MY
MEMORIESBy Eleanor Josephine Sherman November 30, 2003
The following in MS Word file 1927-1932 Youth General. I was born June 12 1927, at 8472 Fenton Road, Grand Blanc, Munday Township, Genesee County Michigan. My parents were Grant David Sherman (1886-1950) and Lucy Theresa Culhane (1891-1968). I had an older sister Norene Lucy Sherman Hill (1917-1993) and a twin brother Alonzo Joseph Sherman (1927-xxxx). Birth, A Surprise I always loved my Mother telling the story of the Great Surprise - June 12 1927. My brother, Alonzo, was born. Then approximately 20 minutes later I unexpectedly was born. Mother stated the doctor became panicky and exclaimed, "My God, there's another one!" My Mother asked "another what?" The doctor replied, "what are you having cows!"
I was in a breached position and had not dropped for birth so the doctor disjointed me and literally pulled me out. I was carried for some time on a pillow and my Mother had health problems for years. When we were teenagers she had surgery. My sister said she waited so long because she viewed surgery as very dangerous and stated that she was going to see that we got raised.
As twins we were almost full term babies, Lon weighing 7 lb ? oz, and myself 7 lbs 0 oz. However, Mother realized we weren't growing correctly. She could not wait until her old-fashioned Mother-in-law went home so she could take us to a baby doctor (unapproved by family). Mother was right, we weren't getting enough food and were put on bottles, on which we did well. At six months we contracted Whooping Cough, which slowed our progress until we were nearly a year old.Cows Milk Dad had Guernsey cows on the farm (their milk was known for high butter fat), but he had to buy milk from his neighbor, Mr Conquest, who had Holstein cows (known for lower butter fat) for his twins. Dad said he never could brag which were the best cows as Mr Conquest let him know whose cows raised his twins. Raising Twins Mother claimed Dad never recovered from the pride of having twins. She always stated that twins were great but she never remembered anything about the first year and wasn't sure how much she wanted to remember about the first 10 years. What one twin couldn't think of the other one did, and of course each always protested innocence. Wishes Since my Dad wished for a boy, and my sister (Norene 10 years old) wished for a girl, the only way to solve the problem was to have both. Mother jokingly wondered how many she would have had if she had wished. 1930-1940s Farm General. A grandson asked me once what was my horse's name (context of horse and buggy). I said, "whoa!" Wrong generation, I was raised on a farm but it was located on a paved, US-designated highway; We had a car, telephone, radio, electricity, central heating, inside bathroom, hot water and my Mother had a gas cooking stove, refrigerator and a freezer.
Looking backward, my childhood was a pleasant and eventful one. There were woods to explore, trees to climb, lanes to go down, a creek (Swartz Creek) to fish and wade in and many baby animals to have for playmates.
Dad always let me play with the baby animals. I loved the small fluffy, peeping chicks. Dad had electric milking machines but I learned how to milk a cow for the little kittens that were born each year in the barn. Once when taking milk to the kittens in the hayloft, I fell off the ladder and really freighted and banged myself up. Dad forbid me to ever climb up there again. He did not know I was climbing every tree on the farm and even climbing the outside of the silo.Baby Pigs The event I have always remembered is when Dad took me to the far barn to play with some little piglets that had just been born. The mother sow had another idea; she knocked open the gate that knocked Dad down on the ground and headed towards me. I thought that Dad and our dog, Rex, would both be killed trying to get the mad sow off of me. Mother said when Dad was carrying me unconscious into the house he was so pale she did not know which one of us was hurt the worst. Dad always told me he made bacon out of that sow. I still have scars on my body after all these years. Bittersweet Bittersweet was a woody vine with orange berries that was often used in dried flower arrangements. Such a vine grew on a clump of thorn apple trees that were half way down a steep cliff made by the creek. Mother had us pick these vines with their berries every Fall for her and her friends. Lon would tie a rope around my middle and lower me down the cliff. He would pretend to drop me and I would scream but I really knew he would never drop me. Throughout the years I often would use bittersweet in flower arrangements and remember this farm experience. Note: Somehow the story about the cliff got taller and steeper as told over the years. Cow Art Dad raised registered Guernsey cattle which meant there were registration papers for each cow which included drawings of their marking for both sides as well a the front and back views. That became my job as Dad said he could not draw a straight line much less spots. Dad bragged so about my drawing that I soon was drawing his friend's cows. I charged a $1.00 for each cow and it was the first money I earned. My Mother taught me to save the money and eventually, I bought a bike. I had that bike until college, when a roommate forgot to lock it and it was stolen. Cream Cream rises in milk and even rises within itself. Mother would use the cream that rose within a five-gallon container to cook and bake with (it was consistency of Crisco/Spry shorting). Her biscuits, piecrust, cookies etc, and even butter were delicious and others never tasted good to me for years. Dairy Room A room was built on the back of the house for a dairy. We sold milk to private customers. Mother knew how to get me to do a job by saying, "your Dad will be tired and you can help him." The job in the dairy soon became a permanent job of mine every evening after the milk was bottled and the cream was separated. Everything had to be washed, rinsed and sterilized plus the bottles for the next day. It was not a hard job but the compounds and chemicals used were hard on the hands. Even with gloves, I fought chapped hands until I went to college.
