PO'ed Veteran

[Loren49]

My parents were born in 1926 and 1927 - lost dad 3 years ago - mom doing fine at 84. They don't remember the depression but one grandparent operated a dairy farm through those years and spoke of people stopping by and looking for work - and the other grandparent lost his farm - couldn't make the interest payments.

Loren

 

[jbooth]

My Mom and Dad did survive the depression. Made them tougher than ****. They were good at gardening and canning and generally just being very frugal with all resources. They could have lived off what I waste. They are both gone now, but I do remember 2 things dad told me pertaining to those times.

When about 10yrs old, we were fishing and I was complaining about being hungry. Dad just told me I didn't know what hungry was and proceeded to tell me how it was in the 30's.

Once during the 80's when we had a recession and were discussing if it was going to turn into a depression, Dad said we can't have a depression because the jack rabbits were not thick enough. He didn't think you could have a depression unless you had plenty of jack rabbits to eat.

I don't believe our country or our people have the mentallity to survive another great depression. A lot of the country was still rural in the 30's so there was a chance of growing or shooting something to eat.

 

[MossRoad]

Curious as to how old your parents are? My dad is pushing towards 80 and he really doesn't remember the depression.

I do however remember living with my grandmother when my father was overseas serving in the military fighting in a "conflict" (my father made a great life for himself being a "career man" in the military). Both sets of my grandparents came over off a boat after 1900, and I never knew my grandfathers. I actually had three being that my one grandmother (who I lived with) remarried, she having six children, her "new" husband having five children as well, having another child between them. I never met any of my grandfathers being that they all died an early death (two in the coal mines, one due to a lumbering accident).

I mention my grandmother who I knew because

and that is EXACTLY what my grandmother use to tell me all the time.

I also remember her telling me that coming off a boat, living in America (even during the depression) was "easy" to what she was use to in her native land.

To some extent, I have no doubt that each new generation is spoiled compared to the previous generation. Numerous reasons, one being technology.

The way I have it figured, the human spirit, for better or worse, is alive in all future generations to come, even after we're all long gone.

My dad was born in 1919. His folks were born in 1888 and 1896. They came over on the boat as children, met here and married around 1914. My grandmother told me many stories about being an adult during the depression and what she and my grandfather did to survive with two children of their own and three of her younger sisters that my grandfather adopted. My dad was 10 when the great depression started, so that is a good perspective of how a youth to teen to adult saw it progress. My mom was born in '27, so she spent her entire childhood in the depression. So I got a pretty good first hand account of what it was like to be a child, teen and adult during that time. I just buried my dad's older sister last week. She was born in 1915 and also gave me a first hand account of the depression. She looked good for 95. With all those first hand accounts, and living with my parents for 24 years, seeing how they operated and why they did the things they did... I think that is why I am so frugal now, can't bear to throw something out that may be useful later, and appreciate the flavor of a left-over dinner. :licking: I am the youngest of their 5 children. I'll be 50 next year. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

...

When about 10yrs old, we were fishing and I was complaining about being hungry. Dad just told me I didn't know what hungry was and proceeded to tell me how it was in the 30's.

...

That's pretty similar to a story I have, and I have told it here on TBN before, but I will tell it again ...

When I was a little kid, I was at my grandparent's cottage spending a weekend with them. I was getting ready to go fishing with my grandpa. My stomach was growling something horrible and my grandfather heard it. He looked me in the eyes, looked at my stomach, then looked at me again. He asked if I was hungry? I said yes. He reached way up in the cupboards and pulled out a package of Pecan Sandies cookies, got me a glass of milk and we sat there while I ate them. I could see he was looking back in time as he told me "No one should ever be that hungry." He meant it. His eyes were really sad. I now know why. I didn't then.

I still like Pecan Sandies and buy them once or twice a year. I share that story with my children.

 

[MossRoad]

I forgot to mention that my mom, who was born in 27, lived off of rabbits, turnips and greens that they raised behind their 3 story building where her father owned a paint shop on the first floor, they lived on the 2nd floor and extended family lived on the third floor.

