At least this time that we were on the road again, it was a much shorter trip.
Steve and Marion were taken to Aunt Vivian (mother's sister) and Uncle Kenney's home in Rockledge, Florida.
Uncle Kenny worked at Cape Canaveral and aunt Vivian was a homemaker. They had three children. The oldest we called Little Paula as she was named after aunt Paula. Kenny Jr. was the middle child and then there was Terry, son number two and was aproximately my age.
I was to stay with Aunt Gladys (mom's sister), Uncle Austin and thier family. They lived outside a small town called Auburndale. This quaint little town was in the very heart of citrus country. Orange, grapefruit and tangerine grove were everywhere.
They had three children of their own. The oldest Gerald was living in Alabama and was soon to be married. Tom, the second oldest, who was named after his dad was in the navy. The youngest was Rod who was about four years older then I was.
Uncle Austin owned his own leather goods business in a neighboring city called Winter Haven. Aunt Gladys was a histology technician at the Winter Haven hospital.
That first year was difficult for me and I am quite sure for them as well. I had a number of emotional issuesdue to the abuse from my mother and stepfather. One time I woke everyone in the house up because I had turned on all the lights...ever fearful of the darkness.
There were medical problems as well. I continued to have stomach trouble and according to the doctors was in an emerging ucler stage. So, I was put on a bland (yuk) diet for several months.
Also, we needed to find an answer a to the question of why my legs swelled like they did.
Aunt Gladys had taken me to their family doctor to get his opinion. After a thorough examination and a family history, Dr. Smythe announced I had a condition called Milroy's Disease. This was the old name applied to almost all cases of lymphedema.
My aunt and uncle's home quickly became "my" home as I was welcomed and settled in. I was enrolled in school at the Central Elementary School in Auburndale. This was the third school I attended in my first grade.
The year 1959 was one of massive change for me and it ended on a good note.
At Christmas, I had decided I was going to rearrange a decoration at the top of the Christmas tree, and boy did I ever rearrange it. I knocked the whole tree over. Of course, I did what any little kid would do, I started crying.
After some hugs of comfort from Aunt Gladys, both the tree and I were tidied up. How totally strange it was for me not to be beaten with a leather belt for something I had done.
My next biographical page:
"It was a very good year." ok, so I changed that title of my next page. Summer of 1960.
Enjoy
Pat