In November, Dad was transferred to Montevideo, Uruguay. As usual, he went first with the rest of us following after. I can appreciate more now what my Mom went through, always traveling alone with a bunch of kids. We went through Barranquilla, Colombia again, staying at the same lovely hotel and again not getting to swim in the beautiful pool.
It was still wartime and things were not normal. We had to fly to Bogota, not in our original plan, and had to stay there for four days before continuing on our journey. The city is very high and cold and we had packed all of our cold-weather clothes and sent them on by boat. We stayed in bed most of the time to keep warm. At every meal we ordered hot consomme to warm us up. Our last day we braved the cold and walked around the town a little. We next flew to Cali where we stayed three days. This was much warmer and the hotel was larger and nicer. Gina and I roamed around the halls taking Freddy and Nancy on walks to keep them entertained. There was a statue of a lion in one of the halls and it had fake jewels embedded in it.
We stayed overnight in La Paz, Bolivia again, but didn't feel quite as sick as we had the first time. There was no room in the hotel so we stayed in a small place across the way. I remember we had to put the toilet paper in a box and not flush it away. I thought that strange. We then flew on to Argentina where our adventures were not yet over. The airplane had to fly through a mountain pass to get to Salta, Argentina, but it was clouded over. I can remember the pilot trying several times to make it but couldn't, so we landed in a cow pasture near a sugarcane factory, where we spent the night. The pilot was exhausted after landing as it had been a very harrowing time. All the passengers clapped for him. We could not take any of our luggage off the plane, it had to remain on board since this was not a port of entry with custorms. I think Mom was permitted to take a few diapers for Nancy.
When we didn’t land in Buenos Aires as planned Dad was a little frantic. The airline couldn’t tell him where we were but, when Dad told them that he was an employee of the United States Government and needed to know where his family was, one of the officials pointed to a place on the map and said that that was a nice place to visit so Dad knew just where we were. The next morning we were able to take off and continue to Buenos Aires. We were finally reunited with our Dad; spent one night in a hotel then took the boat for Montevideo, Uruguay.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Life in Venezuela, 1943
In Venezuela we went to the city of Maracay to live where Dad was working. It was not in the capital city Caracas but to the west of it. We lived in the Hotel Jardin, a big rambling place. It looked Arabic with a long porch with arches the length of the building. It was a fun place for children but I don't think Mom was too happy living there. There were some American soldiers and sailors living there training Venezuelan pilots. They also flew missions looking for German submarines in the Caribbean. Gina and I sort of adopted them, or they us. They were very nice to us, helping to teach me to swim, play pool, and let us ride in their Jeeps to the beach every week.
The hotel dining room had no walls, just the roof on some pillars and was all open to the air. Birds could fly right in and get crumbs from the table. The swimming pool had a family of frogs living in it and the water was drained every week. When you swam, you had to push the frog eggs away. I learned to swim there. There were beautiful flowers growing all around. There was a park right across the street from the hotel and every Sunday morning, early, the army band would play.
The folks rented a house in the city, wanting their family to themselves, and here I had my first room all to myself. I had the walls papered with pictures of movie stars. We had no hot water, just cold, and the kitchen was detached from the house. There wasn't an American school in this town so Mom had to teach us at home, using the Calvert System. What a time she must have had with the four of us! I had a book about Greek Mythology and quite enjoyed it. I don't remember much else about it, except it was fun. Mom taught me and Gina, gave Freddy something to do and had to keep Nancy entertained too. We never could put her down on the floor because of the danger of hookworm. She was just one year old. We gave the maid special shoes to wear while working in the house; the shoes were kept there, not taken home, so she could not bring in hookworm. The walls of the house had little black dots on them that turned out to be ticks. The previous owners had had large dogs. I think the folks used kerosene to get rid of them.
In our second house, polliwogs would come out of the tap when you turned it on. We had to use a strainer to catch them. Wasps had made a nest in the house and I would catch them and put them in boxes. I thought I was very brave for doing this. I never got stung, either, I had my twelfth birthday here. My room, all to myself still, had a private bath with shower; cold naturally. I also had a vicuña rug for a bedspread; soft fur, much softer than llama. I thought this the height of luxury. I loved to lie on the fur and read. I still loved to read and did so whenever I could. I discovered Zane Grey about this time, also Nancy Drew; what fine times I had.
