If you have a bunch of old McCracken-Ellis family photos and you don’t have a clue who half the people are, take them to the esteemed Pearl (McCracken) Linke.  As her 100^th birthday approaches, she remembers so many of the family and can still readily identify them for you.

 

Childhood

Pearl May McCracken, my dad’s first cousin, was born in Farlington, Crawford, Kansas on September 16, 1925 to Elmer Thomas and Ethel Faye (Matlock) McCracken.  Pearl is the only girl in the family and the oldest of five children.  Brothers Lawrence (Neil), Marvin Leslie, Wayne E., and Roger E. followed over the next twenty plus years. 

 

Family

Farlington was a tiny little town, but it was full of relatives.  Both her McCracken/Apt and Matlock grandparents, along with many other family members lived in the town or nearby.  She never knew her Grandfather Andrew McCracken as he died before she was born.  By the time Pearl was born, her Grandmother Rosa (Ellis) McCracken had remarried to William “Bill” Apt, who had boarded with her sister’s family for years.

Being the only girl in the family, she looked outside her immediate family for female friends.  Yet, it was hard not to have friends and playmates when so many family members lived in the area. 

 

Family Gatherings

Although my grandpa (Joe McCracken) and his family did not live in Farlington, travel became such that Pearl could be buddies with grandpa’s daughters.  Dee was a year older than Pearl and Ruthe a year younger.  Therefore, Pearl fit right in with Joe’s middle daughters.  Additionally, Dee and Ruthe went to the same high school as Pearl.  So, they had additional opportunities to interact.

The photograph of “The Kitchen Brigade” is from a family gathering that was held at the house where I grew up (I recognize that barn, garage, and cellar).  It would have been during the time that Grandma and Grandpa McCracken lived on the property.

Pearl said that music was a big part of many family gatherings.  That must have been gatherings with the Matlocks on her mother’s side as the McCrackens were mostly known for gatherings with lots and lots of food.

 

Church

Pearl’s family attended the Farlington Methodist Church.  Her mother was the pianist/organist at the church for 30 years despite having had only three piano lessons.  Obviously, Ethel had some inherit talent.  She taught Pearl to play.  Pearl played at home; however, she did not play publicly, keeping her organ playing for family enjoyment.

Pearl’s mother was very active in the church and community.  Being very social, that was something that Pearl also gravitated towards.  As an adult, Pearl was involved in various church groups and choir.  She also cooked and helped out for various church meals and bereavement meals.  The only major difference from her early days was that she converted to her husband’s faith, becoming a member of the Lutheran Church.

 

Store

Pearl’s family had unique living quarters as they lived in the same building as the store that they ran.  The first floor included the store, a living room, and a kitchen.  Upstairs was another large living room and three bedrooms.  This arrangement made for fun times with her friends as they could play both “house” and “store.”

As soon as Pearl and her siblings were tall enough to see over the counter and could count change correctly, they were allowed (or maybe required) to help run the store.  Pearl has a story about her brother Neil (the second oldest) who filled his piggy bank as soon as he was tall enough to reach into the cash drawer.  I suspect that didn’t go over too well with their mom and dad.

Yet, working in the store had its upside.  Candy, cookies, and soda were readily available, but I am sure there were limits.  The store had its upsides for Dad and his family as well.  Dad remembered going to the McCracken store.  He said that his Uncle Elmer was generous when measuring beans and the like.

 

Elementary School

Pearl attended elementary school in Farlington.  The school served grades one through eight for kids in Farlington and the immediate area surrounding town.  Softball and basketball were common activities for the school children.  Most of the time the students at the school played against each other.  However, occasionally they had competitions with other schools. 

They played both sports outside.  Pearl and the other kids were very excited when they finally got to play basketball on an indoor court.

