Family Sayings & Memories
Family Sayings "Russell, that child can't breathe." Russell: When people would come into the station to get their car fixed and they didn't know anything about cars, Russell would say "You probably need your muffler belt changed!" They believed him!
Wykes Memories 1998 The following memories are from the memories that family members wrote and placed in the memory box Carolyn: The 4-H flower garden project - and the pigs getting into the flowers the night before the judge was coming - PANIC. I don't know how any Mom could make it through that 4-H disaster every year - she had to be on medication. Remember the Blue Hole Trips? How about the picnics of chicken or meatloaf that we took to Lake Erie for a day of swimming. Remember Mom taking us to Kenton to swimming lessons early in the mornings in the summers? Then we would stop at Isley's for Klondike bars - if you got a strawberry one you got another one free!!! I remember Mom having to run us kids to all of our school functions - band practice, cheerleading practice - having to listen to oboe, bassoon, trumpet, piano, organ, clarinet - that would have driven anyone out of their minds, but we only got encouragement to continue. I remember the garden, planting in the spring and the weeding all summer - digging potatoes in the fall. Picking strawberries with mosquitoes attacking. Susie and I mowing the yard, making a great big deal out of it. I remember when we lived on the farm that every Saturday night Grandma and Grandpa Nye would come out for supper and then they would watch wrestling. They had their own chairs - we even put "Grandma" and "Grandpa" signs on the chairs. They would stay until midnight and yell for their favorite wrestlers. Grandma would yell "kill him" etc. I loved being allowed to eat lunch in the living room every Saturday to watch the Big Top on TV. I really hated the show, but loved eating in the living room. I remember that when I was small, we were remodeling our house all the time. We would tear down walls, then build walls. On the farm we were "under construction" a lot because there was so much that needed fixed. I remember Mom's Chickens!!! I remember going to Columbus to Lazarus before school started every year to get our school clothes. We would stop at every Dairy Queen on the way down to shop. What fun!!! I always felt so lucky to have such a wonderful childhood and such wonderful parents. I don't know anyone else so blessed. Memories could fill volumes and still fill my thoughts daily. Neil: Mom trying to make my clothes "cool" by pegging my pants on the sewing machine. She would always have to fix them over again. Mom bringing food out to the fields when we lived on the farm. Mom making me mow that BIG lawn in Kenton!!! Mom telling me that I was corrupting my little brother - I guess she was right!!! Chopping off the heads of chickens in the barnyard and then helping Mom (a little) to pluck the feathers. I remember…standing outside waiting for the huckster so we could help Mom buy the right groceries. There being a bunch of grown-ups in our back yard at the farm and making homemade ice cream, which I didn't even like. I always wanted to turn the crank, but never could. I'm still trying to come to terms with whether I was just too young or whether I've just been a weakling all of my life. I am, of course, leaning toward the former!!! Gathering eggs on the farm and one cold wintery afternoon falling down the basement steps with 2 large baskets filled with eggs. OOPS!!! I remember coming home late in Kenton and trying to figure out how to get into bed without entering the house. I would sneak, oh so quietly, in the front door, turn to close the door without a sound, and turn on my tiptoes to head for the stairs - only to find Mom right there waiting for me - and reaching for my car keys. (I've been trying to convince her that since I'm over 50, I should be able to stay out past 10pm.) I remember Bill Hayton coming into our house in Kenton to pick me up or to visit. He would cuss a string of words that made me blink, and Mom and Dad would both just die laughing. I never understood why I couldn't say those words and get away with it. Mom making me eat peas or green beans and sitting at the kitchen table until I did. I wonder if she ever found them under the bench. A Mom and Dad who would let their daughters pick the colors for our new 1955 Ford and paying extra for the beautiful car to be feminized into a pick and white bouquet. I think that car was the reason I quit football, although my blinding speed could have been part of it. I remember…laughing and eating and laughing and eating all my life. I remember having better parents than I would ever be myself. I remember popcorn and fudge, ballgames, and music practice. I remember an airplane wing just clipping my nose as I pressed my face against the screen door. I remember the ram sheep knocking me down over and over while I ran for the fence. I remember shooting pigeons in the barn with my BB