The Ruby Chronicles (#1)

Editor Note:  This post launches a series of treasures,  essays by Ruby Johnson Anderson.  The essays come to me courtesy of Sid Stivland. 

Confirmation 1929

Introduction to the Ruby Anderson Essays

These essays were written by my aunt, Ruby (Johnson) Anderson, my dad's (Ralph Stivland) half-sister. Ruby Johnson married Iver Anderson in 1946 when he came home from the war.  Iver is the son of Albert and Alida Anderson (and brother to Harry, Harold, Elmer, Violet (McIver), Ted, et al; 13 kids in all).  Ruby was a half-sister to my dad (Ralph) and Henry Stivland, and Clara Stivland Femrite.  She had a twin sister, Rhoda, who was married to Chester Stark from Hoffman.  Any references in the essays to her twin sister refer to Rhoda.  

Ruby and her twin sister Rhoda were born in 1914.  Ruby attended District #76 school west of Lowry, then Lowry High School, then Glenwood HS, graduating in 1933.  She received teachers training and taught in 4 Pope County rural schools over a thirteen year period from 1933 until she was married in 1946.  For 2 years, 1933 to 1945, she taught at Dist #76 and lived at home – the Stivland farm.  From 1935 to 1938, she taught at Dist #32 in White Bear Lake township, from 1938 to 1939 she taught in Dist #28 in Nora Township, and from 1939 to 1942 she taught in Dist #26 – Ben Wade Township.  Her last assignment was back in Dist #76, her home school, where she taught from 1942 until she married in 1946.  During all of those years, she either lived at home with her parents or with a family who lived near the school.  Thus many of her essays are about her teaching experience.  Ruby died in 2000.

Sid Stivland February 2016

Chronicle #1: Was I Bored – No Not I

Twins Ruby & Rhoda

Often today we hear children say “I am so bored.  There is nothing to do.”  As a youngster I never heard that expression nor felt that way.  But do you suppose I was bored when my twin sister and I, age three, crumpled up paper and put it on the kitchen chair and lit a match to it just as my mother came in from the evening’s milking?  I got my first spanking – the only one I remember I ever got.

Twin Rhoda and I were always imagining things.  Sometimes we’d play with a headless doll – but the doll was a real person to us.

When Aunt Borghild in Minneapolis sent me a twenty four inch doll with a china head and sleepy eyes I was overjoyed.  I’m sure I left it in the box for a long time and just admired it.

In the summertime we made a playhouse in the woods close to the house.  A string or twine served well for the outside walls and also partitions between rooms.  Broken pieces of dishes found in the woods were used for china.  Piled up rocks made an excellent stove.  Pieces of boards laid across wood chunks or stones were used for tables and chairs.  Mom often brought us snacks for our mid-afternoon treat.

Our big attic was an excellent place to play house, restaurant, or millinery shop.  We decorated old hats like a lady who sold hats in Farwell said she would do if people thought the hat too plain.  We would trim it with a ribbon or flowers if the customer preferred that.

In the winter time we often went to a pond close by to play.  First we had to shovel off the snow.  Our clamp-on skates didn’t stay on too well but we would pull each other on a little sled and had lots of fun and exercise.

Close to our house we built our own snow slide – about three feet wide and six feet high.  We poured water on it so it would get real slippery when it froze.  To get up on the slide we used a step ladder and climbed up on the back and slid down on the sled.

After we had been confirmed, about age fifteen, we were allowed to go with the church Luther League to house parties.  All the unmarried were considered Luther Leaguers. We played innocent games such as “Button Button”, “Guessing Games”, etc.  The host and hostess served us a delicious lunch.  They were parents of a Leaguer.  We travelled by horse and sleigh.  We often didn’t get home until one or two o’clock.  No drugs - no booze – no four-letter words – just clean fun.

In the summertime, a Leaguer on the spur of the moment would call the others and say “We’re going to have a wiener roast by Rudgren’s Creek”.  After playing games, “Four in a Boat”, “Virginia Reel”, etc, we had sandwiches, hot dogs roasted over an open fire, and coffee.

There was little money in the rural area in those days, but we all had fun with little expense.

Ruby Johnson Anderson