Opa`s Home Page
~ Berlin-Brigade ~
~ Two strikes were against me ~
And then I hit a home run !
~ Memories ~
THEY DIDN'T SAY IT WAS GOING TO BE EASY
MY STORY
I just got finishing propping myself up with four pillows on my bed, I want to sit up lying on the bed with my eyes closed to see how far back I can go into my pass, maybe I can reach my childhood or near to it . But befor I start, I know by now you are wondering what the hell is this all about, You see, I am a no-body, There are many like me out there walking our streets and malls. We are the ones who clean up after the well to do, We are the ones who stock the shelves in the grocery, and department stores for the well to do, and better.
Please I am not insulting anyone, When I speak of the well to do, and better, It is my way, and my way only to say they are people who have more and better then some. And there are some who earn there way to that level on their own, and some were born with it.
Every day you can see well to do people in the news papers, on TV, and your computer, I am not mentioning any names because there are many out there nowadays thanks to sports. young people in their teens getting millions for six months of their time under contact. ( Unbelievable)
Here is a good example, A pitcher for the Red Sox will be paid ten million dollars this year for six days of his time each month. and he dose not even have to finish a full days work on any of the six days he contacted to give, he is expected to work not finish may be 40 forty days with in those six months wow.and they went out of this country to get him, Now you know where I am coming from. Because I am a no-body, but I am a lucky no-body because I met Ellen Stohr my Wife for 48 - years. And I am going to try and write about my beloved Wife Ellen.
Now take me as the example for the no-body, I am ( 73 ) seventy two years old, retired and living alone now. But with in those seventy two years, the most I was ever paid for my services was $15.00 dollars per hour. Not to drag this out longer then it has to, I remember maki ng $50,000 one year in my life time.
Because I had a good women behind me my wife Ellen, I did well for some one who never finish grammar school. I came from a large Irish family from South Boston. So now lets sit back, and close your eyes with me, and see how far we can go back to our childhood.
That was not bad, I do hope it went well for you to. I did go back a long way, I found myself at the age of eight (8 years old), I was living in the town of Dorchester out side of Boston 1945. Yes it was during the cold war, I was born in 1937. I was next to the youngest child of eight ( 8). There were two girls and six boys in my family. My younger brother and last child was born in 1939, so this is where I will Start my story.1945
Back in 1945 I was eight years old, the war was getting bad across the pond, and the Germans were starting to take over Europe, so United States got involved. My Dad went to war, when he had eight children. No not because he was GI-Joe, Because he could not find work to support his family then, so he decided to go into the service to send money home to my Mother each month.
I did not remember my Father going into the service back then, I do remember him coming home after the war. I was eight (8) years old . Shortly after the war ended, all my brothers (6) of us and two sister were sent to froster homes. and never had a family life again with my Mom. My father did get a place to take the four youngest of the children, I was having problems in school, I never could catch up with the classes because of all the froster homes I was sent to, and different schoola I attended was to hard for me to learn. But I did know the streets, and could add up two nickels to know it was ten cents, and try to take that from me if I didn't want to give it up. It would have been a big mistake on your part.
When I was 17 years old, still have not graduate from grammar school, I would skip school a lot because I was much older then the children for that grade, and one day I asked my Father if he would take me out of school, He did because he knew I would be better off.
A couple of months after my 18th birthday I join the United States Army. I went to fort Dix in New York, and then went to Fort Deven in Massachusetts. After the O/C Offices graduated, I was shipped out to Berlin Germany. Boy that was exciting for me, a boy who hasn't been out of his home town is going over sea's.
This army transfer, made me think back of my childhood, and me growing up as a child of eight children living in South Boston
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~ Growing Up ~
Story was prepared for my children, so I am describing only my experiences, and memories. Needless to say, that my sisters, and brothers have their own memories, especially the older ones who have seen more. So if any of my relatives who get to read this. Please understand this is only about me growing up. I see no need for me to express anybody else's personal memories to my children.
I am only trying to give my children some insight of my childhood. I don't have many memories to tell. I was very young when my mother and father had divorced, and when the rough times began. There is no need for me to describe something that I have not experienced, and have no memory of to my children. I am not out to disgrace anyone.
