VISITS TO GRANPA and GRANDMA PENCE

During my childhood years most of our trips were to visit either the Novinger Grandparents in La Plata, Missouri, or the Pence Grandparents in Steffenville, Missouri. These trips were only 60 to 125 miles long, but due to bad unreliable roads and car tires, they sometimes turned into all day trips.

Our visits to Grandpa and Grandma Pence were always fun because of all of the adventures to be had. There was the big garden, the hen house, the pond for fishing, and squirrel hunting with Grandpa. Then the meals were great. Grandma made chicken and hand rolled egg noodles, fried fish, fried squirrel, soda biscuits, and apple pie! Then for breakfast there were always lots of eggs with bacon, fried salt pork, pork chops and always soda biscuits and white gravy. And I got to sit on the white wooden bench.

This old picture is not so great, but it is the only one I have and it really looks just the way it did. None of the buildings were painted, but the house was covered on the outside with grey roofing shingles. In the building in the center of the photo Grandpa parked his Ford Model A car, the only one I know he ever had, during his long life. He was still driving it when it was an antique by age.

Eggs and chicken were a staple at the Pence farm. Here in a photo taken in approximately 1917, Grandma Pence feeds her chickens with her oldest son, Joe, and her second daughter, Eula Maude, my mother. The chicken coop in the background was given to my Mom and Dad and I remember it on our farm in Iowa until I left for college in 1957.

Here I am, on Grandpa's left knee, with my cousins, Larry & Gail. I always loved my Grandpa Pence. This photo was taken in the yard of my Mom and Dad's farm south of Gibbs, Missouri.

From the time I was born until I left for college we spent most holidays with both of my grandparents and I remember them fondly.

FIRST TRIP !

What kind of a trip would a child of 2 years, 7 months remember? It was the day our family moved from Gibbs, Missouri, to Lucerne, Missouri: March 1, 1942.

I remember standing inside of the wire fence that surrounded our house at the farm home where I was born, 2 miles south of Gibbs, Missouri, and watching Dad and other men load the horses and cattle onto a truck. There was a lot of noise and yelling, as the horses and cattle protested their being loaded onto the truck. No doubt the main reason I remember that day is because I was shut inside the yard fence and couldn't be closer to the action.

Then when the horses and cattle were loaded, we followed the truck in our 1937 Chevrolet, pulling a four-wheeled wagon loaded down with farm equipment. That was not remarkable for me at the time, but the way I rode in the car was! The car was packed to the gills with household goods and my baby crib mattress was stacked on top. I was then placed on top of the mattress with my back practically touching the ceiling of the car.

What I remember is lying there, looking out of the top of the car windows as we moved to the new farm, 7 miles southeast of Lucerne. Since 1942 I have traveled and lived in many parts of the world, but this first trip of only 68 miles is still one of the most memorable.