Telling My Story: Preschool Years Living with Grandparents

In my last post, I wrote about the house Dennis and I lived in from birth to age 2. We turned two in November, 1949 and at that time our parents separated, with our mother moving to another town. Dad moved with us to Hoisington, Kansas, to the home of his parents, John and Mollie Margheim so our grandma could care for us and Dad had their car to drive to his job south of Great Bend at Thies Packing Co. As this map shows, it's just 10 miles from Great Bend to Hoisington. 

Dennis and I were so blessed to be in the care of our grandparents, as well as with our dad. At that time my dad's sister LaVerna had been out of high school two years, lived at home while working at the local music store and gave private piano lessons at home. LaVerna's twin brother Leonard was serving in the US Army. 

Mollie, John and LaVerna
Margheim with Dennis and Becky

We were so well cared for at Grandma's house. We were her first grandchildren, she was still young enough at age 47 to properly care for us and she had the help of our Aunt LaVerna. I have wonderful memories of Aunt LaVerna washing my hair and polishing my fingernails. Our Grandpa Margheim worked as the Head Custodian at Hoisington High School, one block north of their house, and Dennis & I were able to go visit him on occasion as we got older. There were kids our age living next door so we had playmates. 

Pictures say it best, so I'm posting a selection of pictures from our days living at Grandma's house at 114 E. 6th St, Hoisington, KS. 

Grandpa John Margheim watches us closely as we
explore in his driveway.

Having fun in our rocking chairs.

Grandpa built 2 bedrooms on a second
story of the house for us. 

  

We had a lot of fun running or sliding down
the cellar door.

We spent a lot of time playing outdoors
with Jimmy Drake at front, and
Roberta "Bertie" and Eileen Demel
at right. 

Dennis and me with Dad, 1951

Dennis and Becky with Aunt LaVerna
in our Cheyenne Saddle Club shirts.

Always a favorite picture of (l to r) me, Bertie and
Eileen Demel and Jimmy Drake, with Dennis
at the right end on Grandma's porch swing.  

Easter with Uncle Leonard and
Aunt LaVerna Margheim,
Easter 1951

Dennis and Becky with
Grandpa and Grandma Margheim
Easter 1950

Dennis and I were certainly blessed to live with our dad and grandparents after our parents' divorce. Some of our best childhood memories are from that 3 year period of time. 

I remember listening to "Fibber McGee and Molly" on the radio in the evenings, and hearing Patsy Cline, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Patty Page sing their hits on daytime radio, we made friends with the friends of our Aunt LaVerna, had good kids to play with outside, got to "lick the bowl" when Grandma made chocolate cake, had good dental care from Dr Hedge, learned to play the piano with Aunt LaVerna as our teacher on her grand piano, and attended Sunday School and Church at Concordia Lutheran Church every Sunday! 

We had a good early childhood in our preschool years, with special memories that have comforted us these past 65 years since.