gun. I remember so much, much more and I think about it everyday. Susie: This memory is really going to embarrass Mom, but it's true. When I was in elementary school all of my girlfriends always wanted to spend the night at our house because we all agreed that my Mom was the nicest Mom. She never yelled at us and was kind. Not only that, she made each of their stays special by fixing the best meals. Everyone always had a good time and wanted to come back soon. This memory has two parts and happened on the farm. We had a sick cow that was down on the ground and couldn't get up. Mom and I went out to the field to be with the cow until the vet got there. We stood out there in the field, comforting that cow, and crying our eyes out until the vet arrived. There was a raccoon or possum or some small animal that got caught in the grainery and couldn't get out. Dad and everybody worked and worked to try to get him out, but just couldn't. Dad said that he had no choice but was going to have to kill it. Mom and I went into the house and cried our eyes out. These were rather traumatic events when they happened, but somehow they turned into really nice memories. Julie: I remember my 7th grade Science Fair…I hated science, so you pretty much made my project for me - a crystal rock garden. You worked for weeks on it. It turned out really nice. As I was walking into the school, carrying my rock garden, I dropped it in the parking lot!!! Sorry Mom! You'd have gotten an A. I remember you getting all of us ready for 4-H judging, needing to have breads made, complete meals fixed, outfits finished…I remember 2 pianos, an organ, saxophone, bassoon, trumpet, oboe, clarinet - all of us practicing at the same time!…I remember you taking us to Ada for piano lessons every week and getting an ice cream cone at the Ada Dairy across the street while we were waiting on everyone to get done….I remember when you bought that big church organ and Dad didn't even notice!…I remember the huckster, the Omar man, the freezer full of beef, chicken, and pork, frozen fruits and vegetables from the garden, always homemade baked goods. You fed us good!…I remember racing to see how many roasting ears we could each eat….I remember how much you loved the chickens…I remember people dropping in at supper time and you could always fix up a great meal. I remember when I was in high school our Y-Teen group had bake sales at noon to make money. Every single time I brought in your brownies, Bruce Parmley bought them all. I had orders from him to always let him know when I brought them in, so he had first dibs. Thanks for all those extra things you did for me! Bill: I remember when Mom would get annoyed with something Dad said or did, she would say "Oh, Russell! For Pete's sake!" It wasn't until I was older that I figured out that it was kind of a game with them, at least most of the time. Dad did or said those things just trying to get that reaction, I think. I remember cream puffs. Mom would make them, and it seemed like the kitchen was filled with cream puffs, there would be so many. I remember once when I was waiting for Dad to come home from work I was going to get a spanking for something I had done. (I don't remember what.) I had worked myself up pretty good in anticipation of the spanking to come. Mom must have told Dad I was pretty upset because when he came home, he didn't spank me. He gave me a baseball and went out and played catch with me for awhile. The thing is, I probably really deserved the spanking. I remember summers at
the lake. It seemed that there were always nieces and nephews there, and something
to do. Mom and Dad would spend a lot of time untangling fishing line, or unhooking
a fishhook from some kid's hair or skin. Mom would barbeque, because that
wasn't Dad's thing. Mom and Dad made a lot of homemade ice cream. We played
a lot of cards and laughed a lot. Summers at the lake were pretty good. Mom and Dad planted corkscrew willows and I mowed with the rider and mowed over the little tree. I cried for a very long time. I remember how Dad would hide in the closet by the back door in the Kenton house, and wait 'til I came in from school and scare me and chase me around the house. Everyday after work (8:00am) I would go over and help Mom get Dad ready for the day. Summer of 1997, Mom came over for lunch. We had cut a tree down and Mom dragged limbs to a pile and supervised. Mom calls everyday around noon. She would say, "I'm just checking in". If Mom doesn't call, I call her. Mom went to a program at Church and didn't tell anyone. Susie called me and I went to Mom's. Called Julie and Melissa. Melissa called the hospital and I was just about to go hunt for her and she walked in the door. Mom and Dad would always buy bulk candy at Holidays and it was in their walk-in closet. When the bowl was empty she would go fill it up. We always had pop and candy. Dad was the best father anyone could ever have and Mom is the best mother in the world. We all love her so much!!! Gordon: Chuck: