Friday, January 9, 2009

Ruth Emma Taylor Maney--Happy Birthday! By Aunt CB



Oldest of my siblings, was named after our paternal grandmother, Emma Carson, who died shortly after our parents married. When she graduated from high school in 1935, the country was still caught deep within the depression. There was no money available to go on to college, so she, an honor student, got a job as a saleswoman in Grant’s ten cent store in Geneva.


By this time in our lives she had graduated to a bedroom of her own, a place where we younger ones were never allowed to enter, for she kept her own supply of cookies, which she paid for herself, a raisin cookie, which of course we all loved–but were out of bounds to us!


The incident I remember so fondly occurred in 1937, Easter Sunday. It must have been an early Easter, for the weather was cold and we were still eating breakfast in the kitchen. For some reason, I only remember Doris, Harold and I, coming down to eat. A cardtable was set up near the cooking stove and it was warm and toasty in the room.


We never did anything special for Easter, but this year, as I slid into my seat, I noticed a small package on my plate. Opening it, I found a pink bunny holding a carrot! It was a pin to wear on my coat when we went to church and I was overjoyed. I didn’t remember what Harold or Doris received, just what I got. Ruth had bought them for us with her discount and it still warms my heart when I think of it. Money was very scarce those years and we had few frivolous gifts!


Ruth and I were always on the same page as we lived our lives. I miss her still.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a wedding present, Aunt Ruth gave me a set of sheets that were decorated with a lilac gingham strip that she had embroidered on both the top sheet and the pillow cases. I still think of her often, especially whenever I use those sheets. Also, during Christmas season when one of her white sheets becomes the "snow" beneath our Christmas tree!

Anonymous said...

great story Mom - I still clearly remmeber visiting Aunt Ruth's house in Geneva that was crammed full of interesting items and animals.

Diana said...

Sue - I have a set of sheets like that too! Knowing the frugality of the Taylor Baker Clan of old - bet there had been a sale on lilac Gingham!

Wonder who else got some?????

Jon Maney said...

Thank you, Aunt CB, for such a nice tribute to my mother. I remember her working late at night to finish those wedding sheets. If only I had been as frugal and careful with resources as she was.