[GEN0034] FOR OUR SONS PETER,BOB, DAVID, PHILIP,STEVEN and OUR GRANDAUGHTER JONDALYN WHO SUGGESTED IT [GEN0035] To understand "Ruf" and me you must know of our families in the generations before us. since you are a Whitis that must be your first priority. _Charles_ Whitis: ("Ruf's Dad) was one of 11 children, born in Texas. 'Ruf' does not remember ever seeing his Grand father or Grandmother. His father was Charles Wesley Whitis, Jr. When he was 16 yrs. he left home and got a job as a bookeeper. Eventually he went to N.Y. started his own business which grew and prospered to the point wheere they did not have any financial worries. That went on until the great depres- sion of '29. He was one of the many who lost his home, his business and his health. He tried valiantly to re-coup but died several yrs. later of a stroke. _Fanny_ Whitis (Ruf's Mother) did not remember much of her child- hood and never spoke of it. She never saw her Father and early in life was adopted by the Fallowells. He was the Postmaster General of Dallas Texas. 'Ruf'' remembers him visiting them and being a very dignified old gentleman who poured his coffee into his saucer and drinking out of it 'Ruif's eyes bugged out. Next meal he tried it-but he was told off in no uncertain terms! Charles and Fanny had 4 children, Sally,'Ruf', Laura and Philip (who died of pneumonia when he was two) The family were in White Plains a few yrs. then moved to Pleasantville, N.Y. which became home until 'Ruf' and I were married. Allison Burton Roome: (my Dad) Descended from Peter Willemese Roome and Hester Van Gelder who in 1684 came from Holland and were one of the first settlers of New York(Nieu Amsterdam?)--I did have a book on this. Dad's family were all Surveyors. As the family grew they developed their own business in New Jersey. At last count it had been there for 5gener- tions. It may still be! Dad went to Rutgers and was the youngest boy to ever graduate(in his time) He went into the Insurance(Fire) first in Brooklyn, then in N.Y. As long as I can remember he was always a Vice- [GEN0036] President of every Co. with which he was associated. One intersting fact-my great Grandfather and his crew surveyed the line that now is division between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Lucile Bogardus Roome(my Mother) was the youngest of three girls and very much her Father's favorit. When he died suddenly at 49 yrs. she had a nervous break-down. She was an excellent student and in Barnard College at the time, but had to leave. She was the only one who had taken College Entrance Exams and scored 100% in both English and Math(usually it was one or the other) Believe me, I heard that many a time-especially the Math bit!! When they were young women and all had "beaux" they were in N.Y. society and went out every night to the theater and late dinners. She knew Viola Allen and Gordon Grant (Actress and Artist respctively) She went 21 times to Viola Allen's performance. She had a goood time. N.Y. must have been a lot of fun in those days! So much for the background! I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. at home on Prospect Park, West. Mother soon contracted phlebitis in her leg and was very ill;by Christmas day she was out of her head with pain and begging the Dr. to "cut off her leg". She pulled through but was unable to take care of me for a long time. A full time nurse did that, while Mother was in a Sanitarium. My sister Viola was six. When I was two yrs. old we moved to Roslyn Estates; on Long Island. Dad had designed the house, which was three story and we were one of five living in the Estates. The roads had not been improved and were very rocky. Our mail box was at least 500 yds up the road. I loved to go for the mail even tho I nearly always fell and skinned my knees. Once I had read about some one who had lain down on the road to hear the vibration of a wagon coming, so I remember trying it--I didn't hear anything but I kept on trying every time I went for the mail, [GEN0037] -3- Finally one day it worked! Grandmother lived with us and I loved her dearly. She was always my [ ^^^ Julia Bogardus] champion if anythng had gone wrong. We used to take long walks thru the woods and pick blackberries, or walk around the lake behind our house. In winter every one in our section skated on it. My Mother couldn't do these things because of the way Phlebitis had left her leg. The rest of her life she had to wear an elastic stocking. Every birthday Mother let me choose one friend and shw would take us shopping, and lunch, and to the Hippodrome in N.Y. or some play. Grand- ma went to Europe in the summers and brought me dolls from each country. I didn't really appreciate them. When I was school age, my parents decided I could go with my sister and Father in the morning by train to New York, take the subway to