(Jan. 28, 1992) In going through a large
box of memorabilia last week I picked up a five year diary which had been
given to Troy, by his high school sweetheart. On the front flyleaf is written, "Presented to Troy R Brady -- by -- Vada I. Elder -- Christmas Eve - 1924." On the opposite side of the flyleaf Troy had written, "Words are words, and likewise thoughts are thoughts. When writing in this book write only thoughts, not words." We
both had a good laugh over that. No doubt his teenage wisdom told him that
was a very profound statement. Now he can't imagine what he was thinking
at the time. What he probably meant to say was, that his thoughts were recorded
in the diary and they were to be secret.
Troy's memory is that the diary was
given to him when he was a senior in high school and Vada a junior, but if
so the date should be 1923, instead of 1924, for he graduated on May 8, 1924.
I think his fast entry must have been made on November 18, 1924, when he
wrote, "First day in school at M. S. B. C. Room at Bob Wyatts, 521 Ann Street." (Parkersburg, West Virginia)
The first entry in the front of the
book is dated Jan. 1, 1924. His entries for over a month are dated 1924,
but we know from what he has written that he was in Mountain State Business
College in Parkersburg and working at a quick food restaurant at that time.
He did not go to Parkersburg until November of 1924 so his first entries
have to be dated incorrectly.
We both read the diary through about
every ten years, as we do our love letters, but I do not remember ever noticing
the confusion in his dating of the entries. I think we just gave it a casual
reading until I decided that I wanted to preserve some of the comments in
the book, since it is going to pieces and probably should be discarded when
we are through with it.
Troy wrote only a few weeks in his
diary at the beginning of the year, then occasional entries were made during
the rest of 1925 and in 1926 They are the usual things a late teenager would
probably write concerning school, work, letters received and written, etc.
He frequently mentioned Vada. One
letter he received from her scolded him for not writing to his grandmother,
with whom he had lived before going to Parkersburg. Another entry indicated
that he and Vada had an "understanding" before he left for Parkersburg. I
think it was probably one of those "engaged to be engaged arrangements,"
which proved not too binding. But I heard a lot about Vada after we were
married. I think here I should quote essentially two paragraphs from my book,
Reclaimed Memories," concerning this relationship.
''Troy's girl friend in high school was the principal's daughter, Vada Elder.
We have a kodak picture of the two of them. After our marriage he often mentioned
her. Her dad would tease him by calling him "son-in-law." I think he liked
her parents as much as he did Vada. Vada later married a man by the name
of "Haun," and they lived in Grafton, W. Va., in 1937. The Grafton church
had the only lady pastor in the United Brethren Church in the conference,
Lois Luzader. The denomination's annual Missionary Convention was being held
in this church in 1937 and Troy and I attended it. As soon as we went into
the church Mrs. Luzader said, "Rev. Brady, Mrs. Haun has called two or three
times to ask if you had arrived." I'm sure Troy felt gratified that his high
school sweetheart was inquiring about him and I felt gratified that at long
last I would be able to meet this paragon of perfection before we left the
city.
We were assigned to the home of a family by the name of Sloan, for lodging
and breakfasts during the convention. Mr. Sloan and Vada's husband taught
in the same high school. We inquired about them and told the Sloans and another
couple who were staying there, that Troy and Vada were high school friends
and we were anxious to see her. Mr. Sloan looked at me and said, "Mrs. Brady,
you do not need to go with him to see Mrs. Haun. When he comes back he will
put his arms around you and say, 'Honey, I sure am glad I married you."'
I understood what he meant when we visited her the next day. She was a short
woman almost as broad as she was tall. But I liked her and enjoyed the visit.
After we had gone a little distance from her home on our way back to the
church Troy put his arm around my waist and said, "Honey, I sure am glad
I married you!"
There are a number of entries in
the fall of 1925 that show he did not lack for a social life. Several girls
are mentioned that probably added interest to his business college days.
