I stayed with Faye + Cora Jackson the year I went to Nora + was there the next year also. That was quite an experience. They had two girls - Kathryn + Myra Louise. Kathryn was Cora's daughter by a former marriage and she wouldn't speak to Faye - Myra Louise was their spoiled child who was whiney and demanded a lot of attention. Lora Pusey, (another teacher from Greenfield) and Paul McComas and Mrs. Pursel also a teacher were other boarders. We had some scanty lunches - sometimes a slice of bread and butter and a boiled egg. One night Girstle was over to see Lora Pusey. They were sitting in the porch swing on the porch. The front door which opened into the Jackson's bedroom was open and Cora heard Lara telling Girstle about the lunch we had that day and that we went to the store for a candy bar to finish it out. Was Cora ever angry!!!!

We had better lunches for a while. One night we were so cold we decided to ask for more cover. She brought up another blanket and when she put it on the bed - counted the blankets and hoped that was enough. We had plenty in number but no warmth to them. Each evening after we ate Kathryn counted the stripes in the wallpaper and set every chair precisely in place. I had a new winter coat one year and Kathryn asked to borrow it so I had to wear a light weight one while she used my new one. She came home after wearing it and said everyone thought her new coat was so pretty and she told them "This old thing!" I was furious. A fellow by the name of Ernie Parsley lived a few doors down from Jacksons. He was such a sissy, never did any work - like to crochet + embroider and cook. I don't remember what he had for an income but we girls really got tired of having him around so much. Russell was in the army then, + sent me pictures when he had his moustache. There were two other fellows in the picture. I asked Cora which one she thought was Russell + she said either one of the others was better looking than the fellow with the moustache. I had a good laugh but she thought she had said something real bad. The two years I was there was a real experience of living with a domineering wife + mother, 2 spoiled daughters and a really henpecked father and husband. The first year I was there we had a flu epidemic. The Jacks were sick with flu so I stayed a night or two with a widow lady across the road and after eating some peanut candy held over Christmas (when school was dismissed suddenly + we couldn't give out the treat) I was really sick also. The folks had the flu so bad that year I came home and took care of them for a week or so. I was knitting dad a black coat sweater and worked on that when not busy with them. Russell was leaving for over sea duty and wrote that Girstle was terribly ill with flu when they left Terre Haute + was put in the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. I wasn't to tell the folks by Girstle's request and didn't, until we didn't hear from him for such a long time and then Dad + Grandpa were just ready to leave for Washington when we at last had word he was recuperating. Lots of folks died from it around here that winter and when Russell reached France the bodies of service men were corded up in the port where they landed. One man died going over seas + was buried at sea.

          end of part twenty

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