Richard's Car

I think I loved Tom all my life. He was the neatest person. Always caring and looking out for those less fortunate. His sister, Betty and I became friends in grade school also. She was my friend forever. I always looked up to her and knew she would be there for me always.

When we were teens she and her family moved to Williamsport so I didn't see her as much except at the "Dances". The Square Dances were held in the Fire Hall in Trout Run. Previously, they were held in the Lodge Hall across from our home in Trout Run, Pa. I went to the dances from the time they started there. I was probably 10 or so. We all met there. Had our own little group. We pretty much kept that group even after I left town and had to get a ride to the dances!! This was always a trial. My older brothers were so good about dropping us off and picking us up. (My sister, Carol & I) Later it was My sister Ann and I, after Carol was married. She married at 17 so I was still only 15 going on 16.

Later when I began work in Williamsport at the Grit Publishing Company, I stayed at the YWCA. They had rooms to rent at that time and this was acceptable with my parents. Tom was still in service so I got to see him only on leave. I did visit with his sister, Betty at her Mother's home on Rural Avenue. We always had a good time together.

On particular Saturday she called and asked if I wanted to go to the dance. I said sure but would she drive or what. She didn't want to drive as she had had a fender bender with a bus and was still a little apprehensive about driving. I told her I didn't have a licenss but did know how to drive. She said "Oh well, I'll just give you mine and we can take Richard's car as he isn't home yet." She said he wouldn't mind and so our plans were set.

We took off to the dance in Trout Run. About 13 miles from Williamsport. We had a grand time at the dance and headed home afterwards. About half way home the car started acting up and yep, you guessed it, we ran out of gas. We parked on the side of the road and went to a house where there were lights on and they left us use the phone. We called my sister, Mary and asked her if Clyde would mind her bringing us a can of gas. She said she would and I am sure laughed all the way. We got back on the road and got back to Rural Ave shortly and I stayed all night with Betty. The next morning her brother, Richard was home on leave and I could hear him all over the house yelling. "Who moved my car?" We, of course, confessed we used it but felt sure he wouldn't mind. He said "I wouldn't mind but you didn't know the pins were out of the door on the drivers side." There was no way the door would have stayed on if we had jiggled it just the least little bit. Can you imagine!! Well, we had a good time anyway. I left and went home and let Betty deal with him.

Gammy & Grandpap

 

The attached picture is of Mary Harriet Henry Mundrick, my grandmother, William Jacob Mundrick, my grandfather, the tall boy is Uncle Fred Mundrick, the tall girl is Aunt Sadie, the shorter lady is our Mother, Elsie Ann Mundrick Holdren and the boy on Grandpap's lap is Uncle Emerson. They had a younger boy, Mason, who died when he was about 5.

My grandparents on my Mother's side were special. I knew my Father's parents but not as well as I did my Mother's. Daddy's Father died when I was probably 5 or 6 and his Mother died a couple of years after that. They lived in Muncy so it was a ways to go to visit. I remember going to visit but was very young.

My Mother's parents were living in Cascade. This made it easy for us to pile in the car and go visit them of a Sunday. Not often, but enough that we remember it. Gammy would cook up a big meal and we all sat on the porch afterwards and talked. She and Grandpap always teased each other. They farmed the land around them in the old fashioned way. They grew corn and oats and I don't remember what else but I do remember them using an old fashioned schythe to cut the hay and oats. Plowing was done with a horse and one blade plow which they walked behind. Hard work!

I remember Grandpap telling how he and Uncle Fred had to walk to get to the CCC camps in Hillsgrove. It was before the Second World War started. When that started Uncle Fred got drafted and from what he told me the money he drew from that was a big help to his parents. They worked at the camps during the week and walked home on weekends. This must have been at least a 10 mile trek. They needed the money they earned there.

One time while walking home, Grandpap tells about a mountain lion that was in the path he was on and so Grandpap stopped and stood just as still as he could and waited and waited. Finally the mountain lion took off into the woods. That was a scary walk, I am sure.

Accidents

I think I only had two accidents with any of our cars. The first one was minor but memorable. We, Terri, Tommy & I, were coming home from Falley's over on West Crawford. As we came by the gas station, I stopped to make a left turn on Phillips and the person behind me didn't stop. She rammed me in the rear as she was waving at the person in the gas station. I was out of it for a minute and Terri, in the front with me was stunned also. Tommy was in the back seat and he was furious. He was probably about 10 or 11 at the time and he out of that car and was back by the other lady's car just a yelling at her. "What do you think you were doing?" "You hurt my mother and wrecked our car!" By this time I was a little worried about him more than the car. I ran after him and said we would call the police and they would take care of her. He calmed down and we parked the car on the side of the street and she did too. The police came and we exchanged insurance and such. I think if that had been a 500 pound man, Tommy would have taken him on and beat him!! Thankfully, we were all okay and we went on home. Drove that car with the bent trunk lid tied down for a long time after that!!

The previous accident was in Trout Run when I was working at Summit Lodge. I was on my way to work in the morning and was driving a big car, can't remember the make but was like Beth & Joye's "boat". Danny tells me it was an Oldsmobile. It drove good and was reliable but the tires were pretty bald.

I got to the hill that goes up to Summit Lodge where the road becomes four lane and I hit a patch of oil and boy that car skidded around in a circle so fast my head was spinning. It ended up on the wrong side of the road up against the guard rails. It actually took out one guard rail and pulled another loose. I got out and looked under it and couldn't find anything wrong with my car so got in and went on to work.

The funny part was later in the day I stopped at my sister, Mary's place. Her husband, Clyde, had a garage and gas station. Mary operated a small coffee shop. I went in and asked Clyde to put new tires on my car as it was getting dangerous. While we were sitting there in the kitchen having coffee (Mary & I) waiting on Clyde to change my tires, a man came into the station and was talking to someone else in there. He was going on and on about this lady he saw turn around on the highway by Summit Lodge and how she hit the guardrails and then got back in her car and drove off. He said she didn't even seem shook up!! Mary & I had a good laugh over that.