Harriet: The Growing Up Years

Sometime after Mom's passing, I decided to go through the big family album that she had.  It was a newer album with newer pictures.  By newer, I mean it was filled mostly with her grand children.  My nieces, Tabitha and Yvonne were probably the inspiration for it.  There were a couple of old 8 x 10's in it, like the black and white family picture.  As I started going through the album, I removed all the hidden pictures behind the newer one on top.  I love doing that.  To this day, I leave the older picture in the frame that I am replacing with a newer, more up to date one.  A favorite thing is to look at all the old pictures when I open up the back of that frame.  April, at age one with her crazy hair and precious smile, Jason with his skinned knees and so cute that everyone thought he was a girl until he turned three, Mandy, with her blond hair wearing her strawberry bikini, Leah with a rubber duckie sitting in a tin tub with her crazy hair on top of her head grinning from ear to ear.  I like to stop and remember.  I like the warm feeling that floods my emotions when I see those memories.

I got off track a little bit... but that's what I was doing with the family album.  Examining each and every picture behind every sleeve.  I had taken all the 5 x 7's out of a tight spot and decided to reach my fingers in as far as I could to see if there was anything else there.  I felt a folded up piece of paper and when I pulled it out, this is what I found! A school paper from Mom's elementary school days!

A story Harriet wrote about the "Akron"

A little girl by the name of Harriet wrote this in August of 1931.  She was almost 7 years old.  What a treasure!!!  It was only a couple of months later that her daddy passed away... on her 7th birthday.

Sometimes I wonder if Mom showed this to me long ago... how did I know to look there, to dig in to that tight slot?  I have come across so many things.  Some I remembered having, others I knew I had but I didn't know their significance until I started the scrap book.

A little bit of history: The USS Akron (ARS-4) was a helium-filled rigid airship of the United States Navy that was lost in a weather-related accident off the New Jersey coast early on April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crew and passengers on board.  During its accident-prone 18-month term of service, the airship also served as a flying aircraft carrier for launching F9C "Sparrowhawk" biplanes. 

I also have a tag from a Kiddies Picnic at Buckeye Lake Park.  The picnic was sponsored by the Columbus Elk's, Patrol No. 37. The date was Saturday, July 8th, 1933.  A memory of the 8 1/2 year old Harriet.  Grandma must have written her name and address on it because it is written in cursive.  The address on the tag is: 726 W. Chapel.  That would be in Columbus, OH.  That must have been another very special day for her to keep that little piece of history.

I don't know much more about Harriet as she was growing up.  I know there were eight kids total in the family, not including the baby that died.  Mom had four sisters and three brothers.  Wow!  That must have been fun... sometimes, at least.  Mom loved coming from a big family.  She would have liked to have more kiddos herself.  

Random Thought: I would have loved to have had a sister!  I still would love to have a sister.  I envy my girls their close relationship.  April and Mandy are as tight as sisters can be.  I'm happy to have been able to give all four of my kids the gift of sisters and a brother... well J has three sisters, no brother.  They are all very close and that makes me happy.

As I remember different stories, I will share them.  It is very late right now and I am too tired to do a good job.  If I had to guess, I would say Russ was her favorite brother, if not her favorite sibling in all.  As far as sisters go, I would say Martha and Ruthie, the baby.  From what I can remember from Mom's stories, Mean ol' Aunt Lucy was always hard to deal with... at least where Mom was concerned. Lol  Aunt Oma got married shortly after Grandpa died.  I'm not sure if they were close at all.  Oma was nine years older than Harriet.

Top Left- Lucy and Russell, Top Middle- Lucy, Top Right- Oma, Middle- Harriet, Bottom Left- Wyatt, Middle- Mary (Grandma Salyards), Right- Ruth.  Second Page to the far Right is Martha holding her nephew Russ.

 I will talk about some of the other pictures at a later date.