Rosebush

By Charles Rogers

Myrtle Allen was born in Paris, Texas, in 1896. She saw the doughboys go away to fight World War I, survived the flu epidemic after the soldiers came home, had children and raised them during the Great Depression. Over a lifetime of 99 years, she was divorced once and widowed twice. She met presidents and governors, politicians and judges. A talented musician and gifted storyteller, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren flocked to her as if she were a rock star. No subject was off limits. She told her great-granddaughters about her first wedding night when she was a bride at age 16. She described a honeymoon trip when she was a bride of 85. Many of us will recognize traits of our own mothers and grandmothers in Myrtle. All of us will admire her strength and courage. Myrtle’s memoirs plus those of her son and grandson are melded in this retelling of her stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles Rogers
• Release date: Aug 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310446092

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Rosebush

Compiled and Edited by

CHARLES ROGERS

Copyright 2015 Charles Rogers

All rights reserved.

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IN LOVING MEMORY

Lena Myrtle Allen (1896-1995)

Table of Contents

Myrtle

Looking Back

Early Childhood

My Parents

First Ward School

School and Holidays

Teenager

Willie

Being A Mother

Bill

Sister

Cora Lee Garrison

Prayer

My Rosebush

Tommy Jo

Early Memories

Aunts, Uncles, Cousins

Working As A Boy

McCamey

With Nantie

Working for Uncle Walter

Schools

Thomas Jefferson High

At Bryan/College Station

Job at Joskes

Advertising Salesman

Charles

My Father

Bill Is Injured

Stanley Home Products

Gran’daddy

Water On The Brain

It Don’t Count

Girl Talk

Kyong’s Story

Worried All Night

Depression

Myrtle Passes

Bonus

The Author

Acknowledgments

This book contains the previously unpublished memoirs of Myrtle Allen. The memoirs of Myrtle's son, Thomas J. Rogers, were previously posted on the Internet as a family record. Essays by Charles Rogers were previously unpublished. It Don't Count was a submission to the Winter Haven Resort 2014 Creative Writing Contest.

Myrtle

Looking Back

Looking back I find music and love influenced my life more than anything else. There has been love for God, family, friends, and love for my country.

There was no time in my life when I was without love. My parents loved me as a child. When I was very young they recognized my talent for music. Although my father made only $2.00 a day, he bought a piano and paid it out $5.00 per month, which took several years. I’m sure he sacrificed things he needed to buy that piano. Why? Because he loved me and wanted me to be able to use my talent.

I never took a music lesson or went to a recital. I play by ear, a gift of God’s love. I've played for school, church, conventions, dances, and weddings, creating a sense of love and happiness. I like any kind of music except opera. My home has always been filled with music. There is not one of my family that play the piano. Just me. But we all get together ever so often to sing and hear Grandmother play the piano.

I remember the first car I ever saw, the first phonograph with a curly horn. I’ve ridden in a covered wagon and in a surrey with a fringe on top. I saw the Wright Brothers and the plane they flew at Kitty Hawk. Also, Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis that he flew. I remember the San Francisco earthquake, Galveston flood, sinking of the Titanic, and the moon landing. I met three presidents, Eisenhower, Johnson, and Ford, and many governors.

I have seen many changes in this world. I brought water in from a well, cleaned lamp chimneys, washed clothes on a rub board and ironed everything you wear except underwear with a flat iron. I ground coffee in an urn, churned milk, and made butter.

I was a teen age bride and teen age mother of two children. My marriage was not happy and soon ended in divorce. But I did love Willie Rogers. There is something inside of me that says I still do love him. He is the father of my children and they were created through and by his love.

Willie and I had only known each other 2 ½ months when we married. We fell in love with each other the first night we met. I thought he was so good looking. He was 20 years old and had a good job making $15 per week. In the year 1912 that was a lot of money.

I had never been around anyone that drank whiskey but I could smell it on his breath every time we were together. I asked him about it and he said, Oh, I drink a little; but I’m going to quit.

I believed him.

He was always asking to kiss me. I said No. Nice girls don’t kiss boys.

He would say, But I love you.

I kept saying no.

One night it was raining and we stayed at home. I played the piano and sang love songs. The name of one was Willie, My Darling Come Back. He liked that one best so I sang it over and over. Then he said, Will you kiss me tonight?

I said, I’ll kiss you when you leave.

When he left, I went to the door with him. I opened the door, pushed him out on the porch and closed the door all but a crack, and kissed him through the crack in the door. Two weeks later we married.

What if I had finished my education and become a school teacher; not married when I did? What if I had married some other man or maybe never married? Where would I be today? If I had waited and married another man I would not have the family that I love so dearly now. I have twenty-seven living descendants. The grandchildren have all been healthy and normal at birth. Most have a college education. The ones that are married have nice homes and good jobs. I can say I love them and am proud of them and they love me. If I had married another man, I might have had a family of criminals. If I had never married I might be a lonely old lady with no one. But today I have my family that visits me.

Today is the very first day of the rest of my life. Each day is an extra day. I will try and use it to the best of my ability. Tomorrow may not come. I thank God for the long life and the good health that he has given me. I have had a full life with many problems and experiences. I’ve been happy and I’ve been sad. I’ve been good and I’ve been bad. I don’t pretend to be an angel. I haven’t been. I’ve done many things in my life that I’m not proud of, but I know that God has forgiven me.

I was divorced once and a widow twice. I stayed with Willie Rogers 8 years before we divorced. I was married to Bill Hashert 50 years when he died. Twenty-six of those were very happy years. Then he was sick 24 years. Those years were sad and trying for both of us. But we owned our home and a brand new car when he became ill. We had a little investment. I found a job and worked seven years. Bill started getting a Veterans’ pension and his Social Security. We got along. Being a veteran, his hospital and doctor bills cost us nothing.

When he was not in the hospital we went to the coast fishing, attended his Lodge and Legion meetings, visited our children and grandchildren. We bought us a nice trailer home at Rockport on the coast because we both like to fish. We had a motor boat and would go out into the Gulf fishing. Our trailer home was very nice. We had a TV and radio. We drove back and forth to San Antonio often. Sometimes we would stay two weeks. We always went to the coast when the kids came to see us. They liked to swim and go walking on the beach and pick up shells. We sold our trailer home about a year before Bill died.

After Bill’s death I was very lonely. I did a lot of traveling. Went to Japan and stayed three months. I kept my home for four years and then sold it and rented an apartment in a large complex where several friends lived.

Two years after moving to the apartment, I met and married Frank Dashner. We met on a Greyhound bus. I was traveling to Fort Worth to visit my son. When I got on the bus it was crowded. I sat down by Frank.

Right away we started talking. We passed several cement plants North of San Antonio and Frank started talking about his work. He had just finished a job on the San Jose Cathedral. He did all the fancy plastering and decorating. I wasn’t saying anything and all at once he looked at me and said, Am I boring you?

I laughed and said, No, I’m really enjoying listening to you. My husband was a building contractor.

After a few minutes, he said, I assume that you are a widow.

I replied, Yes.

Then he took out his billfold and handed me his driver’s license and SS card and said, I want to introduce myself to you. I’m Frank Dashner.

I said, I’m glad to meet you.

Then he said, May I ask your name.

I said, I’m sorry, but you’ll never know.

We were on the bus seven hours. About half way between San Antonio and Fort Worth, the bus driver stopped for a rest period and to get something to eat. We both had pie and coffee and Frank paid for mine. We did a lot of talking. He told me that he had nobody but