And Along Came Helen

In June of 1914, a baby girl was born to Leona and John. Before the birth, Leona prayed silently for the Lord to send them a boy this time. Of their seven children, five of them were girls. Boys were much needed to help with the chores in the barn and also to work in the fields, but her silent prayers had not been answered. A baby girl had arrived and over the next several days Leona became troubled by this baby's actions. Her previous children had all been healthy and strong. This one cried as though she were hungry, yet could not digest the mother's milk that her older brothers and sisters had thrived on. Instead she would throw it back up as if it were poison. Leona reproached herself for having presumptuous in her prayers, praying for a boy rather than for a healthy baby. She asked God for forgiveness and prayed for guidance in bringing this one up to love the Lord. Once she had made her peace, Leona decided to quickly have the sickly child baptized , as it would not be right to have the child die without baptism. She was baptized the next evening and given the name Helen.

School Days

Over the years, I learned more from my siblings than I realized at the time. Perhaps my biggest influence was from my sister Albina. She was three years older than I was and so was ahead of me in grade school. She taught me whatever new material she learned in her class. We used the pull-down door of the big black stove in the kitchen as a blackboard. I did not always want to "play school" after a day in classes, but Albina was persistent and insisted that I listen and learn. In this way, she also reinforced her own learning and I was well ahead of my class in English grammar, mathematics and spelling. Perhaps this stimulated my learning capacity, or perhaps I was naturally a good student; I like to think the former. I loved school and learning. I worked hard to please my teacher and my family. The more recognition I received, the harder I worked.

Flowers

"With many thanks for a pleasant weekend. - Ted"

-From a card via florist L. Babberger & Co. of Newark, NJ, sent by Ted Jagen, addressed to Miss Helen Benjamin - Sunderland, Mass.

Games People Played

From early childhood, I remember playing games with the older children, enjoying their attention and at the same time learning to play fairly. If a good attitude was not shown, I was ostracized from the game. The desire to be included in the group was so great that I soon learned to abide by the rules. This was an early conditioning in fair play. With pressure from my siblings to live up to an ideal, it was readily accepted. In this way as in many others, the younger members of our family molded themselves according to the feedback of the older ones.

Noteworthy journal entries from January 1957...

1 - Very cold weather - 19 degrees in the morning. Ted and I came home from Rahway(NJ) at 4:30. Had an enjoyable time with Irene and Tom, Helen and Dick, Wanda and George, Marion, Harry and the Kelly's. Went to 7 o'clock mass with the children. Betsy went to a hunt. The rest stayed at home relaxing.

5 - Betsy and Ted went to work at 8am. The remaining members dismantled Christmas tree and put away all evidences of Christmas. Rearranged living room. At 7pm began a very enjoyable evening of cocktails and buffet at the Brytczuk's. People from the plant were there. Home at 2:30.

6 - Church at 7am. After breakfast I slept on the sofa in the den with a sore throat. The family went to Bay Head to check boat. Jane went to V. Paulson's party.

7 - Snowed a little during the night. Dorothy went to tea party with B.J. at the Taylor's. Drove jane and Susan to catechism. Put ad in the paper for pink Caddy.

8 - Steak 0.69 / lb. a the A&P

10 - Sent in check for new '57 Cadillac - $4704. Cleaned kitchen thoroughly, doing stove, curtains, walls, etc.

11 - Sold '56 Cadillac to Dr. Lucier for $4350.

12 - Teddy took College Board entrance exams. Picked him and two friends up at Asbury H.S. All children went skating at the Babcock's. Dorothy and I went to the library.

16 - Six inches of snow. Went to Asbury Park to see doctor with Dorothy, who got a shot. Bought two pairs of boots - one for Dorothy and one for Ted.

17 - Teddy and Betsy went toboganning.

26 - Betsy went with Dad to work and at noon he drove her up to Penny's house for the weekend.

27 - McCarrol's came at 2:30pm Took a ride to Bay Head to see the boat.Very wet, so Helen and I stayed in the car. Had supper on return - shrimp creole and rice, salad, rolls, cake and coffee. Bill's favorite is macaroni and cheese in any for. Children spoiled.

30 - Dorothy and Ted - shots. Teddy had tests. Bought my cashmere - on sale from $150 reduced to $119. Received a package from Viola - dresses for us and a skirt. Beautiful. Betsy worked.

We were a very close family of happy children and parents of the best kind, living on a farm in the Connecticut Valley. With ten children, there was no need to go outside the family for companionship. During out preschool years no one existed outside the family. Even after the children were old enough to attend the public school, they hurried back home after classes to the warmth and the love that was at home. Brothers and sisters complemented each other in games, schoolwork, work indoors and out on the farm. We all banded together to serve each other and our parents.

Papa and Mamma

Papa and Mamma loved their home on Swamp Road in Sunderland, Massachusetts. Two years of hard work in Pine Nook near South Deerfield was the beginning of a nest egg for the purchase of this farm. When Mr. Clark couldn't sell his tobacco, Papa was not paid for his work for the year. In need of money, Papa left Mr. Clark and worked for Mr. Smith of Sunderland. Later he left for Williamsburg where he worked for Mr. Damon, who could afford to pay more for his help. Mamma came to Sunderland from Poland at the age of 16 and worked for Israel Childs for two years. The Childs were very kind to Mamma. Papa met Mamma shortly after and they bought their home and settled in Sunderland, where their ten children were born and raised.

The Family

We were a family of ten children, three boy and seven girls. Joe was the oldest, Sophie came next, Johnnie followed Sophie and Tessie followed him. These four seemed like a separate segment of the family to me. They were old (or I thought so) when I was little. They did things together. They all married when I was in grammar school and left home at about the same time. Stella, next in age, left home rather early in years to work in the city. She lived with Tessie and her husband until she, too, was married. Jennie followed Stella and Ally came after Jennie. Jennie and Ally were a close twosome and they did everything together. I followed Ally and then came Eddie and Viola. Viola was a very pretty child, the most fussed over.