Survivalist? We Lived That Way Every Day!

The previous post dealt with our unpreparedness during a two-day power outage in October of 2020. When my mother declined the invitation to be a guest of my sister, Angie, and her husband, my sister dubbed us survivalists. Upon hearing her new title, Mother exclaimed, “Survivalist? We lived that way every day!”

During some of our hours by candlelight, Mother recalled her pre-electricity days. In her late teen years, Mother’s parents became members of the local REC or Rural Electrification Cooperative entitling them to electrical power in their home located on the farm leased from Louise Butler Jefferson, the grandmother of Anna Marie and Tracey Jefferson Romine and Tincy Fish. Anna Marie and Tracey lived there with their parents in their early childhood. In later years, CeCe Bledsoe, a great-granddaughter, also lived on the original land allotted to Louise Jefferson's ancestor.  It is now owned by Betty Hutchison.

Once Mother's family had electricity, a used refrigerator was the first large appliance her parents bought. Prior to that they had a small ice box about four feet in height. A block of ice was stored in the upper section.  Perishable food like milk and butter, which was always produced on the farm and never purchased, was kept cool in the lower portion of their little ice box. She recalled all her “Bender” cousins had larger vertical ice boxes for their bigger families. The “side-by-side” doors held the ice block in the upper section of one of the vertical compartments with food stored below and the other side could be filled entirely with perishable food.

Mother mentioned Mr. Hines, a relative of Wanda Nix, Bob Rice, and Revae Baugh, was their ice delivery man. Each family had been given cardboard signs with 25#, 50#, 75# and 100# on each of the four sides. The customer knew the day Mr. Hines delivered ice so was expected to display the card showing the amount they needed positioned at the top of the sign. Mother laughed as she told of Dad recounting the ornery Gates kids turning the sign to a much larger amount than Grandma Gates wanted! Mother then added, “You know the reason they wanted the big amount was so they could chip ice off to eat. And, of course, Edmund’s family got electricity before we did. And they (the Gates kids) got away with way more than I could!”

When we discussed kerosene, Mother recalled their upgrade from a wood stove to one fueled by kerosene. Grandpa was lighting the kerosene circulating heater after it had gone out. He used a piece of cloth to relight it. It began burning his hand. Even though he saw a visible puddle of kerosene in the lighting plate, he threw the cloth in. Mother said it “boomed” loudly and tiny, black soot filled the air, even going behind the pictures on the wall, covering all furniture, and carpet of their living room. Grandma asked him, “Why did you throw that on the oil?” Mother said Grandpa replied loudly, “I saw all the oil, but it was burnin’ my fingers!” Mother laughed before, during, and after she told of this survivalist experience. Extensive cleanup was required. I doubt she was hilarious during that laborious chore.

Most of Mother’s studying and reading were all done by the kerosene lamp since she was 17 before her family had their home wired for electricity. They enjoyed radio broadcasts such as “Fibber McGee and Molly” and “Amos and Andy” on their large cabinet radio with a big battery powered by a wind charger. The harder the Oklahoma wind swept down the plain, the brighter the radio’s lighted dial glowed.

In those days, Mother knew of no houses in the Bend with indoor plumbing. Every home had a privy usually behind their dwelling. Since Mother was an only child, their outhouse was only a “one-seater.” My father’s family had twelve children, so they had a “two-seater” privy. Grandpa Gates never saw a need for an indoor bathroom. A blog post entitled The Little House That Jake Built  tells of Grandpa's veto of  Grandma's plan to include an indoor bathroom in her decision to renovate their home. It can be accessed at https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-little-house-that-jake-built.html

Grandpa  Gates waving from their privy.
Taken on August 2, 1964. 
 He was 87 years old.

Mother reminisced that when she started coming to the Gates home, my grandma still pumped her water from the well several steps outside the house. She was impressed when she and Dad arrived at a family gathering and Dad noticed the empty water bucket. He grabbed the bucket,  pumped it full of water and carried it in for Grandma's use. A cute photo of Steve Gates at the old water pump can be viewed at https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2014/08/remembering-steven-glenn-gates.html .

The evening our hardworking IEC power crew restored the power so many of our statements began “I am so thankful for…” We were thankful for running water, flushing stools, refrigeration, freezers that had stayed frozen, heat, and wonderful light. Although we were still without phone service, we appreciated the internet allowing contact with the outside world.

As we approach the season when we observe Thanksgiving, may we commit  to maintain a thankful heart every day as we follow this precept from Psalm 136:1;

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.