Talking with a lovely 83 year old woman today, I learned about the old culture of this area. She grew up one of twelve children with an English mom and Irish dad. The family had a dairy farm, daily cattle, plus pigs, chickens, sheep, and some wheat.
For a long time, the family lived in an isolated Upper State New York area which is still beautiful. They grew apples and had other fruit. One school days, the children walked two miles to school, the older ones being taken to school before the younger ones came along in a horse-drawn cart driven by the mother.
The children attended a one room school house, all the grades in one room, and my old friend told me that the teacher had no discipline, so when she rang the bell after recess, some of the children ran away to play in the meadows and by the river.
Children knew their Ten Commandments and were good, but naughty, not evil. My old friend told me that they had so much time to just play and explore.
The family house did not have electricity until the mid-1950s. A large pot-belly stove warmed the living room and upstairs. A large wood-burning oven warmed the kitchen.
Bathrooms were outside until after World War II.
The children did chores daily, when they came home from school, each children having to help can, prepare dinner, clean, help with the animals.
The remaining four out of the twelve are still practicing Catholics, knew their faith from their parents and they were and are happy.
I hope to talk to this wonderful person again. What memories!
