Uncle Hip and Aunt Ernestine

I took these snapshots in 1945.  The man standing on the right is Hilburn Arthur.  I never knew him as anything except Uncle Hip.

Below is Aunt Ernestine.  She was one of Daddy's older sisters. She always had a smile on her face.  And she kept chewing gum in her purse and always offered me some.

Aunt Ernestine taught me to knit.  And one time she made a whole wardrobe of beautiful doll dresses with hats for one of my dolls.

She had the most comfortable lap I ever slept in.  And late in life she gave me a real down comforter which I still have to this day.

Thurston and Ernestine under an umbrella

Thurston at age 6 with his sister, Ernestine "Jack"

Papa gave all of the girls nicknames that were boy's names.  Ruth was called "Zamp" but the only nickname that stuck was Ernestine's.  Familiy members called her Jack all of her life.

About this time Thurston wrote a note to big sister Mamie who was grown and living in Los Angeles.

It was enclosed in a letter his mother, Maggie sent.  It read:

Dear Mamie 

Will you send me a Uncle Wiggly book?  If you will I will give you a Xmas present and it will be a good one too.  

 Say did you know that I could read?  Why I am the best reader in my room.

Lots of love

Thurston.

Mama's note at the bottom:  Do for the love of Mike write to Thurston.

The Atwood's house in Comanche, Texas

Thurston always told me he could see the original split logs under the dining room floor.  The house had 3 front doors for some reason. 

On the front steps about 1920.  In back, Hilburn Arthur, soon to marry Ernestine next to him.  Mamie on the right.  In front are Ruth and Thurston about age 9 and age 6

Bill Atwood about 1949 with Rico, Mama's dog who was named for her favorite singer, Enrico Caruso.

Thurston Atwood, my father, at about age 6

. About 1920. The tall lady in the center is Mamie, In order: Ruth, Maggie, Mamie, with Thurston in front of her, Ernestine and Manning. Thurston told me that the older girls boxed his ears when he was little. He never could hear very well out of his right ear.

Manning and Maggie's children

Manning and Maggie Atwood's first child was named Mable. As far as I know we don't have any pictures of her. When she was two years old Maggie took her to visit Maggie's famiy. While she was there they both became ill; Maggie lived but Mable did not.

Aunt Ernestine told me that Maggie never went to visit to her family again. 

In 1902 Manning and Maggie moved to Comanche, Texas where they lived out the rest of their lives in the same home, at 415 East Grand Avenue. .

Here is a photo of their first 4 children, plus Mamie who is standing at the back. The seated child on the right is Sammie, who lived to age 12. The little infant is Edward, their first boy, whose nickname was "Sonnyman."  Standing at left is Alma Janice Atwood.  At right is Ernestine. Ernestine told me that Maggie made every stitch of the clothing all 5 children wore in this photo. After this picture was made Maggie and Manning had three more children, Watt, Ruth, and Thurston, who was my father.