Did you ever find yourself thinking what it was like back in your Fathers and Mothers time when they were growing up, and wishing you asked more question when you were younger. Well I did many times, I do remember times when my father would say, ~1906 ~ "Boy they were the good old days"
I was like most people who never asked their mom & dad what was it like when they were young. I did often wondered what my father did after school back in 1915 when he was nine ( 9 ) years old, or what kind of games he played, and played with. How much did the movies cost, and who was his hero on the movie screen. I never asked him if he ever met Babe Ruth when Babe was with the Boston Red Sox. Boy what lost memories I let fade away .
Today isn't any different . My children don't ask question about my childhood ether, I do remember saying at times to them at the supper table for some reason, I don't remember now, "Back in my day we use to do this, and we did that" . I must have said that quite often, because I remember them saying in response, "yes dad, we know you use to do this, and you use to do that when you were our age". And that's as far as it went.
My Children don't know how rough it was back in 1940 for my family. There were eight of us kids. They also don't know that my mother and father, were separated and heading for a divorce in 1942. I was four years old in 1941, United States went to war with the Japanese, because of Pearl Harbor. My father went in to the Army when he had eight children to care for. My mother could not rise eight kids alone. That's way the state of Massachusetts had to take over, and we all were sent in different direction to froster homes
My two sisters, Dorothy and Elaine, were sent to the catholic nun's school for girls, My two oldest brother's were sent to a state run home, The next two brothers went to a catholic school for boys, and me and my youngest brother, were sent to a foster family covered by the state, and we were branded as State Wards until we reached 21.
My children also don't know how rough it was living with these foster families. My sisters and Brothers, have often sat down at gatherings, and would talk about sad memories they even have today.
I will speak only for my self, I remember when my mother would come to visit me on my birthday with a gift. A toy, maybe some candy, which I never got to keep after my mother left. When certain chores were not done , I was put to bed with out supper many nights. I was forced to drink two spoons of cod liver oil every night before going to bed. I have memories being tied to the bed so I could not pull out the straws they put in my nose, and the tape on my mouth, to teach me to breath with my mouth closed. I would get whipped for the lest little thing.
My brothers , Paul and Jack, told my mother about this treatment, and told her to get us out of there like she said she would, and they kept asking her, and telling her, until she took us out, and bought us back home to live with her for a short while.
My father came to visit us, he just got out of the service.We were all waiting for him, he still had his army uniforms on. I remember him looking in the kitchen window, I didn't know who he was. I still remember that day my mother saying that's your father. Even to this day, I have no memories of my father when I was less then eight years old. I was six in 1943 when Dad went in to the service . I have no memory of him coming home to visit during those years 1945. I only have a few of my mother, nothing special.
I remember her coming to visit me while I was infoster care. only a few memories at walnut street where I grow up,
*
~1945 ~
This is where this story will start, back in the good old days of my childhood. I was born in 1937.
Let start here when I was ( 8 ) eight years old, 1945. There were no TV's then, no mall's or big department stores to go to. So we had to find our own way to pass our time. Our parents didn't have any money to spend on toys and stuff. So if you wanted anything, you had to earn the money by doing many acts, which I will describe later in the story. The war was just ending and times were tough, for families as big as ours
Food was being rationed out, when and if my mother sent me to the store to buy some butter, coffee, or sugar. She would give me a little red token, to give to the grocer for the meat, a yellow token for the butter, or a white token for the sugar, and a black one for the coffee.
I remember my mother saying to me "DON'T LOSE THESE TOKEN'S." The token's were more valuable then the money I was carrying, if I was carrying any, most of the time I would only have the token's. The grocer knew to charge the groceries. My mother would pay him at the end of the month. Each family were given so many token's each month, you had to make them last. You could not get any more until the following month.
Games we would play
I would go out after supper, and meet my friends up at the corner when the street light came on, This old man would come around every night and light the gas lights. He would carry a small ladder, and a long stick that he would light and transfer the fire to the gas light. We would play TAG, - HIDE AND GO SEEK,- FREE FOR ALL,- ONE TWO THREE RED LIGHT, and many other's. They were the good times, No one would bother us, we didn't have to be afraid that some one would harm us like you do today. When it got dark, we could hear our mother's call us, we were not that far away. The big day was Saturday, if I didn't go to the movies, I would be at the play ground. They would put up the swings, and put out the horse shoe's. balls and bats to play baseball, It was a fun day.
Made our own toys
Rubber Band Gun, The most popular toy was the rubber band gun. every kid had one. and we would try to out do the best gun in the neighborhood, different shapes, styles, and colors. ( Rubber band, two pieces of wood with a clothes pin ) I remember making one for my Grandson and he loved it.