Every time we visited Grandma and Grandpa's in Mt. Blanchard, we always kidded that we had to stop at the grocery store and get some food so we wouldn't starve. Ha, ha, ha.. When I first joined this family, Grandma would call us on the phone and say "this is -a-it's-well-oh-I don't know what I am to you!!! Ha, ha, ha… Lori: I remember watching you take care of Grandpa. I had not been around very long when he got sick. It is a rare sight to see two people married for so long and still love each other like that. You are the most brave and compassionate woman I know. Perry: Kenton Summer of '42 ('74) During this time, Grandpa had knee surgery. I'm not saying that Grandpa was ornery, but we had this routine every evening where while we were waiting for Johnny Carson to come on I would change the channel over to the Mission Impossible. Grandpa would change it back over to the news. Grandpa wouldn't even watch the news, so I would change it back over to Mission Impossible. Well, we played this wrestling game until Johnny came on. Well, after the surgery one night, I hid his crutches behind the couch. When the time came, I got up and changed the channel over to Mission Impossible. Immediately, Grandpa reached for his crutches to get up and change it over to the news. I guess Grandpa couldn't take me standing there in front of the television with that big grin on my face, because he crawled out of the chair and across the floor to change the channel. I was quite astonished that he would even try such a maneuver and told him so as I jumped on his back. Well, some furniture got knocked over during our discussion and woke up Grandma. She walked into the room and saw us wrestling and yelled at Grandpa to stop it. He told her that I had hid his crutches to which she replied that he didn't need to be walking around this time of night anyway and to leave me alone. That was the only night I ever got to watch Mission Impossible… Another thing Grandpa liked to do was to set the radio station to country music while driving to the rink. This wasn't your ordinary run of the mill country music either. It was the whiniest trailer trash music I had ever heard. The routine went like this, I would tune the radio to a fine Rock and Roll station and Grandpa would change it to the Hick station. After a couple iterations of this, he would tell me not to make him have to pull the van to the side of the road, which he eventually did and Wrestlemania would begin. We did this several times to and from the rink each day. One day as we were pulling into the carport at the house. Wrestlemania broke out just after I had opened the car door. During the match, King (the German Shepherd) jumped into the melee. Grandma just happened to be standing in the bathroom during this time. The bathroom window over looked the carport. She glanced out the window to see the three of us flopping around in the front seat. She yelled out the window for Grandpa to leave King and me alone. Grandpa sure was a troublemaker… Penny: I loved the skating rink, playing games, skating with all the kids, eating pizza and popcorn! I loved going to Grandma and Grandpa's house at the lake, swimming, rowing the boat, going on the pontoon boat and skiing! Grandma always had lots of candy and cookies. I could eat all I wanted. Russ: I really enjoyed going
to the Skating Rink in Kenton. Grandpa would stop off at the store on the
way to the rink and pick up the top 40 records. Grandpa would be the DJ and
Grandma would be in the kitchen. The kids could stop at the snack shop and
get anything we wanted from Grandma. It seemed like she was making a pizza
every hour for the kids and worrying that we weren't getting enough to eat.
We "ate" all of their profits. Grandma must hate birds! I remember in Kenton when Dana and I found a sick bird and brought it into the house. Grandma about had a stroke! We had to get it "out-of-the-house" immediately. I remember fishing at the lake with all my cousins. We would fish all day. After having my own kids fishing I realize how patient the adults must have been to put up with all of us fishing at once. I would always have my hook stuck in a tree or in my clothes or maybe even Perry's cheek. I loved going out on the boats and skiing. Even today I love being around water. I remember lots of food, candy, cake - it was heaven. I could eat all I wanted, which I did!!! There was always a big crowd - lots of fun things to do. And if we look around today, we still have it. Thanks for the wonderful memories. Greg: I remember riding my bike to Grandma's house from our house on High St. in Kenton. I'd swing on the swing, (complete with wasp nests and rhubarb patch), I'd play basketball, and I'd eat cookies. (Grandma always had cookies!!) I remember making and pulling taffy at the lake. Mostly my memories of Grandma are that she was (and still is) one of the most selfless, kind, fair and generous people I have ever come in contact with. (Grandma always had cookies!!) Chad: What can you say to that?
