Our family lived on a farm about a mile from a one-room schoolhouse. When I was five years old the teacher, who was boarding at our home, invited me to walk along and visit school on opening day. I was completely entranced – didn’t miss a day the whole school term.
Some of our recess and noon extra minutes were fun time for all. The favorites were games: softball, pump pump pull away, last couple out, steal the stick, dare base, and baseball. For quieter fun times – jump the rope, hopscotch and storytelling or oral reading.
When the weather was too cold for outdoor fun we did chalkboard games, guess riddles, spelling bees and geography trivia. Blind Man’s Bluff was fun to the younger students. When spring time arrived the boys would dig up a few feet of sod and use it for practicing the high jump, broad jump and longest-distance running jump. Some did quite well! We were taught, “you’re not likely to achieve anything of lasting value in life if you never take a chance and try!”
Matilda (Winters) Cardin
Englewood, Colorado
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then Capper’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.