Box Scooter, Was the next big item to come down the pike, it was a orange crate sitting on a 2 x 4 board with roller skates for the wheels, again we all try to make the best, and fastest in the neighborhood. we would have scooter races on Saturday's. Then the Box Car came along, and had lots of fun making them, and had many box car races also.
Kite Flying, Became a big hit, It got so popular that you had to go and find a place to fly them, most parks were full with every one flying theirs, they would get caught and tangled together. We made our own back then. If you only knew how many kids got in hot water because they would use their father's best looking tie for the tail.
Yo-yo's came on the scene. Boy that was a big hit, every kid had one, The Duncan Yo-yo man would come to our neighborhood. There would be hundreds of kids with their Yo-yo's to show how good he or she was, and try to win one of those Shinny-Glossy Stripped Yo-yo's, that only champs have. You were the talk of the town if you ever won one. My wife is always asking me to show the grandchildren how I can do the Yo-Yo. I still have a few in my draw today.
Marble Craze Came, Now I tell ya. I had marbles you wouldn't believe, I had them every where, under my bed, in my closet, in my dresser draws, in shoe boxes, coffee cans. Again we would go to neighborhood to neighborhood to play against the best. Yes there were contest being run at all local parks. It was awesome.
Gimp, What is gimp? It was strips of rawhide if you could afford it, most kids bought the plastic gimp. It can be a foot long, or three feet long. All depends on what you wanted to make. You would use four strips at once , and over lap each other to corner to Corner to make a square, and pull it tight, and do it again and again and again until you have the size of a key chain you wanted.We made key chains, necklaces, bracelets, many different items. Yes there were contest for that also.
Collecting Baseball Cards, If you didn't collect baseball cards, you would have had a collection of some sort . Maybe Hoodsie cup lids with cow boy pitcher on them, Big item, Bottle caps, or Match book covers, Marbles, Stamps, Coins, and yes Popsicle sticks. I had a Rock collection, that I took to school at tines to show the class. Some kids collected Cigarette packages, Buttons,
Going to the movies, Well you had to earn your own money if you wanted to go to the movies. Our folks didn't have it. It only cost a nickel to go to see two features, a cartoon , and a serial. A serial was a cartoon that showed a bike race, the riders would have a number on their backs, and if your number won the race you would win a new bike, that was sitting on the stage where all the kids could see, and prayed they would win it.
They would have car races, foot races, and running races. I remember crying because I didn't have a nickel to go one week end. I wasn't crying because I couldn't see the movies, I was crying because I wouldn't have a chance to win that bike that week, I never had a bike growing up.
Going to the Movies, When we went to the movie, they would give us a free Hoodsie ice cream cup, if they didn't have the races going that week. On the back of the Hoodsie cup lid. There would be a cowboy's pitcher, Tom Mix, Hop-Along Cassidy ( Hoppy ) and Old Black Jack, that's three of many. We would collect the lids like they do baseball cards today. Boy what would they be worth now if I had any. Then they came out with movie stars on the lids.
Earning Money, Collecting bottles, was a way for us to have money. We would get two cents a bottle. We also made money by going to the store for a neighbor who could not get out, I would be playing in the yard, and the lady across the street, or maybe someone next door would call me over to ask me to go to the store to get some milk. What ever, and get a nickel. for going.
Earning Money, I would go around with the Ice Man and bring up the square block of ice to the lady on the third floor for a penny. We would also do the same with the milk man, and the bakery man. Every thing was delivered to the houses back then. It was worth a penny to the delivery man, if he didn't have to go to the third floor in a hot afternoon. Some times we would make ten cents or fifteen.That was a lot of money back then There were a lot of three Decker's in Dorchester and South Boston.
Earning Money, Every kid had to have a shoe shine box. I had one , I did very well with it.
This was another way to earn money, I had some good spots to shine shoes. I have shined shoes in Boston at park street, on Broadway in South Boston, at the Fargo building in South Boston where the sailors were stationed. Out side of Blimstume night Club at D-Street and Broadway, Big Stares came there. I went there with my wife years later, and we saw Connie Frances.
Earning Money, I would go and sell news papers in the Boston City Hospital before school, then I sold them after school at Park street in Boston. So you see, if there was a way to earn a nickel I did
Earning Money, I was playing in my yard one day, when the Rag Man stopped with his horse and wagon, That's a junk collector, and I remember him asking me if the bike on the sidewalk was being thrown away, I don't know what I said to him. but I do remember him taken it, and giving me a nickel.From that day on,
I always had my nickel for the movies, and fifteen cents for skating. I would go around the neighborhood to find junk, rags, metal-pipes, lead-pipes copper-pipes, news-papers. then waited for the Rag Man to come on Saturday mornings to sell it to him. that afternoon I would go to the movies.
