Moving Day (Chapter 41)

Moving Day was a beautiful day in May, 1935...

Two large moving vans pulled up, one in the driveway, the other in front of the house. Campbell had already given the now "old" Cadillac to uncle Henry. "Hank" Konefes was married to one of mother's older sisters, Aunt Emma. They had four children - the same ages as the Stewart kids. Hank was unemployed and needed transportation for his children and to look for a job. Uncle Gene had found a job in a Royal Blue Store in the pharmacy deptartment, and had moved back home with grandpa and Grandma Beck.

Unemployment was at an all time high, President Franklin Roosevelt was doing everything in his power to calm the people with his "Fireside Chats" assuring them that they had "Nothing to fear but FEAR itself!" His NEW DEAL passed the most significant legislation in history - all designed to put people back to work in the shortest time. He was the best possible president for that very painful period in America!

The week before moving day, we had celebrated Irving's 13th birthday. Martha was in B.C., so I baked his cake (no cake mixes in those days!). Helen and I frosted it and decorated it with candles. We sorely missed Florence! Mother was busy with baby Donald and all the packing. We invited Irv's closest friends - Bobby Rossberg, Richard Wood, Terry Ennis, and George and Bobby Koester. Father had sent him a wonderful tool box from Sears - his first one! Mother gave him a hunting knife which he proudly wore on his belt. I gave him a brand new Boy Scout handbook which he loved to read - but would not join the Scouts as he "would have to wear that monkey suit!" Helen gave him a checker game - the only game that he would play!

After they had consumed all the ice cream and cake, they all went out to the garage to help Irv collect all his tools and pack them in his new toolbox all the while asking, no, demanding to know WHY we were moving away! They were going to miss him - sorely! He was the one that they all tried to emulate, from his jacknife tucked into the top of his "hightops" to his racing across the empty lots to wherever he wanted to go. He had a bicycle but rarely rode it! He was the Huck Finn of the neighborhood and they hated to see him move away! Bobby Rossberg loved the cooing sound of Irv's pigeons in the coop that Campbell had built into the garage. So Irv gave Bobby his large bag of corn and assured him that if he sprinkled the corn all around the Rossberg garage, the pigeons would all come there to roost. So Bobby lugged the bag of corn home to entice them there. I hoped that Irv was right!

Moving day dawned bright and clear as only a day in May could be! The vans had pulled up early and men were already carrying out the heavy pieces of furniture putting some things in one van and some in the other, which puzzled me. Uncle Gay was there and Uncle Hank Konefes. Irv's friends were all there again, leaning on their bicycles and watching the whole event. I was going out the back gate to say goodbye to Mrs. DaCosta who lived over on Kirkwood when I spotted a bushel basket at the rear along with numerous boxes of trash. The bushel basket had a rug thrown over it. I pulled off the rug and there they were! All the family photographs from Scotland! My cousin Bill Ferguson in his Mountie uniform on top! I pulled them out, looking at each one in horror - my grandmother and grandfather! Auntie Nan's wedding! Lignwood - our family home - dear Aunt Helen - the four Annes - they were all there waiting for the garbage truck! I found a clean box, wrapped each one in newspaper and carefully packed it in the box. I labeled it "Nanny-PRIVATE" and carried it into Uncle Gay's truck where I knew I would ride to the new house!

One by one - friends and neighbors came to say goodbye. All my school friends from eighth grade. I was especially touched when Mrs. Ford, my 8th grade teacher, came as she lived four blocks away. She gave me a hug and said to me, "Good luck, Nancy....you will be successful in whatever you do!" The movers were now taking up the carpeting from the living room, dining room, hallway, and part of the upstairs. Mother was going to have it cleaned and laid in the rented house in Des Plaines. The two vans were ready to go! I heard mother say that one was going to Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Hopf's two-flat in Chicago, and the other to 582 Greenview Avenue, in Des Plaines. At least half of our furniture was going to the Hopf's!!

The vans left and all that remained were Uncle Hank Konefes in the Cadillac and Uncle Gay's truck - also a car that I did not know - parked a little way down the street. In the front seat sat Eric Hopf at the wheel, mother beside him, holding Donald, and Helen peering from the back seat. Irv and I were to ride with Uncle Gay. The psychic PAIN came back again when I saw mother and Eric in that strange car. Uncle Gay was to lock up the house after they pulled away. I turned to him and asked if I could go in alone and say goodbye to MY HOUSE! I did.