Chapter 9 of Tales That I Can Remember by Elsie Swagerty Burton
After some time, our grandparents moved back to Hughson. Their big Victorian house on the farm had burned down and their son, who had been living there, opted to start a farm of his own instead of continuing on the family place. As a result of this move, my father took the job of foreman of the ranch and we moved into the house my grandparents had vacated. In this house my room, while not ever heated, was warmed by the sun on sunny days. My old room had been small, dark and narrow and always cold. My brothers, Clem and Floyd slept on the sofa bed in the living room.
We had Scarlet Fever and diphtheria and lice while living at that first house. Only my mother and brother Darrell, who was about 4 years old, had the diphtheria. The rest of us were given immunization shots to prevent it. I remember the hatred I had for that cruel, cruel doctor who would give those hurtful shots to even a small baby. My baby brother Jackie was such a good and happy child to have made him cry made me mad. That was one time all my brothers and I were united. We did so hated that doctor for hurting our baby and making him cry.
I remember being in bed with mother one day after she was recovering but Darrell was not doing well and she was crying in fear and anxiety. He did recover and from that time on we were to give him special considerations because he had been so ill.
There are two other things I remember while living in that house. One was of the time mother had to go to the hospital in San Jose. She had a very stiff neck and because of her history of arthritis, she had to have tests taken. She swore she would never go back there again. She had little regard for the care and treatment at Santa Clara County Hospital. Although she did have another stay in a hospital, she did not go back there.
It was while living in that house, father taught Mother to drive a car. He also taught her, with the assistance of a radio, the rudiments of football. She became an avid fan. Many stories are told of her viciously attacking her ironing while listening to a hard fought football game.
I was a solitary child and when I could be alone I was the happiest. My siblings were robust boys, I was a feminine type girl. Their rough and tumble games were not for me. I would go off by myself and be an actress or ballerina or whatever and play to an imaginary audience. There was a bridge over a dry creek near our house which served as my stage. My brothers would sneak up on me and listen until they could not contain their mirth any longer and gave themselves away by laughing too loudly. Sometimes I knew they were there but secretly enjoyed their audience even if I did pretend annoyance.
It was often difficult living with those rambunctious youngsters; sometimes I felt that the only reason I could survive was the fact I was eldest. In the beginning, I must have ruled the roost because one day Mother let it be known that I was not an authority figure; however, they were never to physically mistreat me in any way and they did pretty well on that score. They were forever mixing it up themselves which distressed me. I liked things peaceful and quiet.
My dolls were company but with younger brothers, it was difficult to keep them as I would have wished. However, they were not the only problem where my dolls were concerned. Sometimes I would come home and find all my things in disorder. I not only had younger brothers to contend with but it seemed that while I had been at school, we had been visited by younger cousins and in order to entertain the young girls, my dolls and their clothes and equipment were made available to them. I could never get my generous mother to discontinue that practice.
For a while after Grandmother and Grandfather Aldrich went back to Hughson to live, my Sunday school days came to a halt. It seems Grandma had provided me with suitable clothes to attend church with them, but they could in no way provide a similar service for the entire family. It was some time before my parents were able to provide suitable attire for us all for school and Sunday School as well. My brothers were able to keep passing their clothes down to the next youngest as time went on. Otherwise, I fear that they would not have been able to keep up with the little bodies.
Swagerty-Aldrich Family Web Site 