Skating Rink , I would go to the Riverveiw skating rink on Sunday's. When I wasn't able to go. I remember how heart breaking it was. My mother wouldn't let me go alone, because I had to cross the busy Blvd. at the circle. The only time I could go is when someone would take me there, and pick me up. We would skate around with music playing, that was the high light of the week when you could go there.
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~ Back in the care of strangers ~
It didn't last long, My mother sent me, and my youngest brother to live with friends of hers. That was like living in hell all over again. now I am only seven or eight. I was getting punish, and was not aloud to get out of my bed, which was a cot on the front porch in a summer cottage in Marshfield Ma, for stealing some money form the woman we were staying with. Her daughter is the one who took her money.
One morning while every one was sleeping, I took my five year old brother Larry, and went up to the highway and started to walk. I didn't know which direction we were going, a car stop and asked where are we going so early in the morning? I don't know what I said, ( "maybe I said we got lost") he took us back home to Dorchester to the police station. We jump out the car and lucky we got away. We didn't go to my mother's house. We went and stayed in this empty barn I knew of that was in the neighborhood.
Our friend Johnny Bennett was bringing food to us while we stayed in the barn. My mother was looking for us by now, when she heard we left her friends house. The next day Johnny's sister Betty saw Johnny, and my brother Frank carrying some food to the red barn, and stopped them, and asked, what were they doing? and they told her that we were there in the barn. She came over and took us to her house.
When she saw how scared we were about going back to my mother's friends house, Betty called my father, and made arrangement with him for us to stay with her, as long he brings enough milk every week. Betty had four children of her own at the time. Even today when I see Betty at a party, she will recall that moment how she use to give us boys a nickel for school milk, and we would skip school and spend the nickel.
Now the State of Massachusetts is now stepping in, My parents had to go to court because we are state wards, and it's up to the state to decide where us kids would live.
So our parents were told by the court, who gets a apartment first, will be the one who will take the children. The next day we were moving in to the South Boston D-Street Project, my father knew Mayor Curly, and he made arrangements for us to move in to the first floor apartment, in the first section that was completed. No one else was living in the project at the time. Just my dad, and us four boys, Tommy, Frank, Larry, and Me.
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~ Went to live with my Father ~
1949 Television
Yes television came out in 1949, I was 12 years old now, what a sight that was. Boy it was the talk of the town, not many people had it, or could afford it. I would watch it in the store window up om broadway in South Boston My Dad would give us boys two dollars each, to bet on the Friday Night Fights with him. Dad knew most of the time who would win the fight, and pick the loser, so we kids would win, and have two dollars. Sometimes it back fired on him, and he would win, but he always came up with a excuse, so we would be the winners. My Dad was a Boxer himself.
Life started to change from then on, We were not going out at nights playing those games I mention earlier. Now we have TV to keep us home at night. And living with my dad had it's hang-ups.
All ws going well for a while, then my sister Dee (Dorothy ) came to live with us, because us boys were to much for my father to handle. But that didn't work out, so Dee left, and Elaine came with her husband and baby. That arrangement also didn't work out, so Elaine and her family left. It wasn't long after that my father married a woman with three daughters. They all came to live with us. needless to say it was not working out very well.
Now there are nine people living in a three bedroom apartment, we had to move.
My dad bought a seven bed room house in Savin Hill, shortly after moving to Savin Hill, I turn 15. I met a friend, Pat O'Tool, who lived at the end of our street, when I did turn 15, Pat called me at home and ask if I could come down to his house. I did, and he took me around to the back of his house and gave me his bike, that his father, and him had fixed up and painted, for my birthday. He told his father he wanted to give me his bike because he got a new one, and that I never had a bike . That bike was the best bike in the neighborhood as far as I was concerned. Because it was my first bike and last.
I left my father's house and live on the streets, and in empty apartments. When my Brother Jack ask me to come and live with him, and his wife and their four children. I did, and when I turn 18, I join the Army.
My Mother died, 1960 two years after I got out of the Army.age 51. ......My Father died a year later, 1961 age 55. The Story is still going on that there was still a spark in their heart for each other when they died. They are buried together in the same cemetery lot.
I have been asked. "Do I hate my parents for couseing me to be a ward of the state, My reply was always NO, how can you hate two people who gave you life.
