GREAT DEPRESSION TALES

Grandma and Pappy GARNER spoke openly about how hard the Great Depression was and their own survival skills to make it through. I grew up on their stories and memories. 

Many of those same skills I learned and practice routinely. I choose to live frugally and in the current economic situation here in the US, I am sure glad this has been a way of life for many years.

Source: my personal collection

I was reminded of this recently while watching a grandma talk to her adult gr-daughter about ways to make money go further. These tips included food, household tips, gardening, and even car repairs.

Some background:

Nationally here in the US, the Great Depression was from 1929 to 1941. Unemployment, depending on place and year, ranged from 8% to 24%. Inflation rose, banks failed, children were put in orphanages because parents could no longer feed then, and people migrated around the country looking for work.

 At the same time, the Dust Bowl was going on in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. These two factors caused many problems for families, communities, the economy and the US as a whole. No matter who you are, you benefit or suffer by what goes on in agriculture.

Source: Shutterstock

Here are some facts and stories about the Great Depression in Pennsylvania.

Source: Bing clip art

And due to the issues here in the US, the entire world economy was affected in various ways. 

Their own Great Depression Tales:

Food was a huge issue for Grandma and Pappy GARNER. Both were farm kids. And both were from large extended families that helped each other, especially during hard times. 

Clothing and shoes for growing children were a well-known issue for both of them. And making every penny count was just how they lived. Waste of anything was not allowed.

Reba RESSLER (grandma)completed tenth grade and went to work as a live-in maid for a Jewish doctor in Lancaster County. She was 16. At about this same time, she was introduced to Ralph GARNER, and they started courting. 

This occurred at the very beginning of the Great Depression in 1929 or 1930 - grandma could not remember exactly - she just knew she was 16. She remembered that they would meet once a week and go to the movies or out to eat - not both. Grandma remembered being paid $1.50 a week in addition to room and board. She worked there for five years.

A side note here is that grandma learned some interesting Yiddish words during this time, that until her death on occasion, peppered her regular "Pennsylvania Dutch". It added spice to conversations that otherwise occurred in English, German, and PA Dutch - depending on where we were and who was involved in the discussion.

Pappy had been working for a local farmer as a laborer at the same time. He moved around to different family members to live. Money was tight, and if he wanted to marry and have a family he needed a better job - something not easy to come by in that economic situation.

Source: Bing clip art

At some point in these years, Pappy was able to get a job driving a milk truck for Moore's Dairy. It was steady work and paid well for the time. At one point, brothers Ralph, Clyde and Lester GARNER all worked driving milk trucks for the same dairy.

So, Ralph and Reba decided to marry. I really do not know how long they were engaged. I got the impression that possibly Reba's father (Frank RESSLER) was not too thrilled with her decision to marry. However, I am not sure of that. I do know that they waited until Reba was 21 and would not need a parent's signature on the marriage license. Ralph Garner and Reba Ressler married on 30 March 1935 in Carlisle, PA. 

There was no money for fancy wedding or special clothes. Pappy wore his Sunday suit, and Grandma bought (or made) a dress that she would wear for church and special occasions. The money they had for the wedding was spent on railroad tickets to get to and from Carlisle.

According to the Lancaster Directory for 1935, Ralph and Reba GARNER were living on Lemon Street in what in now downtown area of Lancaster. They rented. Neither of them liked living in "the city". I have not been able to find documentation yet, but believe they lived at this address until purchasing the house on Chestnut Street in West Lancaster in 1937.

According to Pappy, the original mortgage was for $4,000 and by the time it was paid off, the total was $6000 because of the interest. Pappy continued to work for the dairy, and Grandma took in laundry and ironing. She also kept a large vegetable garden. The garden supplied their food and allowed Grandma to make some much needed money by selling the extra produce. They also kept chickens - which supplied needed meat and eggs. 

Mom (Pauline) was born in July 1937. Pappy, Grandma, and Pauline are listed as a household in the 1940 census.

Potatoes and more potatoes - 

Source: Bing clip art

Grandma cooked meals from scratch. During the Depression years, my impression from both interviews and overheard conversations that potatoes were a huge part of diet. Left-over mashed potatoes could be made into fried potato cakes for another meal. Soup and stew could be stretched by adding water and more potatoes. 

