Before Wendall Ford was a Senator... And Other Items of Note From the Attic
He was a 1st Lieutenant in the Owensboro National Guard, and a quartermaster. At some point in 1953, my Grandpa, (Edwyn R. Scherer), who worked at the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and my father, (Ronda G. Taylor), who was serving in the National Guard at the time, acquired a 55 gallon drum of solvent from the army. And Wendall Ford let them have it.
Yeah, no one cares, but I think it is neat.
Speaking of the National Guard, I found Daddy's Honorable Discharge papers, from 1953, 1956, and 1962. I guess one could join up and then quit, and then join up again... Also, I found out that in 1953, Daddy nearly burned down the National Guard here in Owensboro... A grease fire, from welding. Oops.
Remember that Burpee Canning Company "Business of the Home for the Homemaker"? Well, here's the back cover. I can only conclude that this would have canned enough beans, etc., for an army. Proof that the Burpee Company recommended that things be put in cans, not jars...
All this stuff, is, of course, mixed up. Here is something for our Veterans. When Uncle Louie went off to France in WWI, they sent a postcard home, so that everyone would know when they arrived. Here is Uncle's arrival notice, from 1918.
Last but not least, this is a postcard from 1909:
I've been scanning in documents and pictures since 7:30 pm, and just now finished scanning the contents of one box top. Not a real box, just a box top. Opened the first suitcase and thought, EGAD.
Next, scanning in pictures of my great-grandparents, whose pictures appear to have been taken post-mortem... Just kidding, they've been artificially colored and it was a bad dye job.
Hope you enjoy this trip through the attic!
Uncle Louie's postcard is addressed to his parents, Louis Herman and Louisa Trumbo Scherer. I guess they let Aunt Lois know, or maybe she got her own notice.
Senator Ford was the Majority Leader, not that long ago. Daddy used to mow Senator Ford's Daddy's lawn, in the early 40s, when he was off serving his country.
Aren't the setters cute? I found all kinds of crumbling post cards from 1906-1925... Some of the are very pretty! I'll likely do an article just about old post cards.
Everyone should have one of those power sealers . No telling when you will be required to feed an army ...
I can't imagine having to can 2,000-3,000 cans of anything!
I've made pickles, and 4 quarts took the better part of 2 weeks, 3 bags of pickling lime, $$$ spices, and 5 lbs of sugar. Too much work!
It is tricky perfecting a recipe for 3 kilocans ...
Well, one would NOT make watermelon rind sweet pickles. One must stir them 6 times a day in pickling lime for 10 days, then boil them in spices and white vinegar, and THEN, you get to do the hot water bath for the pickle bottles.
I did it once, and swore, never again. I'm not set up for that in my kitchen. You need a large, screened in back porch with at least 3 sinks and a stove.
And an army of helpers. Oh, and pickling lime eats porcelain, so you have to use glass crocks or corningware or something glass. 4 quarts and my kitchen table was buried in all these corning ware casseroles for 10 days...
Before he was famous, Wendall Ford lived here in Owensboro, and worked at the National Guard... Pretty neat!