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My Life Recollections
By Edna Olivia (Johnson) Atkins

Chapter 1, Part 1
Minneapolis, Minnesota

I was born on May 30, 1901, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first little girl, after my parents had had two sons. Mother used to tell me how she was alone as Dad was out marching the Memorial Parade. She had to send Ernie, who was then eight years old, after the midwife. I guess everything went well so when Dad came home, he had another little mouth to feed, but being the first girl, I'm sure I was a welcome addition to the family.

My first recollection was of hearing Mother scream one night and then a baby crying. I was only a little over two when Freda was born so I'm inclined to believe that it was Esther's birth that I remember as I was almost five years old then and I seem to remember that we had bedrooms upstairs and later Mother rented rooms to a couple of young men whom I loved very much. I still have the little blue stein and some of the little dishes I got the Christmas following. One of the roomers must have played Santa Claus for I remember how frightened I was, so I hid behind Dad, but a few hours later Dad took me by the hand and we went to church at midnight. I do not know what church the folks belonged to but I remember I got to go to church at midnight, at Christmas Eve many times. I also know it was very cold and there was snow everywhere and I had a brown fur coat. It probably was not real fur as I remember in a later year, Dad and I went by a store and we saw a blue fur coat, which he bought for me.

I remember one Christmas I got a ring and a bracelet, which I am wearing in one of the pictures. The ring was lost down the toilet. We had a two-holer and me sitting there playing with my ring, I dropped it and it fell down the other hole. I must have been broken-hearted. I also remember the dress I am wearing in the picture but I don't remember the picture being taken.

We must have moved later as I remember living in a one-floor house on a corner. It was here Mother had Ernie take me to a Christmas party to some people who lived upstairs. It was a fun party with lots of children when the Christmas tree burst into flames. It must have been time for Ernie to come for me, as he just walked in and he grabbed a carpet from the floor and smother the fire.

It was from this place that they tried to start me to school. I do not know if it was the first or second semester but they would not let me start. I must have been only five. Ernie took me out on the sidewalk and headed me in the right direction and I ran all the way home. It couldn't have been very far. Later, probably when I was six, I started this same school. It was a new brick school with a basement and the toilets were in the basement. Hearing several children ask if they could go down in the basement, I presumed that they were going to the toilet, so one day I asked permission to go. Being very shy I somehow wandered into the boys' section but I remember a very nice boy took me by the hand and showed me the way to the girls' room. Another time I wasn't so lucky. As I said, I was so shy, as soon as I was dismissed I started running home. There was snow on the ground and a bigger boy who wasn't so nice stuck out his foot and tripped me. I fell right on my face and broke a piece off my two front teeth, which I was to go through life with. I only remember two of my teachers, Miss Wilson and Miss Johnson. I learned fast and when we left Minneapolis in 1910 I was ready for the 4th grade.

We were living in this same place when Dad was working on the South Side High School. They apparently were putting an addition on it as Ernie was going to this school. Dad was a bricklayer's helper and it was my job to bring him his lunch. It must have been his supper for in those days the men worked ten and twelve hours a day, but I loved carrying that lunch bucket. It was a tin square box. The lid was a hollow top, which held coffee. I had to cross the railroad crossing and Mother always cautioned me to wait until the bars were down and the watchman told me I could go.

I also remember a neighbor we had at this place. Their name was "Ness" and they had a girl my age whose name was Agnes. Agnes just loved waffles but she wanted them burned, so it smelled of burned waffles all over the place. We also had an old lady neighbor whom we thought was a witch. We were afraid of her but she always brought us such goodies, candy and fruit. She was probably a lonesome, poor soul.
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