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RobbHaas Family Pages |
Autobiography Norma Louise Haas ID0006 13 Oct 1919 - 11 Dec 2004 |
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| Page 1 – the numeral circled in the upper right hand corner of the page |
| Started 10-16-92 [1992] |
| I am Norma Louise Haas Robbins – I was born Oct. 13, 1919 in Muncie Indiana at 1927 E. 17th St, on Saturday. I weighed 11 pounds. [word scratched out] |
| My Mother was Mabel Marie Worthen Haas – My Father was August Haas. I had an older sister Wilma Neoma Haas – she was born April 14, 1918 |
| Our Father worked at Hemingray – later to be Ball Brothers. He worked there till he got sick and passed away July 17 1942 |
| In 1921 another girl Olive Jean Haas was born – April 25. In 1923 another girl Marjorie Ruth Haas was born Jun 16 |
| [She has marked placement where pictures should go] 1. Picture of the 5 of us 2. Mother & Daddy’s picture 3. Picture of our house |
| We went to Stevenson school – it was on Mock Avenue between East 17th and 18th Streets. Grades 1 through 6. I remember all the vacant lots around us. We would play in the [End of page 1] |
| Page 2 – on the back side of page 1 with the page numeral “2” upside down and circled in the upper right hand corner of the page |
| fields. Across 17th in front of our house was a field where we played baseball. One day we were running around. I ran into a barbed wire fence that was rusty and in bad repair. I still have the black mark on my leg where it went into it. There was a street light just west of our house on 17th St. All the neighborhood kids would gather at the light and we would play games – hide & seek – kick the can – tag and many other games – plus just talk we had lots of fun. We had a very good Christmas each year. Mother made our doll clothes. Daddy made us a big wooden cabinet & table & chairs – bought us dishes & pans to play with. We had a playhouse Daddy built. In the winter coal was stored in the playhouse. In the Summer, coal gone, being burned all winter long to warm our home – small but a very loving home, we would scrub it real good & put our play furniture, plus a big chest Mother had in and decorate it. We had dolls doll beds & furniture Daddy made us. In later years Daddy dug a basement – he worked hard [End of page 2] |
| Page 3 – The numeral 3 is in the upper left hand corner of the page and is circled |
| and long but soon he had it done ready to cement it. That winter the coal was stored in the coal bin in the basement. We didn’t have to scrub our playhouse any more. We had many, many fun days in the playhouse. When Mother passed away in 1978 it was still in the spot where we played in it. It was used for storage in later years. When I was in the 9th grade April 15, 1934 we had a new baby girl our little sister – Barbara Jane Haas was the delight of our young lives. We were so happy to have a new baby sister. We wanted a brother, but were very satisfied when we saw her. We were in our bedroom when Barbara was born in Mother & Daddy’s bedroom, just a wardrobe away. We got to watch the Dr & Nurse clean her up & dress her for the first time. We thought God had sent an angel for us to see. We adored her & I still love her very much. We had a fruit filled yard – apples – peaches – grapes – pears – mulberries – rhubarb - & cherries – We had so many cherries one year – we cleaned & pitted them by the tub full. I really don’t care for cherries to this day. Mother made pies, jelly and canned a lot of fruit. I remember she used to make lemonade and put cherries in to make it look pretty & appetizing. She made homemade bread – so delicious, we would go [End of page 3] |
| Page 4 – the numeral 4, upside down and circled is in the upper right hand corner of the page |
| around from house to house & sell it. She also baked pork loins and make big sandwich buns. She sold the sandwiches to the employees of Ball Brothers. They really did enjoy them. I also remember she would fix noon meals for the teachers at Stevenson. They would come down to our house and buy their lunch. We went to Industry U.B Church Sunday school for many years, then started to Walnut St Baptist Church. When Gibson’s opened the Ice skating rink in 1938, Marjorie, Olive, Barbara & I all skated – Barbara wasn’t very old but did skate. [the following is circled] Marjorie & I skated all the time. We met lots of friends. I eventually married Walter, one that I met at Gibson’s. (After Ice Skating [end of circle] Before roller skating we had ice skating at Gibson’s. I learned to skate real well & did enjoy it. Mother & Daddy & Barbara skated too. Mother fell & broke her arm skating. Marjorie & I roller skated at the armory – Selma, Gaston – Yorktown (Kahler’s) & Gibson’s. We ice skated at Gibson’s. We also rode our bicycles on long Sunday rides. Our father [End of page 4] |
| Page 5 – the numeral 5, right side up and circled is in the upper left hand corner of the page |
