while I was pinned
down. He said my curtains were gone, that they had
blown out the window. Later we found a wire coat
hanger buried in the wall about 6 inches by the side of
his bed. It had been hanging on a rod on the door on
the archway between our rooms. We never found one of
EB Jr.'s shoes. I took him to town in the afternoon
and Virge Edwards fitted him with a pair and wouldn't
let me pay for them. The kids all went up to Mrs.
Ruhl's to stay. I went back to the house and EB and I
stood on what was our kitchen and looked into the
basement. EB put his arms around me and said "We
started out with nothing and now we have four kids."

From then on we were at peace. At that time we
felt as if "Someone" was guiding us so we started over.

It it had waited until 7 A.M. the alarm would have
gone off and Mary Lou would have been downstairs to put
on the coffee water. Shirley refused to talk to
anyone. Around noon I told EB he had to stop and go up
and see her. When she saw he was O.K. she started


.44.

A Little Bird Told Us (48)

Corresponds to page 45 of A Little Bird Told Us


Family Escapes When Explosion Rips House


Blast Hurls Eskham Hayes Family From Bed:
Explosion Rips Siding Off, Buckles Floors

Six members of a Porter township family escaped with
minor cuts and bruises when an explosion ripped their house
to pieces and hurled them from their beds shortly before
7:00 o'clock this morning.

Mr. and Mrs. Eskham Hayes' and their four small child-
ren, Maxine, Mary Lou, Shirley and Eskham, jr. were all
in bed when the blast struck. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, Shirley
and Eskham, jr. were sleeping on the first floor and the two
other girls were in the upstairs. The parents were dropped
into the basement when floors gave way and crawled out
through the mass of furniture and building material piled
about them. Maxine and Mary Lou were rolled from their
second floor bed and landed in the front yard unhurt.

All of the front of the seven-room frame dwelling was
blown off and pieces of material were hurled across the road.
Every window in the dwelling was broken. First floor fur-
nishings were piled into the basement and second floor con-
tents were dumped to the first.

Mr. Hayes is unable to determine just what caused the
blast. He operates an electrical business at his home on
route 656 in East liberty north of here.

Neighbors started working early this morning to help
clear furnishings from the wreckage. Walter Phillips pur-
chased the Rush home across the road road recently and the
Hayes family is moving into it today.


The Sunbury News, January 12, 1952, front page


.45.

A Little Bird Told Us (49)

Corresponds to page 46 of A Little Bird Told Us


The Sunbury News

Seventieth Year Sunbury Ohio, Thursday January 24, 1952

Porter Family Wonders How They Escaped When Blast Did This

newspaper copy of photo of the house after the explosion

Under Roof One Moment-- In Yard Under Mattress Next.
Girl Recalls Being Blown from House by Explosion.
by Polly Whitney

My class mate, Maxine Hayes in
the seventh grade of Big Walnut
elementary school, in Sunbury, was
busy when she returned to school
answering questions about their
house blowing up last Thursday
morning. Here is what she told me
about being blown from the house:
"We think the hot water heater
caused the house to blow up. This
is what happened. The side of the
house just slide away. One moment
I was under the and the next
I was in the yard outside of the
house", Maxine said.
Maxine was awake when it hap-
pened so she hung on to the mat-
tress so tight that it couldn't get
away. When she landed in the yard
the mattress was on top of her.
Maxine explained, "I screamed for
mother and daddy when I got up.
Mary Lou (her sister who was also
blown outside the house on her mat-
tress) and I both yelled for mother
and daddy again. As soon as we
heard their voices and found out
that they were all right, we felt
better.
"Mrs. Hanson and Mrs. Boggs
came down then. Daddy took their
flashlight and got mother out of
the basement. Then Daddy got
Shirley and handed her out the win-
dow to Bill Liming. Then Eskham
got out and I found some coats and
we went up to Mrs. Ruhl's."
Shirley, 6, was trapped in her bed.
She had a couple of cuts on her
forehead but suffered from shock
more than anything. Eskham, 7, was
not touched. Mary Lou, the oldest
girl, received a scalp wound.
"Mother was hurt the worst but
we were all lucky", Maxine told.
She started a dog collection recently
and lost most of the dogs in the
explosion.

DEMOLISHED--The above photo
taken for the News by "Red" Sim-
kins of Sunbury shows what was
left of the Eskham Hayes house
near Olive Green after the explosion
last Thursday morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes and their four
children were in bed when the blast
struck. Maxine and Mary Lou were
thrown with their mattresses from
the second floor into the front yard
shown above. Floors down-
stairs dropped into the basement and
you see the upstairs floor slanting
toward the yard.
"Everyone was wonderful to us.
Walter Phillips let us have the house
across from his feed store that he
bought recently and we have cur-
tains at our windows", Mrs. Hayes
told. Only a stove and refrigerator
were not damaged beyond repair in
the blast.
The house is a total loss. Many of
their personal things and much
clothing was destroyed. Neighbors
turned out to help shortly after the
blast and worked all day searching
the debris for things that were lost.
Many have viewed the damaged
house and wonder how the family
escaped without serious injury.



.46.









.45.

A Little Bird Told Us (50)

Corresponds to unnumbered page of A Little Bird Told Us

Weather
Fair tonight with low 22 to 23
Saturday increasing cloudiness
and moderately cold.

The Delaware Gazette
Established 1818 No. 238

'We're So Thankful to Be Alive'

Girl, 12, Tells of Soaring
Through Air on Mattress

by MAXINE HAYES
(As told to Gazette reporter
Lyn Doudna)

(Twelve -year-old Maxine Hayes is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Eskham Hayes whose
home just outside Olive Green
on Rt. 636 exploded early yesterday morning.)

I know I was awake, or at
least partly awake, when the
house exploded because I heard
the blast.
I remember thinking that it
must be a bomb. Then I realized
that I was flying through the air
on my mattress, and I held onto
the sides of the mattress. As I
passed by the tree in the front
yard, I realized it was something
besides a bomb because the tree
was still standing.
I remember being scared, aw-
fully scared, but at least I re-
membered to hold on to my mat-
tress. That's probably all that
saved my life.
And my sister, Mary Lou, (age
13) , held on to her mattress too
as she was blown out the front of
the house. Her mattress
beside a great bis hole. If she
had rolled off the mattress, I
don't know whether we ever
could have gotten her out.
Daddy was blown outside too,
or at least we guess he was. Any-
way, he was outside and didn't
know how he got there.
Daddy ran right back into the
house, what was left it, and
down into the hole that had been
the basement. We heat with oil,
and it was pouring all over the
basement. Daddy quickly shut
off the oil and everything else
down there, which is probably
what kept us from having a fire.
what kept us from having a fire.
It's a good thing fire didn't
start too, because Mother and my
little brother (Eskham Kr., age 7)
were trapped in the basement,
and my sister (Shirley, age 6) was
pinned in her bed.
If a fire had started, Daddy just
wouldn't have been able to get
them out because it took him
quite a while as it was.
It was really awful, and we
kids were scared, but Daddy was
wonderful the was he worked to
get my mother and brother and
sister out and tried to keep us
calm.
Even though it was bad, we
have a lot to be thankful for. It
was just a miracle that none of
us were killed, and we're very
thankful for that.
We think it probably was the
hot water heater. At least that's
when the mess seemed to be the
worst.
Wednesday night when it storm-
ed we were certain that lightning
struck the house. It frightened
us kids so Daddy inspected the
whole house to be sure that
nothing was wrong, especially
that there wasn't any fire any-
where.
We think that the lightning
probably did something to the
hot water heater which either
caused it to build up pressure or
caused gas to escape which
brought on the explosion.
We think the only thing that
saved our lives was that we were
still in bed. In another 10 minutes
we would have been up and
downstairs, and we probably
would have been killed.
I don't know how my mother
and brother escaped being hurt
seriously when they dropped into
the basement, but none of us was
hurt much. Mary Lou had a cut
on her face, and I got a small
scratch on my temple, but other
than that we all seem to be all
right.
Maybe in a few days, when
we've had time to get over being
so frightened, we'll find out that
we have more wrong with us
than we think right now, but I
hope not.
We have a home in Olive
Green, and Daddy already has
moved us into it. My Mother and
sisters are there now. My brother
and I stayed here with Daddy to
help get some of our things out.
Of course a lot of our clothing
was ruined, but Daddy says we
still have enough. We're all so
glad to be alive that we aren't
complaining about anything.
The neighbors have been won-
derful. They have been here since
soon after it happened, helping
to get some of our things out of the
mess. Some of the neighbors
said they heard the explosion as
far as a mile away.
We certainly want to thank
everyone who has come to help
us in any way. When something
like this happens, you find out
just how nice people are.
I'm still shaking, and I don't
think any of us are going to be
able to sleep very well for a long time.


REPORTER DESCRIBES
HAVOC OF RURAL BLAST
By LYN DOUDNA

What had been an attractive
farm home painted yellow
was a shambles with only the
back porch still remaining in its
normal position.
The entire front of the house
was either blown out into the
front yard or had fallen into the
basement.
Furniture, parts of furniture,
and clothing were strewn about
the front yard and slammed
against a big tree.
Not a window remained un-
cracked or unbroken in the main
part of the house, Only the back
door was intact.
Entering the house from the
back door, it was possible to walk
about six feet over a warped kit
chen floor before arriving at the
big hole where the living room
once had been.
The second floor of the house
was either blown away or pieces
of boards were hanging down
ready to fall into the hole which
had been the basement.
Standing just inside the back
door, it was possible to look to-
ward the front of the house and
see cars driving along the road
out in front.
There was not a piece of furni-
ture which had not been damaged
in some way by the blast, which
demolished the Eskham Hayes
home in the early hours of Thur-
sday morning.

A Little Bird Told Us (51)

Corresponds to page 47 of A Little Bird Told Us

Delaware Gazette
Delaware, Ohio, Thursday Evening , January 17, 1952

Porter Family
Escapes Serious
Hurts in Blast

A blast of unknown origin
resulted in the near demolition
of the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Eskham Hayes near Olive
Green early today. No one was
hurt seriously in the explosion,
which occurred about 6:50 a.m.
Persons visiting the scene
of the Porter township explo-
sion said that the front of the
house had been blown away and
that parts of the second floor
crashed down to the first floor,
which in turn crashed into the
basement. The Hayes have four
children.
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes received
only minor scratches and
bruises and their only son, a
second-grader in the Big Walnut
schools, was uninjured. A
daughter, a first-grader, was
pinned in her bed by falling de-
bris but was freed and escaped
with only minor bruises.
The two other daughters in bed
on the second floor, one an eighth
grader and the other in the sev-
enth grade, were blown from the
house and landed in the yard
with their beds, mattresses and
bed covers. They, too, escaped
with minor injuries.
Many windows in the six-room
house were broken by the blast,
the origin of which has not been
determined. No fire department
was called since no fire develop-
ed after the blast.
Mrs. Hayes is president of
the Big Walnut PTA. Her
brothers, who are twins, are
R.B Warner, Elm Valley
superintendent, and R. J. War-
ner, superintendent at Xenia.


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Corresponds to page 48 of A Little Bird Told Us

Blame Lightening
For Tank Blast
That Ruined Home
DELAWARE, OHIO. JAN. 18 ---
(Special)---Lightning, which short-
circuited control apparatus on two
electric hot water tanks in the
basement, was blamed today for a
terrific explosion which yesterday
wrecked the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Eskham Hayes, near Olive Green,
10 miles east of here.
Mr. Hayes told Sheriff Earl
Fravel he believes lightening struck
a wire outside the six-room frame
house at around midnight Wednes-
day.
The hot water tanks continued
to heat up until steam was formed.
At 6:50 a.m. the tanks let go.
They crashed through the home
to the second floor. The second
floor of the residence crashed
through the first floor of the
basement. The front of the house
was blown into the yard.
Mr. Hayes, 40, and his wife,
Shirley Ethel, were sleeping on
the first floor when the blast
came. Their bed slid into the
basement.
Their daughters, Mary Lou, 13,
and Maxine, 12, students at Big
Walnut School were asleep on the
second floor.
Said Mary Lou, "Our beds
just slid right out into the yard
after the big explosion. My
sister, Shirley, age 6, was
sleeping on the first floor. Big
boards fell across her bed, pin-
ning her in. She didn't move
and it was lucky she didn't for
if she had gotten out of bed she
would have fallen into the base-
ment through holes in the floor
which surrounded her bed."
Eskham Hayes, Jr., age 7, was
sleeping on the first floor in a
room under which there was no
basement. He was uninjured.
The family of six escaped with
only minor scratches and bruises.
"the hot water tanks were
found collapsed like accordions,"
Lou exclaimed.
Part of the homes furnishings
were saved.
The Hayes family is living tem-
porarily in a house owned by Wal-
ter Phillips at Olive Green Mr.
Phillips said he would rent the
house to them until they can find
a new home.
Last night the Olive Green sec-
tion was hit by a hail storm
around 9:30 o'clock. Hail stones
as big as marbles were reported.

