May 2001                                                              The Megaphone                                                                Page 6

Bits and Pieces . . . In and Around Elwood

   by Sharon ( Benedict) Hurst 

  Since this is Mother's Day month, I am writing this as a tribute to all mothers.  I  recently read a piece about "Mean Mothers" and thought I would expound on that subject.

  On my birthdays I would like to call mother and tell her "Thank You For The Gift Of Life." We would also talk about the things that had made me into the person I have become and in turn the way my children and grandchildren are. I see so much that reminds me of my youth in the way my grandchildren act.

  I see the rewards of realizing that some of the things mother wanted us to learn did stick in our heads and is apparent in many of the little ones when things pop up that are reminiscent of my mother and also my grandmother.  I am so amazed and grateful that the signs of our heritage have been so preserved and it seems that this will be so in the future generations.

  As children, our mother would make sure that we ate like we should, she taught us how to cook and bake and grow things so we could do this.  We would spend hours at our grandmother's house canning, and making juice and jellies from the vegetables and fruits that were grown in the garden.  The best job was using the bottle capper on the tomato juice bottles.  They also canned meat, and I remember how they would pack jars with the minced meat mixture to use at Thanksgiving and Christmas time.  The fun times of growing our own gourds and pumpkins tempered the fact that we had to eat greens, even the young dandelion greens, carrots, and some of the other stuff we didn't really like.  I learned to make the family signature on the pies that our great - grandmother taught to our grandmother, our grandmother to our mother and then our mother to us.  I just recently showed my grand-daughter how to roll out the dough for pies and how to make the special design on the top crust.

  Mother always made sure she knew where we were and when we would be home. She thought not a thing about going and picking us up if she thought we had been away too long.  This was not very often because we had the kids at our house a  lot of  the time.  Now as I look back, I realize how comforting and comfortable our home must really have been to attract the other kids the way it did.  I remember having many parties and sleepovers.

  One party I especially remember occurred when our grandfather was living with us.  He was a great boxing fan, and all of the boys sat in our living room watching a boxing match on the little TV we had. We had doughnuts, cider and popcorn for snacking.  I do not know for sure how many were at the party, but there were quite a few and when the party was over it looked like a lot of kids had been having fun. Our mother, with hands on hips, looked at this mess and stated, "Don't know where to begin." 

  Just about that time, there was a knock on the door and several of the boys that had been at the party were there.  They said, Mrs. Benedict we left a terrible mess and we've come back to help clean it up.  I wish I could remember who these boys were, but too much time has gone by and I am sorry to say I do not.  Any of you who might be on the Den and reading this will know if you were one of them.  I think our cousin, John Hocker, might have been one of the ones who returned to help. We learned to do our own laundry, but learned with the new Bendix washer and dryer our dad had bought for mother. It was the kind that had the "portholes" in the front of them and you could sit and watch the water slosh around while the clothes tumbled clean.  Then we would move them into the dryer and watch the clothes tumble dry. We had wood floors and it was necessary to keep them cleaned and polished.  I remember several of our friends who would come to the house on those days because it was so much fun to do this.  We would "skate" the wax on the floors and then with clean cloths  we would "skate" the wax to a shine. Even now I smile when I remember the fun this was.

  I learned to sew from our mother, she made formals for us to wear and Easter outfits each spring.  Pinafores were her passion.  We must have had a pinafore to wear over every dress we had when we were small. Mother read to us and taught us to sing and play the piano. When she realized we would be better off with another teacher, she sent us to Anita Waymire and Esther Waymire where we took our lessons more seriously. She took us to the family reunions so we could get to know the value of extended family.  We went to church regularly and spent a lot of time at our cousin's and grandmother's churches.  It seems that each family attended a different church. This was such a good lesson to learn as a child.  We knew that one place of worship was as good as another and going to church was the important thing. She made sure we participated in scouting, 4-H and other social activities so we would be able to become confident in ourselves.  She showed us how to "rouge" our cheeks and the importance of smiling to keep us beautiful. She danced with us so we would not be embarrassed when we went to our first dance. She always made us feel as if we were, indeed, rich. We had everything we needed;  friends, family, food, fun and love. The only thing we did not have was money.

  She taught us the value of loyalty and honesty. I remember when I was a five year old coming home from the first grade at Linwood school one spring.  There, on South K Street, was a flower garden with the most beautiful tulips and I could not resist picking a few to take home to mother. She asked where I got them and then she and I walked back over so I could knock on the ladies door and apologize to her for picking her flowers.  I also remember one of the first times I went out with friends to a dance.  We went to an after dance gathering at one of the homes and forgot to keep track of time ... and I Had Not Phoned to let mother know where we were.  When I realized the time, I knew I would probably be in big trouble.  I returned home, entered and went up the steps and there was no one that seemed to have heard me.  Thinking I was home free, I turned on my bedroom light and there sat mother in a rocking chair.  She looked at me, got up and went downstairs to her bedroom.  I worried all night but she did not say a thing. I waited day after day and still she did never say anything.  I came home earlier than I probably needed to for a long time after that because I was still waiting for her to say something if I should be late again. From that day on, I always let my mother know when I was going to be someplace other than where I had started out.  This is something my children have always done too.  To this day, our daughter calls us from Texas if she is not going to be in her office or if she is going out of town.  And when we are all together, here or in Texas,  they still say where they are going and when we should expect them back.

  I think this typifies the lives of all of us who grew up in this small town and it seems that most of the memories I have of being at homes of cousins and friends are interchangeable with the ones I have been  writing about. No wonder we have developed the wonderful Panther Den Family bonding. I thank God for the "Mean Mothers" that all of us had and the way they taught us to be "Mean Mother's" to our own children.

Swing 'n Sway

  Saturday May 12, 2001, the 5th annual Senior's Prom was held at the Elks.  This was started by Gracie and Jerry Werline when Jerry was mayor and the current mayor has asked Gracie to stay on as chair of the committee.

  The "Radio Nights," a group that played music most of us grew up listening to on the radio ... hence their name ... provided the entertainment and everyone thought they were very good.  It was nice hearing and dancing to the big band sound of Glen Miller, Jimmy Dorsey and others who were around during that time. There was a lot of Nat Cole, Perry Coma and Frank Sinatra music and the guy that did the singing was terrific as was the leader of the band who also sang.

  All of the food and decorations were donated and there were approximately 50 door prizes that were donated by the area business people also.  There were corsages for the women and boutonnières for the men. Several from the committee, especially Jerry Werline and Bart Bingham,  made sure that all of the ladies who attended had the opportunity to dance.  Theresa Mangas was there with her 91 year old mother Mary, and when Jerry asked Mary to dance, she was as excited as a 16 year old.  There were some there who definitely were not seniors and they had an equally good time. I think there were approximately 200 to 250 who attended.  The Vintage Rollers, an Antique Car Club here in Elwood, provided transportation to those who wanted a ride in the antique cars. One old LaSalle was especially popular.

  The whole evening was very enjoyable and highlighted with the crowning of the Queen and King, Harold and Evelyn McDermit who are probably both 80+ years old.

  This is just another event that lifts this special place called Elwood, your old home town, a little above the ordinary.

Nan aka Angel #2
Sharon (Benedict) Hurst '53
Now in Elwood, Indiana

  Enjoy! This is Mother's "Specialty." Mother was a very special lady who always "shared." She would want me to share also!

  AND: We like to pour the cool filling mixed with sliced bananas and into a dish and top with salted nuts as a pic-a-nic dish!

Agape,

"Mama Duck" -- Class of '65

Alexandria, IN