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As much as we liked Hometown, we needed a bigger house. Earl had to change jobs when Mr. Gunn retired to Florida and closed the beauty shop in Hyde Park. He quickly found a job at the Fair Store in Evergreen Park across from Chicago [a few miles to the east of Home- town]. He was making more money and had a larger clientele, so we thought it was time to make a change. |
We found a larger house [at 9132 S. 55th Court in Oak Lawn,
just west of Hometown] with three large bedrooms,
a garage, and a large back yard and small front yard. It was a nice friendly place
to live. We were a block from our church. [No we weren’t! Oak Lawn Congregational
was over a mile away. I don’t know how we started attending, but I’m eternally grateful.]
[We often drove down to visit my grandparents, 120 miles south in Mattoon, IL,
first in the Crosley, then later in the Henry J.]
[In 1958, Mom's parents and her brother's family and I participated in the Mattoon Illinois
Centennial. My grandfather grew a beard for once, but hated it. We made a 8 mm movie of
my cousins and I debating whether "Pie R Square" or "Pie R Round".]
[Although my life was messed up with a commute to a military academy in Chicago for
5th grade, I was usually able to find friends, although the kids nearby were all younger.
[I finally got a dog of my own: a purebred Dachsund named Douglas of Leigh, which I
called Julius Ceasar Frankenstein Love. I also found a turtle that I named Clyde.
One day I was whispering secrets into Clyde's ear while standing in front of the
piano, which had a large mirror above it. Then I let Clyde whisper secrets into my
ear. That is how I found out that Clyde was a snapping turtle! Soon after I detached
him from my earlobe, he disappeared. One of the snakes disappeared in the house
once, but we found his corpse on the screened-in porch months later.]
We had a big yard but only one small tree in front. I grew up in houses surrounded by trees,
and I missed that very much. Earl had a longer commute to work, so I thought it would be
good to move closer to Earl’s shop and easier to drive Doug to the Planetarium,
[in downtown Chicago] which cut into my activi- ties for Saturday.
[Later I took 3 buses and the "El" train every Saturday to build my telescope there.]
at the 1958
Mattoon Centennial
We built a redwood fort in the back yard, which drew kids, and I was able to make friends
in school and invite them over. Visiting one friend down the block required me to be
constantly bitten by her aunt’s German Shepherd. I also built a snake pit to raise
Chicago Garter Snakes, which were plentiful.
I didn’t let the young ones go in the winter, and they froze.]
[I started the Plenty- In-Common Club, and was both World Commander and local Treasurer.
I tried to start another branch in Chicago later, but the kids there were not as friendly.]
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