MARGARET ALLEY

There are many ways in which our family may have been typical for our time-period, and in others I think it was pretty special. Mama and Daddy, Effie and Floyd Alley, were married in 1914. At first they lived with Mama's parents, our Grandpa and Grandma Jones, and Mom's younger brother Earl, who was about 10.

They had a tragedy in the first years. They had a little child, Eunice Darlene, whom they always called Darlene. She was only two years old when she died on October 16, 1917. She was perfectly all right, sitting on Daddy's lap, when all of a sudden she was gone. For a long time Mama couldn't remember the word for the cause of her death, but when I was in the hospital another lady, whose last name was also Alley, although no relation, told me it was membranous troupe, which is a phlegm that chokes the victim to death.

They went on to have other children — all girls. Neoma, always called Meryle (Saddoris), was born January 7, 1918, and Gladys (Weaklend) September 10, 1919. They were almost two years apart, but then there was a lapse until I was born December 27, 1926; and Shirley (Harrell), September 19, 1928. Meryle was about eight years old when I was born. That is why we seem like two different families. There were the older ones and the "little ones," the city ones and the country ones, and our lives weren't the same.

When the older girls were little, the folks had more money than they did when we came along. They had toys we never had. I didn't miss them. Meryle remembers they always got dolls. The last one she was given was a baby doll that she left at home when she was married. Shirley must have worn it out playing with it. I was never interested in dolls. I don't even remember that doll. I wanted cars and horses. However, I did help Shirley clean out the corncrib every spring, to make a playhouse. Daddy knew what we were doing and didn't object. We just got it cleaned out for him. After we got the playhouse fixed up, I wouldn't play in it. I don't like to play house, except that Meryle taught us to make mud pies. That I liked, but I didn't like to make real pies and have never made one from scratch in my whole life.

There was a difference in the way the folks thought of us. The older ones had more responsibility. We were the "little ones." Meryle remembers a time she was feeling sorry for herself because she had to wash dishes. She thought we ought to be helping, but Daddy told her we were the "little ones," and we didn't have to do that. We were pampered, but as we got older, we knew we all four were. Gladys broke all the molds by being a tom-boy, but Daddy knew he had "girls." He was raised in a broken home, so he was more or less by himself. I don't think he knew what to do with girls.

Mama told us about an incident when she was 10 years old. Back then, even if they didn't have money, they had hired hands, because for some people, having room and board was significant. Grandpa and Grandma went somewhere and left Mama there to get the noon meal.

10 years old! At that time, it was probably potatoes and gravy — nothing fancy. Mama called the men to dinner and one guy said to the other, "It is only 10:30," the other replied, "If that kid has dinner ready, we will go and eat." So they came and ate, then helped do the dishes.

I asked my mother one time if she and Daddy ever argued about anything. She said, very indignantly, "Why?" I caught on. You can't argue unless there are two people. They both have to say something or there is no argument. And they didn't talk about money matters. They might have in front of the older girls but they didn't in front of us younger ones. I didn't know I was poor, really — everybody else was in the same predicament. I think how poor we were dawned on me the first time, when we lived southeast of Murray for one year, and we had to herd the cattle along the road. I was humiliated! But the neighbors thought it was wonderful that Shirley and I would be out there with the cattle. It was really just our milk cows.

Meryl and Gladys were born in Murray and went to the Murray school. Meryle was about 11 years old and in sixth grade when we moved to a farm. I was born in Murray but was just a little tyke when we moved, and we lived on a farm until I was a senior in high school, so I lived almost all my growing up years on the farm.

When we lived in Franklin Township, in the West Concord rural school area, we had a car. Some people in the neighborhood didn't, but most of the time when we went to town we went by wagon, if we went at all. I think it was nine miles to town. One time when Daddy had enough gas to go to town, neighbor men went with him. They bought groceries with what money they had, keeping enough money to put gas in the car to come back. Daddy probably had a Model T, although later we had a Model A. The one I remember had side curtains, not windows.

We didn't go into town for church, but we had Sunday School and sometimes church services in the school buildings. Mostly mothers and children attended, and Mama and we four girls always went, wherever we were, whenever it was available. When we went to West Concord School they had Sunday School. At the Lewis school in Jackson Township, they had both Sunday School and church. In the late 30s or early 40s, we were at Oak Grove in Fremont Township. We just had Sunday school, but we had singing and everything that was part of worship services. Loretta Lane Baker walked across the field to teach Sunday School. I went to school with her daughter, whose name also was Margaret.

All of us girls were baptized. Mama was baptized in the river — the Big Thompson River, but people over in Pleasant Valley call it Grand River. Daddy was baptized in the Murray Christian Church when it was new. We four girls were baptized in Osceola First Christian Church. Shirley double-crossed us and became a Baptist.

