Margaret and Kenneth tell about their time in Bordentown, NJ. They stayed with the Hutchinsons while Kenneth resumed his church ministry. Kenneth got sick again; he would suffer this sickness from time to time for a few years. They tell about their…
Margaret tells how when Betty was born she supplanted Evangeline as favorite and remained mother's favorite most of her life. Betty didn't bother with the rules and mother would overlook it, which she didn't do with the other girls.
Bernie Green was a very old man on faculty at Princeton. Students would imitate his voice and Kenneth learned about it and repeated it while the campus gathered for a photograph with Bernie Green right next to him--Kenneth hadn't met him yet, and so…
Aunt Minnie wouldn't visit as often as Adelle wanted, because she and her husband were farmers. She and her husband had a very nice house for that era but never had running water. Margaret and her aunt's children never were close: neither enemies nor…
Archie was fun. Evangeline was going with him. He was chosen for the basketball Hall of Fame at Wheaton. He was only about 5'9" or 5'10", but he could just shoot straight up in the air.
Maragret's father, Annenus Duabus Mortenson (A. D.), was born April 7, 1875. He started working very early to support the family because his father was preoccupied by his inventions and travels. A.D. may have not finished high school, but he was an…
Kenneth recalls Ann Wilson meeting him after class, and she gave him a note. She confided in him about her problems with a man she had met and the family troubles she had.
A.D. preached to Margaret an awful lot, though she was very religious from an early age. She eventually avoided him when she could. He was very cold, although he didn't want to be. He would give up his lunch to do something for the girls, and he…
An incident with Mrs. Rosing that Margaret's mother never forgot. Shortly after Margaret and Evangeline recovered from their sickness Mrs. Rosing saw them coming down the street wih their mother. Thinking that they were contaminated, she hurried to…
Margaret recalls many black maternal families coming from the South to Evanston, IL, for work. She describes the many black women she met and talks about one in particular, Florida Mitchell, who worked for her mother Adelle. Florida was raising money…
Margaret digresses from the main story to tell of the time when Adelle, in her old age, had to move in with her daughter Betty.Adelleﾠhad only a small pension form Wheaton College, and when her sight began to fail it was clear that she could not…
Margaret reads a letter from Adelle about wedding invitations, date and time. Adelle was offering to pay for the invitations. Adelle suggested that the wedding be planned for commencement day at 6:00 pm, June 16.
Adelle's health began to be a matter of concern. In 1917 she had an operation at the Mayo Clinic, which left her with other heart related problems. She later was admitted again to the Evanston Hospital for a long bout. She would spend many long hours…
Margaret reads letters from her mother about building a house and selling it for profit. One letter mentions the people she trusted for the buying of a lot and the building of the house. It turned out that she entrusted her resources and her projects…
Margaret tells of hospitality at the Mortensons. There was always someone living at their home for a year, or two, or more. That was normal and had become part of their life.
Miss. Torrey arranged with Margaret's mother to spend the day at her home because she lived too far from the college. This was good for Adelle to enjoy some company, especially after the death of her husband.
Margaret tells about her mother Adelle trying to start a Café (it was very hard to find a place to eat in Wheaton). But the owner of the bakery where she wanted to do it would not spend the money needed, so Adelle gave up the idea.
Following Grandmother Mortenson's death Adelle sold the family's house in Evanston and moved to Wheaton. Lois came to live with them and Kenneth visited often.
Evangeline was punished by her mom for running after and catching the streetcar. On another Margaret also was punished for running in front of the streetcar. Mom would usually punish the kids verbally.
The parents of Margaret's mother, Adelle, came from Norway to Wisconsin, where Adelle was born in 1877. The family later moved to Minnesota for farming, and then back to Wisconsin (in the Kenosha area). Adelle went to school and had excellent…