He played with "The Nightingales" for several dances and once wrote,
"I danced with a hot mama with glasses." "At Irelands. Met "Betty" Thrash.
(?) Got a date for Wed. nite. She seems very modest." (A
little addition at this late date about the said "Betty" Thrash. My name
was not Betty, but Elizabeth. He said, "Elizabeth is too long. I am going
to call you "Betty" and Betty I became to so many people who came to know
us well. When I sign letters, to some (sign as Betty and to some as Elizabeth.
Perhaps the "modest" note was prompted because I slapped him when he kissed
me without my permission. The question mark after "Thrash" was because he
was not sure of the spelling.)
Four days later he wrote, "In Love. Work today. Betty's at 8:00 pm. She dances very well. Either very green or very good. Probably both." (I object! Not green, but knew how I wanted to be treated.)
Troy was an excellent dancer. The
Charleston was the rage at that time and he could do all those intricate
steps that won him first place in a dance contest at the Hippodrome Theater
before we met. His musical ability and his dancing really impressed me. I
loved to dance so that is the way we enjoyed our dates.
July 4, 1926. Betty and I make the big plunge. Holly and Cosie help us. Rev. West put on the "glue."
The following statistics were entered at the end of July, for Troy: Weight 120 lbs. Height 5 feet 6-12 inches. Shoe size 6-1/2 wide.
Betty: weight 103 lbs. Height 5 feet 3 inches. Waist 23 inches. Hips 33 inches. Shoe size 4. (No
mention of bust. The Thrash sisters were a little ashamed of their rather
large breasts. Flat and boyish was the style in the 20's. My feet really
grew two or three sizes!)
Troy's diary was laid aside after
our marriage in 1926 until after Howard's birth. We were living in Cairo,
West Virginia and serving our fast pastorate when we started to jot down
incidents which I think will be of interest to our sons and our grandchildren
if I record them.
There are exactly eight years and
five months difference in Marion and Howard's ages and we were so happy when
Howard arrived The children provided so much joy to our lives that we wanted
to record some of those events, and the diary seemed a good permanent place
to preserve the little incidents that gave us pride and joy. I am going to
go through the book and just type some of the entries
and the dates when recorded. (Most of the later entries were made by me,
the proud mother of two sons!)
Jan. 25, 1936. Howard laughed time after time today, when I played with him. Surely is lively for three months.
When Howard was two weeks old Troy's
dad and half sister, Lois, came to live with us. Dad was a chiropractor,
but the practice had been outlawed in West Virginia, due to the lobbying of
the A.M.A. and he was so near blind with cataracts that he could not work
Lois was twelve years old and her mother had deserted the two of them for
another man. They had to have help and we seemed thrones to give it at this
time. They remained with us for exactly twenty weeks. While there Dad got
the medical attention he needed.
Feb. 5, 1936. Drove to Parkersburg today. Dad Brady had his teeth pulled and we had the baby's picture taken at Dills.
Feb. 17th. Howard's picture came today. His daddy declares that it looks
just like his baby picture! It surely looks just like Howard to me!
Feb. 19, 1936. Marion brought his report card home today. Every grade an
"A." We are proud of our fine little lad. Hope he turns out as good a man
as he is a student.
Feb. 23, 1936. Ted Blossom, Ruth, Ralph and Ann Hopkins were here for supper
this evening and stayed until 10:00 o'clock. It isn't long till March 15th.
(Ted and Blossom were to be married then.)
Marion played the uke, clarinet and chorded a little on the guitar for them.
They gave him enough money, with what he had saved to buy his music rack.
Feb. 24, 1936. Howard is four months old today. He weighs 14 pounds and is
such a sweet little fellow. Laughs all the time and can almost sit alone.
His grandpa has taught him to blow through his lips. He doesn't always make
the noise, but does manage to spit all over himself.