I learned my multiplication tables by waiting on the milk customers over the years (prices increased 1¢ at a time, from 6¢ a quart up to 15¢ a quart). I remember Dad remarking that it was a crime to charge more than 10¢ a quart.Rex (our dog) I remember coming home (age unknown, but I have a picture with Rex; the dog and twins 2 years old) and telling my Mother there was a noise in the kitchen closet. She told us to look but I was scared to open the door. The noise turned out to be a small collie dog we called Rex. A buddy for many years, Rex died the Spring we graduated from high school (Probably hit by a car that injured him). Mother said she could let us run free on the farm (except during hunting season) because she knew Rex would take care of us.
Once I "sicked" Rex on a snake once that frightened me, and for years he would bring any snake he killed to me to get a hug and attention.
Rex hated peas, so we would try to hide one in his meal and watch him. He would eat everything else, but the pea would be left untouched.
Rex was never allowed beyond a small room (pantry) next to the kitchen, but would always get his paws and nose over the line if we were doing something in the house.
Whenever we played touch football or a game that was noisy and rough we had to lock Rex in the house because he thought we were being injured and would attack our friends.
Mother stated that when she heard Rex running towards the house furiously barking with the twins following behind that it meant some one was probably hurt. The twin making the most noise was not usually the one hurt. One time she said both twins were crying and she could not find anything wrong with us, it turned out to be Rex with a hurt paw.
The summer of 1944, Mother had an operation and I was alone one morning in the house, (Dad was in the barn.) A Hobo knocked on the screen porch door. I was instantly frightened. It had been a very hot day and all the doors were open. The Hobo was polite and asked for some food. I pretended to call out to Dad in the house for permission to feed him. I was glad to see our dog Rex standing on the sidewalk barking and growling like a vicious dog. I made couple of sandwiches and gave them to him. The hobo was very polite and left. It was just minutes when Dad came to the house because he heard Rex barking and I was so glad to see him. Hot or not I kept all the doors closed and locked after that if I was the only one in the house.Sledding There were some hills at the end of the lane, on the backside of the farm that made good sledding in the winter. One year Lon built a ski slide with a small jump at the bottom and that was a real thrill to go down on skis or sled. The Creek The creek was great for fishing and playing. One summer Lon built a boat and made a sail out of the Purina feed sacks. He gave rides to everybody. Even Aunt Jo took several rides. A shallow dam had been built across the creek to feed water to a small man made lake. This lake was good for ice skating and ice shanty parties. The Dam was great to walk across and play in, especially on hot days. Unfortunately black slimy worms called "blood suckers" lived on the stones in the creek. When they got on me I used to scream and make Lon pick them off my feet and legs. 1933-1945 School General. I attended the Grand Blanc Community School in Grand Blanc, Michigan. I started in 1933 and graduated in 1945. 1933 School The summer of our 6th birthday I keep hearing the word school. What was school? I was not too sure this "school" was good. I heard the word "shots" and that twins do better when separated. Also I heard Mother and Aunt Jo (she was a Principal) whispering that we may not be ready yet. Aunt Jo mentioned that in her school there was kindergarten (a bad sounding word). At our school we started at 1st grade. Even shopping with Norene for new dresses did not convince me school was going to be exciting.
In later life I learned why. Mother thought we might not be ready for school. We spoke our own language (which only Norene seemed to understand) and we seldom talked sentences with other people. This phenomenon for twins, especially those without young siblings or other playmates etc., was normal. I have often wished I could remember our language in later years. I only remember what we called each other Ba-ah. Mother always said she thought that probably this word came from the word brother.