Lightning Blamed in Blast
copied newspaper photo

Lightning knocked out control apparatus of two elec-
tric hot water tanks in the basement of the Eskham
Hayes home near Olive Green, Delaware County.
Five hours later the tanks exploded leaving the home in
the shambles pictured above. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes and
their four children escaped serious injury.


.48.

A Little Bird Told Us (53)

Corresponds to page 49 of A Little Bird Told Us


talking and we tell her she hasn't stopped since. But
she has lost all her childhood memories. Her memory
only starts at when we lost the house.

Our place was like a county fair for days. A
picture of our house was on the front page of the Col.
Dispatch on Sunday. EB's brother, Aubrey, saw it in
New Concord and he came right up. Some one called Dr.
Livingston to come up but none of us needed any care.
Shirley has a couple of scratches on her head from her
hair fastener. I developed a beautiful black eye. I
always told EB hit me on the way down. When EB went to
shower that night, he had a large splinter in his back
side.

Everyone that came helped to pick up and they
moved us into a house in Olive Green from which a widow
lady had been moved to a nursing home. We lived there
six week and the house sold so we moved across the
street and lived in 3 rooms until Oct. when we moved
into our own house. Six of us living in 3 rooms with a
path out back.

We had one oil painting (18 x 34) that we never
found and a 10 gallon copper kettle disappeared. It
was in the yard and I think someone took it. The only
furniture we saved was stove, refrigerator, our beds, 1
chest of drawers. There was a piano in our bedroom and
it had slid down on the 2 x 10 into the center of the
basement. The dishes in my cupboard had been pulled
out or just raised up and down and broke them. Most of
our clothing was found but a lot damaged.

The hot water tank was in the basement but the
bottom of it which is usually curved upward was blown
out in one piece. The pop-off on the tank was so
corroded that it couldn't go off and the lightening had
welded the thermostat on it so it just kept heating.
The beam above the tank had just been replaced a few
years before as we were in the process of remodeling.


.49.

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Corresponds to page 50 of A Little Bird Told Us


So the house was very solid.

Dr. Livingston was the only one who had a dryer so
they took a lot of things and washed them. I was
always embarrassed because they took quilts that were
just stored between the springs and mattress. (That was
where my mother always put old quilts) and she washed
them!They were very holely and not usable.

After we lost our home by explosion, EB spent a
lot of time going through the stuff that went into the
basement. One day he came home carrying the Bride and
Groom that had been on our wedding cake. Juanita baked
our wedding cake and R.B. had stopped on his way home
from the wedding and bought them. It had been stored
in an open cupboard on the stair landing. Along with
it he found a record that I had had the children make
for their Dad's Christmas. I had taken the four
children to Columbus the day after Thanksgiving. They
were prepared to sing one song. When we got to the
studio they said we could record more. Eskham , Jr.
didn't know the words but he sang anyway. Those were
two precious possession that we did find.

When we were building our house, I came down and
helped as much as I could. I had to learn to read a
rule and I learnt to saw a straight line with an
electric saw.

One day I was driving some spike nails into some 2
x 4's. I missed the nail and hit my thumb. I really
saw stars. I laid the hammer down, went out and sat
down on the front step. That is where Eskham found me.
Several years earlier I tried some carpenter work when
we were fixing the first house we had. Eskham made our
kitchen cabinet doors out of 3/4" plywood. We had to
use a file to help smooth the edges. I ran a nice
block of wood (really only a splinter) under my thumb
nail. We did have to go to Dr. Livingston to get it
out. Eskham pulled on my arm and the doctor pulled the


.50.

A Little Bird Told Us (55)

Corresponds to page 51 of A Little Bird Told Us


splinter. I still carry a mark of it.

Whenever we crossed a bridge, we always said "Look
at the yaa". That is what Mary Lou started calling
water. We always called candy "c-d-y". When Joy May
was little, when Thurman left for the groceries,
Josephine told him not forget the C-A-N-D-Y. when
he came home Joy May only about 2 asked if he had the
C-D-Y.

We used to laugh at the children how they could
stay awake from Woodstock to Delaware, about 40 miles,
to get ice cream in Delaware and they could eat their
cones and be asleep before we got home and that was
only 15 miles.

They always enjoyed counting the Xmas trees as
they would ride along the road.

One time we were taking Thanksgiving dinner down
to Woodstock and the girls remember the house where we
turned around to go back after the turkey we had left
at home.

Mary Lou was born at home. We had a lady to stay
with me. On Saturday E. B. and father planted
cucumbers. We had a big patch and picked when
small and sold them in Ashley. That evening EB called
the doctor but he didn't come for hours. He said he
knew I didn't need him right then. Mary Lou was born
at 2 A.M. without any Lamaze training or pain killer.
I'll never forget the wonderful look EB gave me after
he first saw her. When the doctor left EB asked what
he owed him and he said $25. EB paid him at once.

A year and 12 days later Maxine arrived. She
didn't give us much warning. EB was ready to go to
work and I said "I think you had better wait a little".
EB sent my Dad to get the lady and when he crossed 61
he was hit by a car. He didn't stop at 61. Someone
brought Father home and EB went to call the doctor. He
came at once but not soon enough. Maxine was born just


.51.

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Corresponds to page 52 of A Little Bird Told Us


as the doctor passed the house. My dad was sitting
in the yard with his head bleeding but EB called the
doctor and said he was needed inside first. Later he stitched
up my Dad's cuts. Father always told Mary Lou that they
got their noses cut off at the same time. The doctor charged
$35 for delivering Maxine.

Eskham was a little slower. He was due June 20
and didn't arrive until July 31. It was extremely hot
weather and my legs got bigger and bigger as well as
other parts got bigger. I went to the doctor on Friday
and he told me to take 2 T. castor oil on Sunday. I
went back the next Friday and he told me the same
thing, and the next Friday he said to take 4 T. which I did
but nothing happened. In fact that last Sunday I took 8 T.
The first 4 came right up and I was so desperate I took 4
more. On Monday morning, the doctor came down and
sent me to White Cross Hospital and at 9:30 that night
I had my baby boy. The doctor kept me 9 days. On the 8th
I sat on the edge of the bed and home on the ninth.

A year and 20 days late our Shirley arrived. Two weeks


Pictured at top are Maxine, Mary Lou, and Eskham.


Pictured at the bottom of the page is Eskham B. Hayes, Junior.


.52.

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Corresponds to page 53 of A Little Bird Told Us


before my due date, the doctor sent me in to the hospital
in care of the same doctor who delivered Eskham. They
put me out and 23 hours later they told Eskham he had
a new daughter. He had to wait downstairs in the waiting
room. Shirley had been born about 3 p.m. but I didn't see
her until they brought my supper and the doctor stopped in
and I said I hadn't seen her so he got a nurse and she brought
her in. At about that time EB asked downstairs and they
let him come up. When the doctor had gone down to see
him, he gone out to get something to eat and the
nurses changed shifts so he didn't get the word. He
sure looked good only he had a 24 hour shadow and had
waited down stairs 24 hours. This time I was up the
second day and sat and rocked Shirley every day until I
went home.

When going through some clippings. I found a receipt
from Dr. English who delivered Eskham and Shirley at
White Cross Hospital. It was a receipt for $150 for
payment in full for delivery and including Dr. Fletcher
who did some surgery following Shirley's birth. He was the
same doctor that delivered Eskham Jr., a year and 20
days earlier. This didn't include the hospital bill.


Pictured at top is Shirley Hayes.


Pictured at the bottom are Eskham and Shirley.


.53.

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Corresponds to page 54 of A Little Bird Told Us


When Mary Lou and Maxine were 2 and 3, they
started singing together especially at Grange
meetings. Their first song was "I'm a Little Teapot".

One year they sang "Night before Xmas". It was
quite a hit because it was a long song for them.
Maxine shocked one of the bachelors by showing
him her new panties. She was only about 2 1/2.

Eskham Jr. was very interested in switches and
wiring. His Dad had got him a 24 volt transformer and
switches and bulbs to use on it. One Xmas he and
Shirley got a doll house and barn and by evening EB had
lights put in them. He was always drawing diagrams.
One night after he had started to school he was having
trouble getting asleep. I asked him why and he said
"Mom, I've got so much to think about that I can't go
to sleep."

During World War II everyone made many sacrifices.
We were very fortunate that Eskham didn't have to go
to war. Everyone was rationed gasoline, workers were a
always able to get to work. We were given stamp books
for sugar, coffee, shoes, and gasoline. We got along easily
because little ones didn't need the shoes or other things
as much as adults.

When Maxine started to walk she was almost as tall


Pictured at top are Grandpa Warner, Maxine, and Mary Lou.


Picture at the bottom are Maxine and Mary Lou.


.54.

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Corresponds to page 55 of A Little Bird Told Us


as Mary Lou. My dad used to have Mary Lou do stretching
exercises after every meal. She would lay down on the
floor on her back and her arms above her head and he
would really coach her to stretch. Of course, Maxine
soon learned to lay down wit her. I made two dresses
the same size for about 5 years, then when they started
to school I made Maxine's a little longer. Maxine
would get the prize of being the first to rip or tear
or get something on her dress.

One time EB and I came home and our Service Truck was
gone but Mary Ellen Miller's car was parked our driveway.
They left a note that the dairy was having some problems
with their 3 phase current and needed someone to check
it out. Eskham Jr. said he could check it but couldn't
drive the truck down without a licensed driver with him.
He didn't have his driver's license yet. Mary Ellen
came out and rode with him and Shirley went along.

When Eskham was playing outdoors with the girls, they
made him sandwiches, (sand between crackers) and
had their brother eat them. They thought it was funny
until I found out.

Our girls used to play with the Chandler boys up the road.
They had a path thru Chandler's garden that was hard as
cement. It didn't go straight down a row but would
criss-cross in


Pictured on the left are Eskham and Shirley.


Pictured at the bottom are Maxine, Mary Lou, Shirley and Eskham,Jr.


.55.

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Corresponds to page 56 of A Little Bird Told Us


the rows of corn. Bobby was only about three but
he went home one time, told his mother the kids
made him wet his pants. The girls were always
impressed with the sandwiches the Chandler boys
liked for lunch. They liked mustard and butter on their
sandwiches.

The year Maxine started school we had 4
cases of measles, 4 of mumps and 4 of whooping cough.
It was really a year. Mary Lou had a bad cold but
recovered quickly but when Maxine took it she seemed
different so we took her to the doctor. It was
diagnosed as scarlet fever. Then we were quarantined
for three weeks. Maxine had to stay up stairs, she
could come down to first landing and watch. I had to
set her meals on the step and then she dropped them
into a Lysol pan. EB wasn't permitted to go near her
because he was working at Nestle's where they were
handling coffee and baby food. Christmas came about
the third week so we wrote letters to Santa to not come
until New Year's Day. Maxine was never real sick but
we followed all rules. Before she was allowed to come
down I had to wash her clothes and all the toys she had
played with and even wipe her springs and mattress with
Lysol water. I don't believer she had anything
different than Mary Lou had had but it was reported by
the doctor and the county nurse took over. We followed
all rules because we wanted Eskham to be able to
continue working. We heard of one man who they made to
stop working because his family wasn't taking the


Pictured at top are Hayes and Chandler Playmates


.56.