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~ A ward of the state ~
"My older Brother Paul asked me if I want to know a little about what happen back in Oct 27,1942 , 65 years ago, we officially became "Wards of The State" of Massachusetts. Eight children and a mother crying and weeping as we were led from the courtroom and placed in foster homes. The priest that was in that courtroom as a character reference for Dad was...Fr. Hargedon, from St. Ann's Church, who stood before the judge and lied for Dad because he was a fourth degree knight in the "Knights of Columbus". Still vivid in my mind, after all these years. Be very proud of yourselves. Each and everyone of us have come a long way.....When I see kids getting in trouble and they use their broken homes as a reason why they went bad, I think of us and say "what has that got to do with it?" The saddest memories I have is how Frank was treated by Mrs. Rooney, in North Woburn. Paul Casey #3 child
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~ The story behind the story by Paul Casey ~
That is a long story, but one I won't forget. My brothers were too young to remember that day, or what led up to that day. Our dad was a Knight. Of what degree, I don't know, 4th maybe, and when we were all brought into the Dorchester court, dad had Fr. Hargedon there as a character reference, and the fact that our Mother was a Catholic also, I felt then, and feel now, that he had NO business being there and taking sides.
I remember saying to our older sister on a couple of occasions, "That's A Lie" when the good father from St. Ann's told the court that he had gone to our house on several occasions and saw us kids running around half, if not complete naked, girls and boys. I never forgot that. If I ever came from my room in just my underwear, Our mother would knock my head off. She never went for that shit. Likewise my sisters. I never saw my sister's that they weren't covered at all times, NEVER. I attribute his (Father Hargedon) testimony was what did our family in, and made our mother out to be a unfit mother and that was the reason we became State Wards, Damn him...
Before our Sisters Dee and Elaine wound up in the Daily Industrial School with Sisters Rose Patricia and Sister Anselm (Two beautiful women I might add.) They lived with a woman in Woburn named Mrs. O'Brien. As it was for all of us, our Sisters were nothing but slaves for this woman. I remember when I was in Woburn living with the Gallagher family and they would send us ( Jack and I ) to the Center for something, I use to say to Jack, Lets run like hell and we can run up to see Dee and Elaine. They lived about 10 miles from us on the road to Lexington.
Jack and I would run ALL THE WAY to almost Lexington just to say hi to our sisters and then hurry back to the home we were living in. But many the time we got to O?Brien's and Mrs. O'Brien would refuse us the chance to see our sisters. Sometimes they would just wave to us through the window. We had to get the hell back to Woburn Center because we would be asked what took us so long. I blame all this on Fr. Hargedon. Always have and always will. The story goes on and on. My younger brothers and my sisters went through hell. If that was to be, today...these people would be put in jail for the way they treated us. All because the court found my Mom an unfit mother and took her kids away. I type this shit with tears in my eyes.
I am so proud of my sisters and brothers. We have NO one to thank for where we are today. Each and every one of us got where we are on our own. We had been through the mill, so to speak and knew what life was all about at a very early age. We all have beautiful families.
Sorry to bend your ear, when I get on that subject, it tears me apart, I love and loved my siblings. I always went to bat for my sisters as well as my brothers. I was suppose to be the big bully brother growing up. You know, when anyone got in trouble ..."I'm going to tell my brother Paul he'll kick your ass." That sort of thing. I guess I kind of liked it in a way. I felt that they looked up to me. Maybe because I was growing up with a chip on my shoulder. I would fight at the drop of a hat.
It is a long story. It is about 4 years long. Ya know Bob, when you think about it....it is one of the saddest stories I know, and we lived it. We came through hell as youngsters. "When the going got tough....the tough got going" and that describes ALL my sisters and brothers to me..... I mean every word I say.
I only know what you have told me, insofar as the treatment that you got. I don't doubt it for one second. That bitch Mrs. Rooney should rot in hell for the way she treated you fellows. Mrs. O'Brien was no exception. I use to cry because of what they were doing to my siblings....
I am not ashamed to say it. And Jack as well. We both use to lay in our bed on 5 Sonrel Street in Woburn and cry and ask God to help you kids, we were a little older then our brothers. I was 12 and Jack was 13. Do you realize that Larry was 3, I believe and you were 5 years old. What a blessing it was when our two sisters were sent to the Daily Industrial School on Train Street in Dorchester.
