A Treasure Trove

We kidded Mother and Grandmother for being pack-rats but, as I discovered the memorabilia that gave glimpses into our family's history, I came to appreciate their efforts in keeping all these treasures.

Valedictory speech by Grandmother May from 1917. 

Someone, probably Mother, typed it out for her.

Ledgers

A Ledger from 1917, which was started on Grandaddy May's 21st birthday, showed Expense items such as:

Suitcase for $3.50, 
Pair of overalls for $1.75
Haircut for $.40 
Horse shoeing for $5.35
6 chairs for $19.00
Looking glass for $2.00
On May 10, 1919, he bought a "License to get married" for $1.00.  (They got married May 11, 1919.)

Under Income in 1917, Grandaddy documented: 2 rabbits for $.32
2 muscrats, 1 polecat (skunk) for $2.50 
Sold horse I bought of Uncle Charlie for $125.00
Sold turtle to W.J. Hollar for $.25, 
Took Bob Swope to town for $2.00
24 lb. wool to Don Ruddle for $10.35
In Sept. 1918 first pay in army for $18.50
Sold 67 doz. eggs to E.P.Lee for $14.71
Sold 25 pounds wool for $9.25 

I remember that Grandmother and Grandaddy lived in D.C. for a year or so and these entries reminded me that one job he had was driving a street car:
Bought Motorman's cap for $1.00, 
First pay at Street Car Co. for $1.00
Run 7th Pa. Ave. for $4.86
Run 14th St. $4.32

Daddy with his cig in hand

The other Ledger in 1947 
was from my parents, the year I was born. They went to the "show" (movies) most every week and usually put the name of the movie.  The price was $1.00 and some weeks it said "Show and Eats" for $1.25.  A haircut was $.50, "cigs" were $.35 (Daddy always smoked Lucky Strikes until he quit years later at the persistent  requests of his 3 children), baby shoes (for me!) $1.19, a wooden high chair (which is still intact) for $16.50, and  sweater for M.E. (Mary Elizabeth, that's me) for $2.29.

I can hardly stop reading these ledgers....they're just mesmerizing!

Hair

Some folks might think this creepy, but I was thrilled to discover hair from Daddy, my sister, and me.  The round ringlets are from when I was very young.  It was interesting to note that Daddy's hair was a brighter red than mine.  Anita really was a bright blonde and her hairdresser knew for sure!

Millions of Cats book

I was so excited that I had to call my sister when I found this book.  I didn't remember that this old version even existed.  The copyright is 1928 and it came from Dobson School Library, which means it was from Mother's childhood. 

We always loved hearing Millions of Cats and looking at the beautiful black and white drawings over and over.  Learning place value in math was easy because of this story.

Report cards

How many people do you know who have all their report cards?  

I found grades one through 12 for Anita, Phil, and me.  Plus, most of the grades for Daddy and Mother.

If you enlarge this photo, you can see who my teachers were in grades 1-7 at Mt. Clinton Elementary School.

Mother even saved my grades from Madison College (now known as James Madison University in Harrisonburg) and from my master's work at the University of Virginia.

Rocking Horse
Some family member made this rocking horse but I don't know who.  It was used when Daddy and Uncle Bob were little and for the grandchildren and great grandchildren.  This was my niece, April, when she was small.  Mother repainted it some years ago.

If this sled could talk, it would have some tales to tell!

We had some big snows when we were young and it got a real work out.  What great memories of night sledding parties with a big bonfire. 

A couple of times snow drifts closed the roads and the milkman had to bring cans to the foot of the hill to be hauled up with a tractor.  

Ask any of the six May grandchildren about the night we each had to drag a milkcan up the hill.  It wasn't too bad for the 4 small kids but Stashia and I broke through the crust into waist high snow at each step!  I remember there was a full moon because Stashia and I looked at it as we laid on our backs several times to rest during that long climb.

THE Brown Chair

     Mother always hated brown.  When it was time for school, they got Aunt Mary the prettiest little blue raincoat with red lining, trim and buttons.  They got Mother a BROWN raincoat.   

     When they were young, people who sold baskets and other handmade items came from down in the country in the summer .  Mother's parents got Aunt Mary a little green chair.  It was sooo pretty and it had flowers on it!  They got Mom a BROWN chair. 

Here is that famous BROWN chair with one of Mother's first dolls.

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This next item is one of my very favorite pieces of our family's history and it has fascinated me since I was a child.

"This molasses pitcher belonged to my mother's parents, David and Catherine Hollar.  During the Civil War, they buried their best dishes so that the Yankees would not destroy them as they passed through the (Shenandoah) Valley of Virginia.  When the war was over, they dug up the dishes and in so doing, the handle of the pitcher was broken off.  It was repaired with white lead."   --Ruth Bowman May, Grandmother of Mary May Angelil

I say, "Thank you!" to all the Mays, Bowmans, and Freemans for being pack-rats through the years!