I was raised on a farm until I was 18. On this farm we raised corn and white potatoes, also sweet potatoes. My father would buy sweet potato slips, then in the evening we would set them out, then get a bucket of water, take a cup of water for each slip.

He raised sugar cane to make syrup. We would take a board and strip the cane then cut it down. Dad would take horses and at the mill he would make syrup enough to last until the next year when it was time to make syrup again.

We made a garden. My Mom and us two oldest girls worked in the garden. At a certain time my Mom would say lets go in and listen to Ma Perkins and Stella Dallas on the radio.

We also raised peanuts. We would pull them up and pile them until they got dry. We would go out and pick up hickory nuts. There was a stump where a tree had been cut down so we cracked the nuts on that stump. We also cut wood. Our Father had lots of customers. They said John Harrington never comes up a stick short.

Us twins went out and cut down big oak trees, trimmed them up then cut it into cords eight feet long and four feet high. The oldest boys would be working in the field. We all had work to do. Sometimes our Father would have to be away from home making rail road ties so one of our brothers, the one to go with him was Marvin. He would go to cook and do dishes for Dad.

We also had cows so we churned the cream and make butter. Sometimes on Saturdays we would walk to town just to window shop. We had no money but thought nothing of it.

One time our Father and the two oldest brothers were sick at the same time so some of the neighbors would come over and help us do our field work, then if some one needed us we did the same thing for them.

One time there was a sewing class in town for girls so us twins would go and work. Our first pay day, one of us bought Dad a shirt and one bought Mom a dress.
Dad had a red mule so us twins would tease the mule. He would chase us. Those were the good old days.

On Saturday, Mom and us twins would bake pies or cake for Sunday dinner. On Saturday we would polish every ones shoes for church on Sunday.

Us kids went to school in a country school house. We also had church in the school house. There was eleven of us children. When I, Lorene, left home then later my Mother had another girl, which made twelve children. My Mother gave birth to thirteen babies. One girl died when she was six months old.
My parents worked hard but I never heard them complain. They had plenty of love for each one of us.

I am glad the way we were brought up. My Mother was quite but a lovely lady. My Father, he loved to tell jokes. He worked for the city of Casa Grande, Arizona. Everyone seemed to know him. He would be sitting out on the porch, every one who passed would holler, "Hi John".

He also raised chickens and hogs. We would can vegetables and fruit. Put them down in the storm cellar to keep cool. Also put potatoes in the storm cellar. When storms came up we all would go in the storm cellar. Make pallets down for the smallest children. Some of our neighbors would come in our cellar.

Here are the childrens names. Alvie, Eugene, Lorene, Irene, Lullia, Melvin, Marvin, Lucille, Monroe, Alfred, Retha, Eddie and Louise. Ours parents names are John and Bertha Harrington.

~*© Lorene Ellington~