New Beginings

In 1917, we moved from our rented house to our new home at 322 Ridge Avenue, Lakewood, NJ. Grandmother Brown told Uncle Joel Brown, Dad’s brother, “if you are not about to marry, you have to live with Harry and help raise his children.” In 1919, Uncle Joel married Sarah Jane (Jennie) Cook, they moved into a house on East 4^th Street, Lakewood, NJ.

In 1929, Dad had a new grocery store built on East 7^th Street, Lakewood, NJ, around the corner from where we lived. Mother helped him securing a mortgage. Maggie and Harry’s first son, Charles William Brown passed. Harrison and I were born in the rented house near our first grocery store, Ridge Avenue, Lkwd. Elston, Frances and Helen were born at 322 Ridge Avenue, Lkwd, NJ, in the upstairs master bedroom.

Mother never went to a hospital to give birth to her children; the delivery took place in the upstairs bedroom. When her time came, she would send Dad to get the Doctor and then go to her bedroom and sit on her platform rocking chair until it was time to deliver the child. The Doctor would sit in our kitchen, drinking coffee, until Mother would call out, “it’s time”. The Doctor would go up the thirteen steps and the next thing we knew, there was another baby. To tell you the truth, I thought that some one was killing my Mother and the neighbors would come in the house and the Doctor would tell them, “get her out of here”.

Mother had two babies through the trap door of her long underwear, since the house had no central heat, at that time, a radiator in each room did not really do the trick, the iron stove in the kitchen was the warmest place in our home. After a baby was born, dad would go out into the country and bring his cousin, Mary Jane Errickson, to take care of the house and the newborn. First thing that they did was to bring Mother’s bed downstairs and place it in the dining room so she could communicate with the family. Mary Jane Cottrell Errickson Smith was the daughter of Hiram Cottrell, Siloam, NJ.

Mary Jane fed Harrison paragaric to keep him quiet and when Dad took her back to Siloam, NH, my brother cried too no end, driving everyone nuts. Mother send Dad for Grandmother Brown, Anna, to help with our new baby and our crying brother Harrison. Grandmother did not last long in Lakewood, NJ, she almost went nuts with all the excitement. The house across the street was burning down and with all the fire engines, noise and clatter, baby crying and Mother to care for. Grandmother ran up and down Ridge avenue screaming, “Harry, take me home.”