Memories posted by Jeannine Sumpter

Hi Moulton Cousins!

It has been fun reading all of your “Grandpa & Grandma Moulton memories”. Reading them has sparked some memories of my own. I can see Grandma in her apron standing at the back door waving to us as we left her home. Every time she made mother cry as we drove away. Now mother sits at her window and waves when we drive away.

I remember helping Grandma kill chickens. That was nothing for her. She would catch a chicken with her long hook, wring their neck and cut their heads off. That is where I learned “Like a chicken with its head cut off” really meant. I watched a few run around their garden until she could get them caught again and dropped into the pan of boiling water. Then she would quickly pull out all the feathers and soon the chicken would be in the kitchen sink. It wouldn’t be long before it was in the pot on the stove and we had it for dinner. That wasn’t anything for her. She did it so easily I was amazed. I also enjoyed gathering eggs with Grandpa. He so enjoyed working around in the garden and with the chickens. I think he really enjoyed his grandchildren being there with them.

I came down with scarlet fever when we were visiting them one summer and I had to be quarantened there with Mother and Mary Dawn for two long weeks. I’ll bet that was a long two weeks for Grandpa. Grandma didn’t mind though. I had a bed by the window in the living room and my dad could only come and wave at us through the window.

I remember sleeping in the small bedroom very often. There wasn’t heat in that room and we would get ready for bed in the living room by the heater, then we would run as fast as we could and jump into bed and hide under the comforter. I didn’t like to get up in the middle of the night because the floor was so cold.

I remember that metal food storage cupboard also. Grandma always had crackers in there and it was always fun to go there for a snack. The cellar frightened me, and I didn’t like the damp smell, but I always enjoyed the fruit we got down there.

Mary Dawn & I loved to play in Donna’s closet and try on her shoes, clothes, especially her Wasatch High band uniform. We loved to put that on and pretend we were in a parade. We must have driven her nuts, but she was always good to us.

We would follow the pea wagons going to the cannery and sit on the side of the curb and eat peas from the vine that would fall as the wagon lumbered down the road.

I loved to go to the fair in Heber every August. One year Grandma gave me a new purse and I think I had a dollar in change in it. I left in on one of the rides and I was broken hearted. I went to find it, but I never did. I thought I had lost something very valuable. Grandma and Grandpa were always very patient and kind with us, and I loved to go visit them.
I have enjoyed hearing from all of you. It’s great to have all of your addresses and it’s good to keep in touch with you. I hope we can see each other sometime this summer.
Jeannine