Fortunately, I did like school. I always was conscientious about getting good grades as it pleased my parents and Aunt Jo. We attended school at Grand Blanc Community School from grade 1 (1933) through grade 12 (1945) graduation.1933 School Bus Since we lived 5 miles from school our bus ride was often in the dark both morning and later afternoon hours (school days were 8 hours), which made for long days. 1941-1945 High School There were 74 students who started our senior year, of which 15 students attended all 12 years. The following was recorded in the 1945 school year book, the Echo: Eleanor Josephine Sherman:
Class President '42;
Girl Reserves '43, '44, '45;
Girl Scouts '42. '43, '44, '45. President '43;
Photography Club '43, '44 '45;
Glee Club '43, '44 '45;
A Cappella '44;
The Echo Staff.Alonzo Joseph Sherman "Lon":
Class Vice-President '42;
Student Council '42, '43, '44, '45, Vice-President '45;
Hi-Y '44, '45;
FFA '42, '43, '44, '45, President Parliamentary Team '44, '45;
4-H '42, '43, '44, '45, President '42;
Leadership Club '43, '44, '45, President '44;
Photography Club '43, '44, '45 Treasurer '44;
Varsity Club '44, '45, Football '45, Track '44;
Junior Play;
The Echo Staff.1941-1945 WW-II In our Freshman year (9th grade) World War II begun on December 7 1941 with the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese and lasted during all our High School years. The European War ended May 1945 and the Japanese War ended August 1945, with the dropping of the Atom bombs. 1945 Graduation March Our senior sponsor (teacher) lined us up matching heights for the graduation march. I went home and told my Mother that I would not be marching with my brother. This was the first time I ever knew of my Mother going to the school with a mission. Fortunately the Principal (who was there when we were born) was on her side and stated he could fix the problem. Since we were still 17 years old Lon was one of the few boys still present for graduation. 1945 Senior Prom Unfortunately the boys were drafted or enlisted as soon as they turned 18 years old, so the senior prom was mostly a girl's dance. 1945 Senior Trip Our senior trip was a 1-day trip by bus to Detroit to visit the Traffic Court, Art Insitute, WJR Radio Station, shopping at Hudson's Department Store, but some of the boys attended "Various" theaters (girlie shows). 1946-1978 College General. Since my Mother had been a teacher before marriage and Aunt Jo was a principal, I always knew college was expected I felt about college as I had about going to school at first grade times College Aunt Jo got me enrolled at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and saw that I took a test that got me an academic scholarship. She took me to enrollment and arranged for a private room at a house where there were six other students; I went to summer school after the first year and transferred to a dorm. I was lonely and felt isolated in the room and was happier in the dorm.
During Christmas my second year I became very ill and could not begin second semester. However I enrolled in a local Junior College so as not to get behind in credits, I was very happy to be living back home. I made some life-long girlfriends; two of them married boys who had graduated with us from Grand Blanc School.
Lon started college a year later because of the war and had stayed home as a helper for Dad. Lon attended Michigan State College and since I attended the University of Michigan, the two biggest universities in Michigan, it made for good "friendly" rivalry.Miscellaneous Memories Baby Sitters In 1939 New York City sponsored a Worlds Fair. Mother said she was going, Dad said he wasn't. She would wink and say, "he'll be in the car." However Mother discovered she had no birth certificate, which was needed if they drove through Canada. She had older siblings and had to have them sign affidavits of her birth. Mother often-kidded that maybe she could have her birth date changed and become younger.
She announced they weren't taking us kids. Her reason was a surprise to me and I always remembered it: She wasn't going on a vacation and have two kids fighting all the way there. I remember thinking we never fight, but like all kids I suppose we did. They left us with Aunt Jo and Norene to take care of us. We could always con those two, so we made out like bandits.Childhood Diseases For any childhood diseases or communicable diseases a family was quarantined for two weeks. Mother said it was always four weeks for her as one twin was getting well the other was just getting sick. Apparently, our first year in school was mostly quarantined and I remember waving to Dad and Norene as they climbed the ladder to get into the house through an upstairs window.
