Grandma

My Grandma Parsons was a good woman. She raised seven children, and she and Grandpa kept food on the table when it was difficult to do. Grandpa Parsons, or VC as Grandma would call him worked as a water well driller. But he was much more than that, he was also a machinist, a diplomat and just an all around good guy. He only had a third grade education, but what he could do was remarkable. I recal when he was older, and couldn't go up and down the basement steps, he built himself an elevator. It was just as good as anything you could have bought, but he made it himself. It was a little tram you could sit on, and go up the stairs, it was chain driven.

I don't know what kind of an education, if any Grandma had, probably didn't. But, she had a remarkable sense of humor. At nine, she handed me my own BB gun, and intructed me to shoot out the windows in my father's church. She meant it. I never did.

Grandma raised chickens, and cows, and pigs , had to she had a large family, seven children. My Mom was second to the oldest. Grandma protected chicken thieves, and moon shiners, so when other people had things missing, Grandma's possessions were safe. It was sort of like having accident insurance.

All the boys, except Kenneth, the youngest , learned the trade of well drilling. There was; Howard, Bobby, Henry, and Kenneth. I do believe Bobby was the eldest. When World War Two broke out, he joined the Air Corps. He wanted to become a pilot, but his eyes were not good enough. They made him a gunner. I don't believe he ever saw action, but if he had gone, I am sure he would have done a fine job.

During the Korean War, Howard joined the Navy. I got some of his wool pants with the button fly in front. How I hated those pants. He saw action. I don't know much more than to say that.

Henry did not join the Service. I suspect the wars were over by the time he was of age. I know, he came to Dad to find him work. Henry was a fine worker, as all of the men of the family were, but he just had a tough time holding on to them.

Kenneth, never called him Ken, was five years older than me. I got his discarded toys. I recall getting one of his bicycles. It was fire engine red. I couldn't keep the tires up. He was the baby of the family, Grandma loved him best, because as a baby , he had problems. He had always been sick. But, he also got what none of the other boys or girls got. He had plenty of stuff; toys, and later cars, and girls, and all sorts of neat stuff. He also did not have to work like the other boys did. By this time, Grandpa was older, and he was more established, and so he did not have to work as hard as he had. He being five years older than me, and being my uncle, I referred to him as Uncle Kenneth in public. It embarrased him to death.