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In the thrities times were lean. Many folks were often
hard-pressed for food and necessities because of the depression.
We farm folks, even though the drought and grasshoppers took most
of our crops, salvaged some garden stuffs and had our own meat and
dairy products so we never went hungry. Money was scarce for groceries
or anything else!
My grandmother, Ida Emerson Heim, had a locker at Smith's Grocery
Store. She had carefully counted her pieces of beef from the farm
butchering. She mentioned to us that it seemed several pieces were
missing from the locker box. One day we were surprised when she
told us she had discovered who had been taking her meat. And that
he would do it no more! She caught him red-handed at her locker
box. I wanted to know right away who it was, of course, but I was
amazed and angry when she would not tell. She said we girls would
let out who it was and it would get all over town. I cried out that
we would never tell and pleaded for her to reveal who the nasty
thief was.
I think that was the first and only time I was ever really upset
with my dear grandma. But as I grew older, I realized the wisdom
of her intergirty. Times were hard. A man needed food for his family.
But even thought he was wrong in stealing, my grandma protected
him from disgrace and ridicule in our small town of Dawson, Nebraska!
I'm richer for being Ida Heim's granddaughter
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