Christmas 1954

(1955 Picture of Dale Everett Richards (Dick) b:24 Nov. 1892 Devils Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota - d:5 June 1993 Salem, Marion, Oregon and me - his granddaughter in 1954 at the Joe Fisher Ranch in Scappoose, Oregon. Grandpa Dick was the foreman of the ranch. Grandpa and Grandma had just bought a television set -- and t.v. trays to go with it so that we could be "modern" and eat while we watched t.v.. Everyone soon got tired of being "quiet" so we could hear the t.v.. The t.v. tray program didn't last long!)

Christmas of 1955 was an interesting one for me. Our family had moved during the summer of 1955 from Halfway, Oregon where my dad - Edward Rex Griggs - had been teaching Vocational Agriculture after graduation from Oregon State College. We moved to the Oregon State Experiment Station in Burns, Oregon (that will be another blog entry another day).

Due to some differences of opinion re: how the cows were being taken care and after talking with his Dad (Rex Griggs - a Union County Rancher) we moved back to Corvallis so daddy could get his masters degree.

We arrived in early December so that daddy could start school in January. We got an apartment - daddy got a job at a Plywood Factory and worked nights. He later said that he made more money at that job than any he ever had.

I remember that Christmas especially - Santa was VERY generous!! My youngest sister (not in school yet) had wanted a train so badly --- and there was an electric train for her. Our middle sister and I got "doll equipment" - I'm not remembering who got what but we had a high chair and a "bathinette". The bathinette was this rubber or plastic bath-tub thing on legs - kind of like a baby bassinet. Instead of sleeping in it - our dolls could actually bathe in it! What fun for us (and what a mess it must have been).

I can't remember if the above picture was taken at Christmas or on another visit as we got to go often - but I do remember the miracle of the t.v. - Daddy brought one home to us just a few months later!!

Karen