 

High School

Pearl went to high school in Girard, which was about eight miles from Farlington.  It was special to get to go to high school as at that time many kids in rural areas didn’t get that opportunity.  She had to chose between two course work paths.  Pearl could either follow a teaching path or a secretarial/business path.  She chose the secretarial path.  As a result, Pearl became very efficient taking dictation by using shorthand.  She was also a very fast typist.

 

Work Life

Job on the Square

Pearl graduated from high school while she was still sixteen-years-old.  She got a job working at the drugstore on the square in Girard.  Daily travel between Farlington and Girard was not practical.  Thus, Pearl rented a room from a family she knew in Girard.  She was out on her own and enjoying life.  Pearl still has fond memories of the time she lived and worked in Girard.

 

Beauty Supply

After two years, a friend of Pearl convinced her to go to work at Bottenfield’s Beauty Supply in Pittsburg, where she worked.  Pearl and her friend shared an apartment within walking distance of their workplace and a bus ride to the rollerskating rink.  In this job, Pearl was able to put her shorthand and typing skills to work.  Mr. Bottenfield and his son dictated letters and memos to send to their distributors and suppliers.  Pearl filled her notebook with shorthand, which she later typed and mailed.

Pearl loved the work.  As a bonus, she got to see the latest beauty products and even got samples.  She was especially drawn to the nail polishes.  She began polishing her fingernails and continues to have beautiful, polished nails today.  However, in the last couple of years, she has given up doing the task herself.  Just imagine regularly polishing your nails for 80 years!

 

Courting & Engagement

Edward “Ed” John Linke filled in as a telegrapher for the Frisco Railroad in Farlington.  It was a job that would change his life as he met Pearl while working there.  However, with World War II in full swing, Ed soon enlisted in the Navy.  He maintained a relationship with Pearl while serving as a radioman on a Navy supply ship.

After some time, Ed decided to propose.  He bought an engagement ring from a Navy buddy whose proposal had not went the way he hoped.  However, Ed didn’t want to take it with him on the ship, so he left it with someone in San Francisco to await his return.  He planned to get the ring upon his return and go to Farlington on leave to propose.  But, the best of plans don’t always go as planned. 

Instead of docking in San Francisco as Ed assumed they would do, his ship sailed through the Panama Canal and docked in New Orleans.  This left Ed with a dilemma.  He was heading to Farlington to see Pearl.  He wanted to propose, but the ring was in San Francisco.  What was a man to do?  He could hardly propose without a ring.  So, he did the logical thing.  He bought a second ring.

He proposed.  She said, “Yes!”  Ed retrieved the original ring.  And, Pearl ended up with two engagement rings.  I guess he really wanted to marry her!

 

Early Days of Married Life

Pearl and Ed married March 14, 1945 in Girard, Kansas.  Ed was still in the Navy.  So,Pearl stayed in Kansas visiting him on a couple of occasions when his ship was docked at Treasure Island.  Pearl boarded the train in Farlington and traveled to Union Station in Kansas City, which was always packed with travelers.  From there, she headed west to San Francisco. 

After Ed completed his service, he went back to work for the Frisco Railroad.  He worked as an extra board agent in small towns in southeast Kansas.  They moved from town to town often.  Ed and Pearl rented a room where they slept.  Sometimes they cooked their meals on a hot plate and other times they ate at the restaurants in town.

Since Ed often worked the night shift, they would sleep during the day.  And, Pearl went to work with him at night.  They continued this lifestyle even after their first son Larry was born.  Finally, Ed had enough seniority to bid on a regular job.  So, Pearl, Ed, and Larry, who was a toddler, had a bit more typical life.  Still, they moved from town to town often.

 

Raising a Family

While living in Fort Scott, Bourbon, Kansas, Pearl, Ed, and their two sons attended the Lutheran Church, which met at 9^th and National Avenue.  It was a very small church and shared a minister with the Lutheran Church in Brazelton, Kansas.  The Fort Scott church had a parsonage that was not being used by the pastor.  Thus, the Linke family had an opportunity to rent the parsonage.  They called it home for six years.  It must have been an adjustment to Pearl to stay in one place for an extended period of time after moving so much in their first years of marriage. 