Some little creature made a two-toned sound that we could hear while eating. The notes were the last two from a popular song "St. Louis Blues." We would sing "My Mama done...." then the two last notes "told me" would come from whatever was making the sound.
Mom started Gina and me singing with her in trios and what problems she had! We would end up giggling every time but it was the start of a wonderful experience. Our first trio was "Calm as the Night" not an easy song! She would sing with Gina, then my part with me until learned, then put them together with her singing the third part.
We loved the weekly excursions to the beach. All the Americans in the hotel would go too and we really made it a day. It was so lovely on the beach and the water so warm you could swim all you wanted without getting cold. Palm trees came down to the water's edge and the sand was white and fine. Gina and I rode in the Jeep with the soldiers. The road went over jungle-covered hills where the foliage was thick and green with bright flowers and birds. You could see little waterfalls but Dad said you couldn’t put your hand in the water because of all the microbes that were present. For Easter, we colored eggs and took them to the beach to hide. When it came time to eat them we found they were spoiled so we threw them into the ocean. Next week, when we came back, we found that they had washed ashore and some little boys were collecting them. They thought some exotic birds had laid them. We tried to tell them that we had colored them but they didn't believe us.
Dad's work moved its headquarters to Caracas, the capital, so we moved there too. Our house was called Quinta Bina. In Caracas, the houses didn't have numbers and the streets didn't have names! We found that the houses, street intersections and the neighborhoods or areas had the names. It was very difficult to find an address; you had to take a map with you to find a place.
Our school was a delightful, different experience. The American colony had grown tired of teaching their children at home, so they banded together and started a school using the Calvert System from Maryland which had been used individually in the various homes. It was called "Campo Alegre" Happy Field. The classes were very small; there were only about seven in my fifth grade class. My teacher was an Englishwoman who taught us fractions. That is the only math I have every enjoyed or understood in all my school years! She also read to us. One thing she read was "Canterbury Tales". I thought she said the author was "Choza" and believed this for many years until I realized she was saying "Chaucer". She also read many poems, among them "The One Hoss Shay", "The Eagle" and many others. One day, a vegetable cart came by and she left the class to go outside to buy some brussel sprouts. It was all very casual. We had a Spanish class about once a week but I didn't need it after Argentina. It was very elemental Spanish to help the American children learn. We also studied Greek history that year and I loved it. Gina's teacher was also an English woman, Mrs. DeCoopcrank. Her class sang "God Save the King" every morning! At recess we played jump rope, that was the big thing. This was the most fun school I've ever attended.
In Venezuela I learned about trick-or-treating from the American kids and the candy one could collect on Halloween night. I had not been familiar with this before.
There was a splendid view of Mount Avila from our home. Caracas was in a valley surrounded by mountains. This mountain was covered by lush jungle growth and had lots of waterfalls that sparkled in the sun, especially after a rainfall. The clouds sometimes covered it or just passed over the top; truly a beautiful sight.
I received my first roller skates here and taught myself how to skate by rolling down our driveway and stopping by running into the gates. All our drinking water had to be boiled so every night Mom put two big kettles of water on to boil, then they would cool overnight. Even with this precaution Nancy caught dysentery, and was very sick. Freddy had it too but not as severely. The treatment consisted of practically starving her; we almost lost her. She would cry bitterly when she could hear us eating, she was in another room. After a few days, she could eat a small amount of very green bananas and very watered-down milk. I can remember washing out her soiled diapers in a stone washbasin the back yard. They think she caught it by sucking on the washcloth in the bathtub. The doctor who treated her had lost his little son to that same dysentery just a few months before Nancy caught it.
The hotel dining room had no walls, just the roof on some pillars and was all open to the air. Birds could fly right in and get crumbs from the table. The swimming pool had a family of frogs living in it and the water was drained every week. When you swam, you had to push the frog eggs away. I learned to swim there. There were beautiful flowers growing all around. There was a park right across the street from the hotel and every Sunday morning, early, the army band would play.
The folks rented a house in the city, wanting their family to themselves, and here I had my first room all to myself. I had the walls papered with pictures of movie stars. We had no hot water, just cold, and the kitchen was detached from the house. There wasn't an American school in this town so Mom had to teach us at home, using the Calvert System. What a time she must have had with the four of us! I had a book about Greek Mythology and quite enjoyed it. I don't remember much else about it, except it was fun. Mom taught me and Gina, gave Freddy something to do and had to keep Nancy entertained too. We never could put her down on the floor because of the danger of hookworm. She was just one year old. We gave the maid special shoes to wear while working in the house; the shoes were kept there, not taken home, so she could not bring in hookworm. The walls of the house had little black dots on them that turned out to be ticks. The previous owners had had large dogs. I think the folks used kerosene to get rid of them.
