Sweet Memories of Fritzie

One of my first memories is receiving a gift from two of my older cousins, Claude and Blufford Sexton. Claude and Bluff were in their twenties and regarded me as a special little girl. They were the sons of my Dad's sister who lived two miles away. I always thought of them as the best cousins because they came to visit and teased me. When I was two they brought me the cutest and smallest puppy. I fell in love with her immediately. I carried her everywhere refusing to let her go. Eventually she used the bathroom on my bare foot. I decided it was time to let her down when she wiggled uncomfortably. We named her Fritzie. She proved to be the best friend I ever had. She was not only a friend to me but to the entire family.

Fritzie barked to alert us of people coming into the yard. She did not like mice, so she chased them out of the corn crib. She hated snakes. She learned to grab them by the neck and shake them and bite up and down their spine until they were dead. She was an asset on the farm as she went with us to the barn to do the milking or care for the horses. She always went with the workers to the tobacco or corn fields. She loved to go to the garden with Mama and me. She was always with those picking blackberries in the wild. She would watch for snakes or anything that might harm the pickers. Her favorite thing was to curl up in a chair on the porch and take a nap after her work on the farm.

In those days we did not keep our dogs in the house at night. They slept on the porch or in the barn. Fritzie loved to sneak under our bed and try to outsmart Mama to sleep inside. Mama would catch her and put her out.

As I grew older, I loved to roam the woods and fields. Fritzie was always with me.  I was the youngest, and  I was often left to play alone or with my dog. In the winter, Fritzie and I would sit under the quilt Mama was quilting. I would play paperdolls and Fritzie would sleep or dream of what excitement she might encounter later.

When I was in High School, I had less time to spend with Fritzie. She always welcomed me as I got off the school bus at 4 in the afternoon and was usually there to see me off in the mornings at 6:45. All day she would go to the field with the work hands or to the garden with mama,  then spend her time on the porch of the house or the store. 

One afternoon we missed Fritzie. We called and called and she did not come. We searched everywhere in clouding the barns, corn cribs and the smoke house, but Fritzie wasn't to be found.  I cried and was worried thinking someone had taken her, because people were always wanting a dog like her. I thought she may have been run over by a car somewhere because she would go in the road from the a house to the barn which was about five hundred feet apart. Searching a left us helpless and me almost hopeless. She had never run away before.  The word got out that my dog was missing. All the neighbors were alerted.

Finally word came that a dog of her description was at a grocery store about ten miles away.  My dad went to see and it really was her.  She had crawled into a grocery delivery truck that was backed up to our store to unload groceries. Evidently she fell asleep on that cold day and got a ride to the next delivery stop. I was so happy to get here back.

On a spring day when I was sixteen and had gone to school, Fritzie passed away.  My dad awaited my arrival home and told me the sad news. I missed my wonderful friend who had been such a loyal friend tome as well as to the family.

High School Graduation

At this time of year as graduations are taking place, I can't help remembering my High School Graduation. I was only sixteen, as I started school at the age of five and skipped the eight grade. I took the test to go to high school after seventh grade and all of my scores were in the eleventh and twelfth grades. My parents assumed I was ready to go to high school. I may have been ready mentally, but physically I was not ready, but I would never admit it at that time. I was sad to leave my friends because we were all going in different directions. Some we're going to work, others were getting married, and a few we're going to college. 

I had enjoyed high school very much and my life was built around school, reading,  friends, and learning. Four of us girls were good friends. We had done everything together. We even bought matching outfits for our Junior class trip with our initials on them. Dot and Lorene were getting married right away. Flo was going to Ohio to work as a secretary. I was going to college. Dot met a musician who lived in Northern Kentucky so she would move there. Lorene was marrying our class mate, Fred. They would live in the county.

I had seen a beautiful white dress in Seventeen Magazine and I wanted it for graduation so my parents got it for me. We ordered it by mail. My sister, Lorena got the same dress in blue for the event. We felt so fashionable to think that we were wearing dresses pictured in Seventeen. I bought rhinestone earrings and a necklace for the occasion. I got white pumps to dress up my outfit.

My parents planned a big dinner the day of the Baccalaureate. All of my brothers and sisters from Ohio were in attendance with their children. They had come for the Baccalaureate  on Sunday night. We lived fifteen miles out in the country on a gravel road which was narrow in many places. As Ruby and Ves were going to the Baccalaureate they had a minor accident but no one was injured. They could not all come back the next week on Friday for the graduation. We celebrated with them before graduation. It was a delight to have their support. 

I was very sad and cried almost uncontrollably as my name was called and I received my diploma. It meant my current life style was over and a new one must begin.

The saddest part was that Keith and I had broken up a month earlier and he was dating another girl. He came through the reception line and told me he missed me. My heart rejoiced momentarily but then I felt the let down. Life was definitely changing. On Monday I would start my college career. I was excited about that but uneasy about the unknown.