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I go on a shopping spree
While they still lived in the big house on the hill Aunt Ella and Grandma hid me between them and I got to go New Castle on the Saturday night shopping spree.
As a rule children were not allowed….there were too many of us and we all couldn’t go besides the main reason for going was to purchase a weeks supply of groceries and necessary items for running the house hold.
Grandma took responsibility for this , after all it was her cream and egg money that enabled the purchase and sometimes if we needed more money she would take some chickens to sell. One time she took a nice big lump of fresh butter.. I remember her rounding it off into a pretty round ball on top.
The driver was either Uncle Ted or Uncle Joe, usually two men went and sometimes my Dad would go with them.
On this particular occasion Grandma asked , “Rose would you like to go to town with us?” Of course I would. We never hardly ever got to go anywhere like that. She said “Stay close to me and “El” .” So Grandma got on one side of me and Aunt Ella got on the other side. Uncle Ted got in the driver’s seat, my Dad got in the passenger seat. In the back seat was Aunt Ella with me kind of wedged in behind and between she and “Maam” (Grandma) . No one knew I was there except the three of us. I like to think of it as love in action .
When we got to our regular parking place near the creamery on 16th street. We all got out of the car, and there I was exposed for all to see . Only then did the others know that Rose was with them. Aunt Virgie sort of exploded . She said “Well if I had known that I would have brought “Dot”. Dorothy was her oldest girl.
Then we went into the Creamery and traded eggs and cream for some money, and Grandma secretly slipped me a quarter.
Then the four of us ladies went grocery shopping . The men either went to the pool room or the picture show. But they didn’t stay with us. After the groceries were safely stashed in the car Grandma said now let’s go to the dry goods store.. There she bought several yards of material and then she said “Now let’s get some for Rose.” then she and I together proceeded to pick out three yards of pretty printed goods and then for the sake of those listening she said , “You have your own money don’t you Rose? And I gave her the quarter.
The next day Grandma held a newspaper up to me and cut out a pattern for a dress. Then she sat down and made me a dress that fit perfectly.
Rose at 16 years old - a long time after the shopping spree!
Rose as a baby -- From left, Aunt Opal (wife of mother's brother John) and her son Leroy. On the right, my mother Mary Jane Reeves White, with me in her arms (Rose) and my brother, Isaac White Jr. (We call him Junior).