B'klyn and go to Packer Collegiate Institute, which had a wonderful reputation. It took 2 hrs to get there but I didn't mind. There were usually 4 of us (another girl from Roslyn)The reason my parents did this was because the Roslyn schoools were not up to par and they wanted to make sure I'd be ready for college when the time came. Packer included two yrs. of college so that one could enter as a Jr. into any other college. I was registered at Smith when I entered high school. Things didn't work out as planned. Business took us to Philadelphia and I attended a Quarker Friends Schol. It only took 1/2 hr to get _there_! One of my happiest memories was of the trip to Washington with my class Sr. Yr. It was Spring and Cherry Blossom time and a boys Prep school was staying at the same hotel. It was really great!! Remember that song-"Doing what comes naturally-"? See Pg 3B. I am not sure when cars first came out, but we had a Maxwell Touring car. Those Sunday afternoons when all the family would don "dusters" and hats and scarfs and hope the 'thing'' would start after so many cranks from the driver. If the driver survived-and he didn't get a broken arm [GEN0038] It was something new to me to go to Friends Select. All the teachers were called by their first name: Teacher Ruth or Master Bob etc There were mottoes of behabior on the walls:"Her voice was ever soft and low, a wonderful thing in woman" [No sexism here :-) -MRW] We had small classes and kind and gentle teachers. I entered in the middle of the year and was surprised to find three boys in my class. To them I was the new "Gal" in school and got lots of attention. That is when I started dating. Never haing gone to a co-ed school I didn't even know what I was missing! We had Quaker Meetings once a week which meant all the school went to the assembly hall, quietly sat down, and thought. No talking, no outside Speakers, and no music. When a teacher or student felt moved he or she got up and talked. Usually one or two did. How many people do you know whose High School keeps up with them years and years after they have graduated? I get a bulletin every few weeks of the new techniques they are using. Instead of simply read- about a country they take the children down into Chinatown, or "Spain", or "Cuba". They write plays or games or eat food native to that country. One thing which I read recently the school starts with first graders to teach them "Community mindedness". They all combine to try to understand "the Middle Years" and guide them. Those adolescent years are tough on everyone. Lucky is the child who is in such an atmosphere! [GEN0039] -4- from the crank reversing itself(it wasn't uncommon to see people with arms in slings in those days) we were off!! Especially on cold,freezing days. Kids in back, Mother and Dad in front. No side curtains, unless it was raining, we would drive to the cider mill, pick up a gallon of real cider and ocme home in the dark-half frozen but convinved it was the greatest adventure in the world. Up until 949 most people, who could afford the luxury, had isinglas windows; if they wanted to be closed in. I can still feel the sensation of "cosiness" the isinglas windows af- forded! Because I loved sports and gymnastics I convinced my family I wanted to be a Physical Education teacher. Teaching was the thing to do for women n those days. My aunt was living in Boston and suggeted Bouve- Boston(where they could keep an eye on me) I loved it. The first year we had a taste of both P.E. and Physiotherapy. Our biggest subject was Anatomy(useful in both subjects) The second semester we went to Harvard Medical School to learn about cadavers and see the origin and insertion of muscles first hand. I was intrigued and loved every minute of it. Along with that we had to do practical work in the Boston hospitals. The following year I wanted to go into Physiotherapy but Dad didn't like the idea. I became a P.E. teacher. Did my practise teaching with a girl from Pleasantville,(who knew 'ruf') at Pine Manor Jr. college in Wellesley There by hangs another tale. First let me tell you about 'Ruf' grow- ing up. We are only a year apartso he was in the same time period, and in N.Y.state. At the tender age of 6 yrs. his family chose a private Military Academy a couple of neighbors were sending their young 'uns to for "Buf". All he remembers from that experience was that they all marched around with wooden guns and had fun playing war. It was located near the Police Station and Court House in White Plains. Twice he had his bycicle stolen and he marched himself down to the Police Station and couldn't reach the counter [GEN0040] -5- one policeman held him up while he told his story to the Lieutenant "a bad guy stole my bike". A few minutes later he was in the patrol car in another section of town and saw three kids on his bike-one