Farmington High School - Laurel Yearbook (Farmington, ME)

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'lr LAUREL -A- grass, fields, woods, plains and hills, but some- thing intangible, intimate, something people, as simple as Iake and his brother, as selfish as the gambler, are willing to die for - something great and beautiful, something small people, as well as great, can have equal shares in. Ioanne Stewart '44 lite 90-nd and 9.amLZiwh. FAMILY PORTRAIT: GRAMP DINGLEY RAMP had high ideas about raising hens, taking care of gardens and religion. He also had high ideals and these came straight from the Bible. To tell the truth, Gramp didn't get along very well with his neighbors. He had his own ideas and such was the case of Ben Davis's cab- bage patch. Gramp and Ben were talking in Ben's garden when Gramp noticed the cabbages. Gramp told Ben that to have good cabbages the leaves should be snipped off. Ben ignored him and said it didn't make a bit of difference, so when Ben wasn't around, Gramp snipped the leaves off. This is the way Gramp would do things. If nobody listened to what he pro- posed, he would do it anyway. He went by the Bible and loved his neighbors, but that was no sign they loved him falthough they never re- spected a man more than they did himj. Gramp didn't believe in keeping hens in a coop, so he let them roam and this they did. Aunt Ella, who lived next door and was Gramp's sister-in-law, disliked the idea and wrote a letter to her lawyer, Mr. Holman, ask- ing him to write a letter to Frank Dingley and tell him to keep his hens in a pen. Gramp soon received a letter about the laws relative to domesticated animals. It was at this time that Gramp laid his own laws down, and the hens continued to roam. Gramp was very intelligent in mathematics. He could add or multiply as quickly as numbers could be snapped at him. He would do any kind of algebra problem that was set before him, except those of his children, they were told to do their own work. Gramp once owned a store. He trusted so many people, there was little profit, and this 26 profit was eaten up by Iosie and Mattie, his two eldest daughters. Gramp was an Advent and lived by their teachings. He wouldn't eat pork and he wouldn't eat highly spiced foods. He set Sun- day aside for worship, as the Lord had planned: his children went to three services-morning, afternoon and evening. Gramp knew his Bibleg he could recite page after page and passage after passage. Gramp always said grace before each meal and quietness was emphasized. f We have grace only once a year and that is at Thanksgiv- ing, or when Aunt Zilpha, whose husband is a minister, comes and makes a visit.j Gramp lived to the ripe old age of eighty- nine. On his dying bed he was singing his favorite hymn: My heavenly home is bright and fair- Frank P. Dingley '44 MY REVERED GRANDFATHER SHORT, white-haired man was my great- grandfather in appearance. Age-wrin- kles gathered about his mouth and eyes like children around the family story-teller. Very precise in appearance and speech, it seems he also had almost an obsession for his religion, the Baptist. Every Sunday morning his First query was, Well, how many are going to church with me today? He would attend church even if he had to walk many miles. Even at the age of 90 he walked two miles to attend. Another Sunday habit was to gather every- body about the table and read a chapter from the Bible before breakfast. It wasn't the short- est, much to the regret of the younger children, who became very uneasy. Before church each Sunday morning he would walk down to the wharf and admire the ocean for an hour. The beautiful and mighty work of God, he would say. Never were card games, dancing and other such amusements allowed. Strange as it may seem, everyone respected his request even to the children. Profanity was a major horror in his mind. Even the roughest men curbed their tongue in his presence. They seemed to sense his attitude.