I started to school in West Concord. Meryle graduated from eighth grade at West Concord in 1932. I decided I was sick one morning and wasn't going to school. As soon as my sisters were out of sight, I wasn't sick. Mama fixed my lunch and sent me to school. I never did it again because I had to carry my lunch and I was so doggone short, the older girls always carried it for me. I didn't pull those tricks the second time around.

I know all my teachers' names: Carrie Horton Davenport, Cora Horton King, Darlene Young Deemer, Leona Thompson, Alice Harlan Saddoris, Mansel Burchett, Francis Cochran, and Winona Alley Naylor (no relation). I only had two men — one was when we were at Green Valley one year from March until school was out, the other from when school started until March the next year. I started in Jackson Township and finished in Jackson Township. I started in West Concord and ended in Smyrna. I've always lived in Clarke County.

I went to LeRoy my freshman year of high school and the rest of my high school was in Osceola. Daddy made me come up here to school. By that time I had two sisters that came up here and I could stay with one of them. Otherwise, the folks couldn't have afforded to have us go. About the time we came, there weren't a lot of country kids that went to high school. It wasn't required.

There were some advantages in LeRoy that we didn't have in Osceola. One of my best teachers in LeRoy was John Wetzler, Russell's father, who taught general science. We had buses when I was a freshman in LeRoy, and I think I was a senior before they got school buses in Osceola, We had hot lunches in LeRoy not in Osceola. I remember the big dishes of peanut butter on every table. The boys could sure eat a lot of peanut butter.

Of course, there were advantages in Osceola. We had the GAA (Girls' Athletic Association) and the girls could play basketball but we only played the other grades. We didn't play other schools. We didn't have many choices in those days. Girls could take courses and become a teacher, a secretary, or a nurse. We weren't trained to do anything when we graduated from LeRoy. They didn't even have typewriters so I could take a typing course. There were typing classes and Normal Training in Osceola. Meryle and I both had the latter. The other two didn't want it. Gladys didn't even want to be in school. She was in school because her dad said she had to go. Osceola was a nice school, with wonderful teachers.

Successfully completing the Normal Training Course qualified us to teach in rural schools. I graduated in May and started teaching in the fall. My first job was in the James school, Knox #9. It was also my first time to be away from home for any length of time and it wasn't easy. Meryle knows, because I went to her place one time and they had to take me home because I was homesick. However, at this time I stayed with Cecil and Cleo Horton. It was just like being home. If it hadn't been, I don't know how I'd have survived. From Knox #9, I went to Oak Grove Fremont #9, Jamison #5, Woodburn, then Osceola. I taught a total of 43 years: three years at James, five years at Oak Grove, five at Jamison, two at Woodburn, and the rest at Osceola. Until Woodburn, I taught all grades. After that was fourth grade, so actually I taught fourth grade for 43 years.

We moved into town in 1946, to the house at 901 West Cass. We bought the property from Meryle's grandparents-in-law. I have lived in the same house ever since and had four addresses. Mr. Hagie, the postmaster, used to think I'd moved every time I had a different address. They just kept changing addresses but it was the same house.

During those years, I earned my degree from Drake University. I went to Simpson two summers but my credits all transferred to Drake. I graduated in 1963, and I did it by going to school summers, nights and weekends. I can just see my dad looking at my diploma and saying, "This is all you've got to show for it?" It was all on paper, but I'm living off it now.

This was all because of Ralph Evans, County Superintendent, who favored poor people if they tried to better themselves. He told me, "There is an opening at Woodburn. They are going to be closing the country schools so you had better get in while you have a chance." I went to Woodburn because Mr. Evans thought I should. Then after I was there two years, he said, "There's an opening in Osceola, you won't have to drive so far, you'd better get that." But meanwhile he told me I had better be working on my degree. "You are going to have to have one." Well, some retired without ever having one, but I worked at it until I got it.

Miss Ada Tillotson was the County Superintendent, then Ralph Evans. Both she and Ralph were pushy. She was the County Superintendent during the first two years of my teaching. Brand new teachers thought we are going to get hit with the superintendent, but the first year she never even came to my school. The first time she came, the kids and I were on the big cement slab at the door. Our school didn't have an anti-room like a lot of schools, and we were out there carving pumpkins She just said, "If I had more time I'd stay and help you cut them. Be careful with the knives," and left.

Everything — the school system, the children and parents — was so different in those days. I wouldn't teach school now for love or money. I never said to the children, "Sit down and shut up," but I'd sure want to do it now. I see the fault is with the adults. We are letting kids get by with everything and we're letting adults get by with these crazy rules. I saw a lady the other day swat a child on the seat and I wanted to go up and thank her. He straightened up. That was all it took — one whack. I only spanked three kids in 43 years. I don't think that's too bad.

