Gail Rowell Mank's Memories of Joyce

These are memories written by Gail Rowell Mank. (She sent them to me, Linda, written by hand as she doesn’t have a computer. So, words by Gail, typos by Linda.)

Our family lived in Maine, but because my dad wanted to buy a farm in Maine we all moved to Massachusetts so dad could work in a steel factory to earn and save money to buy that hen farm in Maine.

Once the money was saved, my mother came back to find a place and that was when we started living in East Union. I had completed kindergarten in Massachusetts

I don’t remember the first time I met Joyce and Margaret, they lived in a little brown house near May’s summer home. Ralph had built the house.

Us three girls were playmates from the time we moved to East Union. There were two other girls in the neighborhood that we knew, but we three played together.

We played dolls a lot in those days. We often played on the front door step that was granite, and it is still there! We would pretend our dolls really ate what we gave them. We also played with paper dolls. They were fun, but not always easy to change their clothes with the paper tabs. They didn’t hold very well.

Joyce was taller and had a larger frame. Margaret had dark curly hair. I was always the small one no matter where we went, however, I was the boss! I don’t think then we thought who was tall, little, or whatever.

In the summer months, we would spend hours in the brook below Ralph Jones’ Farm. It was just a small area with one deep place. It had plenty of eels and blood suckers! We were too young to be left alone, so Pete would have to stay with us when we went to the brook. Not happy days for him! The time did come when our parents felt we could swim well enough to go alone.

We would pack our lunch, most always it was peanut butter or whatever we had on hand to eat. We would call up on the old crank telephone. Our ring was 3 1, three long rings and one short. We would make plans for the day. We would swim and then walk back up to their house. Each one had a door step to dry out on. One of the few times we were quiet.

One year I had a great wish to have a Cupie doll for Christmas. We talked about how we would share her, take her swimming. We talked about that all summer. Christmas came, but no Cupie doll We didn’t always got what we wanted in those days. we just accepted it and went on!

We always went to the Union Fair together. I can still feel the excitement of waiting until the day came for us 3 to go! We were left off at the fair grounds for the whole day. That was a fun day. None of us had much to spend, so we made it last. We must have walked miles!

One time we decided to clean a small hen pen out for a play house. What plans. We would paper it, get furniture, etc. The clearing out project was more than we had planned, so we picked out a smaller house. Easier to clean. We did fix it up to look like what we thought was great. Had play dishes, empty cereal boxes. I had a cousin (boy) make a visit from Massachusetts He would tease us about our playhouse and what he was going to do to it. Us 3 girls put a stop to that.

We use to play in our garage in the evening. Dad had bags full of grain to feed the hens. We painted the regular light bulb red. That was a big deal to put that on in the evening. A red light at that stage in our lives had no meaning, except it was pretty and no on had one like it!

One summer I got a box of hand me down clothes from my cousins in Massachusetts. It had a couple af Halloween costumes, a clown suit, etc. We decided we would put on a show for our area, right in the garage! We would invite the neighborhood kids and parents or anyone that would come! That took a lot of planning, big time stuff! We figured out a program and we would ask one cent! Lena came and some of the kids and my mother. We knew we were all headed for Hollywood. I use to sing a lot in those days. No doubt. I thought I was the star of the show!

We used to play Cricket a lot. Think Lena showed us how to play. We used a stick and tennis ball. She would play with us.

In the summer months, Lena would do the washing outside. She would set up 2 large tubs under the washer, wringer, all manual labor. She would call us to take a turn at the crank to turn the wringer part.

They had an outhouse a distance from their house. One day the cat came while Joyce was there and bit her ear! She was so mad at that cat.

In the winter, we always had good hills to slide on. Lena would often join us in that sport too. We would hitch our sleds all together and start from the corner, (now Brooks Rd.) go all the way down to the end, turn the corner, go all the way down to the end, turn the corner, go all the way down the cemetery hill, across the bridge and part way up the hill. Lots of ice! We used to go on May’s hill in the field when it had a good coating of crust. We would take a piece of cardboard and hoped you would get on it before it slipped and went on alone! I remember the moon being so bright and we would be out all evening. Nice trip down, but a hard walk back. We didn’t need exercise machines back then.

I would often spend the night with Joyce and Margaret. We would play games all evening. We would make so much noise in that kitchen. Lena was a good sport to play. She always acted like she was having a lot of fun! I was the one that slept in the middle. All 3 in the same bed! In the little brown house, the rooms upstairs wasn’t finished. We didn’t pay much attention to material things back then. Lena would fix a whole baker sheet full of white bread, butter with the cinnamon sugar baked in the oven. That was the best.

When Fred Simmons died, he left the farm house to Lena. The little brown House was empty for awhile. One Halloween we had a party there. We had some apple cider that was a little stingy and we were sure we were a little drunk. I think I put on a show that evening!