In our second house, polliwogs would come out of the tap when you turned it on. We had to use a strainer to catch them. Wasps had made a nest in the house and I would catch them and put them in boxes. I thought I was very brave for doing this. I never got stung, either, I had my twelfth birthday here. My room, all to myself still, had a private bath with shower; cold naturally. I also had a vicuña rug for a bedspread; soft fur, much softer than llama. I thought this the height of luxury. I loved to lie on the fur and read. I still loved to read and did so whenever I could. I discovered Zane Grey about this time, also Nancy Drew; what fine times I had.
Some little creature made a two-toned sound that we could hear while eating. The notes were the last two from a popular song "St. Louis Blues." We would sing "My Mama done...." then the two last notes "told me" would come from whatever was making the sound.
Mom started Gina and me singing with her in trios and what problems she had! We would end up giggling every time but it was the start of a wonderful experience. Our first trio was "Calm as the Night" not an easy song! She would sing with Gina, then my part with me until learned, then put them together with her singing the third part.
We loved the weekly excursions to the beach. All the Americans in the hotel would go too and we really made it a day. It was so lovely on the beach and the water so warm you could swim all you wanted without getting cold. Palm trees came down to the water's edge and the sand was white and fine. Gina and I rode in the Jeep with the soldiers. The road went over jungle-covered hills where the foliage was thick and green with bright flowers and birds. You could see little waterfalls but Dad said you couldn’t put your hand in the water because of all the microbes that were present. For Easter, we colored eggs and took them to the beach to hide. When it came time to eat them we found they were spoiled so we threw them into the ocean. Next week, when we came back, we found that they had washed ashore and some little boys were collecting them. They thought some exotic birds had laid them. We tried to tell them that we had colored them but they didn't believe us.
Dad's work moved its headquarters to Caracas, the capital, so we moved there too. Our house was called Quinta Bina. In Caracas, the houses didn't have numbers and the streets didn't have names! We found that the houses, street intersections and the neighborhoods or areas had the names. It was very difficult to find an address; you had to take a map with you to find a place.
Our school was a delightful, different experience. The American colony had grown tired of teaching their children at home, so they banded together and started a school using the Calvert System from Maryland which had been used individually in the various homes. It was called "Campo Alegre" Happy Field. The classes were very small; there were only about seven in my fifth grade class. My teacher was an Englishwoman who taught us fractions. That is the only math I have every enjoyed or understood in all my school years! She also read to us. One thing she read was "Canterbury Tales". I thought she said the author was "Choza" and believed this for many years until I realized she was saying "Chaucer". She also read many poems, among them "The One Hoss Shay", "The Eagle" and many others. One day, a vegetable cart came by and she left the class to go outside to buy some brussel sprouts. It was all very casual. We had a Spanish class about once a week but I didn't need it after Argentina. It was very elemental Spanish to help the American children learn. We also studied Greek history that year and I loved it. Gina's teacher was also an English woman, Mrs. DeCoopcrank. Her class sang "God Save the King" every morning! At recess we played jump rope, that was the big thing. This was the most fun school I've ever attended.
In Venezuela I learned about trick-or-treating from the American kids and the candy one could collect on Halloween night. I had not been familiar with this before.
There was a splendid view of Mount Avila from our home. Caracas was in a valley surrounded by mountains. This mountain was covered by lush jungle growth and had lots of waterfalls that sparkled in the sun, especially after a rainfall. The clouds sometimes covered it or just passed over the top; truly a beautiful sight.
