THE LITTLE GREEN HOUSE

THE LITTLE GREEN HOUSE

My earliest memories were living in "the little green house" on the south end of Odle Street in West Frankfort, Illinois. The house was built by my Grandpa Uhls on my mom's side and her brother, Kendall. It only had three rooms and was covered in green shingles. While Mom and Dad went through a lot of stress trying to make ends meet, we kids were unaware of any problems. 

Linda came first and I came a year and 10 days later. The twins, Carolyn and Marilyn,  came three years after that. Then came the first real crisis in the family that changed our lives. My dad's oldest sister committed suicide, so Mom and Dad took in her two children. Dad didn't trust his side of the family to raise them right. Billy, whom we called "Butch," was my age and Sharon was a year older than I, which put her and Linda in the same school grade. Butch and I were also in the same school grade. 

Linda must have started Kindergarten before Sharon and Butch came to live with us because when Dad took her to school for the first time, I cried until I threw up. We had never been apart and I thought it was unfair that she got to go and I didn't. Before the addition of Sharon and Butch, Linda and I made mud pies there at the little green house, used a large wash tub for a swimming pool, and played with roly poly bugs. One day Linda rode on the back of a bicycle with an older girl doing the pedaling. But Linda didn't hold her feet out and one of her heels got caught in the spokes. It took the skin right off of her heel. It is wrinkled to this day. 

Mom and Dad soon after had six little ones under foot so a move became necessary. We moved across the street from my Grandpa's store on Cleveland Street. A couple of years later we moved behind Grandpa's store on Stella Street. I don't know what became of the little green house but it will always hold a special place in my heart.