Hauling Corn All Day, and Dancing All Night

The next weekend Hazel asked mother if I could go home with her for the weekend? Mother said it was alright, but I would have to come home Sunday evening. Saturday afternoon as we were getting ready to leave, Dora came home. She was all excited, she had bought some new clothes with the money she had made. When I told her I was going home with Hazel, and that we were going to Hazel’s church that night, she wanted to go along.

It was six miles to Hazel’s home, but we were so busy talking, telling Dora about going with our neighbor to his church, that we were at Hazel’s home before we knew it. Hazel’s church was Methodist, and very pretty, it looked like the ones you see on Christmas cards. Compared to the service we had witnessed on Sunday night at the other church, this one was BORING. I always knew we went to church to worship God, not to have a good time, I found out I could do both. Soon as the service was over, we started home.

We had gone a short ways, when a car pulled along beside us. There were three guys in the car. The driver stuck his head out the window and started talking. Hazel knew these guys, they were her neighbors. I kept on walking, I didn’t want to talk, as the headlights beamed on my back, the driver, Paul Mitchell, got out of the car.

As he got out he said, “ hey, that’s my beautiful Suzie, she’s getting away,” I took off running up the bank, I jumped over a fence, right into the cemetery. I ran to a tombstone and hid, Paul was trying to find me, calling me to come back. As he turned in the opposite direction, I ran to another tombstone, and then to another, and another. He turned around again and was coming in my direction, calling me “Susie.” I ran again to an older type tombstone, this one was tall and narrow, I squatted down so he wouldn’t see me. As I did so, the ground beneath my feet gave away and I started sinking. I let out a scream, and jerked my foot out of the hole, and fell over backwards. Quickly, I was on my feet and running. As I approached the fence, I gave a big leap, I cleared the fence, and went rolling down the hill. Rocks and briars grabbing at my clothes. I laid very still, I could hear Paul calling for me, but his voice was getting weaker, which meant he was going back to the car.

I heard the car start up and move on. I crawled back up the hill to the fence and followed it to the road. It wasn’t far from Hazel’s home, so I took off running. I crossed an open field, I could see Hazel’s home in the distance. As I approached the house, I was shocked to see Paul Mitchell’s car in the driveway. Hazel, Paul, and the other guy were talking, as I got closer I heard Hazel say, “see I told you, she could take care of herself.” Paul turned around and looked at me as he said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” As I walked past him, I asked Hazel where Dora was. She said Dora was with Harry Kelly. I went into the house, Paul followed me and took hold of my arm, and tried to pull me towards him. I pulled away from him and ran into the bedroom. I was so mad, why do boys have to act like animals.

Revival services started the next Sunday at our church, it would be every night for two weeks. Dora and I were both in the choir. Mother made me a new dress, and I wore the shoes with the cut off heels. Dora had a lot of new clothes that she bought with her money, that she had got working. Dora had big breasts, slim waste, she really had a nice figure, her hair always looked nice. I was too tall and skinny, when I sat down, I wasn’t any taller than Dora, but when I stood up, I towered above her. I didn’t like it. Dora said I looked like a big “L” with the shoes mother made me wear.

Then one day mother got a phone call from Ms. Farquer. The old neighbor lady that had given me the shoes. Ms. Farquer had some clothes she wanted to give me.

I ran all the way to the next farm. I had no idea what the lady was about to give me, but anything would be better than what I had. Ms. Farquer’s daughter, the one that was married to a doctor, was there visiting her mother. She was tall and skinny like me. It was her clothes that she was giving me. It seemed Ms. Farquer felt sorry for me and had asked the daughter to give me the clothes. The box was so big and heavy I could hardly carry it, but I didn’t care. I practically ran home. I couldn’t wait to see what was in the box. Mother and Dora had just stood and looked as I lifted the dresses from the box. I couldn’t believe my eyes, there was three silk dresses, a couple skirts and blouses, two sweaters, and two silk slips, and two brassiere’s. At the bottom of the box was silk stockings, a dozen pairs. They had small runs in them but I didn’t care, I had never seen anything so thin. I was in seventh heaven with all of those clothes. Everything fit perfect, the silk dress was too old for me, they had a lot of ruffles and lace. At my insistence, mother removed the ruffle and lace. The dress then looked great. The green dress had a wide belt and flared skirt. I liked it best. Mother said I wasn’t to wear the padded brassiere as it made me look older. I didn’t care, I was determined to wear them. Dora didn’t say anything about the clothes but I could tell she was jealous. When I came downstairs wearing the green dress. She didn’t speak to me as we walked over to Uncle Ray’s to church. But she kept looking at me. I had let my hair grow long. It hung down my back. The grass green dress was a good color for me. I wore the wide belt real tight as I always liked, but I didn’t wear the padded brassiere as I was afraid everyone would laugh at me. Or Father would say something and embarrass me again.