A hectic morning. Miss Kellar (Marion's teacher)
told Marion at school today that he made the best average in the county on
his monthly tests. Average of ninety-nine and a half.
March 4, 1936. Dad operated on at 9:30 a. m. Dr. Hartman removed cataracts. Appears successful. Dad on his back for 20 hours. (How
very different from a cataract operation today. Troy had to stay awake all
night to see that his dad did not move his head. Troy returned home the next
day. His dad did not get home until March 10th. (On that day Troy and Blossom
signed a note for $55.00 to Dr. Hartman.)
March 14, 1936. Marion got a painful injury to his am. Think a bone maybe
broken. Beulah, Buddy and little Teddy stay all night. (Relatives) Beulah and Ruth have a good time with Howard. He does several cute tricks now. Shakes hands like a Methodist.
March 15, 1936. Blossom and Ted married today. Troy tied the knot. There
were guests present. Included were the Clintons, Hinkles, Ruth, Dad, Lois,
and our family. It was in Ruby's home in Parkersburg.
March 18th. Miss Daubenspeck and Miss Kellar, Lois and Marion's teachers,
were here for dinner this evening. Miss Kellar said that Marion and Carolyn
Moyers each made an average of 99 percent on the county tests for the month,
the highest in the county. Miss Kellar also said that it was an honor to
make the highest grade average in her room, as she had several exceptionally
bright children. All we have heard over the radio today is flood news. Johnstown
and Pittsburgh especially are in a crisis. Fire, famine and a shortage of
drinking water feared. Ibis was the greatest flood in the history of the
state. Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle" under 18 feet of water.
March 20, 1936. the flood crested in Parkersburg at 48 feet. Not as severe
as the 1913 flood which crested at 58-feet. Blossom and Ted returned from
honeymoon. Here tonight.
March 24th. Howard is five months old today and his first tooth is just through
the gum. He is beginning to sit alone. Never still a minute. Stiffens his
little back and scoots off our laps to the floor like a two year old.
March 28, 1936. Dad and Lois went to Rosalyn's today. Blossom and Ted took
them, along with Dad's two dogs. Troy and I had a little cry after they left.
Dad hated so to leave the baby, and who wouldn't!
April 10, 1936. Miss Kellar gave the children their county test results for
last month. Marion's again was the highest, with an average of 97 and Caroline
Moyers was second with a 95.
April 18, 1936. Troy came home today from Huntington. (He held a revival there.)
Think he was glad to get home and we were surely happy to see him! Brought
all of us gifts. Howard a rubber kitty and a jumping Micky Mouse; Marion
a New testament, a Swiss Family Robinson, a ball and a bow and arrow, and
for me a real pretty pink, crepe dress. Marion said, "He is the best daddy
in the world."
April 20, 1936. Both boys have the whooping cough.
April 21, 1936. Marion is home from school to stay until he gets over the
whooping cough, or everyone else gets it. I went to school for his books.
Miss Kellar wants him back so badly. She had him entered in three of the
district tests; reading, writing and spelling. He was the only one entered
for more than one contest.
April 24, 1936. Howard six months old today. He pulls himself to a standing position and hangs on to the side of his bed.
April 30, 1936. Howard now crawls and walks around his bed.
May 24, 1936. Marion's ninth birthday. We could not give him much, except
our love and the book "Robinson Crusoe." Ruby Clayton gave him a nice box
containing souvenirs from different places, also pencil sharpener, crayons
and marbles. Howard crawls everywhere and climbs anything. Has to be watched
every second. Rev. and Mrs. Capehart, Paul, Ann and Billy here for dinner
today.
(As I go through this diary and see how
many visitors we had for meals and to stay overnight I wonder how in the
world we ever fed them adequate meals, while we were living in Cairo. Later
we were not so poverty stricken.)
May 26, 1936. Howard learned to patty-cake and say, "Mama" today.
