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My 100th Birthday
Topics: history, birthday, centurian, memories
Posted by citizenjournalist Fri Sep 7, 2007 12:14:08 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments My family hosted a buffet luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007, in my honor. Two hundred family and friends attended. Five generations represented ages three weeks to 100 years.

Friend Bob Anderson honored me with songs popular in my early years, including Bob Hope's "Thanks for the Memories" and the Needles High School cheer song. There were 10 former Needles High School students present!

I shared stories and memories of my life. Stories always begin with "Once upon a time ..." So .... "Once upon a time, on July 30th, 1907, in Richmond, Calif., a baby girl was born. Her parents were William and Josephine Canon. They named her Eudora Suzan.

My father was employed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in train service. When I was a few months old he learned that the opportunity and pay was much better in Needles so he transferred to Needles. I became the oldest of four — two sisters and a brother, Mae, Florence and Bill.

Most of my growing up years were spent in Needles. In high school, I met my sweetheart and future husband. When we graduated from high school or college we thought there would be no more lessons. But it's not true! Life is more lessons!

After a year out of my high school, we were married. A year later we were blessed with a baby daughter who we named Jacquelyn. She grew up in Needles, attended the same schools as I and even had the same science teacher. She met and married her high school sweetheart — just as I did. They blessed us with three wonderful grandchildren, who are responsible for this 100th birthday party, along with their parents, Jackie and Boyd Cunningham.

I've seen many changes in my lifetime! Once upon a time we used oil lamps for light, a wash board for a washing machine, wood stoves for heating and cooking, the ice man delivered ice in 25 or 50 pound blocks — no electric refrigerators. The milk man delivered milk in glass bottles. A bread truck plied the neighborhood selling bread, cakes, cookies or other goodies. The telephone was a box anchored to the wall with a little  crank on the side. (no buttons to punch) A turn of the crank would get "central." She knew how to reach everyone. She was a sitting dictionary and could find out anything you wanted to know!

Maggie and Jiggs and the Katsenjammer Kids were popular comics in the "funny paper." Houses had front porches and neighbors often sat and visited back and forth with friendly talk. A car was started by getting in front and turning a crank several times. Gasoline was 50 cents a gallon. Tires had inner tubes. Movies were silent and black and white. The story was printed on the screen. (People could be heard reading to their children.) A musician played the piano or organ with appropriate music along with the picture. Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Janet Gaynor, Pearl Buck were a few stars of the day.

The dreaded diseases were polio, measles, small pox, whooping cough, tuberculosis and doctors made house calls! Kids played hide and go seek, kick the can, marbles, checkers and cards games such as rook and flinch and "spin the bottle," a game played about the time boys and girls began noticing each other. They sat in a circle and the boy spun the bottle. When it stopped in front of a girl, the boy spinning the bottle was entitled to a kiss! It was a bit risque but we liked it and it was legal!

Then there was the ritual of the Saturday night bath! The water was heated on the stove, then poured into a round wash tub. Sometimes more than one person used the same bath water!

Women and girls always had long hair. I was a teenager when we began "bobbing our hair." We usually had two outfits of clothing — one for every day and one for Sunday — and the same for shoes. Ladies silk hose had a seam up the back.

When I was 10 or 11 years old, World War I was being fought in Europe. The Kaiser was the bad guy. President Wilson was our president and was blamed for getting into the war. We were singing "Over There, Over There, the Yanks are coming and we won't be back 'til it's over, over there." We also sang, "Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile," and "How ya gonna keep em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?" I remember how the country was in great jubilation when the Armistice was signed and for years was celebrated as Armistice Day — now as Veterans Day.

The nation got back to normal, for a while. Then in 1932 all the banks closed and we found ourselves in a Depression. Many were jobless and times were hard. Franklin Roosevelt was president and he developed programs to help get us back on our feet. I also experienced World War II. Many troop trains traveled through Needles. General Patton trained troops for the Battle of the Bulge in North Africa. Every hotel, motel and spare bedroom was filled with army wives who followed their husbands until their departure for overseas. Volunteering for the Red Cross and USO kept me busy. Sugar, coffee, meat, shoes and cigarettes were rationed.

In 1959 the railroad began downsizing and since my husband was a locomotive engineer he was forced to transfer to either Barstow or Bakersfield. He chose Bakersfield and on April 15, 1960, we moved into our home on a rainy Sunday. I joined the Newcomers Club and transferred my membership to Wesley Methodist Church and soon met many friends and became involved in playing bridge and golf and volunteering at the Red Cross.

My hear husband, Alden Markham, became ill and passed away in December 1966. I was not yet eligible for Social Security and needed to go to work. Fortunately, the Red Cross offered me a job with pay to do what I had been doing for free. It was at the time of the Vietnam War and we were very busy. My job was service to military personnel and families.  This was an extremely busy time for me as I was responsible to see that phone calls were covered 24 hours around the clock. The Lions Club provided volunteers to take night calls or weekend calls. They are a wonderful help and do a great service. Occasionally the volunteer would not be able to serve so I was on duty. I spoke to many Red Cross Field Directors all across our country, needing to verify facts or requests to bring a serviceman home for emergencies.

After several years a friend, Joe Gannon, offered me a job in his office at Gannon Construction Co., where I worked about five years until I reached age 65 and retired.

I've been asked, to what do I attribute my long life? I have many people who have loved me, encouraged me and have given me a pat on the back. I have tried to abide by three rules — the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you), and love one another.

I feel so privileged to have experienced so many changes and to have survived some bad times along with the good times. To be loved by my family and many friends.

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