I'm just happy that Grandma likes me. I remember you always making me lunch when I worked at Cole's Swine Farm. Grandpa would always eat 1 slice of dried beef out of a can. I would take a lot more! When I teased him about it, he never ate that again for lunch - ha! Thanks for feeding me. Jodi: I remember you taking Melissa, Sara and I to the Mt. Blanchard swimming pool. I remember when Bill and I sneaked out to your car during church to decorate it for your 50th Wedding Anniversary. I remember you always having outrageous amounts of food every time we visited. Candy, pies, popcorn, just to name a few. I remember us taking walks, playing cards, (like hand and foot), playing basketball out in the barn, ping pong and pool in the basement, and riding the bicycle built for two. Charlie: Steering the pontoon boat. Rowing the boat through the lily pads. Grandpa letting me steer the station wagon and him telling me the cops were after us. Going to a restaurant and Grandma and Grandpa letting me say that it was our number that they called. Two seat bike, painting my mouth with turpentine and catching lightening bugs. Not being able to swim in the lake until a ½ hour after we ate. Going to Sea World and getting my face painted like a clown. Going to the park with Grandma and feeding the ducks. Swimming in the lake-the bottom was really mushy and I lost a shoe one time. Playing pool and ping pong in the basement. Staying up late and playing cards and tri-ominoes. Grandpa telling fibs and not knowing whether to believe him or not. Grandpa tickling me until I couldn't breath. Not being able to tickle Grandpa EVER!! Grandma getting breakfast ready the night before, ALWAYS!!! Roast beef sandwiches and potato salad and cookies. Everyone sleeping at the house on the lake, what seemed like hundreds of people. Melissa: I have many memories of Grandma and Grandpa. They both did so much for me as I was growing up and Grandma still does things for me. When I was at Toledo I went to Grandma's on Sundays. It was nice to see her and Grandpa. One summer day, Sara, Grandpa and I went for a bicycle ride on route 37, where we lived at the time. Grandpa told us NUMEROUS times not to get too far ahead of him on this busy road. Like many other days, I did not listen. Apparently there was an oncoming car coming toward us, so the car behind us had to wait to go around us. Well, I was far ahead of Grandpa and Sara, so this truck pulled over right behind me waiting for the oncoming car to pass by. Me, in my ignorance that day, felt I should get out of his way and I put myself in the way of the oncoming car. I saw the front of the car just miss me and I bolted back where I was suppose to be and I rode my bike slow until we were home. I then prepared myself for the spanking of my lifetime. When we got home, Grandpa just looked at me and walked the other way. I find it amazing that he knew when to spank and when to walk away, knowing that is worse than a spanking. Sara: I remember helping Grandpa out in the barn and helping Grandma feed the cats in the barn. I remember helping Grandma bake cookies in the kitchen. She let me eat some when they came out of the oven. Grandma would let us take the leftover piecrust and make our own little pies. Before I learned how to swim, Grandma had me in the pool in Lakeland to help me learn how to swim. When Grandma went into the house to get towels, I went back into the water and almost drowned. Grandma pulled me out of the water and she was scared and mad!!! I loved eating Grandma's popcorn and fudge!!! I remember when the basement ceiling fell in and we all tried to help pick up the ceiling pieces. We filled the wagon full of plaster and then fixed the ceiling. I remember Grandma and Grandpa taking us to the empty lot in Florida and we would gather up pinecones and bury them under ground. I have a lot of memories of Grandma and Grandpa. In fact, most all of my memories include them and the things that we did. I remember that Grandpa had to tie weights to his waist to clean the bottom of the pool in Lakeland. When he was finished, he had to cut the rope so he could come to the surface. I remember that Grandpa found a mouse in the corncrib and I went and got one of Grandma's cats - that was the end of the mouse. I remember helping Grandma in her garden - picking strawberries, picking corn, etc. I remember going to the skating rink. In between the session, we would play on the floor when there wasn't anyone else around. I loved getting snowed in at the skating rink and having to stay all night. That was a ball!!! Brittany: Casey: I am so thankful that I have had this whole week to talk to Great Grandma than I ever have! I remember the trip to Great Grandma's house in the summer of 1993, when I got to meet the whole family. Vanessa: Molly: I remember you letting me play your organ and turn up the volume loud enough to wake the next town! I remember you teaching me how to play "Patty-Cake", "Ring Around the Rosie" and sing "Happy Birthday to me!" I love you. David: Grandma always fixed such great meals. She was a great cook! Grandma and Grandpa Wykes never forgot my birthday, not even once. Courtney: Grandma baked good cookies. Ummmmmm Grandma and Grandpa Wykes always remembered us at Christmas. They were really nice great-grandparents. Gordon: Dad tells me that it was a long trip to Grandma Wykes' house. We drove across the country to get there. I wish that I could have known them longer. Lindsey: J.C.: Jarret:
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