Grandma grew potatoes in the family garden, but I believe it was not enough to feed the amount of people who could turn up for meals. Even in my lifetime, there was a continual flow of various family members who could and did show up for any meal. Mom remembered Amish men bringing in large burlap bags of potatoes that were taken to the cellar. 

My memories are having mashed potatoes for supper. Then potato cakes with breakfast, and boiled potatoes with lunch. I have no memories of baked potatoes at grandmas, although we ate many of them when mom cooked at home.

During the depression years, it sounds like most meals were meatless or that only Pappy got meat. A chicken might be killed and fried for Sunday lunch.

Grandma kept a container in the fridge and all vegie and meat leftovers went into that. Whatever was in the container was the start of the next soup or stew. Nothing was wasted.

Just as a note here: My sister and I joked as children that peeling and cutting up potatoes would never be a threat of punishment to us as we did so much of it while at grandma's.

Clothing:

Some clothing was homemade while others were purchased. Mom (Pauline) told me she hated playing in a way that might show her underwear. This was because Grandma made slips and panties from old sugar and flour sacks - the writing still showed and how embarrassing to be known as that poor.

Mom's dresses and aprons could be hand-me-downs from older and bigger cousins. Or they might be cut down clothing that Grandma got ahold of used. Some of the nicer and new items were purchased by Uncle John and Aunt Emma REESE, who could not have children but had disposable income to use that way.

Source: my personal collection

Shoes were an expense that could not be avoided. Shoes were worn hard and passed around until there was nothing left. Mom said she usually got new shoes but that she had to wear them until they pinched her feet before she got another pair.

Rationing:

Mom still had a ration card from her childhood until the day she died. Ration cards could cover items like sugar, milk, meat, coffee, eggs and cheese.

Since both sets of parents (meaning the Frank RESSLER and Ben GARNER families) were still on the farm, Grandma said that Pappy saved the gas coupons to use so they could go out to either of the farms to visit and get items like meat and more produce on the weekend. What did people do who did not have gardens or family to turn to for help?

Source: my personal collection

Grandma (Reba GARNER) even mentioned the hobos who would show up at the backdoor and ask to do some work around the house in exchange for a meal. She said she never let them into the house, and Pappy had a list of things that could be done. 

Mom remembered men sitting on the back steps eating hot soup or stew out of a tin can.  If it was baking day, these men may also have gotten a slice of bread and a piece of pie.

According to both Pappy and Grandma, they never did figure out how their house was marked so hobos knew they could get a meal there. 

Source: Bing Clip Art

What they did have was family - 

No one has perfect families or is perfect themselves. But in hard times having a good relationship with family members and close friends can make the hard time pass easier. 

Grandma and Pappy spoke of these hard years with many smiles and good memories. Mom remembered family get-togethers and all kinds of toys and games that involved what was on hand and a good imagination.

Whether it was actual work or help in another way Grandma said no one could get through times like these without others to help with the load.

Personally, I think these lessons are very much a help for the current time. Being grateful, not wasting anything, spending carefully, and helping each other can go a long way to getting through any hard time.

As for the house:

Winter 1955-56. The oldest photo I have of the front of the house at 1747 Temple Ave., Lancaster, PA - Source: my personal collection

The deed was recorded in Nov. 1949 - so they worked hard and paid off the house in 12 years. The previous owners were named Frank and Violet MOWRER. On the deed, the house is listed as being on West Chesnut St - Lot 96, Manor Township, West Lancaster.

I haven't done the necessary research to find out exactly when the address changed. However according to the city directories, I have been able to find, the address of the house changed from West Chestnut St in West Lancaster to 1747 Temple Ave., Lancaster sometime between 1952 and 1957.

I personally only remember the address being 1747 Temple Ave, but I do have several documents that use the old address on West Chestnut Street. Maybe the address change was a way to solve confusion between West Chestnut Street in Lancaster and this short street in West Lancaster. Maybe someday I will do some research on this but for now I understand that the house and/or family did not move - the street was simply renamed.

Pappy died in 1986, and Grandma lived here until 1994 or 1995 when she sold it. She then resided at the Mennonite Home until her death in 1996.

 

All the content writing and photos of this post is my own unless I state otherwise.

