My Twin Brothers

My twin brothers were born 3 1/2 years after my oldest brother. The twins are ten years older than I. Robert Charles was the oldest by about 15 minutes. I think he was probably named Robert after Mom's dad and the Charles probably after her youngest brother. He was also the dominant twin. The second twin was Richard Henry -Henry was after Daddy's dad. Where the Richard came from, I don't know. We called them Bob and Dick. They were identical but I could always tell them apart. Even on the telephone when one would insist he was the other one!

Mom always said what one didn't think of, the other one did! I cannot imagine having twins! (Thank goodness I didn't!}

One of the stories Mom told me about what happened when I was a toddler. She would wax the lineoleum floor in the kitchen. Then the twins would get an old sweatshirt, get me to sit on it - and they would buff the floor! Of course, they pulled it too fast and I would go rolling off!

When they were in high school, I can remember them filling the bathroom sink with water. Then they would stick their heads in it (at separate times, of course!) so they could comb the waves out of their hair. The waves came back as soon as their hair dried!

The picture of them in the swing is a favorite - especially because Daddy is holding on the the swing. Daddy always wore a hat like that one.

The picture of them with the same number football jersey was taken when they were in school at Ft. Hays State Teachers College after WWII. They both went out for football. Bob got more playing time than Dick. So at half time of one game, they decided to switch jerseys. When the second half started, the coach sent in #42 (who was now Dick wearing Bob's jersey) for a series of plays. After the series of plays, the coach decided that he should give the other twin some playing tine. So Dick wearing Bob's jersey came out of the game - and Bob wearing Dick's jersey played the remainder of the game! The coach discovered what they had done and had their picture taken for the college yearbook, both wearing #42!

They were athletes in high school. They played football, basketball and were pretty speedy runners in track. They thought they were pretty good so they challenged Daddy to a 100 yard dash! Daddy was also an athlete. they ran the race in the street in front of our house. And Daddy won! (He was in his mid to late 40s at that time.)

There are probably lots more I could say about them but it doesn't come to mind today. So maybe there will be another post about my twin brothers.

Our Floor Furnace

Our home was heated with a floor furnace. The heating unit hung down from the floor into the basement space. The part that hung down was probably about 4'x5'x4'. Whenever anyone went downstairs, someone upstairs in the kitchen would hollar, "Look out for the...." BONK! "floor furnace!" Even though we all knew it was there, all of us "bonked" our heads more than once on the floor furnace. Ow! It hurt, too!

I always stood on the floor register in the winter after I got ready for school. When the furnace was on, it would cause my skirt to flare out - and I liked that! It would also singe the leather soles of my shoes - and Mom didn't like that! (Just a side note, until I was about a junior in high school, girls could not wear jeans or slacks to school.) So standing on the register to get warm felt really good!

Mom always put her cinnamon rolls in a pan, covered with a tea towel, on the floor furnace to raise. She did make yummy cinnamon rolls! When the rolls were raising, and Mom was not in the living room, I would stick my finger in the butter/sugar mixture - Mom didn't like that - but I did! Yum!!

My Daddy

Before he was my Daddy, he was a "medium height" (5'6") "medium weight" fellow with light brown wavy hair, blue eyes and freckles. He came from a large family with 5 brothers and two sisters.

He was good at baseball and track. The fall after he graduated from high school, he was hired to teach grade school in his hometown. After one year of teaching, he decided he would attend Ft. Hays Kansas State Teachers College so he could learn how to teach! He taught school for about 12 years and at one school, he was the principal.

He was drafted into WW I and served for a short period of time. His discharge says that he was honest and faithful and in good health when he was discharged

I think I was probably Daddy's girl. He came home for lunch each day. After we ate, he sat down on the sofa and read the "funnies" to me. I still read the "funnies" every day.

When he came home from work in the evening he would ask me if I had been good. Of course, I always answered, "Yes." The next question would be, "What have you been good for?" I would always say, "Nothing." Then he would tease me about being "good for nothing."

Summer evenings would often find my pal Jim and I playing out in our front yard. sometimes we would play "Statues." Then Jim would turn cartwheels and I would turn sommersaults. Then Daddy would come outside and show us how he could stand on his yead. Jim and I would giggle to see it. After all, this was my Daddy and he was "old" - and old people didn't stand on their heads!

He was a good daddy and he loved me. He just wasn't in my life as long as I would have like.

The photo above was dated 1916.