Three to Nine

September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945 are the years I consider that most influenced me. I was born in 1936. Three years later, 1939 my brother arrived. in 1942 twin sisters were born.  At my age of 3, the war started and went on until it ended in 1945 when I was 9. That span was my formative years no matter what the books say.

This timeframe was when things were very rough spiritually and financially for my parents and others. Some never got through it. We did. Day-to-day life at home was carried on with positive attitudes so I didn’t really understand how terrible the war really was. I learned how to help care for the foster babies that my mother took in and became a ‘big sister’ to these, helping in every way possible to make them be happy and not cry. My brother and I became very close during that time due to the twin’s needs taking over much of the attention from both family and friends. We didn’t mind. We made our own way with each supporting the other. Our father had to leave his statewide dairy testing occupation for some of this time and worked in a synthetic rubber plant for the war effort. He could not be an active soldier due to an eye injury that got worse as he aged. There was even a German woman who came to live with us for a while as her husband was an American soldier, She was not nice, but looking back I now understand why. She was given my bed and my brother and I slept elsewhere while she stayed. It was not very long. I think the Church sent her to my parents to be safe and cared for because of her vulnerability. She tolerated us and we tolerated her. (My brother and I slept in the same room until I married at age 19.) We even had an imaginary line drawn but he had both windows on his side and the shared closet! 

I had chores. I dried dishes, folded clothes when brought in from the backyard line, made my bed, watered the plants. I watched and learned housekeeping in other areas. We were taught frugality.  BUT! There were times when I could be ‘myself’ and a feeling of free spiritness prevailed. 

I ran free most of the time when I wasn’t needed and explored the surrounding woods and fields. When the firehouse noontime and 6PM whistle blew, I hightailed it for home so as not to be punished for overstaying my cherished time away. I learned to follow rules. The neighborhood kids and I all got along well and went as far away from the houses we lived in to discover nature and wildlife and trade experiences. We had bikes to help our travels and we shared everything.

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