Mom, Dad, Growing Family
Our house on Inlet Shore Drive was small and quite cramped with 7 people. The porch was useless in the winter. The Finley's lived next door to the south. It was through Mom's influence that the Finley's were saved and began attending East Delavan Baptist Church.
Mom, Dad, Growing Family
I remember this kitchen vividly and the fabric itself, and mom making those dresses. Loved my dress. She dressed us alike a lot.
I'm not sure why Aunt Florence was babysitting us. Perhaps Mom was having Sue at the hospital. Anyway, we were naughty and wouldn't go to bed. She'd get us in bed and we'd jump up and take off. Running around outside, I cut my foot badly on a beer bottle. Florence finally got help from the neighbors to corral us and get us to bed. Which reminds me that at North Walworth, we were absolutely horrible to the babysister. She'd tell us to do dishes, but we'd tell her she had to do them. Finally, we'd do the dishes. We did fear Dad's wrath if she ever told. But she never tattled on us. (recollections by Dianna)
House in Delavan Inlet
Where we lived in 1954
When we returned from South Dakota, Uncle Pete rented a pig farm on Theater Road (about 1 mile North of East Delavan Baptist Church, which we attended). So we were able to rent Uncle Pete's house in the Delavan Inlet at 824 Inlet Shore Drive. After Uncle Pete returned from the pig farm, he built his two story home at 810 Shade Avenue, with the back yards of his two houses abutting. Across the road (east) from our little house was the river that dumped into Delavan Lake. (all recollections by Jerry Vegter)
Kathy, Reading at Early Age; Linda;
Mom, cutting out yet another dress.
(Kitchen of Inlet house. Mom pregnant with Susan?)
Kathy on up
(Kathy, wearing dress Mom was cutting in photo above)
Linda, Jerry
Dad's Red Plymouth
The red Plymouth, with the long horns on both sides of the motor hood, is the vehicle that I fell out of. Dad had me come along, for whatever reason, on an errand. He had to "gun it" as he made a left hand turn on to Highway 50. I was leaning against the front seat passenger door. Either it was not latched or I accidentally opened it. As Dad negotiated the turn, the door flew opened and I flew out, landing in the gravel alongside the pavement.
Dad made a quick grab for me and got hold of my pants. My ride on the gravel would have been shorter had he missed. Fortunately my backside was downward, as I skidded along on the gravel with nothing between my skin and gravel but bluejeans. I don't remember any injury.
This was one of three out-of-the-car incidents. As I remember, Dianna and Linda, on two separate occasions, also fell out of moving vehicles. Three out of eleven children is not too bad a record. We were the three oldest; perhaps the others learned from our example.
We must have been in De Smet, Dakota heading back to Huron. We were going about 50 mph. I was in the back seat fooling with the door. Then I tried to hold the door closed, but it flew open, and I flew out onto concrete. Probably rolled, jumped up and ran after the car. Mom said, "I looked in the rear view mirror and was relieved to see you running." I was such a mess. They took me straight to Dr. John's (Grandpa's brother). Was about 5 and bandaged up like a mummy. Not one part of me not scraped. That scared me so much that afterward, while riding in a back seat, I clung to the person in the middle. (recollection by Dianna)
The red Plymouth, with the long horns on both sides of the motor hood, is the vehicle that I fell out of. Dad had me come along, for whatever reason, on an errand. He had to "gun it" as he made a left hand turn on to Highway 50. I was leaning against the front seat passenger door. Either it was not latched or I accidentally opened it. As Dad negotiated the turn, the door flew opened and I flew out, landing in the gravel alongside the pavement.
Dad made a quick grab for me and got hold of my pants. My ride on the gravel would have been shorter had he missed. Fortunately my backside was downward, as I skidded along on the gravel with nothing between my skin and gravel but bluejeans. I don't remember any injury.
This was one of three out-of-the-car incidents. As I remember, Dianna and Linda, on two separate occasions, also fell out of moving vehicles. Three out of eleven children is not too bad a record. We were the three oldest; perhaps the others learned from our example.
We must have been in De Smet, Dakota heading back to Huron. We were going about 50 mph. I was in the back seat fooling with the door. Then I tried to hold the door closed, but it flew open, and I flew out onto concrete. Probably rolled, jumped up and ran after the car. Mom said, "I looked in the rear view mirror and was relieved to see you running." I was such a mess. They took me straight to Dr. John's (Grandpa's brother). Was about 5 and bandaged up like a mummy. Not one part of me not scraped. That scared me so much that afterward, while riding in a back seat, I clung to the person in the middle. (recollection by Dianna)