on the handle bars, one on the seat, and one behind. He got out of the Police car--the kids ran--and he peddled home. Happy! On Hallowe'en his baby sister dressed up in his uniform and went out with the other kids. Neighbors in the next block had new gutters put on their house. the kids found the old ones and threw them on the porch. The owner thot they were her new ones and called the police. Laura was the first one they grabbed and let go-but she came bawling into the house and ripped off that uniform mad as a hornet! The real fun thing about going to that school was that on snowy days the kids got to ride to school in a horse drawn sleigh! Both of us remember the pitiful sight of a horse falling (usually a milk wagon) and the terror of the horse and the driver who was des- perately trying to get him up on his feet. Some times it worked. If the horse had a broken leg it would be shot. Once a fire hydrant froze and broke flooding their front lawn and the entire street. All the neighbors enjoyed the skating rink! Another impression he recalls. The Spanish Ambassador lived across the street. When he needed to go to New York City, he had a couach and four stunning black horses complete with driver and footman. They made an impressive show for a small child! Then came the war years. A family named Stilgebauer lived down the street. He owned three saloons which were all boarded up-they could'nt go off the property---and their children could no longer play with the others. (I'm ashamed to write this!) I believe we have grown beyond this inhumanity! All in the name of patriotism! [GEN0041] There was a vacant lot nearby where th boys dug trenches and threw mud balls at one another but there was on thing they never forgot-to have a girl (usually by the name of Susanne) who would be the nurse and dress their wounds when they got shot!! Thats my boy! About 1915 they moved to Pleasantville, N.Y. which was to be their home until 1934. It was well located in a small town, about 1-1/2 hrs from N.Y. city where most of the townspeople worked. they had a large piece of property there. On one side was the Johns Manfille Estate and the people on the other side had a tennis court. Marquis James rented that. He was the author of Sam Houston (Governor of Texas) Ruf's Dad was from Austin and his Mother from Dallas so they all had alot in common. Years later when we were married the people next door in that same house were the Christians. Mrs Christian Had been my second grade teacher at Packer and I adored her at that time! Ruf's High School years were the best any kid could have, because he loved sports and excelled at them. In a small town, then, the schools were the center of activity. Everyone almost was behind their football and baseball teams even Twilight League baseball. Freshman,Sophmore ,and junior yrs. he was class President. In the 8th. grade he played third base on the High School team-and always after that. One year Captain of the football team and another year Captain of the Tennis team and President of the Athletic Association. In tennis he got all the way to Cornell as representative of the Southern N.Y. division. It was competition for the N.Y. state championship. There he lost. All this time his mind was on sports alot more than on studies. His parents didn't question it either. His father read alot and educated him- self. He was working at 16yrs. His Mother went to grade school and was an excellent hat designer in her growing years so with all the success [GEN0042] -7- in sports they lost sight of the book study part until too late. 'Ruf' had flunked Latin his Freshman year and when it came graduation time he did not have enough credits. They suggested he take the Senior year over. He refused, knowing he could work with his Father. I could readily understand why he had no patience with Latin. To this day he does not _hear_ syllables. 'Ruf's father had one of the first cars in town-a 1911 Overland and when he was 14 he began driving it. He always took his "Pop" to the station. When they went to the station they went down the main road but when 'Ruf' came back he went the back road. Often he would pick up one of the teachers who were understandably grateful and part of the conspiracy. He was a good driver and available for "girl friend's Mother's doctor appointments" etc. He still remembers the morning after he had got- ten his license coming home the MAIN road and waving to the policeman! For two summers he took four other friends from Pleasantville in hisStearns touring carto Citizens Military Training Camp. He well re- members his first three mistakes there. First. "Anyone who has had military training, take one step forward" Our hero steps forward(military school -age 6) "You have had military training?" "Yes, Sir" "Report to the kitchen for K.P." Second. Loaned the same Sargeant