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'A' LAUREL ir Sophie was asked if she liked the idea of Frank- ie's going into the Army she replied, In the old country I hate soldiers, but here it differ- ent. Look what they do for me and my family -let us live here with no fuss. So it is right Frankie should be a soldier. Sophie's three daughters are Mary, Irene and Annie, she also has a granddaughter, Doloras, who looks exactly like her mother, Mary. Irene is married and she too, has a daughter. Annie wishes to be a career woman, but changes her mind when Sophie says, No woman should not marry. Other characters are brought into the story: Mrs. Sudder, who is chairman of the various war committees: Sophie's so-called Greenhorn cousins who come to live with her from the old country, Irene's husband Georgeg the saboteur Karl: and Sophie's war-time Romeo, Earnest there is Margie, Frankie's l-Iopkins. Also wife, but not through marriage. This girl Margie, plays an important part in Sophie's life, but Sophie finds a way in the end. I think Sophie is my favorite character-and reader's favorite. She is the would be every ideal American. Being foreign born she de- lights in all the opportunities of this new coun- try. Sophie is a good worker and becomes the ideal of her community, willing and always on the job no matter if it be war work or work for her daily bread. Some persons are made for drama and Sophie I-Ialenczik is one of them. She would always keep her listener in suspense until questions and coaxing were applied. Mrs. Halenczik proves her patriotism in the big event of the season-Victory Gardens! A prize was given to the person growing the larg- est garden and harvesting'and canning the most produce. Sophie grew and canned the most, but when the judge named her prize winner she refused the prize. Everyone was dumbfounded because each had tried hard for the prize. Sophie's only explanation was, When it's all the time it isn't extra. When people say my garden wonderful, I keep telling them it ain't no different from last year. They say I just modest and it nice. They say I should get the prize. Crazy, no? Mrs. I-Ialenczik is a true example of Americanism. She should be the ideal of all of us. 25 My comment would be that this is the best book I have read in quite a long time. It is short and easy reading. The author writes this book in diary form somewhat. Each Friday Sophie worked at the author's house so the author usually relates the events between the Fridays, in conversational style plentifully spiced with the humorous happenings of Sophie Hal- enczik. I recommend this book to all ages. It is up-to-date, truthful, and entertaining. Though a small book it is most appealing. Gloria lalbert '44 MY BROTHER IAKE fAn appreciationl I-IIS is a short story of a young boy in the Ozark Mountains who carried on the farm as his brother lake would have. It.is a sad, pathetic story of a boy's courage and faith and teaching. Upon hearing lake was injured, the young boy traveled alone to the coast where lake was stationed in a hospital. lake dies and his inde- pendent little brother takes him back to the farm to be buried on a hill nearby. While he is on the train, a young man strikes up a conversation with him. During the con- versation the boy learns that the man is a gam- bler and is going to set his stakes in a nearby town. ' . lake's brother talks of freedom and his love for America where everybody is free. The fel- low is ashamed and quite phazed at the wisdom of the boy's words. I-Ie offers to help with the burial and finally makes it clear that lake should have a real burial-minister and all. ' He' helps the boy harness up the horse and cart to h-aul the casket up' the hill- because some- thing such as kindness and patriotism has come over him. s ' I 'When he leaves lake's little brother to carry on alone, he carries on his work - new work - in an Airplane Factory, doing his duty and evi- dently liking it, realizing that if a boy as young as lake's brother can carry on a farm independ- ently, he too can at least do war work and not kick. A ' Although this story is pathetic, sad and touching, it brings out what the' people of Amer- ica are really made of-that it is not just- land,

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'A' LAUREL 'A' He said that before he died he wanted to give each of his grandchildren a Bible, on the first page of which he would write a favorite verse and sign his name, and this he accomplished. My mother has the Bible which he gave her when she was in grammar school. It is dated December, 1911, and quotes this verse in his own handwriting: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life. 1 believe 1 shall always remember him as he was such an inspiring person in his determina- tion to abide by his religion and do his duties accordingly. Claire Hiscock '44 A FAMOUS RELATIVE Y most famous living relative is Gov- ernor Leverett Saltonstall of Massa- chusetts. He became governor in 1938. At this time lrish Democrats were in full control of politics, and it ,took a man of great character and prestige to beat them. Saltonstall for the preceding years had been Speaker of the House in Massachusetts. ln this office he greatly en- joyed bringing out to public light the many scandals that the Democrats had started. For a background he has everything a good candidate should not have. He is a member of one of Massachusetts' oldest families, since his direct descendant came over in one of the first boats in 1630 and founded the Boston suburb of Watertown. On his mother's side he is also re- lated to Beacon Hill society. In a city of Irish Democrats this is not a vote-getting background. Points in his favor are typically American. He is homely, this makes him look very Yankee. Every week-end he heads for his farm where he does real farm work. He knows be- ing a typical New Englander gets votes. As governor he doesn't believe in a great show. While previous governors had police escorts for their expensive cars, he drives around in a Chev- rolet coupe. His speeches are all somewhat alike, but they bring out many truths that are food for the common man. He served in the last war in the infantry. He has a family of five children, three of whom are in the service, one having fought at Guadalcanal. 27 His Yankee characteristics of honesty, patri- otism, frugality and love of good government would be an asset to any man. These charac- teristics and his clear-cut Yankee face will aid him in getting elected to the United States Sen- ate in the November election. He is a relative to be proud of. Vance Dearborn '44 HOME-FRONT HEROINE THE courage of the mother who sees her boys, whom she has brought up to be God-fearing men, take leave of their country to fight among untold dangers in a strange land, rises beyond and above that of the boys' many times, even-as they are about to go into actual combat. It is, of course, a different kind of courage inasmuch as her soldier son is usually possessed with some- what of an optimistic viewpoint concerning his welfare, whereas it is diflicult for the mother to be anything but fearful. She has also that help- less feeling brought on by being able to do nothing but pray. Such a woman is the mother of a great friend of mine. She has seen three sons, who, before being inducted were rarely out of her sight for more than a short period of time, hurled into a holacaust so utterly in con- trast to the surroundings which she brought them up to love that it is all but beyond the comprehension of the human mind. There are, I know, millions of like cases today, all of which, exemplify one of the highest types of human internal fortitude. Frederick Rollins '44 THE HEROISM OF THE UNGLAMOROUS MARRIED women, who see the importance of the education of youth today, have given up their homelife to go out and put their training into use. They teach in small towns where it is hard for superintendents to get teachers. They let their own families get along the best they can and put everything they've got into teaching in these small communities. They also help to keep children healthy because they work out hot lunch plans and gym classes. These gym classes might have to be held between the aisles or on the playground but they serve the pur- pose. Sometimes these teachers have to go