Louise's Bazaar Crafts

My sister inherited our mother's "craft gene." So, I hauled some of Mom's crafts and instructions to Jane when we were in Texas. I did photograph much of what I took to Jane's so I could share it at some later date.

At our church bazaar, a woman had a booth with a towel like Mom used to make (see above photo). For the crafty people in our family, here are the instructions and a photo of some towels Mom had read to crochet.

I couldn't find any of her potscrubbers, but here are the instructions:
I do, still have her wash cloths, though. I think she'd be disappointed in me if I "saved" them. So, here they are before they get too grungy.

Ellice Smith Morgan letter April 18, 1945

Dave said the photo above was taken after H.B. had his stroke in 1949 (notice his right arm)
Dave and Harry eating apples (above). The letter below is transcribed or you can double click on the photos. Refer to earlier posts with letters about Paul who was over-seas, the flooding in Louisiana and the building of the garage.

Wed. nite April 18/45

Dearest Younguns,

How are you all to nite? Mrs. Fry told me you all were coming home soon. I am sure glad for I want to see all of you. It seems like you have been gone so long. How long can you stay. Thanks for the candy. No new calves yet but maby we will have plenty milk when you come. One cow should be fresh in about 3 weeks. The other the 13 of May. My garden is coming up nice. We had some rain & hale yesturday. Tis rather cool to nite. We have a fire in the fireplace. Feels good, too.

Vic went home today. She said she was coming back when you come home. . .maby she will. What does my Boys think about coming home on the Choo Choo or have you told them yet?

I think Mason is going to stay up next week to work on the garage. He should get a good bit done in a week, don't you think so?

The flood gone away? I sure hope so. that had me worried for a while.

Well, I just can't think of anything to write. The chickens are big enough to fry. So, I guess we will fried chicken when you come. I haven't had a letter from Paul this week. Yet I wrote him yesterday. I wish he could get home when you do, but maby he won't get home until fall--said he might not. So God bless all of you and bring you home safely.

Lots of love from Mother and Boys.

Kiss the Boys for Granny.

Letter from Norma Long Rogers to LeRoy Long

The sketch was done by my daughter Rachel for her grandfather LeRoy Long---it is from a photo of his grandfather's barn (Thomas Long) where he played as a boy.

My mother asked many of us to write my dad, LeRoy Long on his 75th birthday. The following was from my Aunt Norma Long Rogers written in August 1993. (Double click to see it larger and then use the back arrow to come back to this page)

My dad used to say that eventhough he and Norma were only two years apart in age, they sure remembered things differently. He'd listen to her stories and just shake his head. To my knowledge, Mary Reiter Long was not a school teacher. Norma may have confused her with Thomas Long's first wife who may have been one.
Jep Long was Thomas Long's younger brother---their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were and have remained friends. Web Long was Jeptha's grandson, though.
The Long-Wiley farmhouse that Norma remembers visiting with my dad is pictured below as it looks today. It is on Stone House Rd. outside of DeSoto, Missouri---just down the street from the Old Stone House that Thomas Long grew up in.
This was the site of the barn which my daughter drew. It blew down in a tornado a few years ago.


My mother was with me when I took this photo. She said, "Take a picture of where the barn used to be. Your dad had a lot of wonderful memories playing in that barn." Well, at least Dad and Norma agree on that.

H.B.Morgan letter April 17, 1945

Five Oaks

The above is a great photo of the farm--Five Oaks. (The 5 oaks were around the spring--to the right of the photo-- and the farm was named by the previous owner) Dave says the two-story structure up the hill from "The Big House" (right corner) is a chicken house---it's bigger than "The Big House"? He said Harry and Noel would support his argument. . . .

To the left of the "Big House" (which was smaller than the chicken house) is the garage which was built by Mason and Grover. Above the garage was "The Apartment" which is where the Grover Morgan family lived after the army and before they moved to Cincinnati.
Grover working on "The Apartment."

The letter below discusses Mason and the progress on the garage and "The Apartment."


Please note how many letters talk about fried chicken. In my family, we're all about pork products (see photo on Long post), but Morgans (who put chickens in two-story houses) mention fried chicken with some frequency.

Louise Wicker Long: Birth of First Child

(Jaclyn and Louise Long on the back steps (4612 A Arsenal) of her parents---Wes and Vennie Wicker--13 days old)

This is one of those few times when I have blog over-lap! This blog is about our parents, grandparents etc. and my other blog is about ME and my life. Well, I found all of these cards and other paper documents related to my birth which Mother saved. To see them just go to the posts on November 7 and November 9 http://jaclynmrgn.blogspot.com/.

While putting it together, I realized that all of the stuff Mom saved, said more about my mother Louise Wicker Long than it did about me. She was ALWAYS thinking---her brain was still ticking away even on her death bed. "We left the walker at the hospital," she said before she was even settled into her hospice bed. She never even used the walker, but I knew she would never die happy if she had to worry about the walker that she "paid for."

I can remember 20 years ago, picking up a vase and finding masking tape on the bottom with the name of the person it was to go to on her death! When she died, I found notebook after notebook of notes to herself, grocery and packing lists, doctor's notes, lists of correspondence---3 sets of "address books" (because she might want to know her cousin's address from 30 years ago?).

Her efficiency almost drove me crazy. I no sooner got home from college, than she was putting things aside in the corner of the basement for me to leave again! Were we the only family packed for vacations a week ahead of time? "Where are my blue shorts?" "They're already, packed and don't you dare unpack them!"

In the case of my birth, her planning ahead is somewhat understandable --- my dad was in Shanghai, I was her first child (practically the first grandchild on both sides of the family), it was war times and she had to plan ahead---how to get to the hospital (cars and gasoline were not easy to get), which hospital to go to (she chose a small Catholic hospital because she'd heard we'd get better attention). She was sharing our flat with my dad's cousin's wife and child (Gladys and Michelle McKay--see below photos) and living next-door to her parents (whose porch is pictured above), so she wasn't alone, but still, Louise was always thinking (you think the living arrangements were a coincidence?).

(Me and Michelle with Grandpa "Wes" Wicker---above. Below Michelle and Gladys)

Mom must have thought I was going to be the first female vice president (that's another blog---"Twins Separated at Birth") , the way she saved every scrap of paper. Click here to see paper scraps. Not only do I know whom I was named for, there's a photo of us, a note to call Jaclyn's parents to get the spelling right, every card and telegram received, a note in my baby book that told who drove us home from the hospital---"Dr. & Mrs. Neumeyer brought us home from the hospital (7 days old)": First Automobile Outing. (See below for the Neumeyers and my aunt Mary Long Wassmund) I know more about my Birth Day than I do about what I did yesterday!

Hmm, and here I am blogging about it all---maybe I did inherit some of her personality---I am recording every minute detail that she recorded. . . .and we are full-circle again---my over-lapping blogs!