CHERISHED RECIPES

CHERISHED RECIPES

 My sister recently finished going through the last of mom's possessions. Among the items she sent to me was a cookbook that mom used, but many of grandma's recipes were in.  It has been fun to look through the cookbook page by page and see familiar names, or at least familiar last names.

I thought that my readers would find the recipes interesting. But mostly I am pointing out that our ancestors had real lives. In this case, both sides of my family attend this church. Going to church at Covenant, even now, means seeing cousins, aunts, uncles, and other assorted relatives.

Source: my personal collection

I was hoping to share some history of the church here as well, but a five-minute search only turned up a book about the history of this church at the Lancaster History site. 

I do remember various relatives on both sides of the family saying that Covenant and Bethel merged in the 1960's which allowed Covenant to tear down that building to make a parking lot for Covenant. Up to that point, the paternal side folks went to Bethel.

Before starting on the recipes, I want to share page 2 of this book simply because of the handwriting. As family historians, we are always looking for examples of our ancestors' signatures or handwriting.  Here is a fun example simply because it has both my grandma's and moms' on the same page.

Source: my personal collection

The pencil writing "Pauline from Mother & Dad" is my grandma's handwriting. The rest of the handwriting on that page is my mom's. My writing contribution was the circle the names under the recipes. 

So on to the recipes:

The first is on page 21-22. I grew up eating this bread. I never thought about where the recipe may have come from until I saw grandma's name under it.

Source: personal collection

Source: personal collection
Notice that mom even wrote in her own note about this recipe.

The next recipe was contributed by six different ladies so it must have been one of those popular recipes for church dinners. Anyway, Aunt Darlene (GARNER) DOWLIN was one of those ladies. 

But notice there is also another person from the large and extended GROFF family too.

Source: personal collection

On page 63 is an icing recipe from grandma. I vaguely remember this one as being too sweet for my taste. But we were not allowed to waste food so I could not just scrape it off the cake.

Source: personal collection

Page 64 is another recipe from Aunt Darlene (GARNER) DOWLIN. I don't have any real memories of this one. Probably something we had at holiday meals and there was just so much food that we could choose our favorites.

Source: personal collection

Turn the page, and there is another recipe from grandma. I personally do not like these and tried very hard to avoid eating them. Avoiding these wasn't hard since they were a specialty item that only showed up for holiday meals - thankfully.

Source: personal collection

Page 103 contains the pie crust mom (Pauline) used and I still use.  I can remember when mom tried different pie crust recipes and had complaints about every one of them. She resorted back to grandma's recipe by the time I hit my teens. This is an easy recipe and turns out great every time.

Source: personal collection

This raisin pie is one of my favorites. Mom made it occasionally in winter and it was gone quickly. I make it a few times a year and enjoy it just as much now as many years ago.

Source: personal collection

On page 207 is a recipe that only asparagus lovers will like - certainly another one of those that I tried to avoid. No way would I make it, but both grandma and mom liked asparagus and this casserole.

Source: personal collection

I don't remember ever having this punch at all, but who knows! Anyway, I like mint so this might be something to try the next time I need punch for a church or family function. 

Source: personal collection

Enjoy the memories: 

If you are lucky enough to have family cookbooks or handwritten recipes, enjoy the memories that go with them. Maybe the food produced from the recipes is not your favorite - what about the memories that go with this food? 

Was it something that was only made for certain holidays, reunions, or was it something you ate regularly? 

Do you make the item now, or is it something that you would enjoy making? 

There are certain foods that are very "Lancaster County" and I like. Things like raisin pie, apple dumplings, cabbage slaw, and shoofly pie. 

Food is for eating but it is also for memories. Pass both the food and memories on.

Source: Bing clip art

All the post content writing and photos is my own unless I state otherwise.

INTERVIEW NOTES FROM GRANDMA GARNER

INTERVIEW NOTES FROM GRANDMA GARNER

After writing the last post, I dug out my interview notes from Grandma (Reba GARNER) that happened in Oct. 1986.  She rarely discussed her maternal grandparents, and on this day she was telling me about one of her maternal uncles. We grabbed lemonade to drink, and sat down so she could think and I could write.