Some of the present day rules don't make sense to me. One of the things we had to do while I was still teaching — it was in our lesson plans — was to teach the children to cross the railroad tracks. If a child of yours has to go across that railroad track, don't you think it is your responsibility to teach the child to go across, instead of depending on a teacher? Now, if it can be proven that a teacher didn't teach the children to go across, and they got in trouble, they could blame it on the school. I'm not volunteering to read with children because that is what the teacher is getting good wages for. If only they would let her do what she is trained to do instead of all the paper work, it would improve the entire reading program.

One day I was standing with a teacher when several former students I'd had at Jamison came up to give me a hug. She said, "I hope when I am through teaching I'll have students who want to come up and hug me." I felt sorry for her. In the rural schools, we knew the kids better. We knew them and we knew their families. There was an instance when a child brought me a note, but I didn't know what to do with it because her name wasn't on it. It was from her mother but the names weren't the same. In our days of teaching, family names were the same.

I don't understand why the high school isn't a full 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. days with children earning the credits they need, rather than some taking college classes in high school. How can they do high school in 3 1/2 years? Of course, there are exceptions, but lots of those who graduate now are too immature to go on to college. Dorsey Deitick said, "I would like to take all these white-haired ladies and put them out in country schools and we'd have good schools again. Years ago we were taking a class from Mrs. Darnell from Des Moines. She was a wonderful woman. Her maiden name was Heatherstone and if anyone who could teach about life, it was she. She only taught off-school college classes. It was her opinion, because everything goes in a circle, the time will come when we will get back to the rural schools. We're not there yet.

Now I have retired and I am tired. But I am not sitting around wondering what to do. Presently I am going through things, trying to get rid of all my stuff upstairs, and palming it off on all my nieces and nephews. They aren't arguing. I think some of them are waiting for the time when they get to go upstairs and go through all the other boxes. Mary Lou, Barbara and Irmalee went through dishes, the salt and pepper shaker collection, bell collection, and turtle collection. Yesterday Kathy took a lot of crafts.

Four summers ago, I added more "stuff" when Meryle and I went to Bemidji, Minnesota. Mama and Daddy and I used to go camping there every summer. I took Mama and Daddy up in 1983, and we moteled it that time. We hadn't been back in the four years since, until the family had a reunion there and wanted us to come. Gladys didn't care about going, so just Meryle and I went and had our own little shop hop. We stopped at all the fabric stores. I'd go in and think, "That's pretty! That's pretty," and just buy it all. And kits! I bought kits everywhere of every kind — wall hangings, pillow tops, runners — that sort of thing, and never did a one of them. I put them all in boxes and they are now going to the kids.

We saw the 4th of July parade there on Sunday, and went to the motel. On the way, Meryle had an accident. She wasn't sure what happened. She came to  a curb, fell backward, and broke her wrist. I took her to the emergency room, where they put on a cast, but didn't keep her in the hospital. The next morning we headed back home. I was the driver and intended to get back home as soon as possible, but she said, "No, we'll stop over there at Wal-Mart, get me a pillow to rest my arm on, and we'll stop and shop." We shopped all the way back. She wasn't sure of the limit on her Master-card, so we used mine and told the checkout people to make out two bills for us so we could keep track. We spent so much time we didn't get home the same day. Meryle made something of everything she bought. I didn't. My primary craft is quilts, and somebody said, "You mean you aren't going to make any more quilts or anything?" I said, "Yes, but when I do I am going to buy for it and it only."

Five boxes of my stuff went to an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There were two families from our nephew's church in West Des Moines, who were moving there to work with the Indians to see if they can get some industry imported. My niece, Barbara, got one box of material and there is another one. However, I have a quilt partially done, and I want to make sure I have scraps to finish it, then she can have the box. I am making a Grandmothers' Flower Garden quilt that is all done by hand, using a little hexagon pattern of heavy paper. I fold the cloth around it, and baste it together until I have the quilt. Quilting isn't as mindless as it might seem. Meryle's mother-in-law had started but hadn't finished a flower garden quilt when she passed away. Meryle had the pieces so she undertook to finish it, but she wasn't paying attention and suddenly discovered she had a row going another direction. They will just go everywhere if you don't pay attention. She had to tear some out and start again, but finally got it put together. I still quilt at church. People bring them to us to quilt. Only three of us usually go, sometimes four.

We are members of the Osceola Christian Church (Disciples) For 11 or 12 years I taught a second grade Sunday School class. I don't do that currently. We have a night women's group, our "Unit." Glennis Gracey is the leader and I am the assistant. She and I attempt to keep us going but women's lives are completely different from when such organizations were popular and well attended. If the interest is there, they will make the time, but of all the women in the church, there are only about 12 who attend.

