Growing up in the 1950s, families were large, homes were small, and money was tight.
Moms generally didn't work, were busy raising children, and ruled the roost.
Dads were counted on to "bring home the bacon" and to fix things. Oftentimes, dads were seen but not heard, his main roles keeping Mom happy and helping to discipline the kids.
The girls helped Mom with household chores like cleaning, laundry, baking, and babysitting.
The boys helped Dad with outside chores like snow shoveling, cutting firewood, and fixing cars. Most families had just one car, and it was their lifeblood, used to get Dad to work, run errands, shop, and take the occasional Sunday drive.
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Lakewood Township back then was comprised of many small farms, mostly part-time, that provided food for their families and supplemented incomes. Many kids were up early, milking cows and cleaning barns. By the time our bus arrived at school, it would often smell of manure.
Ten acres, a summer garden, and a few chickens were the extent of our farming. But we were up early shoveling snow. No snowblowers back then. We supplemented our fuel oil space heater with a wood stove, and every evening my younger brother and I cut, chopped, and hauled firewood to the wood stacks.
Dad drove school bus and supplemented his income by logging. Many weekends were spent cutting and piling pulpwood. There were no chainsaws or skidders; it was all cut with hand tools and the strength in our shoulders. It was back-breaking work, and my feet were always cold.
At lunchtime, Dad would build a fire, and we would warm our feet and eat sandwiches.
But we had a roof over our head, a fire in the stove, and food on the table. It wasn't so bad.
Dennis Cooke
Proctor
