Submitted by Jetty Baker Thanks Jetty!

I am a grandchild of Robert Ozias Armer and Mary Tennessee Snow. I am one of six children, my family was poorer than poor. We grew up in an old house beside highway 43, just 1/2 a mile from Compton, going toward Ponca on the right side of the road, it was known as the old Kelly Place. It was so cold in that old house, we would cover up with a feather bed to try to get warm. And it was so heavy...we couldn't turn over at night. That feather bed dates me I guess...Oh well, I am 58 and proud to be alive!

My older sister and brother could not go to high school because they had no way to go...no bus, no nothing. By the time I was ready to go, Newton County hauled the Boone County junior high and high school children to school in exchange for tuition. They were from the Boone County line and Hill Top area. There was no heat on the bus in winter, we about froze to death. They did start letting us wear pants to school because of the cold. I had to ride about 35 miles to school, the bus went on dirt roads around the country to pick up students. I would leave for school at 5:00 a.m. and return home about 5:00 p.m...made for long days. We never had a car, as daddy was gone all the time.

We lived about half a mile from Compton, but back then, there was nothing at Compton except the Sims Store and the Burge Store, which housed the post office. Lex Burge ran the store and post office. There was a mail bus when I was little. We would get on the bus and catch a ride to Harrison, picking up mail on the way. The driver would drop us off at the Henderson Store, just a block off the square. We would do whatever we had to do, then back at the store by a certain time, get on the bus delivering mail, and go home with groceries or whatever in hand. We also hitched rides from neighbors to go to dances, church or whatever we went to.

Herb Brisco had a big flat bed truck with a tarp over it. He would pick up a truck load of people and take us to dances. In those days we had square dances at our houses and whoever could or wanted to, would play music. Herb and his brothers played some. I remember dancing when I was barely able to walk. I would fall asleep while waiting for daddy to let me dance. Of course we knew everybody. They would put us kids on a bed to sleep or a palate on the floor, and dance all night.

Mother is 84, she tells of when her and daddy were young and the dances they went to. She tells of going to a dance on horseback. She was wearing a crepe dress...I guess that was dressie then...it started raining and by the time they got to the dance, her dress had shrunk almost to her waist. She borrowed someones dress and just danced the night away.

They were dirt poor and didn't know it because everyone else was too. And there was always someone with home brew...they had to hide it in case the 'liquior cops' came...they never did as far as I know of, but there was always that possibility. Daddy and his brother used to make home brew. Then they would go out and get chickens. We would have a big dinner with the chickens and home brew. One time we had a wonderful chicken dinner at Uncle Dewey's house. They lived up the hill from us. Next morning we didn't have a chicken on the place. They had daddy stay there watching the brew and we helped eat our own chickens! Mother sure was mad. Uncle Dewey used to brew beer and bottle it. Aunt Jane didn't known. He would hide it in the cellar or somewhere down stairs. The lids sometimes would pop off and hit the ceiling, which was the floor of the upstairs. Aunt Jane would be scared to death. When she realized what it was, she was mad at Uncle Dewey.

And then there was the Ponca Church Camp. I went there every year on a scholarship because we were too poor to pay the cost. In those days it was probably about $10.00 for a 2 week stay. The Weebe Family, not sure of the spelling, started a church in the Compton School house. They eventually left and William and Salome Ratzlaff were sent to us by the Mennonite Mission. They built a church and a parsonage next door to the Compton School. It is still there and had its 50^th anniversary a few years ago. Anyway, the Ratzlaff family did a great deal for the people in the area. They came to us from Canada and they are back living there today. The church camp in Ponca was wonderful...they had bunk beds in the rooms, even double bunk beds. I believe the place is still there, but it is run down and I don't think it is a church camp anymore. We had scheduled classes and meals. We went swimming at the low water bridge which was on the road to Jasper, just a little way from the camp...I think there is a full bridge there now. We were not allowed to swim with the boys. They went on one side of the bridge and we went on the other. We had to be out of sight of each other...we wore bathing suits, full suits with no flesh showing. If our suits did not cover enough, we had to wear shirts over them. I never knew how to swim, so I just sat in the water and splashed. We played ball and all sorts of things.

Here we are at camp, lined up for a sack race...I am 3rd from right.

Also had church at night in what they called the tabernacle; just a roof over some pews. So many wonderful memories. We sometimes went on day hikes. Once went to Hemmed In Hollow, went down into the hollow by Compton way and came out at Center Point. Center Point was another wonderful place. I understand that now you can't even go down there...a sad thing.

Bill and Salome Ratzlaff, 1996

Bill and Salome were instrumental in having the church and parsonage built at the Compton Open Bible Church. Their work and friendship were very meaningful to all of us in the community. They were counselor, pastor, ambulance, bus and whatever else we needed. We owe alot to them for their influences on our lives. Bill and Salome were always there for us. I was in a car wreck in 1953. Mother sent someone after them to take me to the doctor. They ended up having to take me to Little Rock. We didn't have any money to pay them and as far as I know, they never asked for any. They were just that kind of wonderful people! A year or so ago, after having an anuerysm clipped in my brain, I thought of them, got their address and wrote them thanking them for the wonderful influence they had on my life...

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Take Care, Judy Tate