I have been involved in and excited about several projects. Effie Crawford was in charge of writing the history of rural schools in Clarke County. It is ironic. She didn't live in Clarke County until she was teaching high school in Clarke Community, but she led that project. I worked with Effie. I think I was the treasurer because I had a check book. We did a lot of research to add to our memory and ended up with 14 books which contain recollections of various people. Meryle and I went through all the books and alphabetized the names. We didn't know there were so many Smiths — there were around 200 — and it was interesting that we found very few first names that appeared more than once or maybe twice. When the books were done, and people read what others had written, lots of them said,"Why didn't I write?" They were all invited to do so. We didn't have backers. Effie and I loaned them money to pay for the printing and when enough money came in, we'd pay us back. Once in awhile we still sell some of the books we have left.

If it hadn't been for Shirley Woods and her tours, I'd never have seen the places I've been. I started going with her and didn't stop. There are only two states I haven't visited — Washington and Oregon, and they were in her plans, but she died before we could go there. When I have told people I've been to all but the two states, they say, "Yes, but there are Hawaii and Alaska," and I tell them I've been both those places. I liked Hawaii. Meryle thought it was hot, but I didn't think it was. However, one morning our leader, a slender lady, who nearly always wore shorts, that morning would have been better off is she'd worn slacks. She had a fit, "Do you know it gets down to 68° up there on the mountainside?!" She was freezing. I thought Hawaii was absolutely gorgeous and the people were wonderful. I actually liked the people in Hawaii better than the people in Alaska, because Alaska wanted the tourists, but just your money, not "you."

Meryle had arranged to Europe, but broke her leg before the trip. She was afraid she'd have to do too much walking so she missed it. I admit those cobble stones are terrible to walk on. We were in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. I really don't like to fly but it was a great experience. I don't remember for sure how long the trip was — probably a couple weeks.

The longest I've ever been out of Clarke County in my life was when we went to Alaska and were gone 23 days. We took a bus and followed the Alaskan highway. Seven days to get there and seven days to get back. So we were on the road two weeks just coming and going — not even there. We had all kinds of entertainment like they had back during the war. We were there almost all of July, when the sun never went down.

Meryle has been on the inside passage in Alaska. We weren't on the same trip. Their tour went clear up north. We were never on a ship. The largest we were on was a ferry with several decks. What I remember best are the glaciers. There was water coming down the sides of the mountains and I wondered where it was coming from. There is no water up there, no rain. The ice looked blue.

I work at the hospital in the gift shop and as hostess, each once a month. Those days in addition to substituting for ones who can't take their turn, I seem to be there quite often — in the summer-time. I don't want to substitute in the winter.

Another change between the days when I was growing up and now is pets. We had three different parakeets and goldfish but no dogs or cats in the house. We always had both but not inside. And we didn't make the mistake of thinking they are human. I can't stand it when people say, "Come to Mama." I want to say, "You are not that dog's mama!" and I don't like that.

I love my nieces and nephews to call me Aunt Margaret. I always feel like I am going to get a hug from the three boys even though they aren't little any longer. Sharon Daly's parents moved here when she was in fourth grade. She calls me Missey Margaret. Even a letter she sent to me was addressed to Missey Margaret. My will is revised and I am leaving whatever is left to be divided among 10 people.

I still drive, or at least I herd the car away and back. I don't have any reason to drive other than to take care of my few commitments or that sort of thing. Someone else drove while I was taking radiation treatments. I had a complete hysterectomy at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines in 2005, and there was cancer. I had precautionary radiation, no chemo, for 28 days. I had no reactions to it.

I am involved in the Historical Society. I wish people would come to the Museum. We have so much that has been given to us that we need another building! I have a reed buggy and children's rocking chair that I want down there, but I don't know where we'll put them. We have just now been given three ceramic figurines from Jeannette Wetzler's estate. Her son believes it is Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and Becky. He offered and we accepted them. They are gorgeous ones Jeannette made when she and Russell had a shop where people could take lessons and make things. We had an empty case and will put them there to protect them.

There are loyal members still involved: Wilda McCann and Glenda Bright go on Sundays, Meryle goes on Wednesdays, and I occasionally go with her. I could spend every day in our meeting room working on things. Our current officers are Rich Stephens, president. Our past president was Bob Gruen, now deceased. He put in a lot of time there! Mike Boldon has been our treasurer forever. One of our key people is Marie White. She knows whom to contact when we need something done. That is so important! I only know it needs to be done. We have a lot of help from the city, mowing the weeds. The foot-bridge isn't safe. The light company brought down some piling to put in to secure it. Marie contacted them. Many of us have gotten to the age when we can't do what needs to be done. I think we are going to see if any of the organizations in town will help move the stuff.

Our daddy, Floyd Alley, died in 1985. Mama died in 91. I am alone now and have thought about moving to an apartment but I have a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom and a front room. What more would I need?

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