In Memory of our Mom

Donna Marie (Williams) Stevens died 9 years ago today...so today's post is about my Mom. I love this photo of Mom on the tractor. I am sure it was a tractor that was probably on the Stevens' farm, because we all know that Mom was not a farm girl....in fact, she would not move into the farm house on Cty. Rd. H....until she had an indoor toilet!! Mom was not about to venture outside in freezing weather to use the "facilities". I, for one, am so glad Mom set her foot down on that issue!
Here are some things that some of you grandkids didn't know about your Grandma or Great Grandma Stevens....
1. She loved her Pepsi...later in life, she switched to Diet Pepsi.
2. She used to have a beauty shop in her house.
3. She was a 4-H advisor for many years, President of the Superior School Mother's Club.
4. She tried her very best to make sure that her kids had the opportunity to do fun things even if she didn't have the money.
5. She did not like her vegetables...she only feed us grean beans, corn and peas....never had caulflower or brocolli or anything like that because she did not like it.
6. I never saw her drive a tractor!!! I don't think she "slopped" the hogs either...slopped means...feed the hogs.
7. She a had strained relationship with her own Mother...she never felt like she was "good enough" for her Mom.
8. She had a thing for Shirley Temple movies....I think Shirley Temple to her was like Miley Cyrus to today's kids.
9. She wasn't good at saying "I love you"...that is not the way she was brought up...but she loved us all very much.
10. She would have given anything in the world to have those years back that Jean lived with our Grandma Williams. That haunted her until she died. I know she regretted not fighting to have Jean live with us.

Oh my, that's quite a list....some of these things needed to be said....I hope you understand your Grandma Stevens just a little better....


In Memory of Donna Marie (Williams) Stevens
March 19, 1925-July 26, 2000

Stevens Cousins

Look at these BOYS!!!! Those are the Stevens cousins...all the boys...except for Scott and Lyle Stevens...I am sure that Scott and Lyle were both born by the time this photo was taken, but they were probably too little to be out with the other boys.
The boys in the striped shirts are the sons of Charlie and Donna Stevens....they areDon, Chuck and Larry.
The boy next the Don in the button down shirt is our cousin Tom Stevens. Tom is the son of Harry and Norma (Traxler) Stevens and the two boys in the bib jeans are the Shaw cousin, Sam (the blonde) and Dan. They are the sons of Dorothy (Stevens) and John Shaw.
I am sure this photo was taken at the Stevens home on S. Jonesville Street in Montpelier.
Our grandparents moved off the farm outside of Edon and into this house on S. Jonesville St in Montpelier. After their death, their son Ronald (Butch) bought this home...Uncle Butch and Aunt Eva (Dirrim) Stevens lived there for many years. Their son Lyle Stevens bought this house and he and Susan (Thompson) Stevens lived here in their early married live, in fact, their son Jaret was born in this house...I believe in the sunroom on the south side of the house.

Picnic on the well pit

We didn't have a nice picnic table or a fancy table and chairs...all we had was this small wooden table and a few benches and chairs but we had a PICNIC...and that was special!!!! In front is Don and as you go to the left is me, Joan (I'm dressed like the boys!) and then Suz, Larry, Chuck and our little sister Jeri....
The well pit was right out our back door. Mom had laundry hanging on clothes lines...Look at that old baby stroller...
It looks like we were having a good time....

The 7 Stevens

This is my family...my brothers and sisters....This BLOG is dedicated to them.....This photo is of Chuck, Don Larry, Suz, (her real name is Janet, but we always call her Suz, Jeri and her kitty, Jean and myself, Joan.
We lived on a farm between Bryan and Montpelier...This is taken in our living room on the sectional sofa...I remember that the sofa would split apart everytime you sat on it....very annoying....
See the coffee table? It was very 50ish!!!...I believe this photo was taken in about 1958...we are all dressed very nice so I am thinking it is Easter time....
I hope to add photos and little stories and memories for my family to read and enjoy...this is just the 1st of many photos that I will be adding...keep coming back...you might enjoy this little blog!!!

I WISH I was an only child......

I remember when I was a child....the 6th child of a family of 7. I always thought that life would be so much better if I was an only child, like my friend Chris, or my friend RuthAnn....but Ruth had an older brother...he was MUCH older, so it seemed like she was an only child.
I used to spend the night at their homes all the time....it was fun to go to their house and it was so quiet...but then I must have missed all the noise, because I always wanted to get home....
So even if I thought being an only child was a great idea, as an adult, I am so happy to have all my brothers and sisters in my life....
So glad I was not an only child...