Gardner Musing
Heritage Seekers will have a special guest from the Missouri Humanities. Elizabeth Kurry who is from the St. Louis area will be speaking on Beer, German,& Methodism. She is a historian and author in St. Louis and will be presenting the story of a German
Immigrant, Ludwig Jacoby who came to St. Louis in 1841.
The program will be at Hall’s Hall on Monday June 15 at 7 p.m.
Free Admission.
It’s been a while since I shared one of Sid’s Hash stories: Aunt Fertilla and Uncle Mopey
Aunt Fertilla and Uncle Mopey had seventeen children , twelve girls, and five boys. Aunt Fertilla was very partial to girls and gave each a name beginning with F. There was Fanny, Flora, Fern, Fortune, Flavor Flower, Fletta, Formal Feebie, Femalle and Fay.
The boys were all given names beginning with Z. There were Zeb and Zeke, the twins then Zachand Zoue and Zero. Zero was the baby of the family, and Uncle Mopey wanted to name him caboose, but Aunt Feertilla did not want to do so, and she argued that either caboose or Zero was the end. Zeb was the smallest of the boys, but he was the most resourceful one. While in their crib Aunt Fertilla nursed them every two hours. Zeb the odd and Zeke the even one . She would hang a cloth on the crib to know the last
one she nursed, but Zeke learned to move it from his side to Zeke’s side, and he got most of the feed and grew faster than Zeb. But Zeb soon learned to crawl to the cow and serve himself.
The girls all had beautiful curly hair and were the envy of other mothers, who sought the secret from Aunt Fertilla . How did she manage to curl so many heads in so many different hair styles? But Auntie kept the secret all to herself until late in life; she then
told how she put fresh milk on the children’s hair, and the cats licked it off making the many fancy designs.
The name Zoie caused some problems as it was so similar to souiee(which means scram to hogs) . When they called Zuey the hogs ran away and many times Zoue claimed he did not come when called because he thought they were talking to the pigs.
Gardner House Museum is open on Mondays Wednesdays and Friday 10 to 2.
The 1858 Old Marion County Jail is open Wednesday 10 to 2.