I received my first roller skates here and taught myself how to skate by rolling down our driveway and stopping by running into the gates. All our drinking water had to be boiled so every night Mom put two big kettles of water on to boil, then they would cool overnight. Even with this precaution Nancy caught dysentery, and was very sick. Freddy had it too but not as severely. The treatment consisted of practically starving her; we almost lost her. She would cry bitterly when she could hear us eating, she was in another room. After a few days, she could eat a small amount of very green bananas and very watered-down milk. I can remember washing out her soiled diapers in a stone washbasin the back yard. They think she caught it by sucking on the washcloth in the bathtub. The doctor who treated her had lost his little son to that same dysentery just a few months before Nancy caught it.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Return to the U.S. and life in Nogales, AZ 1942-43
Soon it was time to leave Argentina. There are so many wonderful people I remember and so many happy times. The people I remember best are Greta, of course; Euridice Turano; Bro. and Sis. Gianfelice and their family; Bro. Domingo; Sister Escudero; and Sam and Clara Boren. The missionaries were always so good to Gina and me. The ones I remember best are Ben Allen, in later years our family doctor; Rolf Larson; J. Donald Earl; Marion Vance; and my cousins Clement Williams and Lawrence Janson.
Pres. and Sis. Barker came to preside over the Mission. We were to go home by plane because it was not safe to travel by ship; World War II being in progress. Nancy was about six months old and traveled in a basket. Fred was two and one/half and was dressed as a little gaucho and carried a little toy Ferdinand the Bull Aunt Lucy had sent him. Many members came to see us off at the airport but we had to wait all day because of fog, then late afternoon the flight was postponed until the next day. I can’t remember where we spent the night, the mission home or a hotel. When we went to the airport the next morning, only a few saw us off.
There were two rows of seats on the plane, two seats on the left side and only one on the right. Mom and Dad, holding Fred, sat in the very front so that Nancy's basket would fit on the floor in front of them. Gina and I sat on the right side, one in front of the other. When we flew up high we had to take oxygen by mouth from a little tube attached by our seats because the cabin was not pressurized. The weather was very rough and I think everyone was airsick except Mom. She would point out the beautiful clouds to Dad and he would not appreciate it at all. He didn't even feel like pushing his own oxygen button but had Mom do it. We kept the purser busy bringing paper sacks for us to use.
We only flew by day, staying at hotels in different countries by night. When we landed that first night it was at La Paz, Bolivia, we could hardly do anything. It was so high there that, until you got used to the altitude, you would just drag around. All I can remember is lying around on the bed with no desire to get up whatsoever. Dad's former missionary, Elder Larson, was working there and visited with us. We also stayed in Guayaquil, Ecuador; Panama; Guatemala, and landed at Brownsville, Texas. It seemed strange for everyone to speak English after living for four years in a Spanish-speaking country. From Texas we took a train to Arizona, where we stayed with my Aunt Mona in Nogales. Dad went to Washington, D.C. where he found work with the government, The Institute of Inter-American Affairs. He was the business manager at the two offices he worked in South America.
Flying into Panama was interesting. Since it was war time, the steward blocked all the windows before we landed so we couldn’t see anything as we came in. When we were on the ground we could see barrage balloons flying everywhere and we were told that no lights could be shone at night. We stayed at the home of some friends. One of the daughters gave me a paper doll, one of the prettiest I've ever had. She took me to see the canal and pointed out the wreck of a ship in the water. She said it was an old Spanish ship; who knows.
I enjoyed living in Nogales. Mona had two children, Kay and Mona Lue, and with Gina and me, we had quite a gang. Kay was 9, Gina turned 8, I was 11. We went to the movies every Saturday; it only cost 10 cents, and we watched all sorts of movies and the serial "Gangbusters" and then "Spy Smasher". We would come home and act out our own spy smashing drama. We climbed the hills that rose behind the houses across the street and explored the area. I had not known this much freedom in Argentina. I learned to ride a bike there. Byron, Mona's husband, put me on Kay's bike, gave me a shove down the road and off I went. All went well until I stopped down the road a bit and tried to get started on my own to come back. It seemed like forever until I got it going again and made it back home.
Gina and I had our Patriarchal blessings in Mesa from Bro. Nash. Grandmother Williams was present for them and Aunt Lucy took them down in shorthand. Gina turned eight and was baptized in the Mesa Temple. I also sang my first trio in Nogales. I had sung a duet with Mom in Argentina, "Days of Summer Glory" but this was my first experience with trio work. Mom, Mona, and I sang "Silent Night" at church. Church was held in an upstairs room over some business, just a small branch.
I attended fifth grade in Nogales and learned the songs "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton" and "Grandfather's Clock". I liked those songs very much. We had arrived in Nogales in the late summer time and spent much time with the many books Mona had bought for her kids. At the beginning of school, when we reported on the number of books we had read that past summer, the teachers wouldn't believe me and I had to bring a note from my mother. Each week we would bring money to buy war stamps and paste them in a little book. When the book was full you could exchange it for a war bond.
