I have hesitated to post the following. because I don't know the other "stories of life in the Parkin household," I hardly knew my Grandparents, never spend time alone with them, only visited their home a few times, nor did I really know my aunts, until I was an adult...Only through my Mothers voice...I tell this story because my Mom (Blanche) was so adamant in her telling.
My Mom, the second daughter, born in 1909, and her sister, my Aunt Jessie, born two years later, have been in competition with each other their entire lives. Mom vied for attention from her parents, but found little, as the first daughter, Mom’s older sister Lavinia, was adored and spoiled by her older brothers and parents. Mom always said, “Lavinia was the favorite daughter, she could do no wrong and I could never do anything right. Mother and Pa put her on a pedestal the day she was born and it remained that way for the rest of their lives.” Mom related a story to me about Christmas one year. Sadness and anger filled her voice and her green eyes snapped as she said, “One Christmas I will never forget… Lavinia received a large beautiful doll for Christmas and I received an ugly baby doll, I hated it and I wouldn’t play with it. A few days after Christmas, Lavinia and Mother left the house and I took Lavinia’s doll down off of the high shelf that she kept it on and with an old knife I poked the doll’s eyes out. I knew that Pa would give me a whipping but I didn’t care, it was worth it because now Lavinia’s doll looked as ugly as mine.”
Much of Mom’s early life played out with scenes like this. She never felt truly loved and always lacked the attention she needed growing up. She was kept home from school when her mother became ill. Mom, not Lavinia helped with meals and housework for a family of twelve. Mom graduated from the eighth grade, the end of her formal education.
Mom did have some social life and she told of the outings to The Saltair Pavilion with her sisters or with girl friends. The Great Saltair Pavilion was a grand style resort on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. It was built in 1893 by the Mormon Church, and connected to Salt Lake City by a railroad. Saltair provided a place for people to go for wholesome recreation and was billed the “Coney Island of the West.” People rented swimsuits from the resort and spent afternoons swimming in the lake, bobbing around like corks because of the high concentration of salt in the water. They danced the night away on one of the world’s largest dance floors to bands such as Glenn Miller. Saltair burned to the ground in 1925 only to be rebuilt in 1931. It was there that Mom met and started dating Dwaine (Bus) Fields....To be continues...Hugs To All...OWAV:)
PS...I'm guessing on the names..
Love this: " She loved the garden, her flowers blooming like a smile across a child’s face." Delighted you are on a roll with your writing dear friend.
ReplyDeleteMost of what I'm posting now, I wrote many years ago...Trying to get them out there for family history...Thanks for your positive comments. Hugs Della
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