When we were about six years old we had our tonsils out. Only thing I remember is waking up in a room across from Lon. He was eating ice cream but I couldn't for a couple of days. I remember being so mad because he had more ice cream than I did.Coal Furnace One of the jobs I hated was fixing the coal furnace we had for central heating. Whenever Dad fixed it (put in coal) Mother and I would roast with heat all day, So especially in Spring and Fall Mother would talk me into tending the furnace. It was located in the far end of the basement and only had a dim overhead light. There were always cobwebs. The furnace door had an insert of multi-colored glass-like panels that threw spooky shadows. I'd run all the way up the stairs back to the kitchen. Free Movies Often on Saturday nights groups of stores on a corner would put on free out-door movies to draw crowds. The movies would always end in a cliffhanger to get the crowds back the next week. I remember one night the story was about small bad people who lived in radiators and you knew they were coming when the radiator made noises. I had a radiator in my room and it always made noise when heating up and cooling down. I knew there were no little people in my radiator but when it made noise in my dark room I really had to concentrate. Several nights I got up and turned the light on to go to sleep again. I often think of this when experts are testifying children aren't affected by scary movies. They are wrong. Gasoline Rationing There was gas rationing during the war and we lived over five miles from the school. Often Mother would exchange picking me up from after school activities with my girl friend's mother (who lived across the road). Once after a night basketball game, her Mother forgot to pick us up. The telephone office closed at 10:00pm. We had to walk in the dark the length of town to the operator's house and talk her into calling my parents. That was the darkest night, the longest and the scariest walk I had ever done. Mother was so mad I couldn't exchange rides with her ever again. Girl Friend Marilyn My girl friend, Marilyn, could not date a boy she was crazy about unless she went on a double date. I got in more weird dates with her boy friend's brother and friends for her.
One Sunday afternoon we went bowling and when we come home we heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They say you always remember what you were doing on dates when important events happen. I do and the date was an awful memory.
On one night her boyfriend and friend took us to a nearby town to a haunted house. There were several cars of kids and some had flashlights. I wasn't scared of ghosts when we were in the house, but I was scared of police, as I had heard they arrested kids they caught. Many years later when Lon was doing family genealogy, he found the story about a Sherman house in that town that the family had deserted, which was known as a haunted house. He wanted to know why I saw it and he didn't. We tried finding the house a few years ago but apparently it had been torn down.Girl Scouts I became a Girl Scout when I was twelve years old and continued through high school graduation. I also was an adult leader for an additional seven years. I became a 1st class scout and learned many things from this program. Summer camp was so much fun. I went to a camp by Lapeer for two weeks each summer and for four weeks after becoming a senior scout. At camp I learned horseback riding, swimming, diving, tennis and camping skills. This I would not have learned otherwise. These skills I enjoyed and used often throughout life. Housework As Lon worked more with Dad on the farm, I started working with Mother in the house. In the Fall I helped with canning and freezing food and with the large meals Mother would put on for the men who came all day during thrashing season. Other times, Mother gave me choice of jobs and it was always fun working with her. One day I was cleaning her room and found a beautiful wooden compact on the dresser with initial L.T.C. When I asked whom that was she said they were her initials and the letters stood for Lucy Theresa Culhane. It was the first time I knew she had so many names. I never heard her middle name before and thought it was so pretty that if I had a daughter that would be the name I'd give her, and I did. Ice Cream Whenever Dad went on an errand in the truck we were often with him. Especially if he was going to a town because that meant an ice cream cone (5¢ price of cones). Mirrors Mother always said the two of us always fought over the use of the mirror, Lon to comb out his curls and Eleanor to comb in her curls. We both remember the day when Mother's favorite mirror was broken. I was angry with Lon (don't remember why) and threw a bottle of nail polish at him. He ducked and it hit Mother's favorite mirror and broke it. Lesson learned: don't throw nail polish at a brother who is so inconsiderate as to duck! Ouija Board One Christmas my girlfriend received an Ouija board for a gift. We used to fool around with it and asked many questions and would laugh at the answers. One night when we were alone in her house, we asked who was telling us all the answers. It spelled out the names of two kids at school who had died. I remember running real fast home (just across the road) and neither one of us ever used that board again. Piano And Dance Lessons I don't remember how many years I took piano lessons. I remember in High School taking lessons from the coach's wife, Mrs Batchelor. When my girl friend went to take tap dancing lessons, I took for two years. I remember enjoying these lessons bur can't do much with either dancing or piano playing now. Punishment I never remember being severely punished or spanked. I do remember my Mother threatening me by saying "if you go to the barn and get your Dad involved I will spank you." Guess I wasn't always an angel. Mother always told about one time I was crying when I got home from a truck ride, I said Lon had bit me. Dad had punished him for biting me. After I got home Mother found out I had bit him first. Dad's response was "the only way to win with those two is to punish them both." Some memories of my relatives as I was growing up. Aunt Maude Dad had a younger sister, Aunt Maude, who was just a year younger than he and he said I always looked like her. She and Mother were great friends and I always loved her. She died from cancer when I was 14 years old. This was my first experience of such sadness. Aunt Mildred Dad had another younger sister I did not know much about, Mildred, until I met her at Aunt Maude's funeral. Apparently Dad had disowned her. Grandparents The only grandparent alive when we were born was Dad's Mother. I often heard my Mother say she was sad her Mother never knew about the twins (she died the year before we were born). Norene knew all her grandparents and I would be jealous when she talked about them. Both Norene and Mother talked about grandfather Sherman. My Mother talked so lovingly about him, that I accused her once of marrying Dad just to have him as a father-in-law. She just laughed. Hannah Sherman, My Grandmother Two little kids were apparently too much for grandma because I don't remember ever being in her house or sitting on her lap. We would go as a family to Mayville in the summer to the cemetery and also to visit her. We were told to make no noise and play outside. Dad would give us money to go up town (a couple of blocks) to buy something. This was quite a privilege to have money with no supervision. We learned if we'd hurry back and made noise on the porch Dad would give us more money. Since we couldn't eat every thing we bought we would hide things in the car. I don't remember getting caught. Mother's Siblings Mother had an older sister, Flora Hewitt, and two older brothers. Aunt Flora lived near Ypsilanti and we visited her each year. She was nearly 20 years older than Mother, very nice but no fun to visit (no children, pets etc). One brother, Uncle Bob, lived near Pittsburgh, PA and another one, Uncle Casper (Cass), lived in Grand Junction, CO.