It was Sunday night, the last night of revival services. The church was packed, we could hear a thunder storm getting closer. As we were singing the last hymn the storm broke, the rain came down fiercely, sounding like hail on the roof, the lights flickered on and off a couple times. We waited while everyone was talking. Dora made our way to the back, some made a dash for their cars. I was talking to a girlfriend, when I noticed Dora talking to Frank Uphold. I made my way over to them to say hello to Frank when I noticed the guy standing next to him. He was a little taller than I, black curly hair and wide shoulders, he wore a western shirt and jeans. Frank introduced him as Homer Harvey.

As we shook hands he flashed a smile of white teeth and said, “call me Tommy.” The rain had let up and people were leaving, Frank asked Dora if he could take her home? She said, “Yes.” I ran to tell Uncle Ray that we had a way home. I hesitated a moment as I looked at this, “Tommy.” He was very handsome, all the girls were looking at him. He was also a man not a boy and he would be going home with us. I wondered if he would act like an animal like the boys did. I didn’t have much choice, it was, go with him or go with Uncle Ray and walk home alone in the rain.

We went out to Frank’s car, which was a big four door. Dora got in the front seat with Frank. Tommy opened the back door, the back seat was piled high with musical instruments, he put one on top of the other and we squeezed in beside them. As we drove Tommy he explained he was twenty seven and a country and western singer from Wyoming, he had hopes of getting on the Wheeling, West Virginia Jamboree, and then to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry. His mother was a cousin to Frank’s mother, so he was visiting. I shivered from the dampness, Tommy put his arm around my shoulders, but that’ s all he did, he treated me like a lady, he didn’t paw at me the way boys did.

When we got home, we invited Frank and Tommy in the house. Because of the storm, Mother and Father were still up. Father knew the Uphold family, but he had never met Frank, he was delighted at meeting him and his friend. When father heard Tommy was a singer and then he and Frank played music, he was overwhelmed, he couldn’t wait till they got their musical instrument out of the car. It was three o’clock in morning before Father and the rest of us quit singing and playing music. Father asked Frank and Tommy to come back Saturday night. He told them to invite some friends and have a party. The next day Mother was on the phone calling everyone on the line and inviting them to the party. Father went to Brandonville and Bruceton Mills and invited everyone he saw. He was excited all week long, and talked of nothing else.

Saturday night people started coming as soon as it was dark. I never saw so many people at our house, people kept coming. Father told someone to CUT THE FENCE, so they could park their cars in the field behind the house. They not only cut the fence they cut a chain and pulled the fence post out. Father had told everyone there would be country western music at the party, when it didn’t come we started dancing to Father’s music. Father had introduced me to some guy and asked him if he would dance with me. All I remember about him was he was real tall. I had to look up at him. He was a good dancer, but couldn’t compare to Boots Early.

It was nine o’clock when Frank Uphold and Tommy came with their music. Three hours later everyone stopped dancing to rest. I went outside to get fresh air. I was walking down the road toward the road when I heard someone behind me, I turned around and bumped into Tommy. He hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek and he said, “ I wanna talk to you! You have a good voice, with a little training you could be great. How about I come back Saturday night? We will practice, and I will teach you how to play the guitar, we will team up and go to Wheeling.” I was young and gullible, I believed every word he said. We went back to the house, Father was furious. He said, “ Where have you been? People are wanting to dance and you sneak off with the music man.” Father wasn’t concerned about me at all, all he wanted was Tommy to play music so everyone could dance! The dance was over at two o’clock, I was exhausted. I had hauled corn all day and danced all night. Father went over to Tommy and said, “ My daughter’s only twelve years old, but she sure can dance, if she would move like that working, I wouldn’t have to do anything.” Tommy looked at me and said, “ You’re only twelve?” I nodded Yes. He said, “ Sorry kid!” and picked up his guitar and left. Father had embarrassed me again. I had worked all day long, done everything that was expected of me, without being told. 

Sarah Farquer 1858-1942, Frederick Dayton “Twin” Farquer 1890-1970, Caroline “Callie” Farquer 1884-1968, Ray W. Farquer 1886-1962, Hugh “Max” Maxwell Farquer 1891-1965 Dayton Farquer 1857-1932, Nina Farquer 1900-1906, Lucy Farquer 1898-1980, Arthur Frank Uphold 1919-1999, Homer “Tommy” Harvey 1911-1979, Harry Kelly 1899-1974, Paul “Paul Mitchell” Richard Micheal 1917-1979, Hazel Virginia Sisler 1918-1990, William Clair “Boots” Early 1905-1963, Clara Bell “Carie” Maust Guthrie 1889-1965, James Guthrie 1879-1965, Uncle Ray Guthrie 1895-1976, Dora Guthrie McNair 1916-1982.