The Christmas spent in Nogales was the first one I didn't get a doll; I had mixed feeling about it. Mona gave Gina and me rings; I thought they were so beautiful. Gina's had a green stone and mine was blue. I also received my first watch from her, her old one. There was just a dusting of snow on the ground, something almost unknown to us.
Mona had a service porch with a tub and she would wash my hair in it for me every Saturday. She always ended on a cold rinse! Nancy would have her bath in the tub. She learned to hum "Happy Birthday", not quite one-year-old. Mona would let me look through her jewelry box which I enjoyed very much. One Saturday, Byron let me earn some money. He was the Penney's manager and hired me to walk around in the basement to keep an eye on customers and make sure they didn't stuff items into their clothing. I never saw anyone shoplifting, just wandered around, folding up sweaters and such. I felt very important.
Pres. and Sis. Barker came to preside over the Mission. We were to go home by plane because it was not safe to travel by ship; World War II being in progress. Nancy was about six months old and traveled in a basket. Fred was two and one/half and was dressed as a little gaucho and carried a little toy Ferdinand the Bull Aunt Lucy had sent him. Many members came to see us off at the airport but we had to wait all day because of fog, then late afternoon the flight was postponed until the next day. I can’t remember where we spent the night, the mission home or a hotel. When we went to the airport the next morning, only a few saw us off.
There were two rows of seats on the plane, two seats on the left side and only one on the right. Mom and Dad, holding Fred, sat in the very front so that Nancy's basket would fit on the floor in front of them. Gina and I sat on the right side, one in front of the other. When we flew up high we had to take oxygen by mouth from a little tube attached by our seats because the cabin was not pressurized. The weather was very rough and I think everyone was airsick except Mom. She would point out the beautiful clouds to Dad and he would not appreciate it at all. He didn't even feel like pushing his own oxygen button but had Mom do it. We kept the purser busy bringing paper sacks for us to use.
We only flew by day, staying at hotels in different countries by night. When we landed that first night it was at La Paz, Bolivia, we could hardly do anything. It was so high there that, until you got used to the altitude, you would just drag around. All I can remember is lying around on the bed with no desire to get up whatsoever. Dad's former missionary, Elder Larson, was working there and visited with us. We also stayed in Guayaquil, Ecuador; Panama; Guatemala, and landed at Brownsville, Texas. It seemed strange for everyone to speak English after living for four years in a Spanish-speaking country. From Texas we took a train to Arizona, where we stayed with my Aunt Mona in Nogales. Dad went to Washington, D.C. where he found work with the government, The Institute of Inter-American Affairs. He was the business manager at the two offices he worked in South America.
Flying into Panama was interesting. Since it was war time, the steward blocked all the windows before we landed so we couldn’t see anything as we came in. When we were on the ground we could see barrage balloons flying everywhere and we were told that no lights could be shone at night. We stayed at the home of some friends. One of the daughters gave me a paper doll, one of the prettiest I've ever had. She took me to see the canal and pointed out the wreck of a ship in the water. She said it was an old Spanish ship; who knows.
I enjoyed living in Nogales. Mona had two children, Kay and Mona Lue, and with Gina and me, we had quite a gang. Kay was 9, Gina turned 8, I was 11. We went to the movies every Saturday; it only cost 10 cents, and we watched all sorts of movies and the serial "Gangbusters" and then "Spy Smasher". We would come home and act out our own spy smashing drama. We climbed the hills that rose behind the houses across the street and explored the area. I had not known this much freedom in Argentina. I learned to ride a bike there. Byron, Mona's husband, put me on Kay's bike, gave me a shove down the road and off I went. All went well until I stopped down the road a bit and tried to get started on my own to come back. It seemed like forever until I got it going again and made it back home.
Gina and I had our Patriarchal blessings in Mesa from Bro. Nash. Grandmother Williams was present for them and Aunt Lucy took them down in shorthand. Gina turned eight and was baptized in the Mesa Temple. I also sang my first trio in Nogales. I had sung a duet with Mom in Argentina, "Days of Summer Glory" but this was my first experience with trio work. Mom, Mona, and I sang "Silent Night" at church. Church was held in an upstairs room over some business, just a small branch.