There...they were treated like humans. The Nuns that ran that place were beautiful people. Even when we went to visit Dee and Elaine, the Nuns would feed us always, before we left. Jack and I was so happy for the girls. I could go on and on. It brings tears to your eyes when you think of the treatment we absorbed and for what reason?
Because we were STATE WARDS through no fault of ours. Maybe I see the whole saga, different than you and the others see it. You were to young to know what the hell was going on. But Jack and I may have been 12 and 13 years old but we had minds of 17 and 18 year olds.
We laid in our bed night after night damning your "Captors" and that's exactly what they were. Open your mouth and complain...It would have been a one way ticket to Lyman School or Shirley Reform School. City of Boston would not put up with you. Once you became a problem to the city they would ship you out to "Siberia". I know, I was threatened by Mr. Johnson from City of Boston.
Oh well, It is 65 years later, but I still have these memories, much the same as you. They won't go away Bob. Your memories or mine. But,...you know Bob.....We built our lives on those memories...You, me and the other six siblings....Didn't we do a great job? ....You bet we did...Let me say again..."When the going got tough...The tough got going". Good for us.
These Casey's are tough and we showed it. Walk tall Brother..we done something that not too many families could do..and don't you forget it."
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~ Some Feedback From Brother Bob Casey #7 ~
It was hard times back then no question. But like you say those people would be in jail today if they were still around.
But what I can't get out of my head is what we were put through Living with dad when we were living in the D-street project in South Boston in 1950. It became a nut house, and us four kids was put through many hard times all over again.
Our Sister Dee came and lived with us ( Dad, Tommy, Frank, Larry, and me. ) Tommy didn't stay long after Dee came, they didn't get along because Dee was to tough and demanding. She would make us boys Frank, Larry, and I stay in the house until noon time or longer on the week ends until she was satisfied that the house was clean enough for her. And there were many Saturdays when we never could go out because we didn't do something right or good enough for her. This is our Sister. Dee would make us do the dishes after supper before we could go out, and if she found some food on a plate she would make us stay in all night.
I can?t tell you how many times I was not able to go out after doing the dishes, because I left water marks in the stainless steel sink we had, Dee wanted the sink wiped out dry with no signs of water marks. I have a stainless steel sink, and I wipe it dry every time I finish using it even today, I just can't walk away from the sink if there is any water drops left in it even after getting a glass of water, I will wipe the sink dry, She would slap me,and would be punished if I didn't get my bed room clean fast enough for her on a Saturday, and my punishment was in my room all day. It happen more then once I tell ya. I would close the door and go out the window.
Dee called Frank, Larry, and me in for supper one night, and we went in the bathroom to wash our hands. Well, Frank and Larry got to the sink first, and there was no room for me. So I didn't want to be the last one done washing our hands,
So I bent over and washed my hands in the toilet just to be funny, and Dee came by the door and saw me. Gave me hell and a slap me on the back of my head, she was great for that, you often knew it was coming, and then was sent to my bedroom without supper, and had to stay in the house for the night. She was one tough lady back then, I don?t understand why, with all she and us boys went though, you think she would have been nicer, it felt like being back in the froster home.
I loved my Sister Dee, and I knew she also loved me, I don?t and never did blame her for her toughness, because that is the way she was raised in her young years in that froster home, Dee didn?t have a great childhood either. And I thank her for her love, She showed her love the only way she knew how back then, She turned into a pussy cat and became a wonderful loving caring person. And her children must be very proud to call her Mom, I know I am when I call her Sister.
If any of Dee's Children gets to read this, Please believe me when I say your Mom was a good Sister, and I love her very much. You must understand she was the oldest child, and a lot was put a pond her with six bothers and a Sister. She learned some of her tough ways through the froster homes, and people she had to live with, and we all know how tough the froster home were back then. I am sad that I have to mention some of things that happen to me that involved some one else, but it is part of my story of growing up and memories, and it is part of my life that made me what I am to day, and I am very proud who I am.
When Dee left South Boston, Sister Elaine moved in with husband Sonny and baby. All they did was fight. I remember when brother Paul came there looking for Sonny, because our sister Elaines face was all broken up by him. and you and Elaine and dad were yelling at each other. So now there was seven of us living there. Now Elaine was the opposite from Dee, Elaine didn't care how the house looked, and it was looking bad. It was so bad dad asked her to leave. and Tommy came back and he gave dad a hard time and had many fist fight right on the kitchen floor. I remember one night Tommy was hitting dad in his face on the floor in one of the back rooms and I took the radio and hit Tommy with it, It broke up the fight. Dad kicked his ass out, and later married Josephine Haggerman.
