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Memories of Golde Dicks Markham (1996) Golde Markham Dicks 56/125

We then plucked and fluffed up that moss out of the mattress. The ticking would be

dry by now, and Ma stuffed the fluffed moss back into the clean ticking. We could then put
all of the furniture back into all of the four bedrooms, the living room, and the hall. Next we
scrubbed the front and back porches and the kitchen and dining room. Our feet were good

and clean after all of this scrubbing!
Ma always used gallberry bush brooms to sweep the yard. She and I swept and Tribble
and Emerald picked up the trash. Then we took iron-tooth rakes and crawled under the
house to rake. Ma wanted even the large area raked between the front gate and the dirt

road—then the lot and under the crib.
Ma even asked us to make a lime-and-water paste and spread that mixture on the
hickory trees in the front yard by the road. These trees were about five or six feet high and
we had to spread that paint even to the top.

Then it was animal feeding time. I took in wood and splinters for the cook stove and
the fireplace, milked Old Kitty, and cut Opal and Fay’s hair before they had their baths. We
filled the lamps with kerosene, washed the chimneys and trimmed the wicks. I got to be a

professional at this job. It was almost sundown by the time all the children had1 their bath,
shampooed their hair, and had their fingernails and toenails cut.
Everybody was too tired to get food for anyone else. We were lucky to find what was

available to eat. Ma put the little ones to bed then got her Bible for our Sunday School
learning. We’d sit on the floor in a ring around her chair while she taught us the lesson. I
don’t remember Pa teaching us our Sunday School lesson.

If it hadn’t been for Ma, Pa never would have made it by himself. I’m going to praise
all of us kids; he couldn’t have done what he did without us either. He was off teaching other
neighbors’ children while Ma was home teaching us. She was very generous with, her time.

She took time to play and entertain us besides preparing our meals and sewing our clothes.
She kept us dressed better than any other family in the community. She could take what
seemed like nothing and make something beautiful out of it.
Once Pa had only one pair of shoes, his Sunday shoes, so he plowed barefooted. The

temperature was high and the ground so hot that his feet blistered. Ma cut holes in cardboard
soles and used bed ticking for several thicknesses. He plowed for several weeks in these

cardboard shoes until he got enough money saved up to buy brogan shoes (heavy, ankle-high
work shoes).

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