Nuts From the Family Tree: Stories from Mom: Part 6, Growing up

By Virginia Williams Kelly

As my sister and I and all our friends grew into the late teen years we always walked to town on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights first to the Duchess Restaurant and then to Gus Harris’ Restaurant and then to the movie theatre where Mr. Spates was always more than welcome to see us. After the movie, if we had any money left, we went to the Princess Restaurant for a Coke.

Sunday nights were very special because then we walked to one of our favorite places on Eckhart Flat. I forget the name of it, but it was a place where we could dance and dance we did with anyone who came in, boy or girl, it made no difference. It was always a very special time.

My mother had only one good winter coat and it had a fur collar on it and my sister and I took turns wearing that coat more than Mama ever did for she only wore it to church on Sunday. Our Aunt Marg would come to visit us from time to time since she lived in Akron, Ohio and she had a real fur coat which she kindly let us wear. Oh how wonderful it was to walk up Main Street and how nice and warm we were and oh how rich we felt walking up and down Main Street especially when some young man ask us where we got such a beautiful thing. Of course we never told them anything, just shrugged our shoulders and kept on walking.

I remember how my first ‘boyfriend’ when I was all of 14 was waiting at old Beall High School by the steps just to see me walk by and later in the day to try to serenade me on the corner of our street by singing “Pretty Jenny.” I never did hear all the words of that song. Unfortunately he was killed during the 2nd World War. What a tragedy that war was.

My High School Graduation picture.
I wanted a special look for this important picture so had my hair done in waves and wasn't happy with the results. My kids tell me I look cute.

I remember, when we teen agers were trying to sleep, Dick Fuller who lived next door to us liked to sing early in the morning outside in a very loud obnoxious voice with a little guitar and who couldn’t carry a tune to save his soul. Dick dearly loved peanut butter and mustard sandwiches and I have lost count of the number my sister and I made for him.

I remember Old Mr. Davis across the road from us, who had a farm yard full of animals. At that time there were no rules about keeping farm animals in town, and he had a barn in the back of his house where he kept a cow, pigs, chickens and a horse. He was especially fond of the cages of rabbits he bred. I remember the day that I was foolish enough to put my finger in the rabbit pen to pet one of them when I had my finger bitten very seriously for my pains in trying to be nice to them.

The following images are from a movie made about Frostburg in 1938. You can see it here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.