Teechie's Story: Part III

Teechie and Shyrle


Well, dear reader, this will be the final installation in my three-part tribute to my great-great aunt, Teresa. We've seen Teechie through her childhood, met her "mentally defective" siblings, and watched her career grow, as she turned down the high salaries and coached her students to be the best "little" baseball players in Kern County.

I do remember, as a child, knowing that Teechie traveled quite a bit - often with her best friend Shyrle. So I think I'll conclude this homage with her own account of some of her travels:

My Travels

My first long trip was a cruise to Alaska in 1934. We drove our Model T Ford up to Vancouver, and stored it there and then took the boat. Three friends went - me, another teacher and a girl who worked in the bank. We could only go as far as Skagway; it wasn't opened up any further. We had an awfully good time. We had dogsled rides. A druggist invited us to his home, the conductor of the train invited us home - all sorts of good things like that. They were hungry to see people up there. [Sketchy!]

My next big trip was to Mexico. Shyrle Summers and I paid Mrs. Erickson's way, and she guided us. We stayed a month in Mexico City, boarding with a family she knew. The food was especially good and we didn't have to worry about getting sick. We used trains and taxis to get around.

Shyrle and I went to China in 1936, the year the war broke out there. We got into Peiping and to the Great Wall, and all the places people haven't been able to go to until the last few years. I think that was the most thrilling trip I ever took. We went on our own; we didn't have a conducted tour. We stayed with a missionary in Peiping. The trip cost me $600 for three months. It took us a very long time to get there and back. We cam back on a Japanese boat. We didn't have to have so many things to travel back then. We just took a couple of outfits.

Once we took a trip through all the different parks - Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and all the rest. Nora and I took a trip to Canada one summer in a new Ford. We stopped at every gas station between here and Manteca. We were leaking oil and had to get a new fan belt at every station. Our cousin, John Fritz, worked in the Ford garage there; he took our car and fixed it up. Then we had a real nice time. The country was beautiful. We went to Victoria and Vancouver.

Later we went to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper with Chuck after Mary died. I'd like to take that trip again.

I've been to Europe four times, different parts. I've been down the Mississippi River on the Delta Queen, and I've taken several trips across the country.



Well, now she's just bragging.

Even though I only knew her when I was young, Teechie played a big part in my childhood - every summer my Mom's whole side of the family would get together to celebrate her birthday. (Never anyone else's birthdays. Just Teechie's.) It was always a pool party, and people would tell stories. So I have fond memories of Teechie, and just wanted to use a little blog space on her. Thank you for your attention.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming. Such as it is.