Memories of Phyllis
To the Editor:
I'm not the writer my sister, Norma Hannaford, is but I want to add some of the memories I have of my friend Phyllis Melton when we were young.
Such fun we had. There were six of us. I was the youngest and at times I am sure they hated to have me tag along, but our parents were all friends so they had to include me. We were Mary Ellen Gardner, Doris McIntosh, Eva K. Barrett, Betty Florer, Phyllis, and myself.
We organized a sorority and called ourselves "the six flighty females." We made name tags, pinned with safety pins and ribbons, and wore them with pride until the school said it was a no-no to have a secret club.
We would hitch-hike to the small towns around Marion, and one time we even went as far as Newton. I doubt our folks knew this for many years after but we felt safety in numbers and were not afraid.
We wore jodhpurs and boots that laced up to our knees. I remember the sheriff from Peabody picked us up and took us to our destination.
We would hike to the country club, pick lilacs from the bushes there, then go to the club house and decorate with baskets we found, then we would put on skits, sing, or act whatever we could come up with. Too bad we didn't have videos then.
How can we forget the water cress we used to eat from the cold stream on the first hole. Sometime we'd hike to the country club with our canvas bags with probably three golf clubs and play golf or at golf.
We'd swim in the pool that was not cemented in the deep end but mud and rocks. As we'd climb out of the pool, up the iron ladder, we'd discover leaches between our toes.
I guess the country club played a big part in our lives as in the fall we'd build a fire in the ravine near the pool and roast hot-dogs and marshmallows. What a feast we'd have. Our fire was twigs and dry leaves. I still think of those days when I smell burning leaves.
Oh there were slumber parties, where we would play "truth and dare." I don't think anyone told the truth but there were lots of giggles.
There were the black leather pumps we all tried to walk in, our very first heels.
Phyllis's mother was a wonderful cook and would have treats for us after school. Cookies, sometimes cinnamon rolls, and one treat I remember were green olives wrapped in bacon and broiled. Our parents were so wonderful to open their homes to us, none of us could complain about an unhappy childhood.
Phyllis was the beauty of our group. When Eva K. and Phyllis went to Emporia to school it was such a treat to visit them.
As years went by, we were all married and moved away except for Phyllis. When any of us returned to Marion we always got together with Phyllis. We did keep in touch with birthday and Christmas cards.
Two events that were so precious to all of us was when Mary Ellen and Betty returned for their 50th class reunion. We were all together and it had been years.
The other was surprising Eva K. and Roy Warkentin on their 50th wedding anniversary in California. All of us made it one more time. Phyllis even surprised Roy with German sausage from Hillsboro.
These are memories I'll always cherish and I'm glad for my friendship with Phyllis. I will miss her.
Margie (McCullough Reed) McBride