Guess what I never ate as a child? Rabbits, turnips or greens! Mom was sick of them. :laughing:

 

[Bird]

My dad was born in 1919. His folks were born in 1888 and 1896. They came over on the boat as children, met here and married around 1914. My grandmother told me many stories about being an adult during the depression and what she and my grandfather did to survive with two children of their own and three of her younger sisters that my grandfather adopted. My dad was 10 when the great depression started, so that is a good perspective of how a youth to teen to adult saw it progress. My mom was born in '27, so she spent her entire childhood in the depression. So I got a pretty good first hand account of what it was like to be a child, teen and adult during that time. I just buried my dad's older sister last week. She was born in 1915 and also gave me a first hand account of the depression. She looked good for 95. With all those first hand accounts, and living with my parents for 24 years, seeing how they operated and why they did the things they did... I think that is why I am so frugal now, can't bear to throw something out that may be useful later, and appreciate the flavor of a left-over dinner. :licking: I am the youngest of their 5 children. I'll be 50 next year. :thumbsup:

A lot of similarities. My dad was born in 1916 and his parents were born in 1893 & 1894. They were still teenagers when they married, but their parents (my great-grandparents) had gone from Texas to homestead in Indian Territory, so they had a good farm during the Great Depression. Both my dad and granddad were very frugal; refused for the most part to buy anything on credit; had to pay cash. Unfortunately, that trait was not inherited by my generation.:ashamed: I'm the oldest of 5. My mother was born in 1921, was a city girl in Little Rock, then Healdton and Oklahoma City, OK, but her dad was a bookkeeper for a big oil company and stayed employed during the depression. My mother said that during the depression, if they had any leftover food to put in the garbage, her mother first wrapped it in clean paper because they often saw men going through the garbage cans looking for anything edible.

Both my mother and my father had uncles who worked for the Post Office during the depression. We don't normally think of postal workers as making big salaries, but that steady employment during the depression enabled both of them to buy nice farms to retire to.

 

[sweettractors]

My 98 year old neighbor said his Mom and Dad and 8 kids lived on a farm here in Ky and never knew there was a depression. They never turned anyone away that came in hungry. They were self sufficient. When I bought my first farm in 73, my family goal was to have just enough land to be able to survive any depression or recession that may come down the pike. I hope it never comes to that, however if it does, It would be hard to starve out a country boy. Ken Sweet

 

[MossRoad]

A lot of similarities. My dad was born in 1916 and his parents were born in 1893 & 1894. They were still teenagers when they married, but their parents (my great-grandparents) had gone from Texas to homestead in Indian Territory, so they had a good farm during the Great Depression. Both my dad and granddad were very frugal; refused for the most part to buy anything on credit; had to pay cash. Unfortunately, that trait was not inherited by my generation.:ashamed: I'm the oldest of 5. My mother was born in 1921, was a city girl in Little Rock, then Healdton and Oklahoma City, OK, but her dad was a bookkeeper for a big oil company and stayed employed during the depression. My mother said that during the depression, if they had any leftover food to put in the garbage, her mother first wrapped it in clean paper because they often saw men going through the garbage cans looking for anything edible.

Both my mother and my father had uncles who worked for the Post Office during the depression. We don't normally think of postal workers as making big salaries, but that steady employment during the depression enabled both of them to buy nice farms to retire to.

Pretty interesting, Bird. You and I have much in common. Except you are the first of 5 and I am the last of 5. Just the time between your birth and my birth saw a lot of change, let alone the changes between our grandparents births and ours, yes?

 

[Bird]

Yep, it's mind boggling to think of all the changes just in our lifetimes, much less the lifetimes of our parents and grandparents.

 

[riptides]

It is interesting to read and here the history of those whose parents and grandparents survived in America during the depression and the wars after that.

Being of European descendants the unimaginable horrors of WWII basically eradicated and scattered my family throughout the globe.

In one generation they have lost their history, lands, possessions and in some cases - freedoms and lives.

Today, those fortunate to have survived, in no part by coming to America, have managed to rebuild and prosper.

God bless America.

 

[MossRoad]

It is interesting to read and here the history of those whose parents and grandparents survived in America during the depression and the wars after that.

Being of European descendants the unimaginable horrors of WWII basically eradicated and scattered my family throughout the globe.

In one generation they have lost their history, lands, possessions and in some cases - freedoms and lives.

