Grandparents of Curryville

One of the dearest places in Curryville was my grandparent’s house. After Grandfather retired from running Ore Hill Orchards, they moved in part of a house owned by Vernon and Estella Stayer. The Stayer’s son, Tommy, was a famous musician.

Grandmother and grandfather had 12 children. My mother was the oldest.

Aunt Shirley was the only child who was not married when my grandparents lived there. Shirley was only four years older than me and we were like sisters. Although dad taught me to drive, Shirley let me practice. We went for Sunday drives and usually stopped at Ritchey’s Dairy to get ice cream. One time we went on a double date with boys from State College. They later became our husbands. Aunt Shirley married John Knepp and I married Joe Hamilton.

Grandmother’s house was always so cozy and loving. She had all the grandchildren’s pictures around the glass door of a china closet in the kitchen. I checked it often to see if we were all there. She had a rocking chair in her kitchen and would often be sitting there waiting for her magic to develop in the oven.

While washing dishes at that kitchen window one day, grandma saw her neighbor, Mr. Nicodemus, fall from the roof of his house to his death. Although we were all horrified that this had happened to the Nicodemus family, I felt so sad that grandma had to see that. She never talked of that incident. I never asked her to.

Any nice evening I could join grandma on her front porch swing.

Grandmother wanted to know everything I was doing and encouraged me to do my best. I never loved her more than the day we were watching a healing program on television. She asked me if I believed those healings were real. I was honored that she would want to know how I felt about something so spiritual. I said “Yes, I know God can heal people.” She said “I believe it, too.”

It was something special between us, like a bond between grandma, me and God.