ten dollars. When he asked him to re- pay the loan more than once e reported him to the Captian. He got his money in a hurry. Third. There were five boys to a tent, held up by a tent pole. One day "Ruf" put his wallet under his pillow while he planned to take a shower. He returned unexpectedly because he had forgotten the soap. He caught one of his tent-mates(nicknamed"Stretch") stealing it. He was so angry he and the other guys threw "Stretch" and his open [GEN0043] -8- suitcase and duffle bag and anything else he owned on top of him. In the fracas the tent pole had become bent and all was in a mess. The boys were prepared to "belt" Stretch, but just then they were informed that this was the day Governor Smith was making an inspection of the camp and to get their tent straightened up. The Governor came and inspected their tent but said nothing. He had heard the store. "Stretch" was expelled from camp. The boys had alot of fun and learne alot those two summers. "Ruf" earned a medal for sharp-shooting and also became proficient as a machine gunner. Thank goodness he has no reason to exercise those two talents, but it all came under the tiltle of "Fun" in those days. All this time, about 1925-1927 I was spending summers in a Y.W.C.A camp on Barnegat Bay, N.J. as a Counselor. I was young, and idealistic, and their whole program appealed to me tremendously. The camp was di- vided into two week sessions for working girls who had never had that opportunity to get away before. They worked woolen mills, silk stocking factories and other places. Most of them loved camp by the second week, when they had gotton used to the water and program, and hated to leave. They had alot of team games, swimming, iking, campfires, and lots and lots of singing. It was interesting to note the change in the girls the second week. More out-going and cooperative and willing to take their share of responsibility. I learned alot also. I had never been thrown with dis-advantaged girls before and I learned to admire them and love them in spite of them talking "street talk". This was volunteer work but I felt well repaid for the privilege. At least I was not costing my family anything and I had a wonderful summer near the ocean. The following summer I had finished my freshman year in college and my roomate and I took a job in Pocasset, on Cape cod. We were housed on the grounds across from a Tubercular Sanitarium. That is where the [GEN0044] -9- the parents were. We provided for the _children_ running a camp. Meals were served and housing. What we didn't know until we arrived was that most of thes children were scheduled to have their ronsils and adenoids removed-a certain number each week. It was our job to arrange the ward, line up the beds, and be there for each child after the opera- tion. It seemed like the Doctors were very generous with the ether. All of them were so sick when they came out of it. A very few parents were there and they helped relieve us, but it was a situation that would never have passed a Board of Health test! One day the follwoing year whn Betty Buckout and I were going on the train to Wellesley for practise teaching, we got to discussing summer jobs and she mentiond she was taking charge of the playground in Pleasantville and would i like to be her Assistant? The idea ap- pealed to me because my family were living in Scarsdale then, and I could get by train to Pleasantville in short time. At that time I didn't know anything about "Ruf" being a close friend of hers. They had gone all through school together. Little did I know she had promised him to introduce me to him. Easter vacation she gave a bridge party of at least sixteen people, I still did not suspect what they had planned, but I was invited. The following summer we really had a ball. Alot of the older boys had lost their jobs, or had part time ones, so what better place to spend their time than helping us out on the playground? Even the little ones enjoyed having the big boys play baseball with them. And Betty and i had no objection. That summer fairly flew by, in contrast to the pre- vious one. I no longer had to ride the train home. I saw alot more of the scenery between P'ville and Scarsdale than I knew ever existed. These were 'depression times'-altho we had not felt the full impact- 'Ruf" had lost his job with W.R. Grace and Co. and was looking for [GEN0045] -10- another. He was feeling no pain because te company had given him six months pay and he was so certain of getting another job. Life was too great to even imagine what we and the whole country were about to en- dure. We both had been pretty well insulated against the real effects of the depression. In the fall of 1931 I had my first teaching assignment -St. Margaret Country Day and Boarding School in Waterbury, Conn. They pad a very good salary and a boarding school was entirely a new experience for me, which I enjoyed. 