I attended fifth grade in Nogales and learned the songs "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton" and "Grandfather's Clock". I liked those songs very much. We had arrived in Nogales in the late summer time and spent much time with the many books Mona had bought for her kids. At the beginning of school, when we reported on the number of books we had read that past summer, the teachers wouldn't believe me and I had to bring a note from my mother. Each week we would bring money to buy war stamps and paste them in a little book. When the book was full you could exchange it for a war bond.
The Christmas spent in Nogales was the first one I didn't get a doll; I had mixed feeling about it. Mona gave Gina and me rings; I thought they were so beautiful. Gina's had a green stone and mine was blue. I also received my first watch from her, her old one. There was just a dusting of snow on the ground, something almost unknown to us.
Mona had a service porch with a tub and she would wash my hair in it for me every Saturday. She always ended on a cold rinse! Nancy would have her bath in the tub. She learned to hum "Happy Birthday", not quite one-year-old. Mona would let me look through her jewelry box which I enjoyed very much. One Saturday, Byron let me earn some money. He was the Penney's manager and hired me to walk around in the basement to keep an eye on customers and make sure they didn't stuff items into their clothing. I never saw anyone shoplifting, just wandered around, folding up sweaters and such. I felt very important.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
work history of my Dad, F S Williams
A granddaughter asked about my Dad having trouble getting a job in the U.S. It was during the depression when it was very hard for people to obtain work. The first time we went to S. A. Dad was called as a mission president. The Church paid a living allowance, not a whole lot. Living in Argentina took all of their savings because Gina and I went to a private school so we could keep our English. The second time, it was during WW II and the US Govt. paid him then; that was a good salary. When we returned in 1945, my Dad worked for his brother-in-law in California in a construction company. Dad worked in the office. When we went to Uruguay in 1947, it was as a mission president again. After I was married, my folks went to Peru where my Dad managed an airline. Several plane crashes ocurred and the company folded so they returned to the States. My Dad's last work, in California, was teaching English as a second language teacher. He really enjoyed that. He was also a carpenter and worked as a realtor.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Early years, 1931-1938
PERSONAL HISTORY
of
BARBARA LYNN WILLIAMS HONEY
On June 15, 1931, in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, a birthday present was born. My mother, Corraine Smith, thoughtfully arranged my birth to fall on the 23rd birthday of my father, Frederick Salem Williams. I have enjoyed sharing them ever since.
My earliest recollection is sitting on a bed being fed prunes by my mother. The bed seems to be in the living room; perhaps a couch that opened up into a bed. My second recollection is that of being taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, in Phoenix, by my father. He held me by the hand and pointed out my mother, who waved to us from the hospital window. My sister Argina had just been born, November 5, 1934, and I was three and one/half years old.
I've been told that, when a toddler, my grandfather Smith took me shopping and bought me a nice coat that had two little dogs on it. I named them "Iggesninny" and Iggesnotty."
Another early recollection is of time spent at Yarnell, Arizona, a small community north and west of Phoenix. Yarnell was higher than Phoenix and so much cooler in the summer. My parents had built a cabin close to my Smith grandparent's cabin. I can remember going on walks with my grandfather while he held my hand. We picked some kind of round balls that popped when pinched. He had built a fish pond with shells pressed into the cement of the middle section. There was also a large swing that held about three people and I can remember sitting in it with the grownups in the evenings. I can also remember holding sparklers and that it was very frightening to have the sparks flashing so close to my hand. I can see the water dripping down from the cooler on the back porch. Perishables were put in a box covered with a gunny sack and then soaked in water. As the water evaporated it kept everything cool. There were also picnics at Oak Creek Canyon. I only wore my little panties while wading in the very cold water.
We also lived in Tucson and Binghampton. In the latter place we lived near my Janson cousins. I always had fun with my cousins from both sides of the family. I found out about Santa Claus here. I was looking in a closet one day and saw a darling wooden cradle. I didn't mention it and a short time later it appeared on Christmas morning as a gift from Santa! I have a memory of driving in a car with my Dad and Gina, going to town to pick up my Mom who had been doing some shopping for Christmas. It seems like it was snowing lightly at the time. While in this area, President Grant came to visit our ward and asked all the children to come up and shake his hand. I remember walking up and taking his hand.
