My mother, Eleanor Louise Heydrick McKeeman was born in the 1920's. As I work my way down to my parent's generation in this family history project, I will devote a separate biography to my mom and dad, but here are her recollections of her parents and family. Eleanor Heydrick grew up at 4807 Garden Street in the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia. She married Jim McKeeman September 9th, 1950. Until she got married she lived at home and as she says, she often thought that her father thought that she'd never get married and leave home. My father lived for a few months with my mother and my grandparents prior to their wedding. Some of this is mentioned in here.
The
tone of the following is quite conversational. My mother was responding to a long series of prompts I had
sent her and so this resulted in a nice, casual description of her parents and
of growing up on Bridesburg in the 1920’s and 30’s.
March 22, 2012
Was I born at 4807?
Don’t know—nobody ever said!
Guess I was—Frankford Hospital was 2 miles away, and we had no car, so
home birth was most likely. My
earliest memory (I was about 2 years old) was of falling down our spiral
staircase from top to bottom. Had
a big bump on my head and a black eye but no broken bones. It was a Sunday, I believe and as I’ve
been told, I insisted on going to Sunday School in the hand-me-down dress of my
sister (Helen’s.) I must have
looked pathetic. Next recollection
was in kindergarten (I was enrolled the day I turned 4 November 13, 1926) and
spent 2 years there until I was old enough to go to 1st grade. I liked school—led the rhythm band,
went on walks, heard books read, took neighborhood walks, etc. School was not difficult for me, but
not because I was so smart! Many
kids came from non-English speaking immigrant families, although we weren’t
biased about that. However, I just
knew that, as “poor” as we were during the depression, many of these families
were so much worse off. Anyway, I
skipped grades 3 times (once in first, once in 3rd and then 4th
to 5th), resulting in starting Jr. High at age 10. Being little, I was at a disadvantage
socially and felt it thru High School, when I graduated several months after turning
16.
Family
life was good. Aunt Lizzie
(Daddy’s oldest sister) never married and lived with us until her death. She was Sec’y for the Postmaster
General (if that was his title) until she retired. Her income sustained us during what must have been hard
times financially. Daddy had a
hardware store in West Philadelphia until ’29 when he sold it. I was told he could have filed for
bankruptcy, but somehow paid off all his debts and then sold the store. I do remember having an assortment of
keys Daddy gave me and I would pretend to open and close all sorts of pretend
cabinets, etc. at home. Also, I
know I was in his store at least one time and was fascinated by all the stuff. Didn’t go often, of course, since it
took a long time to get there by public transportation. Yes, mother did break the mantles in
the gas lamps at her house (they give off bright light when burned—gauze of
some kind--) so she could get more at Daddy’s store. Apparently the 16 year difference in their ages didn’t
matter. I suppose they were
married at our Methodist church, but I don’t remember ever being told
that. Honeymoon? Don’t know. World War I was on, so times were different. Mom moved to 4807 (She often said one
of her dreams was to move to a new house with all new furniture, but ‘twasn’t
to be). I do know Daddy kept
repairing the furniture we had when chair springs would break, etc.
William J. and Helen E. Heydrick, Wellsboro, PA 1949
My
Uncle David Little (Aunt Florence’s husband) owned a coal company and we bought
coal from him. I know my folks sometimes gave people coal and/or food when
they’d come asking for help, so I didn’t know we were poor. We always had plenty to eat—steak
dinners on Sat. nights & wholesome food always.