| wouldn’t get us a bicycle – we had to wait till we could afford one ourselves – he said he didn’t want to be responsible if we got hurt on it. The traffic was too bad he thought. I do respect him for that. You have to be real alert & careful in traffic. I remember Marjorie got her bike at Goodyear in Muncie. I bought mine at Western Auto, it was a green bicycle. Marjorie’s was blue & white. I sold mine when I was going to Arizona to be with Walter in the service. I worked at Gibson’s babysitting while in school – next I worked at John Wilson’s Grocery store on W. 12th St + I worked at Ball Brothers + Greens Hats & Toys dime store + Woolworths Candy Dept – as a Navy Inspector. I quit to go with Walter in Colorado Springs in Service. Marjorie, Olive & I joined church in 1939 being baptized on Easter Sunrise service. Mrs Clark picked us up at home & brought us back home. We went to Sunday School and it snowed all day. We went into John Wilson’s S. S class – we had parties & at youth group he was the sponsor. That is where we started skating. The three of us sang in the church choir. When the girls went to the service I kept going to church. I was married May 29, 1943. I had Clif Dec. 28, 1944, had him baptized by sprinkling – I went to church while Walter was gone, [End of page 5] |
| Page 6 – Numeral 6 is upside down and circled in the upper right hand corner of the page |
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When he came home, I quit going to church. When the children were small & living on the big farm (110 acres) I started going & taking them to Eaton. We sold the farm in 1958, bought the Stoney Haven Motel & we went to Daleville to church. We sold the Motel & moved to Daleville I quit going again. The church moved from Walnut St to St Rd 3 & changed the name to Shawnee Heights. I went to the Yorktown Baptist Church with Janet for a few years. I went back to our old church again – became a deaconess & in missionary group. After Phil died in Jan 17 1977 I quit again. I stared again 10-11-92 – while Marjorie was here for a visit – She left for home on 10-15-92 We started our married life May 29, 1943 – I lived with Mother till Walter came home from Service 7-45 – on leave. Clif was born while I was at Mother’s 12-28-44. We rented an apartment from Wilma & John on Gharkey St – Walter went back to Service after a 30 day leave – he had just came home from overseas during W.W.2. He went to Calif. To go to Japan & before he left the war ended & didn’t have to go. He was [End of page 6]
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| Page 7 – the numeral 7, circled, is in the upper left hand corner – right side up |
| out of the army in a short time – he visited Marjorie & Frank & when his discharge was issued, he came home – 10-13-45. We stayed at Wilma & John’s till we found our first home – W 16th St. It was a nice house – needed some changes – a bath room – kitchen change - & a few other things. He went to work at Chev. Muncie in Nov. (before we moved to our house) Phil was born on 16th St – Oct 10-1946. Another beautiful healthy baby. I didn’t drive, so I didn’t go anyplace when Walter was at work (he worked nights then 3:30-11:00). We sold that house & bought 5 acres on E Centennial Muncie, just West of Country Club Rd. – Phil was just about 2 yrs old & was gone one day – I looked & looked – got real panicky. I found him across the road at a neighbor’s house – he wanted to play with their little boy. At the time they were using our road as a highway. We improved this house and putting in a bathroom so we soon decided we wanted more acreage – so we sold it & bought 25 acres in Eaton. The house was an old schoolhouse not too bad – but the yard looks like a weed patch. We cleaned it up – remodeled the house & barn. I was slowly learning to be a farm wife. I had to milk the cows – no running water in house – we had a pump house right by the house – had to get our water there – now, you realize [End of page 7] |
| Page 8 – numeral 8, upside down and circled, in the upper right hand corner of the page |
| That meant – No Bathroom once again. So now here we go again, remodeling,
changing the kitchen, adding a bathroom. It was nice except for the
ceilings. They were 9 feet high. I stood on the top of an 8 foot ladder
painting the bedroom ceiling – I could barely reach the ceiling; but I got
it done. Janet was born here – Dec. 17, 1949 – We took the boys to Walters
parents. Walter took a short cut to the hospital, got lost, my water broke &
what a mess in the car. We got to the hospital, they didn’t prep me, put me
in bed in labor room – in just a short time they were taking me to Delivery
– I said “Its here” hold it they said, “Its too late” – they didn’t check me
till they got me into delivery. There Janet was black, with blood rings in
her eyes. The first thing they did was put me out. I fought them. I wanted
to see what was going on. It is a wonder we ended up with our beautiful
little girl. I couldn’t see her for 2 days. I had surgery the next day &
still couldn’t see her. I thought something was wrong with her. The cord was
around her neck twice. But she was O.K. I came home on Christmas Eve. So
glad to get home. [End of page 8, end of autobiography] |
| Robbhaas Collection information |
| This document is an 8 x 10 inch Double Q School tablet which contained 45 sheets. The sheets are numbered and are written on both sides. They are numbered up through page 9 with page 9 not having any writing. The remainder of the pages are blank. There is something written on the inside front cover about religion and on the back about some Disney Books. Written on the front cover is "Clif" [underlined] probably written there by Janet after Norma's death |
| Transcribed by: RobbHaas ID0001 (Son) 13 September 2005 |
| Acc000502 - Doc0406.pdf |