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Corresponds to page 57 of A Little Bird Told Us


proper precautions.

Christmas was a sad day. We finally turned the radio
off because we couldn't stand the Christmas music.
But we really celebrated on New Year's Day.

Eskham remembered only one time he used a switch
on Mary Lou. We lived down by 61 and she went down
the lane alone and he got a switch and really switched
her little legs as she ran back the lane. She never went
down again.

When the children were all small, Eskham worked full
time and it was a real treat when after church he would
decide to take time off. I'd pack a picnic lunch (usually
Spam or Treet) and I'd make bean salad which Maxine
detested but it was something I always had on hand,,
and we would ride somewhere.

One time we went north on 61 as far as it would go. We
ate supper along Lake Erie and then came home.

The first Sunday that Maxine was at Capital we
decided to take the afternoon trip after Church. We
asked Kenney to go along. I don't remember where we
went but the weather turned cold. Kenny didn't have any


Pictured at top are Eskham, Ethel, Maxine, and Mary Lou


Pictured at bottom right is Eskham Jr.


.57.

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Corresponds to page 58 of A Little Bird Told Us

sweater or coat, so he used the tablecloth as a shawl.
Shirley and Eskham Jr. sure teased him.

The year Mary Lou graduated we had an international
Farm Exchange student from Denmark to stay with us for
thirty days. Her name was Gunver Graveston. The Co.
Extension Agent brought her over for a picnic supper and
before the evening was over the kids were grouped
around the piano singing. We had a wonderful 30 days with
her. The girls had summer jobs so she was with me during
the daytime and spent the evenings with them. The kids
one night went to Columbus for a hamburg and she
thought it was terrible to drive 30 miles for a sandwich.
We toured Ohio Caverns one day and she didn't know
how to explain it to her folks because they didn't
have a word for "cave". She ate her first watermelon
and corn on the cob here on my birthday. She didn't
like jello because it made her stomach feel funny when
she saw it jiggle. She had a younger brother the same
age as Eskham Jr., and he always called her "Bang
Bang". Every time he did she would chase him around
the house. He nicknamed her because he couldn't say
Gunver plain.

It was a wonderful 30 days while she was here.
When she left we felt we would never see her again.
But five months later, I came out from teaching my
Sunday School class and she met me at the church. She
was on the way back from the west and was visiting her
first host family and they brought her down. The


Pictured is Gunver Graverson 1964


.58.

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Corresponds to page 59 of A Little Bird Told Us


brother to her first host family told me he was going to
do everything possible to bring her back here as his bride!
I laughed at him.

Gunver Graverson was an International Farm Youth
exchange student. While in America she spent 30
days in 6 different homes, three in Ohio and 3 in the
West. The brother of first host family became very
attracted to her and three years after she returned to
her home in Denmark, she married him, Bill Penton.
Gunver's mother wrote to me and asked if Bill would ask
to marry one of my girls would I give my consent. I did
a lot of thinking before I answered her we even made
a trip to Lorain to see him and his home and to meet
his family. While there Bill showed us a ring he was
sending Gunver's Father and he was going to call her
on the phone and have her father give it to her when
he asked her to marry him. Needless to say she accepted
and asked me to make a crinoline like I made for Mary
Lou to wear with her wedding dress. They spent
their honeymoon in Europe and flew to New York and
picked up their car. They really surprised us as they
made a stop here at our home for a meal before they


Pictured at top is Ethel, Gunver, and Eskham in 1964

Mary Lou, Gunver, and Maxine, Eskham Jr., and Shirley are
pictured at the bottom right.


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Corresponds to page 60 of A Little Bird Told Us


went to Lorain. She and her children have really
become a part of our family. She has remarried since
Bill's death but her present husband has accepted us as
American-in-laws. Gunver has always called us her
American parents.

Our family was going to Ravenna to Harvey's
wedding. We picnicked on the way with Hubert, Helen
and family. I had made some concentrated tea base so
we could just add ice and water. We were filling a
pitcher from the camp faucet and it foamed up about 3
inches. Some passing by people laughed and said they
had never seen anyone put water in their beer like
that. The kids had a good laugh over it.


When we were spending our winters in Florida at a
woman's meeting one day we talked about nicknames. And
I told them about mine. The next time I went to the
club house where there was a large gathering, one man
called across the hall and said "Hello High Test".
The name was out again but few used it except Don
Boham.

When Shirley was 7 or 8 she decided she was too
grown-up to ask for a doll for Xmas. The day before


Pictured are Maxine, Eskham Jr., and Mary Lou.


.60.

A Little Bird Told Us (65)

Corresponds to unnumbered page of A Little Bird Told Us


Golden Anniversary Sept, 4, 1987


Pictured are Ethel and Eskham Hayes

A Little Bird Told Us (66)

Corresponds to unnumbered page of A Little Bird Told Us


Pictured are Ethel and Eskham's family and guests at their
golden anniversary

1987

A Little Bird Told Us (67)

Corresponds to page 61 of A Little Bird Told Us


she cried because it wouldn't be like Christmas if she
didn't get a doll. So Christmas Eve as we were going to
Woodstock for our Christmas we stopped in Delaware
at the drug store and they took a doll out of the display
window so she could be happy.

Jeffrey was our first grandchild. Maxine and
Jack had gone to the hospital. I had to make
a trip to Columbus and I didn't want
to leave until I knew how things were. I was in the
waiting room at Grady when the doctor came in and told
Jack he had a boy. The doctor said his boy was born at
10:32 and weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz. After the doctor left,
Jack looked at me and said, "Did he say 10 pounds 32
ounces." Of course that was too good not to tell
Shirley and Eskham wrote "It's a Boy" in the dust on
Jack's car.

On our 50th wedding anniversary we had a big open
house. Rev. Klempauer had us repeat our vows and he
served communion to our whole family. We had a big
crowd and 12 people came from the Bonfire Park in
Florida.

I attended some bridal showers for my
grandchildren and I always remarked that I thought it
would be nice for the grandparents to get to exchange
for some of the new thing because I never had a
shower. Laura Stimmel said she would see that I had a
shower for our 55th. And she did. She sent out
invitations and we really had a good time. I never had
so many nice dish cloths as I have had since then.


Pictured are Mary Lou, Maxine, Eskham Jr., Shirley.


.61.

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Corresponds to page 62 of A Little Bird Told Us


While we were living with my father, I convinced
my father to go to Columbus and have a picture taken.
We were to get them just before Christmas so we could
surprise my brothers. The proofs came and I sent them back
but the pictures never arrived. I fretted and wanted to call
the photographer, but we didn't have a phone. Christmas
morning I got a package that contained all the pictures.
EB and Father had conspired together to keep me from
getting the picture.

One time EB and my Dad went to Eastern Ohio to
install a Delco plant and they saw some funny looking
chickens. They bought some eggs and brought them home
and put them under one of our hens that was settling.
Three weeks later they brought in some of the ugliest
chickens I had ever seen. They had a little fuzz on their
body but bare long neck and bare rear ends. I guess they
were a breed called "turkens". Finally they confessed to
what they had done. I thought I had deformed chickens.

One time EB was working around in the backyard and
he saw spots that looked like the grass was burnt. He
wondered if someone had been playing with matches.
He called for Eskham Jr. and he admitted he had been
playing with matches. EB says he


Pictured at top are Mary Lou and Maxine, Eskham and
Shirley, with Specky, the three legged pet.


Pictured at bottom is Eskham Jr.


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Corresponds to page 63 of A Little Bird Told Us


thinks that is the last and only spanking he ever
remembered giving Eskham Jr.

Later on Eskham Jr. was appointed to be the one to
burn the trash. His Dad showed him how and he would
always stand and watch it. We could never get Shirley
to even strike a match. She would stand back and
strike the match and throw it the minute it started to
light and of course it would be out before it touched
the paper.

Saturday night we were always very busy. The
three girls had to have their hair put up and Sunday
dinner had to be ready for the oven so we could all go
to church. and Mary Lou had to watch the wrestling on
TV. She was never sports minded but she did love
wrestling.

When Maxine was attending Capital University we
sent her some extra money so she could buy her brother
and sisters a Christmas present before she came home.
She went shopping but she bought herself a new suit.
She said their Christmas was seeing her in her new
suit. It really was a nice suit and she looked nice in
it.

When Mary Lou and Maxine were 4 or 5 years old, I
had been sick all day. I managed to fix some cereal for
them then I would lie down. I saw them talking and
crying and I asked them what was wrong. I had usually
had supper ready when their Daddy got home and it was
time for him to come home. They said they knew they
would starve to death because I wasn't able to cook. When
Eskham came I told him and he fixed them a real nice
supper. I don't


Pictured are Maxine and Mary Lou


.63.

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Corresponds to page 64 of A Little Bird Told Us


remember what he fixed except some fresh fried potatoes
that they loved. In a few days I discovered I was pregnant
for their little brother.

The Boggs were our neighbors. The kids use to
come down and play ball in our field. One day Shirley
went up to play on their swing with Myrtle Boggs.
While swinging, Shirley fell out and broke her arm.
She pent one night in the hospital. We always felt bad
because Mr. Boggs took the swing down so they could
no longer play on it. Several years later the daughter
of the oldest Boggs' boy became my granddaughter,
Jeff's wife Joyce.

One morning EB and I were sleeping a little late. And
Shirley crawled in under our bed. EB and I started
talking about Shirley saying we didn't know what we
were going to do with her that she was causing us so
much worry. Shirley hurried back into her bed and
really cried. We were some time convincing her that we
were only teasing and that she was very dear to us.

Eskham Jr. helped me make ice cream. We had a
walk-in cooler in the basement so he carried the
gallons of milk down. One day he fell and the glass
cut his wrist. I couldn't get the bleeding stopped


Pictured are The Look Alikes...
Ethel Warner and Shirley Hayes in 1st Grade


.64.

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Corresponds to page 65 of A Little Bird Told Us


because it was deep. I asked Shirley to call the
doctor but our line was busy and the girls who were
talking wouldn't let her have the line. She came and
held the pad on Eskham's arm while I asked the girls to
give up the line. I handed the phone back to Shirley
after I dialed Dr. Livingston's number. When he
answered she told him to get things ready because I was
bringing Eskham down. His Dad and I took Eskham to the
hospital and he spent the night there. We always
laughed about Shirley telling the Doctor "to get things
ready."

There was an elderly man who lived in Olive Green.
He wrote a column for our local Sunbury News. At the
time of Mary Lou's and Maxine's weddings he wrote very
nice articles about them which we have reprinted on the
next two pages.

When Maxine got married I made clothes for her
trip. The last day I stayed up late to finish an extra
dress I wanted her to have. We had carefully packed
her clothes in a hanging case but they were many miles
from home before they thought about them. Jack refused
to come back and get them so they did some shopping and
she had new dresses waiting for her when she got home.

Mary Lou went to Ohio University in Athens, On a
Saturday we took Mary Ellen McClish and Mary Lou down
and helped them unload at the dormitory. We got most
of their things unloaded and then we went to Juanita
and Marlon for lunch. Eskham Jr. and Shirley were with
us. Needless to say we had a car full going down. Her
dormitory was about two blocks from the main street.
After lunch as we came from Juanita's, Eskham stopped
the car and said the girls could walk the two blocks to
the dorm. The girls got out quickly, said goodbye and
Eskham drove on. It was a long time (maybe we were
almost home) before I could get myself settled and
realized he had done the right thing.


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Corresponds to page 66 of A Little Bird Told Us


THE SUNBURY NEWS


WEDDING TAKES ANOTHER GIRL FRIEND;
CUPID'S ARROW NEVER MISSES THE MARK
By Fred McKay

I have run out of exclamation
points! Another of my girl
friends is gone.
She has become a victim to that
ever busy little Cupid, who belongs
to the oldest union. Speaking of
nuclear missiles! This little fel-
low's unerring arrows never miss
the mark.
Mary Lou belongs to the com-
munity. She was born and grew
up from where by taking a short
walk, she could throw a stone into
the main street of Olive Green.
She is an accomplished musician
and vocalist - Sunbury Hi grad-
uate - finished a teacher's course
at Ohio University.
I just can't refrain from writing
about how nearly she came to
missing her wedding day on Sun-
day, Aug. 10, 1958. Kenneth W.
Mackley was the lucky man.