Now Josephine comes with three daughters. Now there are eight of us in that place until dad bought the house in Savin Hill in Dorchester. Joe and her three daughters took over the house. They all had their bed rooms on the second floor, and us boys were put up on the third floor sharing two rooms in the attic, because Josephine?s sister was very ill and was using the third room with us.
After she died, dad use to bring his drinking buddies home and let them sleep in the third room. What a circus that was... I also remember when you came there at Savin Hill, and gave dad hell about the situation there, and saying how could he let them take control after all what his own children went through. I was working now at supreme markets, and I would buy my own certain foods like milk, and cereal, or anything else I would want to have, because I know there would not be any there when I came home. I give our Brother Frank credit for what he has made of his life, He had his share of rough times growing up, more then I did I know that.
What he has gone through as a child, and then the rough times as a teenager, and went into adulthood with many obstacles that he over come as far as I am concerned. Frank also has a beautiful wife (Jean), and three wonderful children, One of them ( Steve) was special,
God looked a pond Frank, and blessed him by giving him ( Steve). Because God knew Frank was strong, and tough, and would be the best Father Steve could ever dream of having. I can?t or anyone else could ever imagine what he has gone through bring up Steve, and I don?t want to know, because I have only seen the results of his labor, which is unbelievable beautiful.
I DON?T NEED TO SAY GOD BLISS YOU FRANK, BECAUSE HE ALREADY HAS. I am always proud to talk about my Sisters & Brothers
I would not want to change any part of it, I think our childhood bringing up gave us all character in some way in our lives. We are all different in our own ways, but I notice we all think alike in many ways. We all got married, and have families, No one has ever been divorce, we all own our own homes, and we all are retired now. It is very sad to say, We have lost two Sister's, Dee and Elaine and two Brothers Jack and Tom, But we all came a long way, and we all can say we made it.
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~ I know the value of a ~
NICKEL
Let me explain the differences between a NICKEL when I was eight years old, from today?
If you look back in the story of me growing up, where I mention a few ways I made money to go to the movies, or to be able to go skating. I did not do any of those things until one day when my mother told me, she did not have a NICKEL for me to go to the movies one Saturday. I was so disappointed, I think I must have cried all day that Saturday.
It wasn't the first time my mother didn't have a NICKEL, because money was scarce then, and a NICKEL would have bought a quart of milk, or a loaf of bread, which was more needed then going to the movies with a family of eight children.
The reason why I was so disappointed when I couldn't go to the movies, was that they were giving away a new bike that Saturday, I most likely didn't care about the film that was showing, I wanted to have a chance to win the bike.
They would show cartoon serials, that would show bike racing, and each biker had a number on their back, and during the race each racer would hold the lead for a while to get the kids excited, and if your number end up winning the race, you would be called up on the stage to receive the bike.
That was a big event for us back then. Every week they would show the races, it was not always bike racing, it could have been a foot race, or hot rod racing. On the week ends when they didn't have the race's running, they would give out FREE Hoodsie Ice cream cups.
That also was a big attraction for the kids, on the back of the lids were pitchers of cowboy's, or movie stares. I know I am repeating myself, We collected them just like baseball cards. So none of the kids did not want to miss going to the movies on Saturday?s. So when I was old enough to make money by going to the store for a neighbor, or sell something to the Rag Man, I DID, I always found away to earn money to go to the movies .
That?s when I learn the value of a nickel
Today the kids don?t know the value of a NICKEL, or even the dollar. They never had to. I see them come out of the stores, and throw away their change in the parking lot. I seen them walk out of the stores, they don?t even want to wait for their change at the register if it is less then a dollar.
I feel so sorry for the parents when the video?s And CD?s came out. They were expensive, and the kids would say to their parents it's only $50.00, and they just didn?t want only one, they wanted two or three. I know I been there with my grandchildren, and I did say no many times, but again, I did buy some for them, not with out a sermon.
I notice more with my grandchildren then I did with my own children that they don?t know the value of a nickel. I am not saying my own children do, because they didn't either. because we heard the same thing with them, It's only $30.00.
Well I can tell you honestly, I didn't make any of the brand named companies rich when my children were growing up, I never had brand named clothes and my ((butt)) stayed warm during the New England. winters
The only time I would received any money to keep was from my grandfather when we would visit him a couple times a year. He would give us two dollars, that was a lot of money in 1947. He had twenty grandchildren that visited him, ($40.00) could have been his weekly pay check. I don't ever remembering getting any gift's from any aunt or uncle's on my birthday or at Christmas, which I had a total of ten.
