Shopher Tobacco Road Stories

- We didn't fight over turnips. We fought over taters. Mama did buy big buckets of Brer Rabbit syrup though (had a handle) (oh no, here goes the old "carried my lunch to school in a syrup bucket story")and we did fight over the empty cans. And we certainly fought over fried taters. Cause that's what we took for lunch. Most of the time, Jimmy got the bucket. Absolutely consisted of a Manor's Bread yeast roll & cold fried tater sandwich.

Jimmy & Barney wouldn't wear shoes to school. Not even in cold weather. Wouldn't wear a jacket either. Teachers would send a note home to mama. We did have shoes.

Daddy worked for the city, one day he brought home a box of brown oxfords. They were different sizes, but I wore those shoes. Blisters on my heels.

I swear,.... I was walking with Ruth Butler to school, walking behind a man who walked with a limp (he was headed to Baylor Hospital). He turned around & saw me limping like him. He scolded me. Said I shouldn't be making fun of people.I told him my shoes were too small & I had terrible blisters on my heels & that they were even different sizes. He didn't believe me. That's my Tobacco story for now. I also have the paperback book of
Tobacco Road. - Patsy Shopher Srygley

At 15 or 16 I would have been in Crozier Tech. and on certain nights at the WDSC (West Dallas Social Center-Rec Center). They would hold socials there. Shirley & I would go down and could only stare thru the windows while the "older kids", Edna Lou & Charles danced. We laughed & giggled while peeking thru the windows.

We had long (sometimes matted) hair (we didn't like to wear shoes, well, it was very hot and we did NOT have air conditioning back then). I'm sure we embarrased them. I know we embarrased Charles. Edna would just smile back.

But Aunt Jenny, who lived with us made sure our hair was combed & braided before bedtime. She would braid so tight (french braid) my head would be sore for days. You didn't have to use a crinkling iron. The braids did it. She also made our school dresses from flour sacks. Not kidding guys, she was a seamstress. You could starch them things so stiff.

Mom bought us crenolin slips. We used pure boxed starch with very little water. Hung them on the line - (Voila! or however you say it) the bottom of our skirts & dresses stuck out further than a tutu.

We also did not have indoor plumbing while I was at home. Yep, way out back of the house. Try going out that far from the house and your grass is full of grass burs. So most of the time, we just went out on the front porch, hung "it over" and----. That's only if we had to go after dark, you know.

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Shirley Ann Shopher and nephew Larry Wayne Shopher

We took a bath in a big #3 tub. We took turns about who got the clean water first.
Wanna know how many of us slept in 1 room? Charlie, Jimmy and a roll-a-way bed. Shirley, Johnny, Glen, me on another. I got lots of great stories. I'll get to them. My favorite place would be Nussbaumer though. Love to all. Patsy

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