Thoughts often take us back to happy times in our youth, with childhood friends and classmates. There were many birthday parties and slumber parties, where several girl friends would get together and have lots of laughs and fun times that will never be forgotten.
While taking piano lessons from Mrs. Lackey, while we were living in Stockton, her oldest daughter Peggy was the same age as I was. We hit it off and became close friends. Then my family moved back to Jewell County. As luck would have it, the Lackey family would soon move to Jewell County, on the father’s job transfer. They made their home in Mankato. My parents made arrangements for my sister and me to pick up with our piano lessons with Mrs. Lackey. Of course, Peggy and I were thrilled as after lessons either I would stay with her or she would come home with me. Through Peggy, I visited school with her from time to time and became acquainted with her classmates at the Mankato Schools.
It was during this time that I was invited to the 13th birthday party of a Mankato girl, Kerry Kramer. It was the day before my 13th birthday which I thought of as being neat. Her party was held in the beautiful large Kramer house. It was not only a thrill to be in this house, but the all-girl party was held in a room I’d call a conservatory, in the lower story of the house, with windows all around the room. All of us girls were wearing our best dresses, and carried in our gifts to place on a large decorated table. Ice cream and cake were served and then a record player in the corner was turned on. Before the word “karaoke” was ever thought of, we all would burst out singing whatever ‘rock n roll’ record was placed upon the turn table. Soon we were dancing around the room singing songs like “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”....”A Thousand Stars” and of course we did the Twist to the recording by Chubby Checker, “The Twist.” Such a fun time.
Later, after the party my parents told me Kerry and I were born within a day of each other in the same hospital in Concordia, and that Dad and Kerry’s dad even rode down to the hospital together in the evenings, during visiting hours. Today, when Kerry and I see each other, which isn’t often, we visit about our births and her special birthday party.
Slumber parties were hosted at my home as a youth. The one that has stayed the most in my memories was when several girls from my class came to our farm one summer evening. Mother told us we could stay up as late as we’d like, probably thinking we’d give out around midnight. Well, we fooled her and stayed up all night, telling each other stories, listening to music and styling each other’s hair. Before we knew it, the sun was coming up. We got the idea of going out to the milk barn to surprise the man who came to pick up our milk cans. We carefully hid, and when the poor fellow opened the barn door, we all jumped out at him. But instead of being frightened, all he could do was laugh. We were disappointed but soon we were all giggling with him. To this day when we are together, we laugh and share that story again.
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