Know Thyself - The Early Years - Where Did Gabbie Come From? Remembering...

 

Vacation Bible School was our Summer Fun and Learning Time!

Some of the videos are newer and are sometimes slightly different from what I learned...But fun and exciting to learn about Jesus!

Who Could Have Known? Yes, I'd thought about writing in the past, but just couldn't bring myself to do so. I've had somewhat of an unusual life, I think... Certainly, not a "traditional" woman's role in our culture.

I was born in March, which makes me a Pisces. I never paid too much attention to the daily horoscope business, but had at one time, began to consider the attributes assigned each sign, as I met and wanted to get to know people. Perhaps my being interested in knowing myself, and in relation to other people, was driven by the family structure into which I was born.

My mother, Dorothy Lorraine Ellenberger Bixler, was carrying me, her fourth child when my father, Glenn, was killed in a mine accident, kicked by a horse who was pulling coal out from under ground, apparently. For whatever reason, none of the immediate family, my Mother; two sisters, Delores Arlene, and Nellie Marlene; and one son, Wilbur Keith.  never talked about my Father. I don't think it was intentional, but merely the routine activities that were demanded in those days, just to respond to basic household or work requirements.

For me, it was a vacuum--a picture, the only one I've ever seen, of a tall, big man, in whom I could see a resemblance. to myself. Early in life, I was the latest child to become involved with the Baptist Church. We were all active in church, singing or playing the piano. I was baptized at Age 13. The only thing I really remember about being in church were all the children's songs, and then hymns routinely sung any time the door was open.

I remember that one minister, Reverend Bable and his wife usually came for Sunday dinner. We always had chicken and homemade noodles.  My mother was a great cook and we all enjoyed our Sunday, and favorite, dinner. But, with it came vivid memories! 

Chicken Backs and Necks - 5 cents a pound! There was a store just on the outskirts of Uniontown which would feature sales occasionally... Gabbie Asks: Have any of you ever seen a chicken back or neck, little on eat one? LOL Actually there are some very good pieces of meat there...But consider cleaning pounds and pounds of them all at one time?! Yikes! They were an excellent base for the Sunday dinner... Chicken and Noodles, homemade style!

And, another vivid memory, although I'm not sure where Mom actually obtained a live chicken or two once in a while... Well, she had a butcher knife--one I might even still have today--and she'd go out on our back porch, grab the legs of a chicken, turn it upside down so that the wings fell out and around that squawking bird, and she'd take that butcher knife...and calmly slit its throat... Did I tell you that Mom was a "real" country girl!?

We were on social security which covered all of us, from death benefits. My Mother worked as an LPN for local neighbors, helping with meds, shots... She also cleaned house for a dentist who lived across the street. And at night she was usually ironing. 

Thought it would be fun to share the mangle Mom used was used. It sat in the corner of the kitchen, had a flat board rather than a round one. My guess is that, when she began to work for the Hagers, their piece of equipment was relocated to our home... A couple of things related to this family. Mrs. Hager (known as Dick, for some reason) was the second grade school teacher in our community. While Dr. Hager's work was in Morgantown, WV, he did provide total dental care, free, for our family! Additionally, it was he who sponsored my brother to attend The Masonic School for Boys, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Needless to say, we became very close as friends.

If you were paying attention, you should immediately have realized that it seemed my Mother was always working, even cleaning the church where we attended! To this day, we continue to be amazed that she worked so hard to provide as a single parent of four children.

And, each of us came to know the work ethic, which we later all shared, as well as the tendency to work long hours, first, in taking care of our home, while Mom was working, and taking on small jobs to earn money to help. My brother sold Grit a weekly family-oriented newspaper (which I later took over when he went away to school). I also carried water for an elderly couple and received a nickel for each bucket carried. It was a fairly long route for a young girl to travel. But, they ran a little ice cream shop and having them as our neighbors brought forth delicious treats! Mr. Davis gave me my first nickname, Whitey, since my hair was so white in those days.

Few memories of events or activities come to mind. Except that sometime when I was old enough to take on chores, I was responsible for dusting the entire house. My sister Dee did the sweeping and overall cleaning of all rooms, while my oldest sister, had kitchen duty, which not only included cleaning, but also to cook and prepare meals for the following week...

I sang all the time--in church, at home to our grand piano...and then I started to pick out different parts of a song, singing an octave higher or lower...Duets with my sister came quickly... I took piano lessons, but really didn't care to pursue it further than to be able to become a part-time backup pianist for the various churches. or for other activities I've attended throughout my life.

Fun...Laying on a blanket under the big pear tree...

Playing with cousin Barbie Sue...using a lace curtain as a wedding veil. She was always the bride...

Early on career choice for me was secretary. After Marlene who had really wanted to be a nurse until she actually got into its reality. She then took a business school secretarial course. It was great to discover that, because I had always wanted to be a secretary, and had chosen the commercial business course in school, I was totally prepared to take on a job, equal to that my sister took, after having gone to business school... My first job was at the school from which I had graduated in 1963, Albert Gallatin Senior High School. I was Salutatorian; i.e., second in my total class of over 300...and first of those graduating within the business course curriculum.

After a summer job at the school, I tested for work at West Virginia University, was hired by the Personnel Office who had administered my tests, as a Records Clerk, on July 18, 1963.

More memories...on another page...