I am a country boy at heart. I have lived in multiple states in the course of my life, but always Urban and Suburban. Yet, I have always longed to be in “country.” Whenever possible, I go there.
Must be the DNA. Mom and Dad grew up “Country Folk” in their youthful years of development. Frances, my mother would reflect and consider her early life as a “country hick.”
I appreciate hicks. So did she.
Country folk are, in a way, the soul of our country. God, Faith, Family, Community, Civility.
Flyover States.
Many simply do not know or understand. Unfortunately.
Frances was proud of her roots, yet from a young age, aspired to move on and move out. She wanted something more for her family. In her words, “I longed for adventure.” She succeeded in her quest, but always taught us the values of her very rural roots.
Growing up, we took road trips. Lots of road trips. Almost always to see family and country.
Genesee, Pennsylvania. Where my parents met as youthful teens in 1929. Frances was 12 and Gordon, 13. They were classmates and friends for three years until Dad’s family moved in 1932.
Dad had a crush. Mom feigned indifference.
They both rest in peace in those bucolic rolling hills, with the sun rising at their feet and setting behind. From Whence They Came. With parents, grandparents and extensive lineage.
One day, I too will be called to rest in those hills. I will have my wish. Living, well at least “dwelling” in the country.
Not too soon, I pray!
GENESEE (Native American word translated, “Beautiful Valley”) is in the heart of Potter County (God’s Country) in north central Pennsylvania. Coudersport is the county seat and Genesee is 10 miles south of the New York state line. Wellsville, NY was the closest “big” town with a hospital, shops, food and a train station. Buffalo is the closest city.
Defining the Genesee township is the Genesee River, flowing north to Rochester, NY and a tributary of Lake Ontario.
Some will equate Genesee with beer. Yes, it is brewed in Rochester.
Within this country town circa 1931, Mom’s father was the proprietor of the Reed Hardware and her maternal grandfather owned the WB Daily General Store. Her mother was a house wife and retired teacher. The Reeds may have been the “one percenters” of this township of less than 900 residents.
Gordon was a PK (preacher’s kid). His father, Reverend Edmund Thomas Rowe (ET) was the Methodist Minister and mother, Violet, tended to the church parsonage in which they lived and assisted ET in managing the church. Both were immigrants from Scotland and England respectively, in 1914. The Rowe family, in 1929 had relocated from a Mennonite Gospel Mission in south Chicago. The Genesee Methodist church was ET’s first parish.
From Whence They Came!
Small rural towns in the 30’s. God, Faith, Family Community and Civility. Everyone knew each other’s business. There were few secrets.
Telephones had party lines. Make a call and be very cautious about what you say. Anyone could be listening and often were.
A few fun facts from 1931:
Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion.
Federal spending was $3.58 billion.
The Star Spangled Banner was officially recognized as the national anthem.
Depression era unemployment was 16.3%. Double feature movies emerged as a way for the unemployed to occupy time.
Postage stamps….$0.02.
During these years of the Great Depression, my father noted they hardly felt the economic hardships. As he would say, “My family was already dirt poor.”
Life was much more simple in this rural community. By no means easy. In fact, many hardships. Simply less complicated.
God, Faith, Family, Community and Civility.
Civility. Town Folk looked after one another. They had to. They wanted to. Community.
Family and Community. It was rather common to “call” on friends and family in town. Unannounced, they would just “drop by” for a chat. No advanced notice. At times, for hours. Civility.
A death in town affected everyone. All did their part to assist the grieved. God, Community, Civility.
Frances was born in, raised in and married in the same home. A modest, yet very nice home for her and an older brother to grow. Four acres abutted by the Genesee River,with a pasture maintained by grazing sheep they raised and shorn every fall.
They raised chickens.
Natural gas ports in all rooms to attach portable heaters. I was not permitted to touch them for obvious reasons. Strangely, I enjoyed the odor.
They had a really cool barn. As a child I recall taking the narrow stairs to the loft, to see if I could spot bats slumbering in the rafters. I remember with fond memory, the rat-tat-tat of rain pelting the barn’s tin roof.
And there was the attic! Dad’s Army Air Corp uniforms and Mom’s collections were stored there. Loved the scent of mothballs.
In the attic was the Victrolla record player. I would sneak up there, give it a crank and play Eddie Cantor singing “I Love Me (I’m Wild About Myself).” The sound of a scratchy 78 rpm was mesmerizing. Google it, it’s a classic (and fun) song.
The cellar. Dark, damp and musty. Old fashioned wringer washing machine. Clothes were dried on the clothesline outdoors or indoors. Ironing was a full time job.
Many shelves of canned peaches, tomatoes, corn and pickles. Housewives labored in late summer and autumn canning and preparing for the year to come.
The home and barn stands today and has changed little.
The pasture is now overgrown with underbrush and trees.
Mom’s journal entry December, 1938:
“I walked down in the pasture today. How I love these 4 acres. I hope they will always remain the same”
The one inescapable constant in life…..Change.
Frances found beauty in everything. God’s creations. Faith.
Mom’s dad gave her a .22 caliber Winchester pump action rifle for her 14th birthday. She enjoyed target practice and hunting woodchucks. She told of being a better shot than many of the boys.
Nan let me use a BB gun to shoot paper targets and cans. As a young boy may do, I placed a BB in a second floor window of the home. I do not recall if anyone knew. If Dad had noticed, I am certain it would be a vivid memory.
Mom boasted of being valedictorian of her high school senior class. She would chuckle and say, “The graduating class was 12 students.”
She was a cheerleader.
The things we remember! Good things. My loving sister Caroline (may she rest in peace) and I always giggled when Mom would recite her cheer.
Ice cream soda, ginger ale pop. Genesee high School, always on the top. Are we in it? Well I guess. Genesee high school, yes, yes, yes!
Following teaching college, Frances would teach in the Genesee school system until she followed her love, Gordon, in the Army Air Corp.
God, Faith and Community. There were two churches. Methodist and Catholic. Lives revolved around Sunday services, community activities and charity. Mom played the piano on Sundays and helped with the junior choir. She had, and admitted to a terrible singing voice. She taught Sunday School to the youth and attended adult Sunday School each week.
Churches had regular pot luck dinners. Community.
Family. Church was alway followed with large family gatherings and Sunday dinner. Men stayed in their Sunday bests (coat and tie), all day. Civility.
As so many women of the day, grandmother Grace could bake very well. My earliest recollection of Nan was sitting next to her in her rocking chair peeling apples for a pie. We watched “The Edge of Night.” Daytime soap operas captivated interest.
I still have that rocking chair.
Speaking of baked goods. Mom used to take me “calling” on Leona. I fondly remember Leona because would give me a sugar cookie for breakfast. A perfect way for a six year old to start the day! Family, Community and Civility.
Loved the toys available to entertain myself. Those wooden toys and blocks. The Texaco fire engine. My favorite was the puzzle of the United States.
Genesee, Pennsylvania and rural life in 1931.
God, Faith, Family, Community and Civility.
From Whence They Came.
Reading this was like watching a movie. The romance of dirty, old days. There's a reason movies like this are well-loved. Really loving this journey.
PS: Those fun facts from 1931 are interesting and very notable!