June 14, 1936 Howard gets sweeter every day. Claps his hands every time we
say pattycake. Marion is so good and patient with the baby. Don't think he
would raise any objection regardless of how the baby treated him. He hides
and Howard will look everywhere for him, then laughs or squeals when he finds
him.
June 15, 1936. We took seven young people as delegates to the Christian Endeavor
Training School in Huntington. Went in an old Dodge truck. Left Marion with
Blossom and Ted in Parkersburg.
June 19, 1936. Home again and glad to be here. So glad to see Marion. Howard
made a big fuss over him when he got in the truck. Patted his face and squaled.
Marion said he had had a good time but was glad to see us. We are dead tired.
June 20, 1936. Marion and Howard had a big game of hide and seek today. There
was not much catsup left and Marion put the bottle on his chair until he
had his potatoes on his plate, then emptied the bottle over his potatoes.
I said, "Marion, you should be ashamed to think more of yourself than you
do of Mother and Daddy." He said "I do not think more of myself. I just think
more of catsup."
June 27, 1936. Howard took two steps alone today.
Sept. 2, 1936. Conference begins today. I wonder if we will go to Union. (We did.)
Sept. 17, 1936. (Troy made this entry) "Moved to Union Charge. Three ladies cleaned the parsonage. Our furniture dusty." (Our
furniture was moved by truck In the United Brethren Church the parsonages
were not furnished, as they are in the United Methodist Church.) The next
day Troy wrote, "A hard day unpacking. A surprise shower from the Union Church. They brought about $10. worth of groceries." (Those groceries would have cost at least $50. at today's prices.)
Oct. 2, 1936. Our new living room furniture and rug came today. Our house begins to look like a home.
Oct. 30, 1936. A piece of glass worked out of Howard's foot today. Been in
there over four months. No wonder he quit trying to walk! He was taking steps
alone in June.
Nov. 16, 1936. Marion made his decision for Christ tonight. We are all very happy!
Nov. 17, 1936. Marion testified for the first time tonight at the prayer
service in the Union Church. Howard did his best to follow his example.
Nov. 24, 1936. Howard is thirteen months old today. He understands almost
everything said to him and talks a lot for his age. He puts two and three
words together and just about expresses what he wants to say. He tries to
say almost everything we ask him to say.
Nov. 29, 1936. Howard got into the coal bucket and looked like "Little Eppie"
when I discovered him. Less than an hour after I cleaned him up he got into
the cupboard and washed himself from the eyes down in strawberry jam. He
always enjoys himself whether we do or not!
(Another year in Troy's Diary, 1937)
Jan. 13, 1937. (At Union) Howard
took the silverware out of the drawer while I was preparing breakfast this
morning, laid them on the table, looked up and said "Thank YOU." A couple
made arrangements to be married this evening. They later remembered that
it was the 13th and asked if Troy would wait until after midnight to perform
the ceremony.
Jan. 16, 1937. Went to Vienna for the dedication of the new Sunday School addition. (We
were caught in the big flood of 1937. Could not get home for two weeks. Spent
most of that time in Cairo with the Claytons. Had to wash every day because
of the baby. We were the first vehicle to cross the bridge at Pomroy, Ohio,
on our way home. We waited there for an hour
or two before we were allowed to cross. The folks at Union carried on the
evening service that Sunday. They all cheered when we walked in the door
of the church on Sunday evening. They were not any happier to see us than
we were to see them! Home never looked so good!)
May 30, 1937. Howard's prayer was so sweet this morning. "Bess me, bess Mane,
bess Daddy, bess Momie. Amen." Ruby, Ruth, Ralph, Opal, Bodford. Jo, Ted
and Blossom all here for dinner today. (All relatives)
June 16th. Buddy, Beulah, David, Teddy and Blossom here today. Left the next day taking Marion with them. We miss him so much! (All relatives)
June 24, 1937. Howard is 20 months old today. He can just about carry his
side of a conversation. He's such a darling! Almost everyone thinks he looks
like Marion did at his age. Heard from Marion. He seems to be having a good
time. He went up in a plane Sunday. (Ted and Blossom always saw that he had a good time. Guess that contributed to his feeling of closeness to them over the years.)