So these are my actual notes from that discussion:

Children of Andrew Edwin and Mary C. (REESE) FINDLEY in no order --

Martin

Anna Bertha "Bert" who married Frank Y. RESSLER b. 1885 d. 1953

Elmer - a coal dealer

Edward, single, served in WW1, died when he fell down an elevator shaft

David, single, served in WW1, committed suicide

Clayton died of lung trouble

Esther, married name was REINHART and died of hard work

Joseph, farmer

Myrtle, "not right in head", died of old age maybe this year. Had an illegitimate child by one of the WIGGENS boys. Married twice after that.

She did not want me to take notes on the story she was telling, so I listened only. I did not write it down later and have since forgotten the story. So much for documenting memories carefully.

_____________________________________

I have worked on Andrew and Mary FINDLEY in bits and pieces, but not very seriously since I had more info on other lines. Plus I wanted to interview as many living people as possible while I had time. This line got pushed to the back of  a long list of others.

I was recently contacted by a gr-gr-grandchild of one of the listed children. The questions and comments prompted me to dig out my notebooks and look for these notes above. On the surface, the notes seem to lack a whole lot of information, but the "facts" allowed me to actually find some basic info for these people really fast in a two hour block of research.

Here is the basics of what I added in a quick search on FAG and Ancestry:

John Martin FINDLEY 1882 - 1956. Married Mary E. MUSSELMAN in 1905. Buried at Millersville Mennonite Cemetery, Lancaster Co., PA

Anna Bertha (FINDLEY) RESSLER 1885 - 1953 More info and a photo. Buried at Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA

Edward Harry FINDLEY 1888 - 1927. Per the death certificate, he did die from a fall down an elevator shaft. His job was listed as an engineer. Found him on two rosters as an Army engineer. Census in 1920 shows Edward in Philadelphia. Buried at Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA

Jacob Clayton FINDLEY 1889-1962. Married to Chella Blanche TRIMBLE. Buried in Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA

Charles Elmer FINDLEY 1891 - 1968. He died of heart troubles per his death certificate. Married to Stella PAES. Buried at Conestoga Memorial Park, Lancaster, PA

Esther (FINDLEY) REINHART 1893 - 1969. Married to Harry REINHART. Buried at Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA 

Thomas David FINDLEY 1895 - 1930. Buried with his parents at Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA

Martha Louisa FINDLEY 1897 - 1915. Died of heart and kidney issues per death cert. Buried at Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA

Andrew Joseph FINDLEY 1900 - 1967. Married to Mabel E. LOUMP. Buried at Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA

Myrtle B. FINDLEY 1904 - 1985. Buried at Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, PA

The 1900 Census shows the FINDLEY family in Providence Township, Lancaster Co., PA:

Andrew - farmer

Mary C - wife

Martin - son

Bertha A - daughter

Harry E. - son

Jacob C. - son

Charles E. - son

Jenny (?) E. - daughter (I suspect this is Esther due to age)

Thomas D. - son

Martha L - daughter

The 1910 Census in Providence Township, Lancaster Co., PA:

Andrew - farmer

Mary C. - wife

Esther - daughter

David - son

Martha - daughter

Joseph - son

Myrtle - daughter

John Reese - brother-in-law

The 1920 Census in Providence Township, Lancaster Co., PA:

Andrew - still farming

Mary C - wife

Joseph - son and farm laborer

Myrtle - daughter

The 1930 Census in Providence Township, Lancaster Co., PA: 

Andrew - farmer

Mary C. - wife

Myrtle - daughter

Donald - grandson

Mary REINHART - granddaughter

At this point, I am thinking that Donald is the son of Myrtle and the WIGGINS boy. However, he is listed with FINDLEY as last name. Mary REINHART would have been the daughter of Esther REINHART.

I follow the rabbit trail back to FAG and looked up all the FINDLEY names buried in Lancaster County, PA since 1900. Yep, there is a Donald FINDLEY the right age. The memorial says he was the son of Myrtle FINDLEY, no mention of any WIGGINS boys - need to hunt up a death cert.

____________________________________________________

MY SUGGESTION:

Ask people questions and pay attention. Take good notes based on what was actually said. At a later date, use those notes to do real research. 

You can see from my original notes that what was there was very basic.  However, I was able to use that to find more info without really digging.

 Not all the people you interview will have sharp memories - take notes anyway. It is your job as the family historian to sift through all the stuff and come up with the real facts.  

