(Samuel Claridge is front and center behind his kneeling granddaughter with a well-groomed snowy white beard. His wife Rebecca is sitting on his left (our right). Elizabeth Pool Moody is likely in this picture - possibly sitting next to Rebecca Hughes Claridge.)"The Old people of Thatcher were given their annual social at the hall Saturday. The forenoon was spent exchanging greetings, and a number of recitations and songs. Among the entertainers were E.C. Philips, Josephine Kimball, Mrs. Inez Lee, James Branam, Erastus Wakefield and others. At noon, a delicious dinner was served consisting of all good things procurable. The dinner hour was one of much merriment and many pleasant jokes. After dinner all the old people were permitted to fish from a pond, each drawing some pretty present. A silk muffler was given to Father Claridge as he was the oldest man present. Mrs. Fife was the oldest woman present and received a silk head scarf. Bishop Tyler was given a prize for having lived in Thatcher longer than any man present. Mrs. Elizabeth Moody took the ladies' prize for having lived in Thatcher the longest. The festivities of the day were carried on with little formality and the Old people declared that the Old People's Parties get better every time."
Graham guardian. (Safford, Ariz.) 1895-1923
April 12, 1912, Image 4
Image provided by Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ
Persistent link: ">http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95060914/1912-04-12/ed-1/seq-4/
One of the Claridge family rituals was Samuel's Widow Parties. Every spring this was a festive occasion. When father thought it was about time to have one he would broach the subject to Rebecca at the breakfast table. It was a lot of work for Rebecca and her daughters and she was not always enthusiastic about the matter, but she played her cards well to make it pay after the party was over. She would say, "Alright Pa, if you will let me buy some new silver, and a new table cloth or two...we'll have one." And of course Samuel would laugh and say, "Alright mother, get what you need." So...the planning would start.
Samuel would get his pencil and paper and would say, "Now come on girls, let's see how many widows there are." They would start naming them off as he would write them down. When finished, the list would contain about thirty names. Then Samuel would say, "Now let's see how many missionaries wives there are," and their names would be added to the list. In all there would be forty or fifty names on the list. The Samuel would say, "Now mother, let's go down to Allred's store and buy the groceries necessary." Then Rebecca and Nell would go up to Owen's store in Safford and get linen table clothes, napkins and silverware. It always took two days for the cooking.
The first day was spent preparing the chickens and turkeys, and the plum pudding, pies and cakes. Then the next day or morning was spent in preparing and cooking the vegetables, cleaning the house thoroughly and setting the tables. These were placed upstairs in the long room which was made just for the family parties and dances. There were long tables running almost the full length of the room, which was about forty feet long and about twenty feet wide. The long room was over the kitchen, so we would run up the kitchen stairs with the dishes and food. When the food was ready and placed on the tables, after many trips up and down the stairs, the company having been entertained by father and some of us girls, the guests would be called to go up stairs. There they were seated at the tables teeming with all the good food.
After dinner was finished, Samuel would take the company downstairs in the "old fashioned parlor" while the girls cleaned up the tables. Rebecca was usually so worn out, for she had the brunt of the load, that she had to lay down a little while before she could go in where the guests were. Usually songs, poems and readings were given, and then time was given for the guests to say something. (Kate recalls: "It seemed strange that Mother did most of the work, but Father got all the praise. Now, I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, but sweet little grey-eyed Rebecca always stood in the background, precious as the sunshine that lights our world, and sweet as a fragrant lily.")
Source: "The Children of Samuel Claridge", compiled by Helen Ruth Claridge Cole, pg. 397
Graham guardian. (Safford, Ariz.) 1895-1923
April 12, 1912, Image 4
Image provided by Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ
Persistent link: ">http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95060914/1912-04-12/ed-1/seq-4/
One of the Claridge family rituals was Samuel's Widow Parties. Every spring this was a festive occasion. When father thought it was about time to have one he would broach the subject to Rebecca at the breakfast table. It was a lot of work for Rebecca and her daughters and she was not always enthusiastic about the matter, but she played her cards well to make it pay after the party was over. She would say, "Alright Pa, if you will let me buy some new silver, and a new table cloth or two...we'll have one." And of course Samuel would laugh and say, "Alright mother, get what you need." So...the planning would start.
Samuel would get his pencil and paper and would say, "Now come on girls, let's see how many widows there are." They would start naming them off as he would write them down. When finished, the list would contain about thirty names. Then Samuel would say, "Now let's see how many missionaries wives there are," and their names would be added to the list. In all there would be forty or fifty names on the list. The Samuel would say, "Now mother, let's go down to Allred's store and buy the groceries necessary." Then Rebecca and Nell would go up to Owen's store in Safford and get linen table clothes, napkins and silverware. It always took two days for the cooking.
The first day was spent preparing the chickens and turkeys, and the plum pudding, pies and cakes. Then the next day or morning was spent in preparing and cooking the vegetables, cleaning the house thoroughly and setting the tables. These were placed upstairs in the long room which was made just for the family parties and dances. There were long tables running almost the full length of the room, which was about forty feet long and about twenty feet wide. The long room was over the kitchen, so we would run up the kitchen stairs with the dishes and food. When the food was ready and placed on the tables, after many trips up and down the stairs, the company having been entertained by father and some of us girls, the guests would be called to go up stairs. There they were seated at the tables teeming with all the good food.
After dinner was finished, Samuel would take the company downstairs in the "old fashioned parlor" while the girls cleaned up the tables. Rebecca was usually so worn out, for she had the brunt of the load, that she had to lay down a little while before she could go in where the guests were. Usually songs, poems and readings were given, and then time was given for the guests to say something. (Kate recalls: "It seemed strange that Mother did most of the work, but Father got all the praise. Now, I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, but sweet little grey-eyed Rebecca always stood in the background, precious as the sunshine that lights our world, and sweet as a fragrant lily.")
Source: "The Children of Samuel Claridge", compiled by Helen Ruth Claridge Cole, pg. 397
No comments:
Post a Comment