Blossom and Zylpha are visiting us
at this time (2-24-1992) and I just gave her a copy of this transcript to
read and she told me about the plane ride. It was a little open affair taking
passengers for rides. Ted refused to go up in it and Blossom and Marion called
him Uncle Panty Waist. When Marion returned home he sent a "Thank You" card
which was mostly pictures to illustrate the things he had enjoyed. He would
write a few words then draw a picture. They were amused because he wrote
"Uncle" then followed that with a picture of a pantie and a waist. When the
pilot teamed that it was their first time up he gave them some thrills, which
were not too much appreciated by Blossom.)
Jess and Faye Simmermon were with us in Union for the camp meeting, arriving
July 19, 1937. less was one of our classmates in the seminary and was the
evangelist for the services our first two years on the Union Circuit. I well
remember that they enjoyed both Howard and Marion so much. An entry on Aug.
2nd says, "We were sorry to see the Simmermans leave. We had a grand time
while they were here. We asked Howard where they had gone. He said, 'Aunt
Faye go by-by in chine (machine). Unkie Yess go he home.' He certainly talks
well for 21 months."
Sept. 10, 1937. Troy took Howard with him to Browns to get apples today.
When they started Howard said, "Goodby, Momie. Be a good boy, Momie." He
tells his name, age and how much he loves.
10-24-37. Howard is two today and is he sweet! Ruth and Ralph (E.T.B.'s sister
and her husband) Ruby and Roscoe (E.T.B.'s sister and Ruby's son.) First
time we have seen Roscoe in over six years. (Ruby
and her husband were divorced She had custody of the two children but Ross
persuaded her to let Roscoe live with him and his wife for a few weeks. He
promised faithfully to bring him back from Kansas in time to start school
in the fall Instead they moved to California, taking seven year old Roscoe
with them. Ruby grieved for those years until she was financially able to
go to California and get him.)
10-31-1937. Sunday. Our faithful old Lizzie wrecked today. Roscoe went through the windshield, (Roscoe
was again visiting us at Union. He had a few cuts; nothing serious. A sixteen
year old boy driving his brother's car came around a turn too fast and ran
into Troy's car. Troy was over ors his side of the highway as far as he could
get, due to a high bank. Neither car was insured so it was just counted as
an accident. Troy took care of his parish by bicycle until we could scrape
up a down payment on a second hand car.)
12-21-1937. Bought a '33 Chevrolet today. Paid $100. down. Hope we can meet the payments.
12-26-1937. The folks at Vernon Church gave us $36.50 today to help on car payment. We are so thankful for the help.
(There were a few entries during the first
half of 1938, but nothing of much interest to the family They dealt mostly
with events in the different churches on the Union Circuit and of the visits
of relatives. We had a lot of family visitors; many of whom have since passed
away; others so widely separated by miles that we seldom see them.)
In the back of the diary, under "Memoranda"
Troy had written several entries as soon as he received the book as a gift.
Two were in French, so I could not interpret them, but the others were: "When life is spent we still have the memory." (In 1924 he probably thought life would be spent before the age of thirty.)
"Make each day twice as great as the one before it."
"A careless word may tear a heart, a home, or a nation to shreds."
"Hearts may be broken, but the tried steel of true love defies all the blows of life."
'The bridge of love crosses rivers wider than the world."
'The lips tell the mind, the eyes the soul."
"Two lies do not mean more than one, nor less than a thousand. One, two or a thousand, they are all one--untruth."
The last two entries were made January
16, 1924, which show that the date entry on the front flyleaf should show
that he received the diary Christmas Eve, 1923, not 1924.
(So many entries about "love" and we had not even met! How sad for me. E.T B.)
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