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FamilyLife  Edith Padget, Vetra’s mother, circa 1940. Courtesy of Leon Wilkinson. Family Life 35 35 Don’t Sass One time chuck done something and mom was giving him a whipping for it. Short (Paul) didn’t like it so he called mom a name which was the wrong thing to do. Ha. Ha. 36 Vetra Melrose Padget Covert 36 Smoking Paul was smoking and it made him sick. Mom found him laying on the bed with his head in the window to get a breeze. He asked her if that wind would help him. I think he wanted it too. He was sick. Family Life 37 37 Jesus Loves Me Mom told me when I was real small and young I would climb up and set on the dresser and watch myself and sing“Jesus loves me.” 38 Vetra Melrose Padget Covert 38 Why I Did It I Never Knew This is one on myself. Why I did it I never knew. We kids were down at Dan Moughlers. We were all setting in the yard. Dobin (George Pherigo) was there. They went in to eat Dinner. We just ate before we went down. While they were eating we set in the yard. I was chewing gum. I took my gum and stuck it in the bottom of one chair. Dobbin set down in that chair, when he got up the gum strung out and Dan said whoa there Dobbin you got gum on your pants. He took his pocket knife and scraped it off. First one then the other would say I wonder how that gum got on the chair. They knew but they didn’t do anything too us. Family Life 39 39 Sleepwalking I always walked in my sleep. Not because I wanted too I just couldn’t help it. I never got hurt but I would get up in my sleep and walk around the stairway. It was an open one and no railing. Reva decided she would sleep in front. If I got out of bed she would catch me. But one nite I got out of bed in the winter and took all the covers off her and made it to the stairway before she caught me. One nite I was just stepping off the bottom step when I woke up. Boy I made a fast trip back to bed. I wouldn’t be down there because everyone was sleeping up stairs. 40 Vetra Melrose Padget Covert 40 If She Is Gone, She’s Gone One nite time we had company. We kids lay on the floor and went to sleep. When the company was gone Mom and Barbara was getting us to bed I was missing. Boy I guess everyone was going crazy looking and hollowring for me. Dad said well if she is gone she’s gone. But finally some one found me curled up in a tire flower bed asleep. I wouldn’t have been there for nothing I tell you. Family Life 41 41 Tine in the Neck Charles was small and Clell was cleaning out the barn. Charles climbed up on the wagon as Clell threw a fork full on the wagon and stuck Charles in the neck with one tine of the fork. Just scared Clell, Mom and of course us kids was too. Clell brought him to the house and Mom sent Barbara to get some flour to stop the bleeding but no flour and hardly a spoon of Sugar. Clell took Mom and Chuck to Troy to Dr. Garrett. He got along fine. 42 Vetra Melrose Padget Covert 42 Home Remedies Mom always used a poltice on sores that needed it. If bread and milk poltice didn’t work guess what cow manure poltice. I tell you it worked. When She greased us for a cold it was Kerosene and lard warmed together till warm and rub it on. It worked and put 3 drops on a tsp of sugar and swallow it to break a cold up. Family Life 43 43 Chuck’s Dogs Chuck liked dogs. He would make a harness for them hitch them to a scoop shovel and lead them all over. Some times the other boys would help him. 44 Vetra Melrose Padget Covert 44 Down Comes the Dresser Chuck liked cats too. He had a alley cat he tho’t so much of. But the darn thing would go to moms dirty clothes and do its job. She didn...

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