The farm house had a lot of memories. Playing in the hay. We would play hide and seek. Jumped from high places that no doubt was dangerous.

We would sleep out in a tent on some summer nights. We had an old, canvas Army tent. We would set it up on the front lawn. Took old quilts, comic books, crackers, and other snacks. One time Joyce found an adult book. That was a real secret! We really didn’t fight much for having 3 girls together. Joyce was the brains. She loved to figure out any kind of a puzzle in a paper or magazine. She did very well in school. I was sure I could beat her in speed typing, no way. She was much more serious in her education and she would beat me. She always figured out the bonus word in shorthand.

Once in awhile in the summer, Ralph and Lena would go to a movie in Rockland, Strand Theatre. I would get ready and then go to their house. The girls would be busy trying to find something to wear. A lot of cotton material and that needed ironing! Us 3 would ride in the back of the pick-up truck. I was always after Joyce for buying hard candy and chewing on it during the movie! We would stop in West Rockport on the way home at a small eating place. It was owned by Pearlie Merrifield. I am sure it wasn’t state inspected. What good hamburgers. A great treat for us to go to a movie and eat out after.

At my house, we had an outhouse. It was in the shed, but we went to it by the summer kitchen. We didn’t need to go outside. It had 3 holes, large, medium, and small. One would let the other know if they had to go to the toilet! So, all 3 girls would go too! Joyce had the large hole, Margaret the medium and Gail the small hole. We would talk and visit like it was the most natural thing to do!

My mother always kept a pantry full of extras like nuts, cherries, powdered and brown sugar, olives. Joyce and Margaret would want to go look at all those extra things. Some of those things were never seen except at Christmas or Thanksgiving! We didn’t have a lot, but more than most in our neighborhood.

I always liked cooking and us 3 would make things at my house. I had put a cake in the oven, (not a mix) Joyce was to check on it when the timer went off. She came and told me the timer went off, but she wasn’t sure it was done, what should she do?? That use to make me so mad. She was so smart at school and yet something simple was a puzzle. She said one time I got mad at her and threw a knife!

I remember Lena getting the old work horse out in the winter. She would hitch it up to the sleigh. What fun that was. Joyce fell off in the road and she was mad and just sat there for awhile. We use to take long walks in the woods. We would take a lunch and explore a new area. No T.V., so much we didn’t have and yet we were rich in so many ways.

We use to play marbles in the driveway. We use to ice skate on a farm pond in East Union. Later in life we would walk to Lermond Pond and skate with other kids. They would burn rubber tires for light and warmth.

Joyce and Margaret use to come to our house to look at the tree (Christmas) in the bay window. My mother liked a pretty tree. They were hard to find, but my brother would end up finding one that looked good enough to bring in to the house. She would always put the angel hair on it. We had lots of gifts. I think the story was told that Lena liked to see what she had before Christmas!

One Christmas Joyce and Margaret was looking at the gifts we got from Aunts in Massachusetts. They always wrapped the gifts so special and bought nice things. We looked over one package and decided we would open it. So off to my room and to my surprise then, we found a pretty bracelet. Our secret! That Christmas Eve when we opened our gifts it was no surprise and I felt so guilty! I never did that again.

We felt so grown up when we were all allowed to go to East Union to swim at the popular swim area where all the “big kids” went swimming. It is called Morgan’s Mill now.

Once I graduated from Union High School and got married, I didn't see my pals much. Joyce went off to college, Margaret married and not in Maine. I always did try to catch up with Joyce and sent her a Christmas card. We spent 20 years in the Navy and then we moved back to Maine. I use to see Joyce once in awhile when she made it to Maine on vacation. She finally moved back and we were adult friends again with a child’s mind. Joyce always understood how I liked the simple and childish things. She often treated me like the baby.

We really had lots of hours to talk and reminisce. This all took place when I was the care giver for Jack’s mom Gwen.

I’ll never forget the gift of money she gave me just before we left for Boston for Merv’s mouth surgery. She knew about being in Boston, the waiting and the healing time. She always gave way more than she needed to.

She was my forever friend. I loved her and she knew it. We shared so much over the years, a real treasure that some never know.

You had a mom that loved her children and grandchildren. She often gave more than she had. She never gave a little, it had to be a lot!

One year I dressed up for Halloween and went to her new house. She didn’t know it was me. I came home and called her. She laughed so hard. No one could laugh like she did, except Lena. I enjoyed calls to her and hearing her laugh.

We were happy in our childhood, not knowing the cares of the real world.

I’m sure there are more stories, but for now you will have a few to think about. We had such a bond that no one else can replace.

Memories from the past by--Gail Rowell Mank.