Of course, Pearl now had two growing boys to keep fed and clothed.  Always the devoted housewife and mother, Pearl would  have food ready when the boys came home from school for lunch.  The boys had the luxury of home-cooked lunches since the parsonage was about a ten minute walk from Winfield Scott Elementary School where Ted, her younger son, attended and from Fort Scott Middle School where Larry attended school.  When Larry was promoted to high school, he had an even shorter walk to come home for lunch as they lived close enough to Fort Scott High School that they could likely hear the cheering at football games.

Ed didn’t have the luxury of coming home for lunch since he did not get a lunch break.  Thus, each day Pearl fixed lunch for Ed to take with him to work.  She also made cookies for him for a snack.  The boys were all too happy to help eat any cookies that were leftover.

 

Springfield

In 1964, the family was again moving.  Ed was a train dispatcher in Fort Scott for the Frisco and the railroad transferred their entire dispatching function to Springfield, Greene, Missouri.  So, the Linke family packed up and moved again.  It would be the last town to town move for the family as a whole.

 

New Church

In Springfield, the family transferred to Trinity Lutheran.  Pearl continued to be active in church activities.  Additionally, Ed and Pearl sang in the church choir for several years.

 

Frisco Auxiliary

Since Ed continued to work for the Frisco, Pearl became very involved in the Frisco Auxiliary.  The Frisco women met at various locations including the Colonial Hotel, Heritage on Glenstone, Kentwood Arms Hotel, and the Grove.

Pearl was an officer at times and also helped hostess some of the events.  For one springtime event, Pearl and her co-hostesses decorated with flowers, watering cans, and garden tools.  At Christmas, the hostesses decorated with a topiary tree on the head table with sprays of pine, holly, and Christmas ornaments on the other tables.

Another activity of the group was a yearly style (fashion) show.  In at least a couple of years, Pearl was one of the models.  In 1967, Pearl and several others modeled the latest fashions from Sears.

 

Friends, Family, and other events

Being very social, Pearl was involved in other social activities.  For example, she participated in Gourmet Day, which was sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Springfield Symphony Association.

Ed also liked to socialize.  Thus, the two of them often socialized with friends and family.  One of their favorite activities with friends was playing cards.  They enjoyed the now lost art of just visiting.  Pearl still loves to do this today.

 

Arts & Crafts

Les Arts de Mardi

Pearl was an active member of Les Arts de Mardi, which was a group under the Southwest Missouri Museum Associates that supported the Springfield Art Museum.  The members of Les Arts de Mardi met regularly for talks and activities.  They heard a talk on hypnotherapy, watched a slide show of a lady’s trip abroad, and went on a historical walking trip of Springfield.  One day, they worked with silk flowers at Pearl’s house.  They also participated in garage sales and bazaars.

 

Crafts at Home

I don’t know how Pearl had time for anything else, but she did.  She loved to embroidery, she sewed, she quilted, and she did cross-stitch.  Meanwhile, Ed started doing woodworking.  He began making items and Pearl painted them.  They even sold their projects at craft shows for a couple of years.  Additionally, Pearl turned her love of angels into many hand-crafted angels designed using a variety of craft supplies.

 

100 Years

As Pearl approaches her 100^th birthday, she has slowed a bit.  However, as an avid reader her entire life, she continues to love to read.  Her favorite genres include romance, suspense, and biographies.  Additionally, she still loves to visit with people and seems to never tire of conversation.

If I were to guess as to her key to longevity besides genetics (her mom lived to be 91), I would guess that it is because she has done many enjoyable activities throughout her life.  She continually amazes me with her excellent memory and her ability to identify people in photographs who she hasn’t seen in decades!

 

Credit:  Ted Linke contributed significantly to this story.

 Prompt: Cousins

#52ancestors52weeks