Family History

GROWING UP A TRIGGS / MCGILL

By Gwen Breedlove

My family consisted of 10 children. Seven born to Alfred & Uraha Belle Triggs.  Our older 3 siblings lived with my uncle Bubo,  William Edward McGill, just up the road. I remember Dezo, the oldest, came home from the army driving and wearing blue suede shoes.  I was 5 or 6.  Dorothy came by but left when she was about 16.  I hated to see her go.  Roy would come  every Sunday for dinner.   Charlene and I would watch for him to come over the hill, and say, “here he comes.”

Living in the country there were lots of chores morning and evening. Everyone pitched in to help whether  it was gardening, washing and rinsing everyone’s clothes in a ringer type washer, hanging them on the clothesline, sawing and chopping wood to make fires in the stoves for cooking our meals or to keep warm at night.  We had to feed the pigs, dogs, cats, and chickens.  Sometimes killing hens for Sunday dinner.
Being  raised in the country you had to be tough, mentally and physically, because if you weren’t, you get phrases  from Dad like, “A hard head makes a soft behind.” Or just being told once by Mom to do something.  There was no waiting until your show was over, or ignoring what she said.  You’d  get a switch on you back, or a belt on your butt.

We made our own games. Some of my favorites were the bean shooter, the bow n arrow, flattening a soda can and nailing it to a board and pushing a small iron wheel as we ran to see who could keep theirs up the farthest.  We had other toys like the spinning top, jacks, and marbles.  And toy caterpillars for playing in the dirt. I recently learned that they were Alvin’s and Curtis’s first.  At school, we played Ring-around-the roses, Red Rover, and also softball which we played every Sunday afternoon until  rodeo took over.  The boys played basketball, and hosted games at night.  We were competitive with other communities and that helped as a fund raiser.

The boys helped Dad in the community doing heavy work. While the girls learn how to sew, cook and can food, taught by Mom and the ladies of the community.  We all attended church every Sunday. Each of us went to school in New Hope from 1st to 8th grade and then was bused to Muskogee for high school.  
Sounds like a  western  huh?  But we had a uniquely successful  and happy time.

Every strong family legacy starts with one crucial element; love. Without love, there is no support for one another, and a family that does not fully support each other will never rise to be a great family.