'Ruf' was helping his Dad on Wall St. and begining to realize the seriousness of the economic situation, but he had his mind on alot of other things (rember he had six mos. pay ahead) For one thing, we were going steady and I had complicated things by teaching at least 60 miles away. He came up weekends in the snow, rain, ice or whatever the weather. Sometimes we would go to the Yale games in New Haven, or Concerts I had to be in at a decent hour, and he had to rent a room at the "Y". Sometimes we would just drive around. It was a difficult situration. He would go home late and nearly had two really bad accidents. One from skiddingon the ice and onother from falling asleep at the wheel. He kept in touch with my family and often when they wanted to go somewhere at night and not leave Grandma "B" alone, "Ruf" went over and took her out to dinner and spend the evening talking. she was such a good sport. Had a fund of information. Her Father was the N.Y. State Senator in Albany. She grew up in Catskill on-the Hudson. An only daughter. She accustomed to meeting all sorts of people and spending much of her time in Albany. I remember when I was a small girl her go- ing to Europ several times. Always by boat. I loved to hear her tell About the "Steerage" passengers. [GEN0046] -11- One evening in the Spring of '31 "Ruf" made up his mind he had 'had' it as far as separations, near accidents, and Waterbury was concerned and he was going to talk to my family the next day and ask their per- mission to marry me. By this time I was fed up on separations and Waterbury too. I had not signed a contract for another year and had planned to go to a private school near White Plains. When he called Mother and Dad they assumed he wanted to play bridge. They had the table set up, cards ready etc. So they played. finally-- "Ruf" got to the point and it ended up on a happy note. To the surprise of both of us Mother and Dad announced they were moving to Chicago for business reasons and had planned to take me with them. That was the last thing either "Ruf" or I wanted. It seemed as tho the school year would never end! We had planned to be married at home, in Scarsdale, at eight o'clock in the evening. Junefirst I was home about a week before that. To our regret we had to limit the invitations and alot of "Ruf"s friends were not invited. The house could only hold about 50 guests. Supper was catered. Mother and Dad were having the movers come the next day. We woud be in Stamford, Conn. on our way to Mattapoisett, Mass. The Munro's (Uncle Willis and Aunt Marion) had given us for a wedding present three weeks at Angelica Point where they had a three room cottage. No one had ever stayed there overnight before. There were no other buildings on the entire point. At high tide it was an island. It had been a drop-off place for rum--runners until the Federal agents got wise to it. It sounded ideal to us. Beside that my Uncle told us to go into any food store in Mattpoisett and charge whatever we wished to him. We had a superb three weeks. The rest of the world and depression talk seemed very far away. Our biggest problem being to keep track of the tides and make sure where ever we went to get back before th tide went out! [GEN0047] -12- "Ruf"'s family had a large home-seven bedrooms upstairs and 7 assort- ed rooms downstairs. "Ruf" had turned three of the rooms into an apart- ment for us with his family's consent. so this was our home from June until November. By this time the full impact of the depression had hit us. His Father had lost his business and his savings. At his age he had no chance of making other connections. Every one we met a talked to was out of work. "Ruf" finally landed a job in Mt Kisco for a Cadallac agent. No future in it, but it would pay for some groceries. He was to collect bad bills! The next day we went to the first one in an Italian section . I was sitting in the frontseat to keep the car running in case "R" needed to eave in a hurry. All the shades of house were down. When "R" knocked the guy woudn;t open the door. He nocked again and again finally two beady eyes were visible behind the shade. Something told "Ruf" to leave while he had a chance. He had been warned at the local saloon where he asked directions to Scarfone's house: "Don't mess with him"! The next day the paper had a long article about this same Scarfone who had kidnapped a Banker and tortured him for ransom. The day we were there the F.B.I. had the house surrounded. That was the end of that job. One other that I remember was "Ruf" working for the telephone CO. It was bitter cold and he and a friend from Pleasant ville were assigned to the territory near the Palisades. Each would get 18% of a year's bill if he sold a new phone. So they really put in a day tramping the streetsnear