Daddy
started selling life insurance for Continental American (home office was in Wilmington,
Del.) in ’29. Mother did sew
scarves and blouses for Rose Mick who had a shop in downtown Phila.) Mom was
quite embarrassed when I told a teacher at school that she did that. I was asked if my mother worked, so I
told what she did! As I said, Aunt
Lizzie lived with us & she’d make crullers (a cake-like donut) & when
the “holes” were cut out and cooked, they were yummy. She & mom also made ginger cookies. Teachers at school would be so glad to
buy both the crullers and ginger cookies whenever they were available. Both Mother and Aunt Lizzie were good
cooks. Usually, Aunt Lizzie would
wash dishes after dinner and I often dried them and put them away in the dining
room cupboards. As kids, we would
do chores which Mother wrote on pieces of paper & we drew one out of a
dish—“dust”, “swat flies”, etc. Punishments were minimal—if I needed it I was
made to sit on a chair and be quiet (and I did it!). Once when my sisters and I were too noisy or whatever,
Mother asked Daddy to settle us.
He’d come to where we were and say “There, there.” He had a leather strap, laid it across
his lap at meals, but never used it. Conversations at meals were lively, but I don’t remember
what all we talked about. With 5
females, my Dad would raise his hand then he would announce “I’m going to
bed.” Guess we talked too
much. Poor Daddy had such a hard
time getting a word in edgewise, so as Sunday School Sup’t., his prayers were
lengthy and it was hard to walk thru the room to get to where the kids’ classes
were because of the length of his prayers.
I
wonder what my father did when he left school at age 12 (8th
grade—where was the school anyway?) & went to work to help support the
family. At some point I believe he
sold Sherwin & Williams paint to places on the east coast, but he never
talked about it & I guess I never asked him. Since his father died when he was 12, his step-mother also
lived at 4807, altho’ she died before I knew her. I think Helen remembered her. Did Marge? I don’t know.
Anyway,
at some point, Daddy took a Dale Carnegie course (I believe Carnegie authored a
book called “How to Win Friends & Influence People”) But there was
something about remembering names in the course—make a connection, so to
speak. Daddy said he met a Mr.
Cole and called him Mr. Slaw. Oops.
Whatever—my father liked people and would walk up to a stranger and say,
“Hello, my name is Bill Heydrick”, That’s the only time I heard of “Bill.” Yes, he was civic minded and seemed to
be well liked. Daddy started a
Boys Club which met in a bldg at Bridge St. and Garden St. What they did I don’t know. Mother said she was amazed at all the
people who came to the funeral home when Daddy died, so they must have
respected him. (I was in Vienna at
that time.) Yes, I think he
enjoyed having Jim to talk to when your father moved in not too long before we
were married. (That was shortly
after Aunt Ada died and she moved in after he husband died—then Marge, Andy,
& Richard lived in Aunt Ada’s house.)
Daddy
usually wore suits, shirts and ties and a hat. In fact, when he joined the men from church on an ocean
fishing trip once a year, which I think he enjoyed, they would kid him about
his attire. But life wasn’t easy,
even if I wasn’t always aware of it.
Growing
up Helen, Marge and I entertained ourselves. When we were little, we acted out nursery rhymes (Hickory,
Dickory Dock was done on our funny stairs which were wedge shaped and went from
the 2nd floor to the first in kind of a spiral.) Steps were not straight, but narrow on
1 side and wider by the wall.
Those are the ones I fell down—no banister! Anyway, Helen, Marge shared one of the bedrooms and I had a
room of my own. Sometimes I was
glad, at other times felt like the odd man out—jealous of their closeness. Of course we had our differences and I
wasn’t always good—I bumped Marge off the piano stool with a good hip movement,
threw a knife at her in a fit of anger and who knows what else. But still I was proud of them and who
they became—time does soften memories.
Oh
yes, another Daddy memory—he hated wimpy handshakes, so I learned early on to
shake hands firmly. Liked
people—never saw him angry or depressed (maybe he was, but never showed it.)
Both
parents were supportive of what we did—not necessarily with words, but by being
at school functions, music recitals for Marge and me, etc. They were also supportive of
boyfriends—had them to dinner. I
do remember Mom saying of Jim, ”Best one you’ve had here.”
Mother
was active in many things. She
started a “well baby” clinic in Bridesburg. Visiting nurses came and helped immigrant moms take care of
their babies. She also started a
mothers class at Sunday School and kept it up till they were grandmothers. Mom would also “go to bat” for us if
needed at school and she was active in PTA at various times. She graduated from William Penn High
School in Philadelphia, went to business school somewhere, I think, and was a
Sec’y at Brown Bros. until married.
