Life in the 1940's as told by Don Morgan

[flo]

these stories are so great and bring back so many fond memories.  Jo, I remember the 25# sacks of flour.  Had a lot of clothes made out of those sacks.  There were three of us girls, raised by our grandmother, and whose ever turn it was to get the new blouse etc. got to pick out the sack.  Saturday nights were the busy nights for any small town and I wish people had the time to visit now like they did then.  Remember sitting on the front porch in the evenings? People walked by and came to sit and visit for a minute? Benches lining main street for visiting after the saturday nite shopping was done? Coming to Howard was like coming to the "city".

[marlaknight48]

What a wonderful page!
I've been researching some geneology and ran across this site.  What fun!

A Few of My Memories of Howard
We lived in Howard until I was 4 years old. (1948 - 1952).  We moved to Mulvane but my Grandparents, Willis and Mae Roberts, lived in Busby and then moved to Howard.  They lived there all their lives, so our connection to Howard stayed very strong throughout our childhood.
Willis served as a Sheriff and Mae was a school teacher in Severy (driving from their home in Howard), until retirement.
What a wonderful town Howard was when we lived there!  My sister, Kathy, and I have wonderful early memories of our lives there! 
My parents met and married in Howard:  Dave and Hazel Knight.   Dad was just out of the service and Mom was working at the Courthouse when they met.   They bought the "Coffee Shop" next to the theatre.  Back in those days, there was a window through which you could order a hamburger (or some of Mom's famous Chile), right into the lobby of the theatre!  My Aunt Babe Rhodes, (Dad's sister) owned the theatre.   She and her husband, Fred knew everyone in town.  Sometimes, onery boys were chased up the aisle and right out of that theatre, feeling the wrath of Babe's change bag banging them on the head as they went.  She was quite a character!  We loved her so much. " Kiner" owned the grocery story as I recall, and in the evening he was the projectionist.  He sat by the big projector with the film snaking all through the gears and slots, showing the films from the little room way up high in the theatre.  (You had to go through the balcony to get there.)  He would take the large, black letters down from the wall and spell out the words, then stand on a high ladder and put them up on the marquee.  I remember going up there with him and choosing the letters.   In those glamourous movie days, celebrities (actors in the movies) would come and make personal appearances at the theatre.  They would sign autographs and visit with folks.  It's a shame they tore down the theatre.  It used to be an Opera House and going back stage was quite the treat.  If you went down the cob-webbed old stairs, there were little dressing rooms for the performers!  What a lot of history in that building.

Next door to the south was my Aunt Dorothy's  (Dorothy Young) Beauty Shop.  She would give us girls permanents.  (Oh what misery THAT was to a little girl!)  Dorothy married my Mom's younger brother, Wilbur Roberts.

Our house was just north of George Cox's home.  We loved George, too.  He was always kind to us.  He would pick us up and hold us.  (He smelled like wonderful pipe tobacco!)
I remember Mom doing laundry in the ringer washing machine at our house.  (She always thought that that old washer got the clothes a lot cleaner than the new agitator styles!)
She played the piano beautifully and played for many dances in Elk County.  She and Dad loved to dance and even performed at the Elk County Fair when they were dating.
Oh!  And the Fair!  Wasn't it wonderful?!  Mom and Dad would decorate our tricycles and wagons and we would be in the parade!  After we moved to Mulvane, Mom taught dance to the young people there.  When I was 12, we came to the Howard Fair for the Amateur Contest.  I did a tap dance to "Darktown's Strutter's Ball" and was lucky enough to win First Prize!  $25.00!  That was a lot of money back then.

Mom and Dad also bought the M&M Café.  That was a great restaurant and seemed immense to a little girl.   Belle made the best pies in the county!  She was the sweetest of ladies!  She would take the remaining pie crust pieces, sprinkle sugar on them and bake them for Kathy and I!  I vividly remember the ranchers and cowboys coming into the café.  I was completely awestruck by them and their big, wonderful Stetson hats. 

Back then, my uncle Dallas Roberts owned the Shoe Shop.  He later was a Rural Mail Carrier and he and Audrey opened a wonderful Antique Shop on Main Street.

My uncle Bill Roberts married Charlotte Sloan (Anne's daughter). 

The Gas Station in the picture was on the corner, just west of the Shop where Dad would do some carpentry work.   I remember walking by there many times, to get downtown.

In about 1970, Mom and Dad bought the Howard Hotel.  They refurbished it, top to bottom!  It was just beautiful!  We spent many wonderful evenings sitting on the huge porch, watching the lightening bugs and visiting. 
We lost Dad in 1975.   We just lost Mom August 31, 2007.    Maybe folks out there have memories to share about them!  I would love to hear from any and all!
marla@momentsnotice.com is my email.  Please write!
Marla Knight Gifford, Denver, CO

[marlaknight48]

Here is a picture of us at the M&M Cafe.  Dad is standing behind us.

[marlaknight48]

Here is a picture of Dave & Hazel Knight in front of Babe's Theatre.

[frawin]

Marla, your aunt Dorothy gave me the first perm I ever had (professionally).  It was called machineless and my how tight that curlers were!  I remember it cost $5.00.   I always looked forward to seeing her in Howard and after she moved to Mulvane as well.  She was in Herald & Treva Beaty's wedding party and when they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary here in Midland, TX  a few years ago, she came for it.  We had a wonderful visit that afternoon.  We always looked for her at the Howard Alumni Banquet every year.  We missed her this year, but if you talk to her, give her my love.  My mother was one of her school teachers at Bunker Hill School.

I remember your grandparent's as well.  When I remember your granddad he was plowing gardens, etc. with his team.  Your grandmother was a favorite teacher of many who went to Severy Grade School.  I knew her, but not through school.  Mostly, because I attended high school in Severy and later worked at the First National Bank in Howard.  I remember Dallas and Aundry well.  He would fix our shoes, saddles, etc. and later remember he carried the mail, although I don't remember that he carried our Rural Route.  I remember their children growing up.  After we moved away from Howard, I loved to go into their antique shop and look around.  Our kids always wanted to visit that store when we returned for a visit.

Myrna

[frawin]

Marla, the picture of you and Kathy in the cafe is exactly the way I remember you girls. Good picture of your Father as well.
Frank Winn

[marlaknight48]

Myrna,
Thank you so much for the "story" and great memories.  Dorothy is in El Dorado, Vintage Place, now. She is doing well and just as fun as she ever was.
I send her cards and call her as often as I can.  She would love to hear from you, I know.     1650 E. 12th
El Dorado, KS   67042

Audrey is in Villa Manor in Mulvane (Assisted Living) and is just having a great time with all the activities.
Wasn't that antique store GREAT!?  And nothing.....I mean nothing....will every smell quite as wonderful as that shoe shop!
For awhile, Dallas raised hogs.......great BIG hogs!  (We have the cutest pictures of Kathy sitting on the back of one!)  And I remember sitting on the front fender of the truck with a stick an herding those hogs! What excitement that was!

Grandad's team of horses!  Oh my!  Doc & Dan!  I vividly remember watching him work with them.
They were soooo strong and big....they frightened me some.  But Grandad would just haul them around with all "authority"....no problem! 

Thanks again!
Marla Knight Gifford