...We were always as poor as Job's turkey.  However, we always had plenty of food and that is one thing.  We never went hungry.  Dad would get credit either at the Webb Merrell Store in Pima, when we lived there or at the Big Six Store in Thatcher after we move there.  They allowed him to pay up when he harvested his crops in the fall.

Of course, our bill was never very big because about all we had to buy was sugar, salt, shoes, and stockings for the family.  Dad always took his grain to the mill as soon as he harvested it and had it made into flour.  We had a great big green "flour box" that held our years supply of flour.

I remember during World War I when the government requested all the white flour to feed the soldiers.  Dad sacked up our supply of white flour and turned it in, and in its place we got what we called "shorts" that we used to make our bread.  It as really the outside hulls of the kernels of wheat bu we ate it and remained very healthy.

Mother did lots of canning.  In Thatcher, we had a pretty good sized pantry just back of our kitchen and it was always well stocked with food.  mother made all her own soap too.  We grew our own bacon and ham and had our own butter and buttermilk.  We had lots of good cottage cheese but I don't remember Mother ever making any regular cheese.

Written and remembered by Vessa Leola Hanchett McGrath