the river. They were fortunate enough to sell one person who was opening a Democratic Headquaters office and needed four. Every one else said, "Hell no, take it out, I can't pay for the one I have". By the time the boys got near home they were so cold they had pooled their money and bought a bottle of wine--and consumed it! When I opened the [GEN0048] -13- door, the heat in conjunction with the wine, just knocked them both out. They were the silliest kids you can imagine. There was no way we could send his friend home that night! It was the first time I ever slept three in a bed! "Ruf" was sober enuf to make sure he got in the middle! The economy started slipping in 1929 but it reached its peak in 1931. There were over one million people out of work and no jobs avail- able. People couln't pay the mortgages on their homes, stores with carge accounts could not collect. The banks failed because they often were the ones holding the mortgages. There was no un-employment insurance, no Social Security. Welfare consisted of standing in line long hours for a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk. There were many stories of suicides. Each one brough more doubt and fear to htose who were left, especially if they were older. Things were getting very tight at the Whitis home. The cupboards were pretty bare and we had the miserable feeling of adding to their burden, but were powerless to do anything about it. Things were getting pretty strained and to top it off I was pregnant with my first baby! Mother ad Dad moved a branch office of the Republic Insurance Co. from Chicago to New York. in 1933; and "Ruf" he employed as an accounting clerk. At last he had a work he could be proud of. We were so thrilled we could move to a fifth floor Apartment in White Plains and be by our- selves!! Peter was born on July 4th in Mt. Kisco hospital while we were living in Pleasantville, but it was time to move when he needed a room for himself. We found a WHOLE HOUSE in Chappaqua we could afford to rent and were thrilled to have a yard as well. That made "Ruf's" trip alot longer but he didn't mind It was good to get back to the country agian! It wasn't long before Bob came along, again in the Mt. Kisco hos- pital. [GEN0049] I have forgotten the hospital charges but the Doctor charged fifty dollars for each baby. The stay in the hospital was ten days. You were made to "dandle" your legs from the side of the bed on the sevent day. On the eigth and ninth you walked around a bit. When you got home you had bottles to prepare and diapers galore. When Phil and Steve were born I had diaper service. Disposables were just coming in. During the depression I came down with a very severe case of trench mouth. The Doctor came to the house but I had to go to the Dentist for treatments every day. There was no way we could pay his bill except by "Ruf" simonizing his two cars and putting tar paper and tar on the flat roof of his home. When David was born we had moved into an apartment in the Bronx. directly opposite Bronx River Park. It was very convenient to get to N.Y.C. from there, but there were more dis-advantages than advantages so after a couple of years we were able to buy our first house on a corner lot in Yonkers. It wsa three stories, four bedrooms, large dining room and living room and kitchen. diagonally opposite the grade school where Peter and Bob went and across the street from the Church. Sherwood Park was like a small town within a big city at that time. Alot of people our age with children and every one seemed to go to the same church and like doing the same things. We started a bad- minton club which met every week in an Armory in Yonkers. We had so many good times there in the Park. We still see three families from the Park who have moved to Florida, every few months. Philip was born while we lived in Sherwood Park. At the age of two he fell ill with whooping cough which he had gotten from his two older brothers. It left him so depleted the pnuemonia followed and then he bacame anemic. He was quite a sick little boy. Philip was on reason for us to move to Duxbury. [GEN0050] -15- Our years in Duxbury were happy ones. It is a beautiful small town on the South shoreof Massachusetts about 35 miles from Boston. We lived in a two story house overlooking the marshes on the original Standish property. This was on Abram's Hill along with five or six other homes. Peter was in high school and enjoying every minute of it. He was into everything, but I think Basket-ball was his main love at the time. He was 14 or 14 yrs. Bob was in Jr. Hifh in another school, and Dave in grade school. I believe Philip was in the first grade. I know I often walked him to school to make sure he got there. At the foot of Abram's hill was the swimming hole and a dock. One day I was out in the row boat watching over Phil