Not the month of June although it is a special month. June
Iris Love, born June 1, 1919 turns 92 today! This post is
in honor of my last surviving Aunt, June Love. I asked her how it felt
to be 92 years old. She told me, with a crooked grin, that she still
felt 29 as long as she was sitting still.
Wichita Falls in Love with June Love.
Life has been a whirlwind the last few days. When leaving Dallas after
the fantastic
Dallas
Rain Camp and meeting the crew, seeing a Grandson that I
had not seen in 9 years and weathering the Dallas Tornadoes,
I called my husband and told him
I was heading home. He emphatically said,
"wait you're going the wrong way!"
This, of course at first annoyed me and my response was..."I know which
way I'm going!" He giggled and said, "
you realize that it's Aunt June's
birthday in just a few days so turn around and head to Wichita Falls,
Texas!". Days had just melted away as quickly as
the hail storms in Dallas and I had not realized how late in the month
it was. So, I have not been home YET! I am here celebrating Aunt June's
birthday as well as I should be!
PLEASE,
come by and wish this lovely lady a happy birthday! 
Aunt June was first female born in my Grandparents family of 11
children. She is the last of my Aunts and Uncles and is one of the most
beautiful souls blessed to be born on this earth! I asked her what her
best memory from childhood was and she says there are so many. She
lived in the time of the Depression and life was much different then.
(although, we're getting there again)
You
might enjoy this one. She speaks of it lovingly.
Her parents, my Grandparents purchased a large tract of land in Alice,
Texas and farmed the land for several years. Of the
300 acres of prosperous land
her father
owed a total
of $400.00 to pay the land off. The Depression
hit hard. The
bank visited
my family and informed them all that due to the situation and economy
they were
demanding full
payment on the land within 30 days or they would foreclose
on the property. Her father pleaded for a little more time as the crops
would not be ready to harvest yet! If the bank would just extend the
time another month or two he would be able to pay them in full.
The
bank FORECLOSED.
That very 300 acre tract
is now a part of THE
KING RANCH OF ALICE TEXAS and is by far the
richest
OIL PRODUCING
land in many states. I always knew I was born with a
silver spoon in my mouth...at least my husband tells me that I think I
have one. Not so. Rotten, Rotten Bankers! Back to
the story.
My
Grandparents loaded up the kids and took everything they possibly could
on the old Model T Ford truck and had to leave the rest
behind. At that time, 1930, the peak of the Depression,
June was 11 years old.
A total of 7 children were loaded. My mother was
the youngest at age 4.
After tough traveling dealing with hunger, flat tires, colds and flu,
Grandfather's money was dwindling when they
approached the Red River at the
border of Texas and Oklahoma. The Red River had a toll
road just North of Wichita Falls! But, it was a whopping .10 cents per
person to cross the River. There was a long line of traffic burning gas
and waiting to cross.
Grandfather
told the kids that they were going to have to lie down in the back of
the truck because he couldn't afford to get them all
across without spending all his money! The children agreed
even though the heat was unbearable and they were crowded and miserable
and could barely breath. Grandfather had just told the Gate Keeper that
it was just them, payed his .20 cents, breathing a sigh of relief and
was pulling away when my mother threw the tarp back and yelled...
"ARE WE THERE YET?"
Of course the inevitable happened. The man said, "how many do you have
back there?" And, Grandfather paid up. Aunt June tells this story so
well I laugh every time!
Tonight we play 31 together as a family which is a card game where you
bet quarters!
Aunt June
usually wins so we call her Ma Barker. She quietly reaches
for her quarters with a little smile. After living through the toughest
times one could, she holds a special respect for money and counts her
blessings ever day.
She
is one of my favorite blessings.
Please say Happy Birthday
to this lovely lady. I want her to know how special she is!
Later in the rain~Deb
