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I remember visiting Grandpa and Grandma Zembal at their farm and that Grandma Z. milked the cows. Both seemed in good health although getting along in age. I remember the swinging bridge across the River beyond the underground cellar and nearby garage, although I don’t know where the foot bridge was supposed to have gone. Just remember it pretty scary to get out there and have it swing while negotiating that lone wood plank and hanging onto the cables for railings. Seemed like open area between the cables and the foot plank just made for a youngster like me to fall between!! Along this river Grandpa Zembal met his fate one evening looking to bring the cow’s home from their wanderings. The year was 1949. Grandpa fell over the cliff, hit on an overhanging tree and died before hitting the water. Jim played guitar and sang his ballads in the house, outside, everywhere. Joe played harmonica in dining room during one visit. All the boys were loggers when they became old enough, as was Grandpa in his younger years. Prior to that, they scoured these forested hills each spring to peel chitin bark (cascara), pack out by the tons, dry, and sold in Aberdeen. There was little else to do in the area in those years. Julian had me wash his car one day ... must have been after the War. He just gave me a bucket of cold water, a rag, but no soap. It kept me out of mischief for whole afternoon as you can’t wash a car with those ingredients with out having streaks. He had a date that evening so his Ford sedan had to be super spruced up!! |
| Seems like Darlene and I made about three trips alone by bus to Aberdeen where one of the aunts or uncles would meet us. Once Frances met us and took us to where she worked at Miss O’Brien’s gift shop. What a ritzy, expensive place to us!! Of course we never saw much besides a rare occasion to Montgomery Wards or Sears Roebuck or Woolworth’s in Salem, back home. Then one year when Mom was with us, we all went to Frances’ luxurious apartment in Aberdeen and had an elegant breakfast after Mass that Sunday. We sat to eat at this beautiful table and chairs with the table covered with a starched, white, table cloth, napkins and three or four pieces of silverware at each place. We are more accustomed to a fork and fingers! I don’t know what we ate or who else was there but I do remember that Julian was there. It was a long table so quite a few others must have been there also. This must have been shortly before the War because none of the Uncles or Aunts were married. We heard about a boy friend, Grant, but hadn’t met him yet.
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We were living on Grandpa Kleczynski’s farm near Mission Bottom in Oregon (1942-1943) after the start of the War. Dad and other neighbors worried of maybe being drafted although Darlene, Don, Marilyn and soon Mickey to support plus having to work Grandpa’s farm and dairy. Grandpa was too old to care for it himself. Men with families of size were exempt from the draft. My Dad (Leo) would have been 40 yrs old, Mom (Sophie) at 30 yrs old. So many things rationed during the War. Sugar, tires, nearly anything made of metal, and gasoline. We had rationing-stamps for buying certain foodstuffs. Farmers were able to get more gas since now tractors used for working the ground for the food crops in need. Many farmers were still using horses for various tasks since tractors just coming into picture during last few years. Dad bought his first tractor, a John Deere with metal cleat tires in 1939 but soon traded for a Model B John Deere, a three wheel tractor with rubber tires. Most roads were gravel and cleat tires okay to travel the roads but road paving coming to many country roads. Dad was renting land and road travel a necessity. Better get rubber tired tractor or run the risk of angry neighbors and angry State and County workers for tearing up the new pavement! During the War years, Aunt Frances would write weekly letters with carbon copies, to send to the family members. Mom shared with Anne and vice versa as not all came to the same address each week. Everyone updated through Frances, the central receiver keeping all updated about the brothers and sisters in uniform. Tillie, dressed in her Army uniform, came to visit us in Oregon one year sometime during those War years. The folks gathered around the table to talk for hours and into the night. Tillie really looked spiffy in her Army uniform. Jim, Joe, Julian, Eddy, and Tillie, all readily volunteered to serve our country during that WWII. Amazing and noteworthy that five members of one family to serve. Jim in the U.S. Army stationed in the Philippines, Joe in the 82nd Airborne as a parachutist into enemy territory, Julian in the tank division as a driver, seeing action on the Burma Road and having their tank hit by enemy fire. Julian listed as Missing in Action for some days before found badly wounded. Eddy was an airplane mechanic keeping the planes in the air. Tillie was an Army nurse with the rank of Lieutenant. Jeanne was in training as a nurse in Bellingham (?) but too young to enter the military. Thankfully and fortunately, all returned home safely! Continued press here. |
Updated: 02-05-2019 |