In addition to Mom's working, we all did. The boys caddied at Meridian Hills, or at Highland which was farther away and where John and Bill became avid golfers; Bill is today at age eighty six. John was a ladies man and a smoothie on the dance floor; my main hobby, as it is with several of my kids, including Cathy, who had thirteen years of ballet.

Mildred, who was married before we moved to Broad Ripple in 1925, lived in Ravenswood. When her husband left her with two children she moved in with us and relieved Mom on the card-filing route. In some manner she was able to open a little gas station/restaurant at 64th Street and Northwestern where she did well. She was an excellent cook and manager. She raised her two children. Jack was a candidate for Mayor of Indianapolis on the Libertarian ticket. Virginia is an evangelist in Greencastle.

John went to IU for two years where he received a scholarship to a high-level dramatic arts school in the East. He had been the lead in the Shortridge senior play. He had a role in a Hollywood movie coming up, but was drafted. The role went to Alan Ladd, his first also.

In 1940, the United States Army Air Corps initiated personnel flight training for the 50,000 planes that FDR recommended. John volunteered, trained at Parks Air College in Illinois and would have been commissioned as a navigator, but injured a knee in physical training and was washed out. When drafted the next year they took him in as a lieutenant. Stateside until December 1943, he was on an instrument check flight over Georgia. The bomber, a B-25, exploded in air killing all five crew members.

Bill went to Broad Ripple High School for two years and transferred with John to Shortridge, which offered a wider range of studies including languages. Bill always tried to get early classes so that he could go and caddy. Caddying involved carrying a golf bag weighing up to 40 pounds two miles for 75 cents. If lucky, one could carry two. He helped his folks if possible. Dad sold cars with no salary or guarantee.

At Shortridge High School Bill liked chemistry, and he learned how to make baking powder out of alum and other ingredients. Already a good cook at age 15, he made biscuits using his homemade baking powder. Our parents refused to try them until John assured them that he "knew what he was doing".

On graduation Bill went to work for Crescent Paper Company as office boy. Due at work by 7:30 A.M., he had to get up at 5 o'clock to catch an early-morning street car. Always trying to do more than required, he found that the company files had not been straightened out for years. This he accomplished. His salary was $13.00 per week. He worked there a year.

- end part two -

Part three will appear in the next issue.