Leah's memories of growing up in Indianola, Nebraska.

    Leah tells of tales of walking for miles to school in the snow. She remembered days in school when you could not leave your chair unless the teacher gave you permission. Once her whole family was quarantined and the kids misssed out of school for a long period of time.



    Leah being the oldest girl, had lots of household chores. She never complained because she loved her family, and knew that everyone had to help out. The depression hit the country when she was only 7 years old. The Guthrie family was hit hard because of their size. Her Mother was proud of her children and made sure they were clean, they lived in a small but tidy home, and Lottie managed to keep their yard full of flowers. Lee kept searching and finding work to keep his family fed. Leah recalls living on Potatoe Soup almost daily during the depression. As a Mother, Leah refused to fix it for meals for her own family. In fact her children never even heard of Potatoe Soup until they had their own families. Leah also made sure her pantry was always well stocked. These were effects of growing up during the Depression era.


    Leah remembers the 1935 Republican River Flood. Her father took the family to Grandma Bonar's, then borrowed a neighbors horse and wagon. He took the dresser drawers out of the dressers and loaded them on the wagon to save the clothing. Their was not time to save anything else. When the family went back after the flood there was nothing left. They dug for dishes and what little they could scavage. Leah found her little Rocking Duck in the muddy depree. Her mom had bought it for her one day after she had watched the younger kids while her mother went to town. The family lived with their grandma Bonar until they moved into the Holcomb house. She recalls that the Red Cross gave her father $65 to help buy furniture and necessities.

    Leah loved to watch Ice Skating as a teenager. She had a poster on her wall of Olympic winner Sonja Henie from Norway. To read more on Sonja Henie go here.

    Leah graduated from Indianola High School, and her first job was working at a hotel owned by Elmer Cecil. She earned $4.00 a week making the beds and washing dishes. Her boyfriend was Clyde Swartz.



    Once Leah was asked by her Grandson, Lew Burnell how much things cost when she was a young girl. She replied, "A postage stamp cost 2 cents, You could buy a dress for a quarter, a pound of hamburger meat cost a dime, and so did a gallon of gas and admission to the movie.


 

 

 

 

 


Artist:
Brenda Hoddinott is the artist who painted this wonderful painting.   The painting remains her copyright and is entitled  TOMORROW.   


MIDI:
Performed by 
Margi Harrell
Please feel free to visit her wonderful site right HERE.
This midi along with more wonderful compositions and/or performances are available at Ms. Harrell's site on CDs. Wonderful gifts!  This song is entitled Giving Thanks.
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April 25, 2002

 

 
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