Today, those fortunate to have survived, in no part by coming to America, have managed to rebuild and prosper.

God bless America.

Yep, for all its problems, it sure is a great place to live.

 

[jbooth]

Yep, for all its problems, it sure is a great place to live.

AMEN!

 

[brin]

We have to fix the problems though before they are unfixable...

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have no doubt that throughout the history of man, people in their middle age complained about the current society they live in and wished that "things were they way they were when they grew up".

I remember 1968. I was making $3.50 an hour, about $600 a month. My rent was $75 a month. A cup of coffee or a newspaper cost a dime. Chicken wings were 9 cents a pound. Full coverage health insurance for my wife and I cost $40 a month.

Fast forward a decade and I was making over $13 an hour. I built my first house cash out of pocket at that wage, which was the equivalent of about $150 an hour today. I finished the house in just over 3 years.

I think it would be really hard for a young guy to do the same thing nowadays.

 

[/pine]

We have to fix the problems though before they are unfixable...

hopefully 11/2/2010 will be a start...we have to send a message that it's not just the economy..but that it's the overall policies and directions that America has been (recently) MISLED down...right now the only light at the end of the tunnel is train coming full steam..we need to send a mandate to prevent a train wreck the likes of which most Americans have never seen...

 

[Loren49]

We do need to keep working at it but I see nothing concrete being offered that is different than where we were a few years back. Generalities are easy - its in the details. Our current government is the result of fair election - bills have been passed and signed into law. Many have failed to pass. Its the way it has always worked in the US. Nearly all controlling parties have lost seats in off year elections - it will happen again....We could cut all non-defense discretionary spending from the federal budget and would still be short by billions on revenue. Do the research - the talking points don't really add up. You would not get elected if you told the voters the truth.

I was also moved by the background of those who posted. We all have a story with differing backgrounds but more similarities - our American Spirit.

Loren

 

[keegs]

My Dad was born in 1913 and Mom in 1915. They were married in 1939. Dad had polio as a child and so wasn't eligible for the military. He had steady work at the Brooklyn Navy yard for most of the worst years of the depression so I guess things were'nt so bad for them. They've been gone since 1970.

They often talked about the depression...almost in a way, fondly. Growing up in the 60's I remember Mom alway kept a very large shelf in the basement filled with canned goods. Mom kept a big box of photos and in it were war ration coupons. I don't remember what they were for maybe gasoline. They always kept a big garden out back too. They saved S&H green stamps and Plaid stamps. In fact I have a table out on my deck purchased in the mid '60's with redeemed A&P "Plaid Stamps"....which reminds me ..It really needs a paint job.

 

[Bird]

They saved S&H green stamps and Plaid stamps.

In the mid-50s, we gave green stamps at my dad's Mobil service station. I can tell you that some women took those things seriously. Mobil tires at the time were good tires, but too expensive. No way we could compete with places like the local White Auto store who was the biggest tire dealer in town, although we mounted and balanced what he sold. However, if someone wanted Mobil tires, we'd tell them that we'd sell the tires for $1 over our cost, plus the mounting and balancing, but that we could not give green stamps at that price.

I'll never forget when one of our regular customers agreed with that and bought a complete set of new tires. But that evening, here came the wife and wanted her green stamps. Dad told her what the deal was and showed her the price book, our cost and the MSRP. He told her if her husband had paid retail price he could have even given him double green stamps. Well, she promptly paid the difference, dad actually gave her triple green stamps, we made more money, and she left happy as a pig in mud.:laughing:

The town's biggest grocery store was across the street from us and he also gave green stamps. But there came a time when he told us the profit margin on groceries was so little that he figured he could quit giving green stamps, lose half his business and break even. So he quit giving green stamps, lost three-fourths of his business, and had to go back to giving green stamps.

 

[keegs]

Good story Bird...You reminded me of those notorious women bargain hunters of my childhood and left me wondering if they're all gone now.

I didn't know there was a cost to the retailer for those trade stamps. I always figured they were somehow coming from the wholesaler or some other part of the supply chain.

 

[sweettractors]

I had a Uncle the worked at Brown and Williamson in Louisville, Ky. He was big on saving Raleigh coupons from that brand of cigarette. Ken Sweet