Nellie Elvira Tippets Haddon
As told to son, Theron
November 25, 1984
It was the last day of school and this girl took my lunch bucket and wouldn’t give it back to me. We’d been on a picnic in the back of the school yard. I insisted that it was mine and she wouldn’t give it back to me. She finally decided to pull my hair. I don’t know why. But anyhow another girl came along and pulled her hair because I wouldn’t pull it. She gave me my lunch bucket.
What kind of traditions did you have when your were growing up? We usually had cake and ice cream for birthdays. We didn’t have presents because we couldn’t afford them if we wanted to. We always had a birthday cake and in the winter we’d have ice cream. Maurine and my birthdays were in the winter so we always had ice cream.
Did you always have a big Thanksgiving? Yes. I can’t remember a great deal before we moved into the new house when I was about 5 or 6 years old. My twin brothers were born on the 12th of May and they were building a new house. When they moved into the new house they carried the twins in a basket that was oval shaped. We didn’t have a great deal of furniture. I also remember when they turned the electric lights on; I was afraid. I was afraid of fire always.
I can remember the first airplane I saw. I was playing by the shanty by the side of the house. I think we were living in the house then because we had a play house in the shanty. Papa and Mama were out in the garden with one of Papa’s uncles. This airplane came flying from the north. It was a real thrill to see that airplane. I don’t suppose we noticed the sound until it got over us. I was probably six at that time. A bunch of years later when I was in high school an airplane had trouble and landed in our field. The whole school came out the next day to see that airplane. Nobody in Georgetown had ever seen an airplane that close. They said they’d give us a ride but they didn’t. As soon as they had it fixed well I guess they figured when it took off, that they’d better be on their way. It took them a couple of days to fix it. They did have cars then but not like they do now.
Was Christmas always a good time too? It was, but it was kind of a poor time. This one year we had three turkeys to kill. Somebody ordered one so they got it all dressed and ready to get up there. They were supposed to pay ten cents a pound for it. It weighed so many pounds and a half and they wouldn’t pay for the extra half pound. They used that money to help Santa get toys with. The boys each got a little car that rolled on wheels. They were just as happy. Next we took eggs to another store to trade for candy and nuts. I was either out of high school or in the last year of high school and got a ten cent belt: But that was as much as the kids got! Mildred and LaRue got made-over doll clothes to dress on the dolls they already had. But it was just as good a Christmas.
I used to have ear aches a lot it the winter. On Saturday one ear would ache and on Sunday the other ear would ache it seemed like. Anyway, this Christmas eve I got an ear ache. My aunt Ida was staying there and she went downstairs and said lets go through here because we might run into Santa Claus. But Santa Claus had already been there. We didn’t have a tree that year.