When I was 23, years old, and I was married with three children.
My take home pay was $48.00, for a 48 hour work week. that was not much for rent, electricity, phone, heat, gas, groceries. There were times when I didn't have 29 cents to buy a half a pound of Hamburg for a Sunday dinner.
So I worked two jobs to have dinner on the table for my family. I would work for the supreme markets during the day from eight to five from Monday through Saturday, then I worked for the Wonder-Bread Company three or four nights, eight hour shifts for years. there were days I would only get four hours sleep, and if Wonder Bread called me two or three nights in a row, I would only have 12 hours sleep for three days. It was tough, But I did it to feed my family. And maybe I could be one of those ( Well to do people some day) I would have to walk a good distance to my two jobs, I did not have a car.
So I do remember what a NICKEL did buy, and even to day's NICKEL is worth five cents, and you may need twenty of them to buy that quart of mike I was taking about when I was eight years old, But what will they be saying fifty years from now 2050? Let me tell you, They will be saying, "I remember back in 2007 you could buy a quart of mike for less then a dollar" Because I bought one last week for 99 cents
So it's sad to see the value of anything get lost in this fast moving world, and it's also sad that many don't know what a NICKEL did for many folks when they were hungry with a family.
Now for you young readers who may be reading this story, don't throw your change away any more, bring it home and put it in a jar for a rainy day, you may be surprised what you will find in that jar during a thunder storm.
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I was born in the 30's
People who had always been able to put food on the table suddenly found themselves standing in bread lines and soup lines."
While most Americans are familiar with the Great Depression as a time of economic disaster, its impact on the American family may have been lost. I sometimes wonder how did my Sister Dee and Elaine, and my two oldest Brother's Jack and Paul make it though the Depression in 1930's I was born in 1937.
The family structure for poor Americans did not improve during the 1930s. The father's role as provider and head of household became more challenging because there were fewer jobs. The general expectation was for fathers to work and support their families.
However, as the Great Depression progressed and more men lost their jobs, these fathers had to spend their days searching for any kind of work they could find. The reality was few brought home paychecks.
Some fathers suffered anxiety and a feeling of worthlessness for failing to provide for their families. Many, driven by desperation, resorted to stealing food and money just to get by.
"Many distressed fathers...committed suicide during this difficult decade[1930s]." Then we went to war in the early part of 1940's. My father went into the army when he had eight children because there was no jobs to be found, Many fathers joined the service to feed their families.
Women of the lower class, you know who I mean , the no-bodys , although offered plenty of opportunities in the work force because of the war tended to take the position of stay-at-home mothers. this attitude was based on traditional family values. "Men resented employed women for they felt that they were occupying jobs that could be given to unemployed men,"
Children were expected to get an education so that they could improve their situation. In addition, they were needed at home to help with household chores. Unfortunately, many children of poor families dropped out of school because they felt obligated to help support the family financially. My two Brothers Jack and Paul didn't finish school, as many other kids their age. Money was the answer to many family break ups.
There was an obvious difference in lifestyle for the middle class. The upper-middle class , the well to do folks, still managed to live well and sometimes had servants. However most lower-middle families barely had enough money to provide the basic necessities for their children.
People who had always been able to put food on the table suddenly found themselves standing in bread lines and soup lines."
Families were broken apart because of the constant migration from town to town in search of work. Some lost their homes and had to make temporary shelters out of boxes they found on the street. These shanty towns constructed of packing crates and boxes, called "Hoovervilles," became frequent sites across the country. ( A Nickle sure looks good here.)
For the children of middle class families, school was a temporary vacation from the money problems at home. They were usually treated to one or two outings a week, such as to the movies or to the zoo so that they wouldn't be burdened by the humdrum of everyday life during the Depression. However, these outings were often more for the parents' sake than for the children's'.
The family structure of the upper class during the Great Depression did not vary much from the family structure before the depression. It differed from the lower class in that the father had a steady job and therefore was able to give his family above and beyond what they needed.
The women of the upper class had a very relaxed lifestyle and sometimes had servants. Mothers usually were at home which meant the children had more chances to spend time with them.
It was made sure that the children of the upper class got a top notch education. They were sent during the day to boarding schools and spent the rest of their time with their families.
So I do hope you can understand where I am coming from, when I say, I know the value of a NICKEL
