Grandma’s Kitchen BOW-Block 3 of 25

Pat Sloan’s Grandma’s Kitchen Challenge block #3 is called Key Holder. We are supposed to post our blocks and write about a memory that the block’s name inspires. I have no memories of keys associated with either set of grandparents. Neither my dad’s parents nor my mother’s grandparents (they raised my mother after her mother died when she was 11 months old) had keys. Neither drove a car or locked their houses.

My great-grandpa Neal worked in the coal mines and he would walk to the railroad track and catch what was called a ‘man car’ to take him to the mines each day to work. He was paid in ‘script’ that could only be spent at the Company Commissary (store) or the Company Doctor. The Commissary had a large box truck that would run a regular route (their day was Thursdays) that was stocked with supplies from the store. The miner’s families could buy supplies from what was called the Rolling Store with script. The doctor made house calls when needed.

My Pappaw on my dad’s side worked at the rock quarry and he walked to work each day. One of my earliest memories of him was that I could hear him walking home from work because he would be singing at the top of his voice. I couldn’t wait for him to come in sight so I could run out and meet him.

I came from a long line of God fearing, hard working people and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Thanks for reading.