My great aunt Gene was my mother's, mother's sister. She was the oldest of seven children born to Glenn Pressey Clinger and Elmina Marsh Clinger. The family lived in the Erie, Pennsylvania area. Aunt Gene wrote a series of 'chapters' about life and family growing up in the 1920's and 30's organized by the addresses where they lived. For posterity, I am providing them here. They are edited for flow and clarity. I have also added current day images from Google maps, real estate pages and newspapers for further information.
Note: Gene had this chapter titled 1622 W. Second Street, however, my grandmother Carolyn had penciled in "I thought the house number was 1116 W. Second Street." After searching both addresses 1116 seems to be correct. This image matches the grainy black and white photo Gene had, although it is from a side view. This house also well fits the description of "just up the hill" from 110 Reservoir Street. This house was built in 1900.
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We moved from 110 Reservoir to (1116 W. Second Street) just up the hill. I guess my mother knew she was pregnant again. As I stated before I did not like 110 Reservoir so it was fine with me that we were moving. Again, I don't remember moving but never the less we did. When we moved I remember it was the spring of 1934 as the twins were born August 13, 1934. Mother was as big as she could be and sucked ice constantly. I can see her now sitting on the swing chewing ice. The weather must have been hot that summer as she was miserable. I remember that Carolyn, Ted and Cork went to Erie to stay with grandma and grandpa Marsh. Mother always told me to take care Doug if anything happened to her and I stayed at home. The day or evening the twins were born I had taken Doug to Mrs. Davidson who lived on Cedar Street on the north side of town. The twins were born while Doug and I were heading home on the bus. Richard was ten minutes old when I picked him up and held him. Doctor Magee and his helper, Mrs. Richards, wouldn't let me touch Robert as he was blue and needed some whiskey to get him started. This was a shock for mother and dad. Dad knew a pair of twins named Bob and Dick so the twins were named Richard Graham and Robert Marsh. We always called them Richard and Robert. They must have been fraternal twins for Richard had brown eyes and Robert had blue.
I laid out in the yard and got a bad sunburn that year for that was the fashionable thing to do. You can tell I am getting older. I was 12 years and 8 months older than the twins. I used to dance on roller skates in front of a mirror at Second Street. I went to South Side Jr. High which is not there anymore. It was at South that I was on the tumbling team. Mother had to make me a pair of black satin shorts for the team. Mrs. Rich picked the team and I was on it. LA DE DA! It was fun and I could stand on my head with my legs crossed and do the fish flop, no one else could do either one of them. We had assembly's at which the tumbling team performed. (Note from Arena: It is funny that one of my main memories of Aunt Gene is her teaching me how to stand on my head! We have some pictures of that I will post if I ever run into them again!)
I was in 8th grade by now and baby sitting for Mrs. Jetter who wanted to adopt Robert. I guess my mother and father said no for it never happened for which I was very glad. The twins turned two in the house and had measles. Mother was in the basement washing one day when I came home and discovered they had measles.
Imagine my mother with seven children and not having a experience with children around until she was 14 and father didn't have any around until he was 9. That was too much for them, but the store of my grandfather's provided us with food.
I was in Mrs. Turk's room and when she couldn't control the children in her room she made us sit in the auditorium. I was in the 8th grade when a counselor, Mrs. Florence Johnstone wanted to see me. I remember getting all dolled up to go see her. All she wanted to know was why I was so stooped over. I did not tell her about the twin brothers I was carrying around.
I was becoming more interested in boys at this time. I was liking a Nelson but I don't remember his first name. Also a Delbert Reamly and Phil Gothen were beginning to hang around. We would skate under the street lights. That Christmas I got a ski outfit name of corduroy and some skis. We would go up to the old Trax house and ski. I also borrowed ice states and we went down to the west end point and skated on the ice. We also built a ski run with a jump in it in back of the house. I liked living there, The house was big and it has 4 bedrooms.
03/25/95
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