and several others all older than he. They were all on the float at the time. A little girl, older than Phil (who hadn't learned to swim)got to fooling around and pushed him off the float. By the time I could get to him he was kind of floating under water with the most peaceful look on his face. I grabbed him and got him on shore and worked alot of the water out of him and we rested awhile, but I wanted to get him to bed; so we walked up the hill-which was hard on him. "ruf" had the car. Another time Phil got hold of some matches and built what he thought was a "little fire"; which it was, until one of the teachers living near by saw it and panicked and called the Fire Dept. They came roaring up and then I noticed Phil coming in the back door in a hurry. But he was nowhere to be found.in the house until I saw one whoe sticking out under the bed. By that time the Fire Chief was looking for him. I thought it would make more of an impression on Phil if the Chief talked to him. He did and that was the end of lighting fires. There was always a wind on the hill and the houses were near enough so that if one caught all would be affected! [GEN0051] -16- We came to Duxbury in 1945 and at that time most of the people stay- there from memorial Day to Labor Day and then went back to Boston. We were the _only_ ones left on the hill. "Ruf" was in business for himself in maintaining homes, and that dropped off quite a bit in winter. He took on another man and the two of tem had a miserable week travel- ing back and forth to Cape Cod, putting a new roof on a house in the snow! That was when thoughts of Florida became very enticing!! In 1949 Steve was born in Plymouth. Three hundred and twenty years after the Pilgrims had landed. The hospital sits on a hill overlooking the same Bay. It is larger than Duxbury and attracts many visitors in summer. i remember looking out of the hospital window and seeing all the boys who had come to visit-but were not allowed-tumbling in the last snow of the year and throwing snow balls at each other!! Much as we loved Duxbury in summer with its clam bakes and over- nights on the beach, boating and learning about the cranberry bog, and all the history connected with that area, still the thoughts of warm weather and all the water around Florida had a stronger appeal. We cam e in 1949 when Steve was three weeks old. "Ruf" had adver- tised an auction to be held at our house. They were dead serious about "everything going" (the auctioneer) I had all I could do to save out the baby basket and his clothes and a goodly supply of diapers. I left with Steve and resolutely said "goodbye" to all my things. The only important people were "Ruf" and the boys anyway, I kept telling my- self. That was whn I first knew of disposable diapers. If one had known where to look one might have followed our trail all the way to Florida! We have been here thirty seven years, enough to feel as tho our roots had realy taken hold. Peter's profession took him to the mid-west, and Bob's to Atlanta. David chose North Caroline when he bought an [GEN0052] -17- eight-seven acre farm. The two youngest boys who spent most of their growing years in Florida have a special fondness for this state-as we do. I foirgot to mention the two week vacations "Ruf" had when Peter, Bob and Dave were little. We came from N.Y. to Boston by boat and on down to Angelica Pt. In the hurricane of 1938 the main house and guest house were all destroyed. We have a picture of the top of our wicker basket, which held wood, sitting high on a tree top nearly a mile away. We had left here one week before. The Point is still there, rocky as ever and deserted! At least with age on gets a perspective of the differences in gen- erations. In the early 1900's people were more sedate and proper. One should be a "lady" or a "gentleman" at any cost. "One didn't discuss per- sonal matters in public, and a person didn't just "drop in" to another's house-they left "calling cards"! Our genneration had World War I(1914-18)followed by the "Roaring Twenties" when "flapppers" were in their prime. Then came 'the Great Depression' 1929-1932. We were just trying to recover whn "Wold War 2" came along (1939-11945) It brought with it more sophisticated mechanization of planes and equipment. Toward the end of the war the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima which opened a "Pandor's Box" of destruction. What a legacy to leave to your generation! But I believe you can handle it. People like Carl Sagan, Scientists, "Beyond War" groups who can link five continents by a live television "Space-bridge" will eventually reach their goal of banning nuclear tests and the militarization of space! The subsequent history of the Whitis family is now yours to carry on. We are confident you will do it splendidly! [Signed] Rufus and Ruth February 3, 1986