Her House Blew Up
One morning one of our neigh-
bors stopped and said, "Hayes'
house blew up." I took my walk to
the bridge much faster on that
morning and found out that every-
body was safe. "He giveth His
angels charge over thee".
Now I'm going to look ahead.
Before this happy couple celebrates
their 50th wedding there'll no
doubt be a bright golden haired
little girl with waiting eyes look up
and say "Grandma, tell us about
the time your house blew up and
how scared you were".
Someone whispered to the groom
that I'd tear him to pieces with my
pencil. I had never seen him 'till
on his wedding day. There was
just one word came as I looked into
his manly open face and it was =
"trust".

Miles, Miles of Lace
The bride's dress was beautiful.
All I could think of was miles and
miles of lace. How many stitches
of love it must have taken! The
altar was decorated in beautiful
green and white - 14 bright cand-
les sent forth their beams on which
is always a never to be forgotten
scene. Maxine very touchingly
sang, "Always", "Because", "I Love
you Truly", "In My Garden" and
with unusual solemnity and beauty
sang the "Wedding Prayer" with
bride and groom and attendants
kneeling. I had never seen this
before.
Mrs. Warner Breece very artis-
tically played the organ which
brought forth all its sonorous joyous
sounds - the tears - unbidden
almost came - did come!
I was much moved to see Eskham
jr. escort his mother to her seat.
These lines came to mind: "My
son is my son till he have got him
a wife, but my daughter is my
daughter all the days of her life".
They were made one by Rev.
George Pingle with a double ring.
Rev. Richard Burns was best man.
The bride's maids were Maxine and
Shirley, Mary Lou's sisters, and
Jane Debolt. Ushers were Eskham
jr., Myron Warner, Dale Price and
Bob Mackley.
There was a load of presents.
The reception held in the church
basement was a jolly affair.
Someone has said, there's always
a place for tears at a wedding. It
must be for the older ones. A
glance back through the yesterdays
of bygone days and for the parents,
the memory of the bright eager
faces of a little boy or girl starting
to school. I have often said that
they never come back but their
memory is enshrined in our hearts
that lasts all our days.
Bright eyed beauties were there,
old age was present and fondly
loved babies too. None of 'em
cried.
My wish for this envied couple is
that as they start down "the long
path" together it'll lead through
"fields of green and by the waters
still", and when trouble comes, let
it be a "shadow on the sun that
shades the soul".


Mackley and Hayes Wedding


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Corresponds to page 67 of A Little Bird Told Us


I'LL NOT WRITE ABOUT THE TROUSSEAU - SOME-
ONE ELSE WILL DO SO-FOR THIS WEDDING

by Fred McKay

I'll not write about the trouseau.
Someone else will do so.
I'm writing just for Maxine and
Jack and the folks.
"Hear the mellow wedding bells!
What a world of happiness their
melody foretells!"
"The sunshine is gone from the
old south room,
Where she sat through the long
bright, summer hours,
And the odor is gone from the
window flowers,
And something is lost of their
delicate bloom,
And a shadow creeps over the
house with its gloom.
And a shadow that over our paradise
lowers,
For we can see her no more in
the old south room."
Tears of joy came to see her go.
Even the clouds wept at her going
away. "Sweet grief". The gently
falling rain showered a blessing on
them and the silver and gold sunset
pronounced a benediction.

Crusty old August's heart was
melted and furnished an extra Sun-
day just for Maxine and Jack who
stand hand in hand with expectant
feet happy - confident - unafraid.
I envy them their youth, "When the
days are short and the years are
long". "Many waters cannot quen-
ch love neither can the floods de=
stroy it".
Maxine has spent most of her
young life near the banks of belov-
ed Big Walnut where the "Fog
comes on little cat feet". I did not
wedding day. I had faith in him at
first sight.
While penning these lines I heard
the most beautiful music. It came
from a violin which always is filled
with "sweet sounds". Beautiful
screeching, wavering wails come
forth - whistling, piping staccato!
Then a sort 'o hushing and falling
of drops of water on the dainties
of silvery sheets and like the gentle
dew upon the grass in every drop
of which "All heaven is mirrored".
Finally the softest murmuring.,
muffled tones like the sweetest of
lullabies. Once the tears came!
Maxine is a talented musician
and vocalist. May their lives be
happy and long together - even to
the time "When the years are short
and the days are long." Let's sing
and shout, clap our hands and all
wish them Bon Voyage. Their wed-
ding was beautiful! I asked our
little granddaughter Kathy what
part she liked best. She said, "Max-
ine's singing".
Alice Maxine Hayes
to
Jack Leroy Stimmel
Sunday, Aug. 30, 1959
Don't you remember sweet
Alice, Ben Bolt?"


Stimmel and Hayes Wedding


.67.

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Corresponds to page 68 of A Little Bird Told Us


The rule at the dorm was the girls had to stay the
first six weeks. When Mary Lou did come home she asked
for some unbalanced meals, she had been eating at the
dorm and every time it was a balanced meal and she
wanted some snacks.

Kenny came up one week about the close of Mary
Lou's second year. He said he and come to ask
permission to give Mary Lou a ring and wouldn't leave
until he got our permission. He hung on one hip and
then the other until we finally gave him permission.

We went to Niagara Falls one time with Mary Lou
and Kenny. We spent our time at the Falls and in
Canada and started to drive home late at night. We
were on an interstate when I noticed the mileage for
New York City was getting lower rather than farther
away. We were on the right road but going the wrong way.

There used to be a gift shop at the intersection
of 61 and 95. We, EB and I, had stopped there and I
saw some pretty Currier and Ives dishes. This was just
after Eskham and Jeane were married and I thought it
would be nice to have a place setting for each of us
since we were alone now. I asked Kenney to take me up
to get them before Eskham's birthday. They were going
to charge me more for two place settings that for the
full set for six. So I bought the full set. Then
several years later when we began attending flea
markets in Florida we saw many of these dishes on sale
so I began to buy them. Plates were usually less than
a dollar and I paid $5 for one box and got about 20
plus a lot of other dishes I needed to complete
the ones I needed in Florida. Then we decided those
would be nice dishes for our three granddaughters so we
kept looking for dishes until we had over 300. Finally
when they were all married I divided and saved enough
for me to use. Now when you see the plates they are


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Corresponds to page 69 of A Little Bird Told Us


priced $10 each and big plates at $12 or &15. I still
think they are pretty dishes.

Family Reunion at Porter Grange 1954

Pictured on the upper left are The Inlaws:
Hildred Warner
Thurman Warner
Ethel Hayes
Hubert Warner
Rodney Warner
M. H. Warner
Roger Warner

Pictured on the middle right are The Outlaws:
Esther Warner
Rheumilla Warner
Josephine Warner
Helen Warner
Marie Warner
Eskham Hayes
M. H. Warner

Pictured on bottom left is Our Family:
Mary Lou and Maxine Hayes
Eskham and Ethel Hayes, M. H. Warner
Eskham, Jr. and Shirley Hayes


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After E.B. started doing refrigeration work, he
sold a new Ice Cream Machine. He brought the old one
home and put a new compressor on it. One year when we
were having the Warner Reunion at the Porter Grange
hall, we used to take the outfit up about 2 P.M. and
serve ice cream to everyone. The little ones could
have as many cones as they could eat. Eskham became
known to a lot of nieces and nephews as the "Ice Cream
Man." At that time I kept ice cream made and sold it
by the half gallons. E.B. also took Dixie Cups of ice
cream in a styrofoam packer to work with him when he
was working on the Ohio State University Dormitory. Everyone
helped themselves and put the money in a cup. It
worked fine until a new group of workers came in and
took advantage of him. When Eskham Jr. became old
enough to help his Dad, I lost my help so I quit the
ice cream business. Then a few years ago at our
Reunion, one niece who is now married and has a son
said she wished the Ice Cream Man would return. Since
the next year we were hosts, we got the machine
together and since then we have had homemade ice cream
at our reunions.

We have become known as the Ice Cream People at
Sunbury since we have been making it for the church on
Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

When Mary Lou and and Kenny decided to get married,
the idea of a church wedding was quite a new experience
for me. Mary Lou picked out a picture of a dress in
the magazine that she liked so we went shopping. We
made a beautiful dress and the bridesmaid dresses.
About 10 o'clock on her wedding day it dawned on us
that since Mary Lou had a short sleeved dress she
should have gloves or mitts. So I used the leftover
lace and made her mitts. Every thing was ready on
time.

Everyone told me I would cry at Mary Lou's
wedding. I never even shed a tear even though my heart


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Corresponds to page 71 of A Little Bird Told Us


was over flowing but the next week, Lee Ellen Miller
was married in the same church and I cried through the
entire service.

When Tim became old enough to comb his own hair he
became aware that some hair on the crown of his head
always wanted to stick up. So why bother, he just
pulled it out. And before he was aware, his folks
noticed a very small bare spot appearing on his head.
After that he combed his hair differently.

My niece Ruth was very slow learning to walk. She
could walk around things but would not let loose. Her
Grandmother Lena bought her a walker. A walker was an
unusual toy then. Ruth took one look at it and walked
to it and she has walked alone ever since.


When Jack Bryan was little he would stay with me
sometime and he was always close under foot. If I was
baking he would sit on the cabinet and talk. and after
every statement he would say, "Right Grandmother" and
he would keep on saying it until you answered. Maxine
had to keep her eye on Ted when he was in the kitchen.
One day he had her Bible in a skillet and was going to fry it.

Mandy was very attached to her blanket. She
carried it with her all the time. One day I sat down
to rock her for her afternoon nap and she didn't have
it. She asked for it and I said "It flew the coop."
She settled down and went to sleep and never saw the
blanket again until her wedding shower. I think she
still has it.

When Eskham Jr. was younger he had a habit that
always embarrassed me. When we ate at home we never
thought so much about it but when we were eating
somewhere else and a dish was passed to him he would
always smell it first. And to this day I ask him to
eat with his Dad and I he will say "What do you have to
eat?" Also when he was small he always wanted catsup
on everything. We had a cartoon on the refrigerator


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Corresponds to page 72 of A Little Bird Told Us


When he was little that said, "If it wasn't for catsup
There were a lot of things I wouldn't eat!"

On the morning of Mary Lou's second birthday,
Thurman came over and ask me to come and stay with
Josephine while he went for the doctor. 61 was being
built and he had to go the back road. No one close had
a Sunbury phone. Before he got back Dick Warner made
his appearance and I had the honor of picking him up
first and smacking his little bottom. When Dr.
Livingston arrived he took over and I went out to find
Thurman and he was leaning over the back fence. I
didn't remember if I ever spanked Dick any after that.

After Harvey and Lucy were married her first
teaching job was at Akron. Harvey was still in school.
We had to make a trip to Akron to pick up some
electrical heaters so we planned to surprise them. We
found their home and were sitting in a swing on their
front porch when we saw them coming up the street
holding hands and very involved in conversation.
Suddenly they saw us and I thought they were going to
turn and run. We sat and talked for a long time until
it was supper time. Finally something was said about
eating but they didn't have food enough and only had
two knives and forks. Finally Eskham went to the car
and brought in the picnic basket and then everyone
enjoyed themselves. We really made them nervous for a
short time.

We have seen holes cut in doors so dogs and cats
could go in and out but on our last trip to N. Carolina
we saw a door with the top corner cut off. It seemed
Pat wanted to mount his two deer heads in a certain
position on the side walls. When the deer were in
place, Shirley couldn't open the closet door without
hitting the deer's ear. So Pat cut a triangle piece
off the door and fastened it to the door frame and now
the door opens without hitting the deer's ear.

I was down to Eskham Jr's the day after Jeanne


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Corresponds to page 73 of A Little Bird Told Us


brought Jason home from the hospital. While Jeanne and
I were in the kitchen and I walked into the living room
and Eskham III had upset Jason's basket on himself and
he was trying to crawl out from under the blankets. I
had to dig a little to find Jason but he was OK.

When Jason was small, I always referred to him as
my Baby Grandson. He resented it during his teenager
years but now I ask him who he is and he says Baby
Grandson.

