Dad's Story Part 10

(Sitting on the ground, far right)

 

In the summer of 1927, I discovered the Boy Scout program.  There was a large Methodist Church on the east side of the street that led from downtown Lewiston to the south hill.  It was situated just on the brow of the hill.  One afternoon I noticed a group of boys on a large green lawn beside the church building.  They were practicing signaling with signal flags.  This attracted my attention so I stopped and watched for a long time.  I finally learned that this was a scout troop in action.  Later on that year when I had turned twelve years of age I joined the scout troop sponsored by the Congregational Church, in whose choir my Dad and Mother sang.  The candle ceremony at my being inducted into the troop and receiving my tenderfoot badge was very impressive to me.  

Baby Frances

            One of the most important things to happen in Lewiston was the birth of our one and only sister, Frances Virginia, born on Dad’s birthday, December 31, 1927.  This was the year that Charles A Lindberg had flown across the Atlantic from New York to Paris in his Ryan monoplane, the “Spirit of St Lewis”.  

            The years that we lived in Lewiston I went from the fourth through the seventh grades in school.  These elementary grades in school were very enjoyable to me.  I don’t remember ever having any difficulties or bad experiences in school.  It was a happy time for me.  An interesting custom in those days was for all the children to line up at the entrance of the school, when the bell rang for school to start and then march into the building to the strains of the military march played on a phonograph. 

Lewiston Relief Society

 The sixth and seventh grades were in the Junior High School building.  It was during my years in Junior High that I became an avid sports fan.  The Junior High was near the High School.  After school I used to watch the High School football, basketball and baseball teams practice in their respective seasons.  During those two years the High School had State champion football and basketball teams.  I didn’t miss one of their games.  In those days there were no half time shows during the half time intermissions at the basketball games.  During this intermission, the audience, which sat in the balcony, would throw pennies and nickels down onto the playing floor for the young boys to scramble after.  I usually got my share of the coins. 

            There was no branch of the Mormon Church in Lewiston when we moved there, and it wasn’t until 1927 that one was organized under the direction of the Northwestern States Mission President William R Sloan.  It was called the Lewis and Clark Branch.  In this little branch, Mother was called as Relief Society secretary and Dad installed as the Sunday School Superintendent.        

Frances and her mother (Virginia)

Frances' graduation 1945

 

J Ray and Frances Cox

The FE Ericksen family