I have no idea what Brown Bros. did! No mention of college desires, but
I think her “career” was doing good works in whatever group she belonged
to. She was active in Soroptomist
Club of Philadelphia—Methodist women in Phila. And The Council of Churches. She raised money for the Senior Center
downtown and for a while she had a paying job with the Council of Churches.
Because
the whole family was “wired for sound” she started giving “The Art of Living
Together” speeches for no pay, but, afraid nobody would pay her if she made a
charge, she was finally convinced to request a fee. She was still asked to speak and got paid as well. I think it was because of all the
contacts she’d made over the years that she was asked to be part of the Phila
Charter Commission. As she said,
“I have no political axe to grind.”
She was the only woman on the commission. As you know, she was recognized as PA mother-of-the-year,
and had so many certificates of appreciation for various things that she said
she could paper a bathroom with them.
She was creative (another speech was called “Orchids in the Icebox”—the
lovely among the commonplace), liberal in so many ways, spiritual, secure in
her beliefs, and I could go on and on.
My parent’s values were passed on—not with lectures—but by example, and
I hoped I acquired them as they intended.
Mother was asked many times for a copy of her “Art of
Living”, but it was never written down.
She made it different every time depending on the audience and their
reaction to it, but her talks were full of common sense and humorous
anecdotes. I heard her several
times and always enjoyed listening.
She could also give a great sermon and did so at the Puerto Rican Ft.
Buchanan chapel while a downpour of rain almost drowned out her
voice. She also gave sermons at
Parkview (Congregational Church in Aurora, Colo.) when she came to visit us.
Other
family trivia:
Always
went to Little’s house for Thanksgiving dinner and they all came to our house
for Christmas. We never put
up a tree till the day before Christmas.
And we 3 girls all went downstairs on Christmas morning (at the same
time) to open stockings. Each of
us staked out a chair in the living room where our gifts were. Oh yes—we always made out a list of
what we wanted for Christmas at Little’s on Thanksgiving. After both holiday dinners, the adults
played “Rook” or “Pit”—much shouting! And we kids often played a game Uncle
David bought for us. That’s where
I first played “monopoly”. As I
got older, we 3 girls also joined in the card games. Aunt Florence and Uncle David didn’t believe in card games
using regular playing cards like for Bridge, etc. but they sure got excited
over Rook or Pit. They didn’t
approve of dancing, either. Thank
goodness my parents were more tolerant.
Oh
yes, Aunt Lizzie and I often played duets as I was growing up. She’d been the church organist for 40
years, but I never remember hearing her.
We played from a book of music called The Red Book (it was red covered,
of course, and had music from nursery rhymes and opera to piano duets, songs
and classical stuff.) Wish I still had it. I would play by myself and try any of it. If it was too advanced for me, I’d skip
to something else. Remember that I
began piano lessons at age 7 @ 50cents a lesson, but we could only afford
lessons at 2 a month. Did that for
3 years, then after a 4 year “rest” on my own, I started again with Dottie
Miller and had 10 years with her—into my beginning teaching years. Marge took vocal lesson from Dottie
also, and we would often practice together at home—I was her accompanist.
Did
you get the fact that Mother also sold life insurance for Penn Mutual Ins. Co
under a lady named Sophie Blivens?
I know mom thought a lot of her, but selling insurance wasn’t mom’s
favorite thing, although she made some good contacts and friends doing it. Mrs. Livingston bought a policy and
liked mother so well she paid for both of them to take a trip together. It was on that trip (Tauck Tours [still
in business catering to high end group tours]) that they went to the top of Mt.
Washington and stayed at the Mt. Washington Hotel there and had a perfect moon
at night and a great sunrise the next morning. They were lucky.
[And
with that, my mother’s letter ran out of steam and she ended.]
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