The first time I realized I had any heart problems
I was in Florida in a WalMart store. Maxine had come
down to visit and we took Alice Morris and Rose Klafke
out to our favorite eating place. I had their
wonderful fish platter and I am sure "I ate the whole
thing" then we went shopping. EB and I were walking
back to my favorite spot, the yard goods department,
and I felt dizzy and started to pass out. EB just
helped me lay down in the aisle. I quickly came to and
the store personnel helped me to our car. Maxine drove
me directly to a doctor who ran a blood sample and
test. He told me I had had too much sea food, of
course he put me on medication. The next time I had
trouble we were shopping again with Rose and Lou Klafke
at the shopping mall in Ocala. I didn't pass out but I
felt like I had a rubberband around my chest and
someway it was getting tighter. We bought red zippered
jackets and then I admitted I was sick. We sat down
and rested awhile and then we decided we should start
home. We had about 30 miles to drive to the hospital
and we made it down route 27 in nothing flat. EB
wished for a patrolman so we could have an escort. We
made it and I told them afterward that I have never
been undressed so fast. They sent me from the Leesburg
Hospital to one at Orlando. Eskham Jr. and Jeanne flew
down on four wheels and they took me to Orlando.
Nothing developed as being serious, just put on
medication and I am still doing my thing.


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Eskham had to get into the act so he decided to
pass out in church a few months ago. A nurse sitting
back of us saw the problem I was having trying to get
his attention. She came over and layed him down on the
pew. At first she didn't get a pulse and she started
to loosen his tie. He came to and he asked if she was
undressing him. Another nurse came with a cold cloth
and he told her if something was going to happen this
was a good place for it to happen. The minister
stopped at the hospital after the service and EB said
there wasn't anything wrong with him but he was hungry.
We did stop at a restaurant on the way home about six
o'clock and ate supper. We had spent six hours in the
emergency room and still haven't found out the cause.

While we were spending our winters in Florida, we
had lots of company, and we enjoyed them all. Some say
I enticed my nephews into activities that they didn't
usually do. The Park always had Bingo on Monday night
so Dick Covey decided he would go with me. He said he
would play but he knew he wouldn't win. Elvira stayed
at the house with Eskham. Dick had a good time and I
think he won. A year or two later, Bob and Joan came
with Dick and Elvira. Bob being a minister, didn't
think he should go but he won the first game. And then
they would spend their dirty money. Now I hear Dick is
conducting Bingo games in the inner city of
Jacksonville. Our Bingo games were just fun for Senior
Citizens.

Our regular activity when we spent our winter in
Florida was visiting all the flea markets. You could
go to one everyday that was in driving distance. Our
favorite was the one at Webster every Monday. You
could arrive at 9 and walk until you were tired usually
around 2:30 or 3:00 and you hadn't seen it all. We did
get some good ideas. At the flea market we saw 5
gallon buckets made into seats for children. We copied


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Corresponds to page 75 of A Little Bird Told Us


the idea and have made seats for all our great
grandchildren and several small friends. We improved on
the original buckets by putting the children's names on them.

We had one Grandson, my baby grandson, who had a
hard time accepting himself. He had to learn to have a
lot of self control. He always got sick at his stomach
when ever he smelt a bad odor. He was very easy to
toilet train. One time Jeffery and Jack carried him
out to see their pigs. Of course the pen was hot and
smelly and they quickly brought Jason back in.

Holly was a climbing child. When her arms were
wide enough to reach across the door frame she could
climb to the top using her hands and feet. She told
her mother one time that whenever she saw her up in the
tree sitting she would know she was mad and to just let
her alone.

While we were visiting Shirley we learned that
Jimmie had gotten married. Later on in the evening
Jimmie and Kathy came in. E.B. and I were standing
across the room and E.B. looked at me and said, "She is
sure a long tall drink of water." Kathy heard him and
came right over and said she had been called a lot of
things but never that. It really broke the ice and she
never forgot it.

Eskham and I joined the Porter Grange over 50
years ago and were very active members for a number of
years. We organized the Juvenile Grange and worked
several years with the Drill Team.

I joined the Eastern Stars while I was staying
with Roger at Ashley and then transferred to Sunbury.
Eskham joined the Masons in Sunbury. We are both Fifty
Year Members but have never been active.

I helped organize our women's club back in 1953.
It is now the Tri Co Club. I always enjoy all the
crafts.

Eskham is always hunting for something he can do.


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One day he was cleaning the basement and he found some
tiles that he had brought back from Columbus when he
was working on the dormitories at O.S.U. He wondered
what he could make from them. He came up with the idea
of trivets, and that has developed into paper weights
and worry stones. It is something we both can do
together.

We seem to always get a lot of phone calls to buy
things. While in Florida we had a call and E.B.
answered the phone. The sales lady was selling a lot
in a Memorial Garden that they were starting in
Leesburg. E.B. answered her by saying, "He hadn't used
the lot he was given last year for Christmas." They
quickly hung up.

Elvira told me this story. She said she had used
her Uncle Eskham as an example several times when she
had had to give speeches. She used the example that EB
did not let his blindness handicap keep him from doing
some things. She said we were all at a family reunion
and her family was wanting someone to take their
pictures. Eskham and John Droke were talking and she
asked them. Eskham was almost blind and John had one
arm. So John focused the camera and EB pushed the
button to take the picture.

When Eskham learnt he was losing his eyesight, he
started to study the cash money he carried in his
pocket. It wasn't long before he could tell the
pennies and dimes apart, and the nickels and quarters.
He places the paper money folded different ways.

While we were in Florida, the eye doctor told
Eskham that he had macular degeneration in his eyes.
He just got new glasses and before they came he
couldn't see thru them because his eyes had changed
that much. He started to adjust to his condition. He
was driving one evening and shadows across the road
were bothering him so he pulled over and had me drive.


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Corresponds to page 77 of A Little Bird Told Us


It wasn't long before he quit driving. He said he
didn't think it was safe for him to drive any longer.
He continued to do other things. He used an electric
saw and drills in fact he did about anything he wanted
to do. When he was using a screw driver he didn't want
you to help - just to give him time. The same is true
about using a key. And one thing he insisted on was
not to take hold of him and guide him. If we went
into a house he would count the steps going in and then
he knew how many he would have to go down. When he was
doing something electrical he would talk me through the
connection. I have really learned a lot about tools
and really have learned patience. It is hard to stand
by and wait while he struggles to get something
together. But that is the way he is, very independent
and very determined to do his own thing. I've already
told you how he learned to handle money. His greatest
joy now is having the Talking Book Program.

I think I should write a paragraph and tell of all
the kinds of jobs Eskham has had. It think it will
take more than a paragraph, maybe a chapter and I'm not
sure if it wouldn't fill whole book.

He started delivering the Columbus Dispatch about
the time he started to school. We figured he must have
had a five mile route because he walked all the streets
in Woodstock. For some of the old people, he took the
paper up to the porch. For a couple of real old ladies,
he would hand it inside to them if the weather was bad.

During the summer he mowed lawns or picked
cherries and strawberries. During the spring ladies
liked to have help beating the rugs. We did not have a
vacuum sweepers like we do now. Every spring our beds
were taken apart and the feather beds were taken out of
doors and hung on a line. Rugs were also taken up and
hung on the line or layed on the ground and pounded.
The floors were then mopped, clean paper put down for


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padding and after all the dust had been beaten or
pounded the rugs were put back on the floor. It always
took a little time to browse through the dusty paper of
a year or more.

The beds and springs were always cleaned of dust
before they were put back together. It usually took a
day to do one room but how nice the bed was to climb
into that night.

Many women who didn't have boys were always
looking for someone to help them do the heavy cleaning.
Eskham beat many rugs and usually was paid 50 cents.

Hildreths that lived at the edge of town had a
large strawberry patch and they hired many boys to help
pick. Eskham went down with a group of older boys to
pick. He was small but Mr. Hildreth said he could
pick. He remembers that he made $3.98 picking
strawberries in one afternoon.

We had a small canning factory in Woodstock that
canned green beans and Bonnie Best tomatoes. Eskham
worked on the planting machine that was pulled by a
horse. He and another boy wold drop a plant into the
holes made with the planter. They planted one row at a
time. Later on there were tomatoes and beans to be
picked. Eskham went with his brothers and Bob Lincoln
told him he could pick, too. At the end of the week he
paid Eskham the same as his brothers.

Sometimes when Eskham was delivering papers he
would deliver a short note in the paper. Claudine use
to put the return note into a certain hollow tree that
was near her house. Some times he wrote in Morse Code,
which he knew, but he found out Claudine's father used
to be a telegraph operator so that ended the secret
code.

The summer before the eight grade, Mr. O.P. Smith
asked him to help pick up potatoes that he had plowed
out. When they finished that day Mr. Smith asked if he
would like to learn to work in his store. This was a


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general merchandise store that kept groceries, meat,
dry goods, shoes and boots, oils and gasoline. After
he learned the job he would go in the morning and work
till school time, it was just a couple of blocks from
school. Then he would stay at noon while Mr. Smith
went home for dinner, and return after school and work
till closing time. He sold his paper route. He made
$5 a week and worked six days a week. He did get time
off for football practice.

Between his junior and senior year the
Pennsylvania Railroad was laying new tracks through
Woodstock. He learned they were paying $3 a day, so he
got a job working for the railroad. He said it
toughened him up good for football.

When the railroad job was over, Mr. Smith took him
back and he worked for him for five years.

During the time Eskham was working in the store,
he was keeping time with the boss's daughter. They had
begun to have some problems and one afternoon Eskham
decided to go swimming instead of going to work at the
store. The next morning Mr. Smith told him he thought
the store could get along without his help.

So he went next door to a meat market operated by
Mr. Hahn. About six months later he borrowed from an
insurance policy and bought the store. The meat market
was really a butcher shop. If you bought steak it was
cut right from the carcass that was hanging in the
cooler. His brother, Aubrey, helped him work in the
store. They carried a full line of groceries. They
gave credit to too many people, it was during the
depression, and after a year they closed their doors.
My dad was one of their customers but he said he paid
his bill but he did require it to be itemized. All
accounts were totaled and just the date and amount was
kept on their records. But when they made a sale to
M.H. Warner's account they had to list every item.
Eskham owed some companies that had supplies his store


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and he paid the last one with a diamond ring that had
been returned to him.

In a short time he started working at the elevator
where the farmers sold their grain and bought coal.
The coal came in train cars and had to be unloaded by
hand - sixty tons in each car. He would stand on top
and throw off as much as he could until he could use a
shovel. Many of the people who got the welfare coal
would sit uptown in the warm building and then come
down and get their free coal.

This was depression times and a large insurance
company in Columbus acquired many farms in our area and
they hired Eskham's dad to repair and build fences on
them. Eskham, his brother Aub, and a couple of cousins
worked on the gang. When they worked a distance from
home, Mother Hayes would go along and they would live
in a tenant house on the farm. He got paid $7 a week
and room and board. That was when they worked from
"Can see to Can't see."

Ruby Clark owned the drug store in Woodstock and
she offered him the same pay to take over her store and
operate it for her. It was mostly soda fountain,
candy, tobacco, and some patent medicines. It was a
full time job. He had an electric pop-corn popper at
the store. He had this job after we moved from
Woodstock.

A friend of Eskham's, Leonard Ropp, inherited a
sum of money and he invested it in a Pharmacy on North
High Street in Columbus and he asked him to operate it.
They had a lady pharmacist but Eskham took care of the
rest of the store.

After a few months Eskham realized that Leonard
Ropp was going to lose his store, so he started to look
for another job. Leonard Ropp, Aubrey and Eskham were
living in an apartment on Seventh Avenue.

Jobs were scarce so Eskham went to Columbus Coated
Fabrics and put in his application at the morning


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Corresponds to page 81 of A Little Bird Told Us


shift. They handed out over a hundred applications at
the 6 a.m. meeting. They were only hiring married men.
Eskham went back at the 2 PM shift change and there was
only one other man there. He said he was short and
small. The foreman came out and asked if could
handle large rolls, if so come back at 10 p.m. He was
sure happy. He drove up to Sunbury and stayed for
supper and went back in time to go to work at 10 p.m.
He worked the night shift and would make $1 an hour.

