Bill Deck's  Memories 

Remembrances:

  So, the trip is over and I first of all realized “How Lucky We All Are to be a descendant of the Herrold Family”.  I have always said that one never knows how well you have it until you know from Whence  You Came.  This trip provided that information.  I can say that we all owe our ancestors a big thank you for giving up all and coming to this country to start anew.  Hands down they risked all to build a life for their kids.  Each intern risking their current life for a potentially better life as the West was settled.  No one thinks of the West as being Pennsylvania or Ohio but it was. Next to Stoffel’s grave was the grave of an 11 year old who was killed and scalped by the Indians.

Nelsonville, Ohio is Appalachia and is still struggling to make it.  But, they built a new life with their hands, sweat,  and  brains - a place for themselves and others in a Virgin Territory.  That is the foundation of our DNA and how the Herrolds raised each of us.  I am very proud to say that I am a Herrold descendant.

One, I do have the Unabridged dictionary and can open it.  I remember Grandma opening it hand showing me the pictures of birds and animals.  Later in life I had to learn words from it.  Grandpa saw to that.

Two, I doubt many remember it Grandpa had a room down the basement of the Indianola house that he would provide free of charge to a minority student attending OSU.  They in turn would help him with the maintenance on the house.

Three,  I had the first big wheel.  Grandpa took my trike to someone and had it chopped and a box seat was put on it and I would ride it down the hill on Indianola.  I also had a roller skate scoter with an apple crate nailed to the board and small board for handles.

Four,  No one has talked about the Dog House.  The Dog House was in the basement of the white house with a Daybed, Grandpa’s and his bother’s ROTC picture from OSU, the gingerbread clock that Mike now has.  Grandpa told me after I got married “ Make sure you have a Dog House”, a place to go when the women are upset.  Mine is now called the bunker.

Five,  June I am glad you have that Green Chair  - I think I spent an equal amount of time in it.

Six, Canning I helped Grandma with her canning -  in the fall we could can everything from jelly, beans, apples and pickles.  She had shelves in the basement that Grandpa built that held about 150 glass jars.

Seven, Mike there was a time when Grandpa was lighting the BBQ.  He used Kerosene.  Grandma told him to use wax or paper to start the charcoal but no he did it his way.  Thus, when he lit the charcoal, it exploded and burned off his eyebrows and singed his hair.

Eight, the Indianola house was huge and needed lots of work.  So one day grandpa was painting the third floor exterior walls.  I was on the front porch playing.  All of a sudden he stopped what he was doing and slowly came down the ladder.  He yelled to grandma – Mabel I am having a heart attack.  An ambulance came and took him to the hospital.

Nine, Left over piecrust was rolled out and coated with butter and cinnamon sugar and backed as a treat for me because I helped her bake.

Not that I am successful by means but Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Donna watched over me when Mom was working two jobs to make ends meet.  The proved Love, Discipline, Education on being independent and resourceful.  I wish that we all could have lived closer together and been even a closer family.  But, I will take what I had.