More from Grandpa's tapes -
Josie’s relatives lived down in Akron. After Jim died, she would furnish the car and John and James would have to drive her down. Eileen and Arleen would go along. Even if they drove their own car all the pay Josie ever gave them after putting up with her all day was to say three Hail Marys for them. At that time it was very unusual to drive to Akron (50 miles) and back without having at least one flat tire so it wasn’t a joyous trip. On top of that, coming and going, Grandma would start the rosary in her slow, slow way and they were expected to answer that all the way down and back. They soon learned that Josie was a little deaf and after she would say her part of the prayers the rest of them would carry on a conversation on any subject they wanted pretending to be answering her prayers so they got along all right.
Josie raised Eileen and Arleen, twin daughters of Veatus Cantious and Mary Gannon McCarty. (Veatus was Jim's brother). Their mother died at childbirth. Josie adopted them in 1930, after Jim’s death. He would never adopt them.
Showing posts with label Josie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Josie. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Josie #2
In Grandpa's words -
During the depression when they were going to high school, James and his family brought her in milk at seven cents a quart. They were glad to get that money because that bought their paper, pencils, school supplies and gave them a little money on the side. (Money went a long ways in those days). Josie never washed the milk bottles for them or gave them a treat. On top of that when they walked into the house she would be sitting on her chair and would invariably ask them to sit or kneel down beside her chair and she would recite some religious prayer or poem or give them a lecture. At that age they were not too happy to receive such advice.
Once James was late coming home from school as he had to stay after for a discipline problem. If Lyle knew that James would automatically be out of high school. He was driving a horse and buggy so he had to hurry to get home in time. As James walked in Josie told him to kneel down beside her chair. “This afternoon” she said, “I think we should have a little talk about sex.” James said he had a sudden inspiration and said “Just what in the devil do you want to know about sex?” Josie got angry and threw him out and he got home without his dad finding out he had to stay after school.
During the depression when they were going to high school, James and his family brought her in milk at seven cents a quart. They were glad to get that money because that bought their paper, pencils, school supplies and gave them a little money on the side. (Money went a long ways in those days). Josie never washed the milk bottles for them or gave them a treat. On top of that when they walked into the house she would be sitting on her chair and would invariably ask them to sit or kneel down beside her chair and she would recite some religious prayer or poem or give them a lecture. At that age they were not too happy to receive such advice.
Once James was late coming home from school as he had to stay after for a discipline problem. If Lyle knew that James would automatically be out of high school. He was driving a horse and buggy so he had to hurry to get home in time. As James walked in Josie told him to kneel down beside her chair. “This afternoon” she said, “I think we should have a little talk about sex.” James said he had a sudden inspiration and said “Just what in the devil do you want to know about sex?” Josie got angry and threw him out and he got home without his dad finding out he had to stay after school.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Josie stories #1
From Grandpa's tapes:
Josie was a religious fanatic. She was one of those old time bigoted Catholics. James’ folks didn’t bring them up that way but the generation before them were as bigoted as the Protestants were to them. If you weren’t a Catholic you were going to go to hell for sure. In later years when she was staying down at Marguerite Wulf’s mother’s house, Nell Donahue, she showed how fanatic she was. On Good Friday Josie would go to the church at 6:30 in the morning and she wouldn’t leave until evening. This Good Friday, along toward noon, some lady came over and told Nell that Josie had wet her pants and it had run down the floor almost to the alter rails. Nell picked up a pair of clean panties and went over to the church and started to scold Josie about going on in such a way. Josie said “Well, that’s the kind of a Catholic you are and I’ve been here all day with Jesus.” So she didn’t make much head way in telling her to have a little cleanliness about herself.
Another time she was staying at Nell Donahue’s when Marguerite was going with Howard and, of course, he was a Lutheran. Josie wanted to go for a ride. She had broken her hip some time before and it had never mended properly. When the ride was over she was so stiff that she couldn’t get out of the car without help. It took quite a bit of help so Nell went in the house to get Howard who was visiting. Nell asked him to help Josie, but when Josie saw him coming near the car she said “Go away. I’ll not have any help from a Protestant pup!” Nell said, “Good! Then you can sit in there and rot.” Josie sat and rotted for about two hours in the hot sun and finally she let the Protestant pup help her out of the car.
Josie also didn’t believe in taking a bath. She said if you changed your underthings that was all that was necessary. Marguerite tells about when she and her mother picked up Josie bodily and put her in the tub to clean her up. Josie stiffened out straight as a board. They had to crack her in the stomach to get her to bend and get into the water. They scrubbed her up no matter what she believed.
Josie was a religious fanatic. She was one of those old time bigoted Catholics. James’ folks didn’t bring them up that way but the generation before them were as bigoted as the Protestants were to them. If you weren’t a Catholic you were going to go to hell for sure. In later years when she was staying down at Marguerite Wulf’s mother’s house, Nell Donahue, she showed how fanatic she was. On Good Friday Josie would go to the church at 6:30 in the morning and she wouldn’t leave until evening. This Good Friday, along toward noon, some lady came over and told Nell that Josie had wet her pants and it had run down the floor almost to the alter rails. Nell picked up a pair of clean panties and went over to the church and started to scold Josie about going on in such a way. Josie said “Well, that’s the kind of a Catholic you are and I’ve been here all day with Jesus.” So she didn’t make much head way in telling her to have a little cleanliness about herself.
Another time she was staying at Nell Donahue’s when Marguerite was going with Howard and, of course, he was a Lutheran. Josie wanted to go for a ride. She had broken her hip some time before and it had never mended properly. When the ride was over she was so stiff that she couldn’t get out of the car without help. It took quite a bit of help so Nell went in the house to get Howard who was visiting. Nell asked him to help Josie, but when Josie saw him coming near the car she said “Go away. I’ll not have any help from a Protestant pup!” Nell said, “Good! Then you can sit in there and rot.” Josie sat and rotted for about two hours in the hot sun and finally she let the Protestant pup help her out of the car.
Josie also didn’t believe in taking a bath. She said if you changed your underthings that was all that was necessary. Marguerite tells about when she and her mother picked up Josie bodily and put her in the tub to clean her up. Josie stiffened out straight as a board. They had to crack her in the stomach to get her to bend and get into the water. They scrubbed her up no matter what she believed.
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