He worked there six years and hated very minute
of it. When he came home he smelt like lacquer
thinner. I am sure it wasn't good for his health. He
was printing plastic and oilcloth. We were married
while he still worked at Columbus Coated Fabrics.

We heard that Nestlés in Sunbury was in need of an
electrician. He went down for an interview and was
hired for 60¢ an hour. He spent a lot of time studying
some electrical books. It was less pay per hour but he
didn't have the expense of driving to Columbus. He
shortly received some pay increases and some overtime.
While at Nestles he got some experience on rewinding
motors, some work on steam boilers, and refrigeration
along with all kinds of wiring.

During World War II the boss came around and asked
him if he was mad and wanted to fight. He told him no.
A few days later he received his draft card and he had
been moved down a notch. Nestlés was furnishing coffee
packs for soldiers. The plant was awarded and E Award
for Excellence.

During the time the war was on Eskham was on call
twenty-four hours a day and seven day a week.

Two years he never took a vacation he just worked
full time and received a check for his vacation pay.
Whenever he had to go in at night he was always paid
for four hours. Some nights he would make two or three
trips, because he could get there before anyone else
could.

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He started doing outside work in his spare time.
It seemed a lot of people needed electric, motor, or
refrigeration repair work done.

The last year he took his vacation and then he
decided I needed my tonsils out, so he asked for
another week. Then he went back to work and it wasn't
long until he asked his boss how much he needed to
give notice of his quitting. He said two weeks and
Eskam said to start counting. He had enjoyed working
on his own so much he wanted to continue.

We were doing fine when we were self-employed. I
was able to run parts in Columbus part of the time and
I did the book work. And taking care of the phone was
almost a full-time job.

Then we lost the house on January 17, 1952.
After that Eskham tried to carry on his work and
build our house. We only had $2000 insurance on our
house so we really had our work cut out for us. We did
much of the work ourselves. Mr. Crowl helped with the
framing, Mr. Paskins and the Forman twins laid rhe
bricks, Rodney and Roger helped put down the floors.
We did the finishing ourselves. We moved in nine
months but it was several years before everything was
finished.

A man from Hydraulic Plant at Mt. Giliad came down
and asked Eskham to come do some electrical work. The
pay sounded awfully good so he started working nights.
He left before the kids got home from school and they
left in the mornings before he got up. He only saw
them on weekends and that didn't work very good.

Walter Benedict, who was from Ashley, worked with
him at the Hydraulic. He brought in an ad one morning
that Percha Electric was wanting electricians and
paying $2.92 an hour. Eskham came home changed clothes
and went to Columbus and was hired to go to work on
Monday.

While he worked for Percha Electric he was foreman


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Corresponds to unnumbered page of A Little Bird Told Us

Three photos of unidentified people other than Eskham and Ethel Hayes who are seated in front of four standing people, most likely relatives and friends.

A Little Bird Told Us (90)

Corresponds to page 83 of A Little Bird Told Us


for the additions to the Sunbury Elementary, Galena and
Center Village. He worked at the Art Building of E.
Broad and several other schools in Columbus. Percha
was going out of business and he returned to Arabia.
While working for Percha, Eskham joined the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW.

He reported to the union that his work was
finished at Percha. and three days later he was called
by McCarty Brothers Electric. He worked for them about
six years. While working for McCarty Brothers he
worked on many schools, the eleven story dormitories at
O.S.U. and Riverside Hospital.

Eskham learned that McCarty Brothers were wanting
to take on some apprentices because their business was
picking up. Eskham asked Kenney if he would like to
learn the trade. He went down and started his
training. Several years later, Tim went down and
followed in his Dad's and Grandfather's footsteps.

Eskham worked for McCarty for six years and began
to do more work at home. When Eskham Jr. graduated he
wanted to work with his Dad and learn the trade. They
were in business together until Eskham retired at 65.
It was long and unusual hours but they enjoyed working
together.

Since Eskham retires be(he) had only worked here at
home and there are still some Honey Do jobs waiting for
him.

I'll end with a paragraph about my contribution.
I belong to the Roofers Union, it covered everything.

After second year of college I was an unregistered
nurse for four years and then waited a year and got
married.

In 1960 I took the U.S. Census in Porter Township. I
substituted in the school cafeteria for two weeks and I
worked on the election board as Judge about four years.
I think I only got about 10 paychecks in my life.

I spent my time, cooking, cleaning, sewing,


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crocheting, knitting, counted cross-stitch, being a
mother and wife.

I feel I have had a very happy and fulfilled life
being a wife and and companion to my husband.

While Eskham was working on this fence gang, they
were digging holes in some very hard ground. They got
the idea to use some dynamite. They used one half
stick and put it down about ten inches. They lite it
and after the boom they had a big hole that had to be
filled in before they could put in the post.


* * *


I always said the first half hour after the school
bus arrived in the afternoon was wasted time. It
really wasn't wasted, now I know it was very valuable
time. Shirley, Eskham Jr. and Maxine all talked at
once about school and what their friends were saying
and doing. Mary Lou would usually go in and change
her clothes and wait until the others had finished and
then she would follow me around and tell her stories
and she wasn't competing for my time. They really were
four individual children. Eskham sometimes made a
service call after supper and Eskham Jr. always wanted
to go with him. At first we made him stay home and we
would work on his homework. But I could tell his mind
was with his father and not with me. We changed our
schedule and decided he could go with his father when
he wasn't going to be too late if he would get up early
in the morning and we would do his homework. After
Eskham left for work I would call EB Jr. and he would
get up and we would work together, and his grades
improves and he was a happier boy.

The first year Mary Lou went to school she would
walk down the lane and could hardly step up into the
bus all by herself. The next year Maxine started. The
bus went passed our house, around the block and picked
up the children on the second round. We usually had


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about 10 minutes warning that the bus was coming.
During that time we had to keep the conversation light
and funny or Mary Lou would be in tears. After she got
to school she was fine until lunch time. Then the
second grade teacher would always go over and get
Maxine to come over and eat lunch with Mary Lou because
she was crying. Maxine said one of the boys was always
teasing May Lou until she told him to quit teasing her
sister. I guess that ended the crying spells.

I brought Shirley home from the hospital the day
before Maxine started first grade. That may have been
what made Mary Lou unhappy about school. But Maxine
thinks her telling that boy off was what helped her.
After the school years were over I still miss hearing
someone say, "Here comes the BUS!"

* * *

One time when Jeanne was visiting before she and
Eskham Jr. were married, she locked herself in the
bathroom. She was very timid about calling anyone but
finally someone heard her and went to her rescue. She
vowed she would never lock the door again.

Another time we were talking about changing the
clocks at 2 A.M. so we would be on the correct time.
Before Jeanne thought she asked if she had to get up
and do it at 2 A.M. Of course every Spring and Fall we
remind her that she must do it at 2 A.M.


* * *

I almost forgot one special family event that was
started by my Father and we have continued. October is
apple butter month. It has become an event we all look
forward to as a family get together near Eskham's
birthday in October. We started using just one kettle
but as our family grew we started doing two kettles at
the same time. Each family brings a bushel of apples
made into sauce, ten pounds of sugar and some empty
washed jars. I usually furnish the red hots and
cinnamon oil. I use red hots to give the butter a good


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Apple Butter Making


Color and I like the oil so you can't see specks in
the butter. We use all varieties of apples.

We try to get the kettles on about eight and ready
to take off before three. Everyone takes a turn
stirring and tasting. Eskham is always the official
one to taste for enough cinnamon and when it is done.

Last year I sterilized 24 pennies and put them in
the kettle. They helped to keep the butter from
sticking in the bottom of the pot.

When the apple butter has cooked long enough,
we start an assembly line. One dips and fills jars, one
cleans the tops, on puts on the lids, one tightens,
and then one wipes the jars.

Then the jars are counted, divided by the number
that brought a bushel of apple sauce and that decided
how many jars of apple butter each family takes.

One time Tim went to a farm auction and bought
two long handled stirrers. An elderly gentleman came
up and asked if he knew what he bought. He said, "Yes,
we make apple butter at my Grandfather's."


Photo of apple butter making


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We have extra people bring apples and join
with us. Last year we had about 60 people here during
the day. We made 190 pints of butter using two
kettles.

We usually have a potluck at noon and sometimes
some homemade bread to sample the butter.

Two years ago. Shirley and part of her family were
here for the apple butter making. We decided to have
our Thanksgiving sit-down dinner that evening. We put
up extra tables in the living and dining room and we
all had a place to sit.

The last couple of years, we have had the ice
cream machine going and we had ice cream to eat all
day.

Eskham has made a free standing canopy from pipe
and plastic covering that we use as our tent. It helps
to keep the falling leaves out of the butter and also
provides protection if it rains. We also use the
canopy in Sunbury when the church sells our ice cream.

When the children were little they learned to say
grace at our table. They started with the rhymes that
are usually used and then Eskham Jr. learned to say the
Lord's Prayer. He enjoyed repeating it at dinner time.
Sometimes the girls were in a hurry to go someplace and
wanted to get our meal over and they would whisper to
him to say the short one. He would slowly bow his head
and repeat the Lord's Prayer very slowly and with a lot
of feeling. They never said anything to him at the
table but I am sure they got even with him some way.

* * *

One of our greatest joys has been having
grandchildren and getting to spend time with them. We
have loved and enjoyed everyone. (And may I add you
will enjoy your great grandchildren even more. We do.)
I always said I hoped my grandchildren remembered me


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with better thoughts than those I have had of my
grandparents. Eskham had fond memories of times spent
with his grandparents.

I always made it a habit to spank each grandchild
on their birthday. It was all done in fun, no child
abuse. I spanked each one on their birthday until they
were thirteen. I can see the thirteen year old boys
laying over my lap, feet touching the floor on one side
and hands on the other, while I spanked them thirteen
times. The younger ones really enjoyed counting the
spanks.

When the first four or five became thirteen, I
didn't think they had had much experience of going to a
restaurant and ordering from a menu. So I suggested
they pick the restaurant and we would all go together.
Sometimes we were accompanied by other grandparents,
aunts, and uncles.

The first few times we went to Buns in Delaware.
For Jack we went to Northern Columbus because it was
Mother's weekend in Delaware and we couldn't reserve a
room. When it was time for Holly and Mandy, it was a
few days after Christmas and it seemed no one wanted a
big meal, the girls decided to go to a pizza parlor in Delaware and
they turned the basement over to our family after seven
o'clock. Each one picked their own restaurant.

I made each of my grandchildren a knitted sweater
when they started to school. And each got a knitted
sweater for their thirteenth birthday. Now I am having
the pleasure if making knitted sweaters for my great
grandchildren. I have already made three and have
three more to make before Christmas next year.


* * *


Eskham and I took our first real vacation with
Rodney and Esther. Shirley was married so she came
home and helped Junior. Rodney was determined to show
us everything in Florida and between here and there.


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The next year we went by ourselves and made a figure
eight in Florida and saw real Florida and less of the
attractions.

Eskham's brother lives in Leesburg but we stayed
in a motel in Leesburg because of Julia's health.
Leesburg is in Central Florida and you could drive to
the attraction in a day. We stopped at the
Candlelight motel. We got acquainted with the manager
who was from Ohio. When ever we arrived they treated
us like friends. It was a small motel, only about 12
rooms, but they always had room for us. At that time
you weren't suppose to eat in your rooms but she
brought us in a card table and let us keep our milk in
her refrigerator in the laundry room. At first the
rate was $6 per night but that gradually went up. We
never did sign the register when we were ready to leave
he would just say a lump sum and we would pay him.

When we first went to Florida we visited some
friends that lived in a mobile park. E.B. said I
would never get him to live cooped up like that. There
was barely room enough to walk between the houses.

One year we went down through Missouri, Kansas and
Texas. We stopped at Fantastic Caverns. and they really
were fantastic. We rode in a Jeep and it pulled a
trailer if there were extra people. One time we were
coming home and stopped at a motel and looked through
the AAA book. We discovered that we had missed a
cavern about fifty miles back. So the next morning we
went back to see it, we weren't on any time schedule to
get home. We also took the five mile walk through
Mammoth Cave and ate our lunch in the cave.