Realize that some of your beliefs or assumptions will change as more facts come to light.  Unless you are writing a fiction story, all of us should want real facts. Most, if not all families, have skeletons in our family trees. In my opinion they make the story more interesting. 

Do not cringe away from finding out about those criminals, crime victims, illegitimate children, military horror stories, slaves, slave owners, prostitutes, shady businessmen, and imperfect people in your family history. All of them are part of your family history. 

Gather the facts of the "good, bad, and ugly" of your family. Each of them was a living person and deserves the chance to speak of their life. 

All the post content writing and photos is my own unless I state otherwise.

Mary C. (Reese) Findley 1862-1933

Mary C. (REESE) FINDLEY 1862-1933

Mary C. REESE is a gr-gr-grandmother that I know next to nothing about. I have no photos, and few records. 

My grandmother did not say much about her which makes me wonder why. Grandma would have been 20 when Mary died so there should have been memories. Maybe I didn't ask the right questions? 

A big part of my research issue is simply that she has a very common name. I have found many Mary REESE/REISE/REECE/RESE in various records in Lancaster County. 

If her obit was correct, Mary was the daughter of John and Louise (EFFELMANN) REESE. 

The year I have found for Mary's marriage to Andrew FINDLEY is 1881.

 I need to really dig into my notebooks of interview notes to see what grandma remembered about her mom's (Anna Bertha) siblings. 

The above gravestone photo at the top of the post is from Find A Grave. 

At some point a few years ago, I tracked down many family obits in the Lancaster papers. The one below is for Mary (REESE) FINDLEY.

Source: my personal records

In the 1910 census, Andrew and Mary are living with children Esther, David, Martha, Joseph, and Myrtle. Plus a brother-in-law named John Reese.

In the 1920 census, Andrew and Mary still have Joseph and Myrtle living with them.

I do remember that grandma said that Myrtle was "retarded" and that she had at least a child by "those WIGGINS boys". I wonder if that was the WIGGINS family that lived about a mile away?

I would like to really concentrate on this line for a while. This line has gotten shoved to a back burner when it comes to research because the name spelling has become a frustration. 

The past several months, my family research has ground to a halt - not from lack of desire or interest. I started a new job and it has cut into my "free" time. I have had to figure out a whole new schedule for myself.  Hopefully, I will get back on track looking for those missing relatives again soon.

I need to work on this a few minutes a day.  Late last year I challenged myself to work on family tree "stuff" 30 minutes a day. I even set the alarm on my phone to keep myself on track.  It really did work great and I was making some headway.  

Some days during this challenge I organized and filed. Others I looked at Find A Grave, or Ancestry, or Family Search. I knew I only had a few minutes and it kept me from getting distracted.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

The 1950 US Census

Just a quick reminder to those of us interested in family history and genealogy - the 1950 US Census is now open and ready for viewing.

Source: Bing clip art

Check out Family Search or Ancestry. I remember finding both my parents in the 1940 census and how exciting that was. 

Ten years later I am still excited about finding them in the census. How many of your relatives can you find in the 1950 census?? It is like a treasure hunt and such an adventure waiting to be taken. 

Have fun and best wishes in your search.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Handy Book for Lancaster, PA area

Handy Book for Lancaster, PA area

For those of us who have ancestors in Lancaster County and the surrounding area in the 1700's, I would like to suggest finding or making a copy of this booklet for yourself. It is the "Records of Rev. John Casper Stoever - Baptismal and Marriage 1730-1779". It was originally published by Harrisburg Publishing Co. in Harrisburg, PA in 1896. 

 There is nothing promising about the way this booklet looks, but as a circuit riding preacher during those years, Rev. STOEVER kept a record of all the people he baptized and married. He spent much of his circuit in southeastern Pennsylvania, however, some locations are in northern Virginia and possibly a small corner of Maryland. 

I found a copy of it in a genealogy library years ago, and promptly photo copied the less than 100 pages. The copy I have has a more recent typed alphabetical index. I put my copies in a three ring binder with my other genealogy books and reference materials. It is a handy item to have. 

 For anyone with colonial area people in the Lancaster County, PA area - it is like a roster of who's who for common family names. I have no idea if this book can be purchased from a publisher or some website like amazon or eBay, but I would suggest it as a really great item to have on hand.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.