1950

I do not remember doing this but I have heard the story so many times that it must be true.  We lived in a residential area in Southern California that was served by a neighborhood store that was approximately one block from our house.  My mother used to walk to the store with me holding her hand and toddling along.  I did not know about money but I knew how to get to this store where we went to get food.  One day, I decided to make this trip by myself.  I walked down the block and into the store.  I grabbed one bag of candy and walked out of the store without paying.  When I got home, I found that my mother had been looking for me.  She took the bag of candy from me and marched me back to the store.  However, the store manager just laughed and told her to keep the candy.  So we went back home but I never did get any of that candy.  My mother put it far away where I could not reach it.  She would not let me enjoy the fruits of my crime.  My mother did the right thing but the whole episode was really her fault.  She had taught me how to get the candy but she had not taught me about economic responsibilities.  I am just guessing here because I was too young to remember the incident. [JAM 2/27/2011] According to my parents, this episode probably occurred in Bell Gardens.  [JAM 5/9/2011] This photo was taken on family summer vacation at the home of my dad's sister, Helen Crofford & Uncle Robert (Boozy) Crofford.  I am standing next to my cousin, Roberta Crofford in the backyard of their house in Irving, Texas.  I am holding a toy car.  In most of the early photos, I would bring a toy.  We made many trips over the years to see dad's family in Texas and Oklahoma.  [JAM 6/3/2020]

Cousin Judith Ann Booth (age six)