One time we spent a couple nights in New Orleans.
We got up one morning and drove to the French Quarters
and it wasn't even open. It really's a night town.
Another time we were driving around just seeing how far
we could get out on the Delta, We landed in a yard


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full of goats so we quickly turned around and got out
of that area. We drove from New Orleans to Florida
one year after a terrible storm had gone through. We
never saw such destruction. It looked like the time
the tornado went through Ashley and took Roger's house
and barn. But we drove for miles along the beach and
only saw destruction.

Roger and Marie went with us most of the time. We
usually stayed six weeks or more until after we bought
a home.

One year we had a week that it rained and was
nasty all the time. You get tired of playing cards all
the time and it wasn't fun to go any place. So Eskham
and I went out to look at some mobile homes. About the
second day we found one that hadn't been put on the
market yet because the people had just moved out. It
was a single with two bedrooms, one on each end, 1 bath
and a living kitchen area. We felt it was a good buy
but we didn't have that much in our checking account.
They wouldn't give us thirty days so we could get home
and transfer. So we talked to Roger and Marie and we
found we could put our three checks together and buy
the house. When we got home we paid them back.

The next day E.B. and I went shopping at the
discount stores and bought bedding for the rooms,
things for the bathroom, pans to cook in, dishes and
silverware. We felt like two that had just got
married. We moved in the next day and stayed two
weeks. The first night no one slept. There was a
bridge on the main road that rattled every time a car
drove over it. It was a fun two weeks.

The next winter Roger, Marie and us went back.
Thurman and Josephine came and spent a week with us.
The six of us really tripped over each other but we had
fun. The davenport made out into a bed. That is where
Thurman and Joe slept. Thurman always wanted to go to
bed early so he would open the davenport and go to bed,


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and we would sit around him and talk.

Maxine, Jack and their kids took a trip down
and stayed in our house for a week.

I think it was the next fall, Eskham and I decided
to take a fall trip. at first we didn't go South until
after Christmas and home in March. Finally Eskham
convinced me we could have Christmas in Florida so we
went after Thanksgiving. Then we moved it early so I
could work at Election, then we decided we could vote
absentee. And the last few years we went in October
and back the last of May.

When we went down in the fall they had some new
homes sitting in the park ready to be sold and
installed. They were mostly double-wide homes. When I
saw the kitchen of one I really fell in love with it.
The house was in two sections with plastic over the
sides that go together. I saw the living room, bath
and bedroom of one side and only the dining room, bath
kitchen of the other side. I really fell for the
kitchen. We made a deal and they were to have it ready
for us on January first. They gave us full value for
our single.

When we arrived we couldn't drive close in because
they hadn't put in the ramp. Neighbors told us they
laid the carpet about midnight the day before we
arrived. But we loved the house and spent 14 happy
years there. After we moved we became acquainted with
our neighbors and became a part of the park. We had
Bingo every Monday night, Craft club on Thursday, Bible
Study course every winter, and lots of potlucks. It
wasn't long before we were on a monthly committee to
plan events for a special month. Eskham talked them
into a P.A. System and a tape recorder so we had some
dances using taped music and a couple times a year we
had live music. We always had a big New Year's Eve
dance, a big dinner at Thanksgiving and Christmas along
with anniversaries and birthday celebrations.


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We just needed a little excuse for a group to get
together. There was a group that went out to breakfast
once a week. In fact there were two groups, one went
at six and the other at eight. Needless to say we went
at eight. And a group went out to Don's once a month
to eat dinner together. Those meals were really a lot
of fun.

A friend of one of our neighbors got married and
he told Byron Morris he was coming to the park to spend
his honeymoon. We all knew him because he spent a lot
of time with Byron. So a group of us decided we should
bell them after the dance. It is surprising how many
had not heard of a belling using horns and pans banging
together. Another lady and I short-sheeted the bed,
used some saran wrap and set an alarm clock on a pan
under the bed to go off at 4 a.m. It was really a fun
night and they were good sports about it.

One month they were wanting a fund raising project
and suggested an ice cream social with the choir
putting on a Sunday afternoon concert. Some people had
never heard of an ice cream social. We went to and ice
cream wholesale place in Eustis and bought two gallon
containers. Some of the ladies brought cakes and
everyone enjoyed them. They have it as an annual event
now.

Roger and Marie went with us most of the time.
One year we went with Thurman and Josephine. Thurman
always said he couldn't ride in a car unless he drove
but on this trip he decided it was nice to have some
one else drive. One day we were in quite a lot of
traffic and Eskham decided to get out of it. He turned
on a street and he was going the wrong way and he came
right back on the same street. We sure laughed at him.

Elviria and Dick brought Esther down and stayed a
few days.

Hildred and Rheumilla were down for a week and we


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went to the airport to pick up MIldred. Then she drove
them on to Linda's.

Linda and her family stopped once when they were
going north. Duane was down for a swim meet with his
daughter, and he drove from the airport and had dinner
with us.

Paul and Muriel spent some time with us. So did
Shirley Ann, John, Debbie and husband were here too.

Rachel Warner visited once when Roger was there.
Another time we planned to meet her at a McDonald's
down by Disney World. Eskham didn't feel well so I
took Roger and Marie. And on the way down I had car
trouble. Finally we made it to McDonald's but I was so
nervous I said lets eat fast so we can get home before
dark. We were only able to travel about 20 miles an
hour all the way home. And that is nerve racking when
you are on a four lane highway.

Harvey and Lucy spent a day and Juanita and Marion
were down several times.

Elvira, Disk, Bob and Joan came. That is when
they went to Bingo with me. The next morning they were
going to get up early and go to Disney. They started
asking questions and it was eleven o'clock before we
got up from the breakfast table. I don't think they
ever went to Disney.

Joy May, Ronnie and his family came for dinner one
day. We had stopped to see Ronnie at college when
Thurman and Joe were with us.

Hubert and Jeannette spent couple weeks with us
several times. We took in all the flea markets and
antique shops when they were there.

One year Gunver told us her brothers, sisters and
spouses were coming to Florida. They had come to
Amherst for an Anniversary Celebration. We came home
for it, too. A week in the winter time in January is
hard to get around so they came south. They were to be
at our house in time for dinner. So we decided it


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would be easier to take them to Don's for dinner.
Eskham went in first and paid for them, then they were
handed plates and told to help themselves. They had
never eaten at a smorgasbord where you helped yourself.
They really took over the restaurant. They all talked
Danish except when they talked to Eskham and me. One
brother-in-law couldn't speak English but could
understand it. He smiled an awfully lot. He took
pictures all the time he was there. He had a very
fancy camcorder of some kind. He asked Eskham and m e
to stand at our door way and push our door button so he
could record it. I had made arrangements with two
neighbors for beds but no one would leave and go there.
So we slept 12 in our home. We had two in each twin
bed, two on the davenport, two on the kitchen floor,
two on the davenport cushions, and of course Eskham and
I kept our bed. Eskham always says there are two
things he won't give up, his bed and his place at the
table. We had a wonderful visit with our Danish
people. I just wish we could do it again.

Eskham Jr. flew down to drive us home one year and
about every fifty miles we had to stop and he would use
a bicycle pump and blow air back into the tank. When
we got home they took the tank off and found a small
screen that was plugged in the outlet of the tank.

Kenda flew down several times and drove us home.
We always played a lot of games as we rode along. One
time she was stopped by a patrol, but they were just
doing a survey of where we had been and where we were
going. Maxine drove us down several times.

Eskham Jr. flew down one time and on the way home
we were forced off the road and the car overturned.
Lots of people stopped to help and an ambulance took
Eskham and I to a hospital on Hinesville, Georgia.
State Patrol took Jr. to rent a car so he could get out
belongings from the car. The car was totaled. We had
only had it about two months but we never got it home.


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Shirley and Pat came and stayed with us. Elvira and
Dick stopped too. They were on their way North. We
flew home from Savannah, Georgia, about seven days
later. The doctor and nurses really gave us the red
carpet treatment. Eskham's doctor called about a week
after we got home to see how he was. About a month
after we got home the emergency squad took Eskham to
Grady Hospital for a bleeding ulcer. Dr. Orahood did
surgery on July Fourth. He spent about 10 days in
Grady and had 12 pints of blood.

Many of our grandchildren and families came down
to visit. Tim and Beth came when Ryan was only a few
months old. They flew that time. Then they drove down
after Laura was born. Holly and Brian were there.
Shirley came down with Jeanne and Eskham one time and
then they were down with Mandy and Jess on Easter and
we went to Cypress Gardens for Sunrise Service. Mary
Lou and Kenny were there a couple of times for
Christmas. One year the Mackley's (John and Kenda)
Mary Lou and Kenney all served the Christmas Dinner at
the park.

One year on Christmas Day it was so warm that we
went to Daytona Beach in the afternoon and a couple of
years late it was down to 14 degrees. Icicle froze at the
water tap and Junior brought one in about 18" by 1" in
diameter and used it to get Shirley out of bed.

I was always glad when some of our family came
down. I was always proud to show them off and I was
anxious for then to see our home and meet our friends.

One year before we bought our new home, we went
for 10 days with Mary Lou, Kenney, Tim and Kenda. Tim
wasn't 12 yet so he got in free. We stayed at the
Candlelight Motel in adjoining rooms. One day we went
to the coast to see the shuttle go up. It was delayed
until 1 P.M. that night. So we waited. Tim built a
fire on the beach with drift wood. When the shuttle
did go it was so light on the beach you could read a


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newspaper. that night going back to Leesburg it was
very, very, foggy. One day we went to a bird show and a
parrot landed on Tim's shoulder. The parrot looked
around and reached down and bit off the top button on
Tim's shirt. We have a picture of Kenda sitting on a
turtle's back.

One night after Tim and Kenda had gone to
sleep, Kenney and Mary Lou went across the street to a
Dairy Queen and brought back four big banana splits.
Tim and Kenda haven't forgiven us yet for waiting until
they went to sleep. It is lots of fun to sit cross
legged on a bed and eat ice cream.

One morning I got up with a terrible headache. I
had a terrific pain in my head. I stepped into the
bathroom and looked at the Amlin chart that I had on
the door. I couldn't even see it with my left eye. We
called our eye doctor and Jane Ruge took us down to the
office in Leesburg. As soon as I got there I started
to upchuck and the doctor put me into his chair. Seven
hours later I got out. Every few minutes the doctor
put drops into my eye to relieve the pressure. The
doctor went out and gave Eskham and Jane reports. They
went to Bob Evans for lunch then came back and waited.
Finally he put a patch on my eye and told me to come
back the next morning for laser surgery. A few months
before he had treated my right eye but didn't think the
left eye needed it. He said he would never treat one
eye only again for anyone that had narrow drainage for
our eyes. Now I have four more drainage holes in each
eye. Doctor said it was a miracle that I didn't lose
my eye. He said I had had a glaucoma attack but no
signs of glaucoma now.

Jane Ruge went back to Leesburg after she took us
home and brought Colonel Sanders dinner for us. She
stayed and ate with us, and for a couple of days she


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saw that we had things to eat. She is really a lovely
friend.

Our best way to get exercise in Florida was to go
the a flea market. There was one in driving distance
every day and they changed weekly. We didn't go every
week but we did enjoy them and got some good ideas.

One year after we had been home about a month
Eskham's brother Aubrey went in for five by-passes. At
the last minute we decided we would go down. We left
home about four o'clock and drove until we were tired.
We went with just our work clothes. We planned to stop
at our house and change clothes but when we got within
a mile of our house and ready to turn we decided it was so
late we might not get to the hospital in Orlando. We
arrived at the hospital at the start of the last five
minute period. Aubrey was really surprised and I think
we did him some good. We stayed about a week at our
house.