My first year of school was quite eventful. We were living in South Gate, California, when I started in first grade. I began with one group, then was moved into another. After a short while our family moved again to Tucson. I found myself quite behind in school work compared to what it had been in California. One time, another girl and I were late coming in from recess. We had seen some boys spanked earlier and, not wanting it to happen to us, we decided to go home. My Mom saw me coming home before the usual time and took me back to school; I wasn't spanked.
We then moved to El Paso, Texas. Work was hard to find so Dad worked in various places. I attended two different schools there and was ahead of my fellow students. While in El Paso, we stayed part of the time at the home of Andres C. Gonzales, an old friend of my parents. We learned a song from one of his sons, "Little Snow Deer" and Gina and I sang it for years. We then went back to South Gate, where I finished my first year of school. I had about six different teachers in the first grade.
The depression was still on and it was hard for my Dad to find work. He, Mom and Gina went back to El Paso and my parents left me with my Grandmother Smith, Grandfather had passed away earlier, to finish up that last part of the school year. I was feeling a little lonely when they left and my aunt Mona made light of my feelings but Grandma gathered me to her and comforted me. Pumpkin pies and sweetpeas always remind me of her.
of
BARBARA LYNN WILLIAMS HONEY
On June 15, 1931, in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, a birthday present was born. My mother, Corraine Smith, thoughtfully arranged my birth to fall on the 23rd birthday of my father, Frederick Salem Williams. I have enjoyed sharing them ever since.
My earliest recollection is sitting on a bed being fed prunes by my mother. The bed seems to be in the living room; perhaps a couch that opened up into a bed. My second recollection is that of being taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, in Phoenix, by my father. He held me by the hand and pointed out my mother, who waved to us from the hospital window. My sister Argina had just been born, November 5, 1934, and I was three and one/half years old.
I've been told that, when a toddler, my grandfather Smith took me shopping and bought me a nice coat that had two little dogs on it. I named them "Iggesninny" and Iggesnotty."
Another early recollection is of time spent at Yarnell, Arizona, a small community north and west of Phoenix. Yarnell was higher than Phoenix and so much cooler in the summer. My parents had built a cabin close to my Smith grandparent's cabin. I can remember going on walks with my grandfather while he held my hand. We picked some kind of round balls that popped when pinched. He had built a fish pond with shells pressed into the cement of the middle section. There was also a large swing that held about three people and I can remember sitting in it with the grownups in the evenings. I can also remember holding sparklers and that it was very frightening to have the sparks flashing so close to my hand. I can see the water dripping down from the cooler on the back porch. Perishables were put in a box covered with a gunny sack and then soaked in water. As the water evaporated it kept everything cool. There were also picnics at Oak Creek Canyon. I only wore my little panties while wading in the very cold water.
We also lived in Tucson and Binghampton. In the latter place we lived near my Janson cousins. I always had fun with my cousins from both sides of the family. I found out about Santa Claus here. I was looking in a closet one day and saw a darling wooden cradle. I didn't mention it and a short time later it appeared on Christmas morning as a gift from Santa! I have a memory of driving in a car with my Dad and Gina, going to town to pick up my Mom who had been doing some shopping for Christmas. It seems like it was snowing lightly at the time. While in this area, President Grant came to visit our ward and asked all the children to come up and shake his hand. I remember walking up and taking his hand.
My first year of school was quite eventful. We were living in South Gate, California, when I started in first grade. I began with one group, then was moved into another. After a short while our family moved again to Tucson. I found myself quite behind in school work compared to what it had been in California. One time, another girl and I were late coming in from recess. We had seen some boys spanked earlier and, not wanting it to happen to us, we decided to go home. My Mom saw me coming home before the usual time and took me back to school; I wasn't spanked.
We then moved to El Paso, Texas. Work was hard to find so Dad worked in various places. I attended two different schools there and was ahead of my fellow students. While in El Paso, we stayed part of the time at the home of Andres C. Gonzales, an old friend of my parents. We learned a song from one of his sons, "Little Snow Deer" and Gina and I sang it for years. We then went back to South Gate, where I finished my first year of school. I had about six different teachers in the first grade.
The depression was still on and it was hard for my Dad to find work. He, Mom and Gina went back to El Paso and my parents left me with my Grandmother Smith, Grandfather had passed away earlier, to finish up that last part of the school year. I was feeling a little lonely when they left and my aunt Mona made light of my feelings but Grandma gathered me to her and comforted me. Pumpkin pies and sweetpeas always remind me of her.
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