A HOLIDAY VISIT WITH INA -- DAY 4

I got a pair of leather-faced gloves for Dad and for Shirley a pair of brushed wool gloves which she needs for going out these winter nights. Henry Shockley comes along and takes her to the singing bees, play practice, etc. Luella Miller started it by asking him to do so, and he seems to remember easily. Well, it is nice she has a way to go and no harm done. Ina Dobson, Christmas 1932

A neighbor told me that another farmer, Jay Cordell, was interested in Shirley, but when Henry came along, Jay backed off. Did Luella think Henry was a better match for Shirley? Or was it simply that Shirley needed a ride? Perhaps Jay wasn’t interested in the “literary” events in which Shirley wanted to participate. (Shirley and Henry married in 1937.)

In the 1930s, and even when I was a youngster in the ‘50s, one could buy a boxed assortment of Christmas cards, usually of the same general type. For instance, if there were twelve cards in the box, there would be three each of four different designs. Mother told me that she would buy such boxed assortments, and she and Fairly (her first husband) would sit together to do their Christmas cards. As she read off a name, he would choose the card.

It wasn’t that way for Mother and her second husband (my dad), though. By the mid-‘50s, Mother selected a beautiful card from a catalog. Then my dad would send to his list and Mother to hers. They both had friends from their previous lives, and Christmas was the time to provide the update. In those days cards were also sent to local friends, too, and Mother took care of that.

 

“Doing the cards” was a big deal. They set up a card table and worked at it for several days. Distant friends were sure to get notes and sometimes long hand-written letters. KW