Of course on Monday we went to the Webster flea
market. On one of the first tables we saw a lot of
refrigeration equipment. Eskham boxed up several
pieces of equipment, about $50 worth. We paid for it
and asked to leave it there while we walked around. EB
had looked over all the stuff and even some that wasn't
loaded from the truck. He said he would like to have
it all. He told me how much he would offer the guy and
before long we went back. He asked the man for a price
for all of it and believe it or not it was the same as
EB said he would offer him. The man even agreed to
deliver it to our home in the park. The man lived in
Orlando, a few blocks from the hospital Aub was in, so
we went to see what else he had. The man said he
worked for a wholesale distributor in Orlando that had
decided to go out of the refrigeration business and
sell electric only. He said be bought it all at a
discount. The price to us was really discounted too.
Eskham bought so much stuff we had to rent a tandem


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trailer to get it home. It was a long hard pull home
but we made it just before dark. Eskham Jr. was coming
down the hill just in time to see the trailer enter our
drive. He quickly made plans to block the driveway
with his truck but then he got down far enough to see
our car. It was fun to see his eyes when he saw what
we had in the truck. That trip to a Florida flea
market proved very profitable for us.

One time coming home from Florida, we came when it
was still cold and the further north we came the more
snow. We stopped and bought chains for the car. They
were saying on the radio cars couldn't get over Jellico
Mountain without chains. We noticed we weren't meeting
any cars and then we heard Route 21 that went over
Jellico was closed. We stopped at several motels
before we found a vacant one. Then we had to unload
our car because we had several bushels of oranges and
grapefruit. There was hardly any room for us in the
room when we got the car unloaded. The fresh fruit we
brought home was always the treat they all looked
forward to.

One year while Roger and Marie were with us, we
decided to go to Clearwater and see a Cincinnati Reds
ballgame. When we got there the the parking lot was full.
Finally Eskham let us out close to the stadium and he
went to park the car. Then I saw the sign, "Standing
Room Only. " We quickly decided we would not try to go
it. While standing there a foul ball came over the
fence and landed about 20 feet from where I was
standing. In about two seconds a dozen men were
wrestling in the bushes to get the ball. We left the
ball park and drove out along the gulf shore.

Each year at the park the program committee
always put on a big show. One time I was a dutch girl
and Gunver sent me some wooden shoes to wear. Another
time I was a headless woman. I used an old choir robe,
covered my neck so it wouldn't go down over my head and


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I peeked out of some holes in front. I was bout six
feet tall if I had had a head. Instead I carried on a
tray and honest to goodness"skull" with lights in its
head. We made a special trip to Orlando to get one of
those laughing machines. I kept turning it over as I
walked around the room. No one guessed who I was.
Another time I was in a chorus line with my face the
center of a pansy flower. One year Tim called and said
he was tired of cold weather and he wanted to come
down. He was there for the show. In fact he helped
operate the lights. I think that is one time he didn't
want to own me as a grandmother.

In the dining room there was just a base cabinet
across one end with mirrors above. I though it would
be nice to have cabinets above with glass doors. So
Eskham decided he would build my cabinets. We were
able to buy glass doors that matched our walls. So he
built the cabinets with a shelf and spare space on top.
They really were nice but then I had to buy a set of
dishes to fill up the shelves.

When Alice and Byron Morris saw ours, they wanted
one built in their dining room. Their son had sent
them a full set of dishes from Korea. they just had
three one quarter shelves in each corner hardly large
enough to put a small vase on.

Eskham and Byron started to collect the materials
and they built it on our patio. They ordered a formica
top made for the base cabinet and then put glass doors
above. They were really nice and they were well
pleased. They had everyone stop in to see their new
cabinet and dishes. When they worked on the patio I
said it was like two little boys talking and planning
what they were going to do next.

We painted the ramp into our carport green. The
people who lived down on Allyson Road always cut across
our lane and then through Morris' yard to go to the
club house. After we painted they hesitates to cross


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so Eskham cut some foot prints on a cardboard and used
white paint and printed foot steps crossing the walk.
People soon started to go that way again.

We saw many Shuttle shots. Several we were on the
cape and some from our front porch. I was watching
from our porch and I saw the one that blew on up on take
off. I ran back into the house to see what the TV said
had happened. I saw exactly what they showed many
times on TV.

Another time Klafke and we left at 4 A.M. to go to
the coast. It was so thrilling to hear it as well as
see. We parked along the highway and Lou stepped out
into an ant hill. It wasn't long until he began to
swat his pant legs. He was more careful where he
stepped after that.

The night we were at the cape with Mary Lou and
family we saw the shuttle go up at 1 A.M. About six
days later we went over to tour Cape Canaveral and to
see the Big Bertha that was made in Marion, Ohio, to
transport the shuttle out to the base. While we were
there we saw the shuttle brought back piggy back on a
big plane.

One summer after we came home Eshkam Jr. decided
he would like his garage made into and office. Mr.
Crowl, who helped us build our house, had had a stroke
but was recovering till he could work but he couldn't
remember anything. Eskham wasn't able to see to read a
rule or saw a marking. So Mr. Crowl would measure and
tell Eskham the number when they got to saw Eskham
would repeat it and he would mark his board then Mr.
Crowl would cut it. They put in new windows, door,
shower, and new siding. Eskham Jr. called them his
'Over the Hill Gang.' It was good exercise for both of
them and they rally enjoyed having something to so.

Eskham was telling a man in Sunbury about what he
and Mr. Crowl were doing. He asked Eskham how he could
drive nails when he couldn't see. Eskham told him he


.100,

A Little Bird Told Us (108)

Corresponds to page 101 of A Little Bird Told Us


had a radar hammer and he asked where do you get them?
Our grandsons have told me they can't understand how
Grandfather could drive nails and not miss and they
could see the nails and can't hit them. I guess
experience helps.

Eskham didn't do much fishing in Florida. If you
didn't have a boat you were handicapped. He did enjoy
going deep sea fishing. Aubrey went with him. They
usually went to Tarpon Springs and took a boat that
went out about forty miles in the gulf. The boat held
30 or more fisherman. They enjoyed watching the
porpoises playing around the boat. I always wanted to
go with him. The day before Eskham was to go we
bought a picnic lunch and went to a park to eat. Then
we walked out on the dock and watched the waves. It
wasn't long before I grabbed Eskham's arm because I was
moving and the water was standing still. He quickly
decided that I couldn't go with him. It was a good
thing I didn't. The first thing I saw when Eskham got
home was that his teeth were not in his mouth. It was
a very rough ride, many didn't even put a line in the
water, many got sick, too. Eskham didn't get sick but
he said he wasn't going to lose his teeth if he did. I
am sure glad I didn't go on that trip.

The fourteen years we spent in our home in Florida
were wonderful happy years. The last two years we were
there we thought we should sell and we put up a sign
that the house was for sale. We had a few lookers,
some just nosey or people who wanted us to give it to
them.

The last year we were there we had been shopping
and Fran Vogel came over when we got home and she said
she had shown the outside of our house and the man
would be back at three to see the inside. He came and
we showed the inside and he asked our price. After
some debating he said if the bank would help him he
would like the house. He said he had $4000 in cash in


.101.

A Little Bird Told Us (109)

Corresponds to page 109 of A Little Bird Told Us


the glove compartment of his truck for a down payment.
He had a big dog in the passenger side of the truck. I
offered to call our banker and we took him over. The
banker asked all the questions and said he would call
me at eleven next morning and give his answer. The man
wanted possession at once but we said Kendra was coming
down June 10th to drive us home. He said w e could just
pay our third of the rent and he'd pay the rest if the
bank approved.

The next morning at eleven the banker called and
said if we could be there at 3 P.M. we could close. We
were there but we had to go to the insurance, and tax
place and within twenty four hours of meeting him we
had all the money for our house and furnishings. We
got back home at 5:15 and were due at the potluck that
we were chairmen of at 5:30. Everyone was really
shocked when I told them we had just come from signing
the papers to sell our home. It was rather a sad
potluck. We had about fifteen days to pack all our
things. We sent 27 boxes home by U.P.S. We still can't
understand how we accumulated that much stuff in 14
years. We left the house completely furnished but
there was so much to bring home.

Perhaps I should explain our reasons for leaving
Florida. When we first bought into the park (we owned
our own house but had to rent the ground it stood on)
the rent was $55 a month. By renting we had use of the
club house and were members of all activities. The
rent had gradually increased until it was $220 a month.
A group in the park were talking about the renters
buying the park and they would be there own owners.
Our park was owned by a doctor in California and he
refused to do any improvements. After we left many of
the people banded together and bought the park. Of
course rent was greatly reduced for those who own the
park but rent is sill going up for the renters. We
didn't want to pay about $18,000 for just enough land


.102.

A Little Bird Told Us (110)

Corresponds to page 103 of A Little Bird Told Us


to sit a house on. We were fortunate we sold when we
did. Prices for homes went down, some moved their
homes out and the renters are having their rent
in creased. And then too, it was getting to be more of
a hassle to get packed and moved twice a year besides
some one flying down to take us and to bring us home.
We love our home here and we love having our children
close and we are really enjoying our great
grandchildren!

Our fourteen years, spending six months of it in
Florida, were very happy years and we made many friends
who we still hear from. But being back home have been
happy years too and especially nice to have our
families near during sickness. We haven't minded the
cold weather because our house had been warm and we
don't have to go out unless we want to. Now we are
spending our time enjoying our Great Grandchildren.


.103.

A Little Bird Told Us (111)

Corresponds to page 104 of A Little Bird Told Us


This was a Lenten Mediatation
used in the Church Lenten Booklet
in 1985


John 2:1-11

I was asked once very sarcastically, "do you
really believe in Miracles?' My answer was quickly
given. "Yes, I do, and the I told him why.
The first recorded Miracle of Jesus is told in
John 2:1-11 and many more are recorded. I believe
everyone of them.

Several years ago we had a very severe storm in
January and the lightening struck a tree in our front
yard and came into our house and struck our hot water
tank. It happened about midnight but we didn't know
what had happened until about seven o'clock the next
morning.

The hot water tank "took off' or exploded and
wrecked our entire house. The living room floor was
mashed against the living room ceiling and the contents
of the second floor slid out to the front yard
including two girls on their beds. a large portion of
the brick chimney was laying on one of the beds.

One girl was folded and held in her crib mattress
with part of the crib-spokes sticking in the ceiling
and others in the floor. Six of us were in the house
and none of us were hurt except for a few scratches and
a black eye.

Our earthly possessions were gone but we had been
protested. It was definitely a Miracle in our lives
that six of us could be in a house that literally
exploded and no one injured badly. Who kept those
pieces of furniture or part of the house from hitting us?

I know it was our Heavenly Father who was guiding
each of us thru the explosion and permitted us to be
all together.


.104.

A Little Bird Told Us (112)

Corresponds to page 105 of A Little Bird Told Us


Yes, I believe in Miracles because we have had one
in our own lives.

The light of God surrounds me,
The love of God enfolds me,
The power of God protects me,
The presence of God watches over me.
Where ever I am, God is.


.105.

A Little Bird Told Us (113)

Corresponds to page 106 of A Little Bird Told Us


Published in the Advent Book
of Sunbury United Methodist Church, 1995


"Is that a rabbit in you nativity scene?" is the
question I am always asked when a stranger comes into
our home at Christmas time. And then when they see my
ceramic scene they will say: You have a rabbit here,
too."

Then I love to explain when our son was in Bible
School when he was five, the teacher had some molds to
mold the characters in the nativity scene; there was a
mold for Mary, Joseph, cradle holding Jesus, the three
wise men and some camels. The molds were filled with
plaster like mixture and permitted to dry. The molds
were removed and they had painted the characters. Our
son saw a rabbit mold in the teachers supply of
materials and he insisted on making the rabbit. She
tried to convince him that it didn't belong in the
scene but be insisted because it was God's animal, too.

The next Christmas the rabbit was in our scene. It
really was oversized compared to the camels but it had
an important place up front.

The first Christmas we were in Florida, I
purchased a small ceramic nativity scene and I hunted
until I found a small rabbit. When our son arrived for
Christmas the first thing he looked for was if I had a
rabbit in my nativity scene.

I still use the plaster of Paris scene that was
made forty-six years ago. That is one of the most
important traditions for Christmas.


Eskham and Ethel


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A Little Bird Told Us (114)

Corresponds to the back cover of A Little Bird Told Us.