I don't remember Uncle Bob visiting but he must have because we got punished for getting his son Bobby very dirty while playing with him (he was wearing a white shirt). And this upset his Mother. The whole family seemed very aloof.
Uncle Cass came for a visit in the Summer of 1944 and I instantly fell in love with him. He made a return visit in 1951 and I got to meet his wife Willa as an adult when she would visit my Mother and Aunt Jo. I never met his son but saw his picture.
Mother had a younger sister who lived near by and never married, Aunt Jo. It was like having two Mothers, because Aunt Jo also spoiled us. She would often stop by and pick us up when she had an errand.Psychic Experience #1 circa 1935 Mother tells of the time I was sleeping so Aunt Jo just took Lon on one of her errands. I woke up screaming and carrying on so Mother had to get Dad to calm me down because I knew "Ba" was hurt. When they got home and Lon had a cast on his shoulder everyone believed me. He had fallen off a slide and broken his collarbone. Psychic Experience #2, circa 1950 I was attending summer classes at Michigan State College the summer Dad died. I was in class when I felt surrounded by a warm and sad cloud. I had to leave class and cried all the way back to my living quarters. I told my baby sister to stay because I had to go somewhere soon. Then the phone call came that my Dad had died. Sister Norene Having a sister, Norene (we called her "Ee") who was ten years older, made for a lot of fun and interesting things to do and attend with her. When she got older she even had money and always bought me peanuts, which I loved. In later years I asked her how it was having us tagging along. She said she always got a lot of attention because she had twins, and we were so cute and minded her. She said her friends just had brats.
I shared a bedroom with her and if I woke up from a bad dream or was just cold I would crawl in bed with her. It was so warm and comfortable and she would always hug me and give me a kiss. When she went off to college I was so lonely I remember crying.Uncle Earl Dad has a brother (10 years younger to the day) who owned a bowling alley and home in Ionia MI. When we were older I remember our family would go visit about once a year. It was a fun trip of about 70 miles. He gave us free rein at the bowling alley as well as rented bicycles for us. His third wife, Aunt Hellen, was always nice but didn't seem to realize we would need a meal. We always "starved to death." So, on one trip Dad stopped on the way over and we had a big meal only to get there and she had fixed a big meal. We were given dirty looks by our parents, and had to eat a lot. I remember that the food wasn't good and it was painful to eat so much.
Uncle Earl had a cottage on Loon Lake near Newaygo. The summer before we were seniors we took a trip by ourselves to the cottage. We left early and got there before anyone was up. We forgot the State time was divided lengthwise, we were in the Eastern time zone and they were in the Central time zone (an hour later). It was afternoon our time before they got us a meal.
Uncle Earl was known for his wild flower garden and I remember wondering fields, woodlands etc, and finding and digging up wild flowers. Aunt Hellen was mad at him for getting us so muddy.
The lake in front of the cabin did not have a good beach or shoreline for swimming so we talked Aunt Hellen into letting us take the rowboat out to swim off it. Unfortunately the boat got caught in the current when we were both in the water and stranded us. Fortunately for the world and us a fisherman saw our problem and rescued us. Aunt Hellen was watching from the cottage porch and never let us do that again. Doubt I would have anyway as I remember it was a frightening experience.
When Lon and I were in college we went over to Ionia by ourselves and visited him.
