Halloween Memories...

My mom loved Halloween.  She was one of the first teachers at her school in Oklahoma to start dressing in period costumes for the festivities.  Of course it was a different era, the kids dressed up, parents brought cupcakes, there were parades, and there was in general a lot of games.  As I was growing up, she always had popcorn balls (in a variety of ways), candy, etc.  I had to dress up to had out candy to those coming by.
When she moved to Texas, she was living in a rural community.  There wasn't the going from house to house for trick or treat but there were a lot of little kids that wanted to do what they saw city kids doing. As a school they still did costumes and a class party, but the whole community turned out at the precinct barn where a special group had put together a variety of activities and treats.  Mom loved this and was disappointed when the activities started coming to a close at school, then in the community at large.  Now they do a haunted house, which I have to say, I am glad all my kids are gone, because I have never been a fan of haunted house activities.  Here is the only picture I have of my mom's Halloween activity.

She is the "scarecrow" in the center, surrounded by my children.

My mother-in-law always decorated for Halloween time.  She would have fun handing out candy for the kids in the neighborhood. Her foster daughter loved the dressing up and handing out candy too.
When Mildred moved into an assisted living home, they had activities every year.  We would go down and participate with her. She would dress up and so would we.  Such a fun memory.
These are a few of her dressed up as well as my sister in law and brother in law.

One year she decorated her door then dressed up and handed out candy when kids came by.

My wonderful sister-in-law who was game for anything, and looked great too. (she is in the middle)

A close up of my sister-in-law

Mildred and her son,,. My grandson thought his mask was cool. 

Mildred and I, in another year.  She decorated her tee shirt.

Fun memories and ones I hold dear.

Memorable Halloween Stories

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun suggested posting our most memorable Halloween.  That took me off into another area of memory that my dad told us of his teenage Halloween antics.  They were not quite what we think of in our day and age. 

Looking at this innocent face you just would not think that in 6 years from this time he would be a naughty mischievous teenager.  

His most memorable Halloween was when he and about 6 other teenage boys got together and decided to trick on of their "grumpy" neighbors.  Now neighbors were not next door like what you think of today.  More like miles apart.  Back to the story.  

These boys began by thinking up mischievous things to do weeks ahead of Halloween. 

They waited until dark, and how they did these things I don't know, but the first farmer was awakened then next morning to his mules on top of his shed.  (They were really naughty, they didn't tell they did it or go by and offer to get the mules down).  Shame.  

The second farmer didn't have to wait for morning because his son went out in the night and fell in the hole where the outhouse had been.  They had moved the outhouse just behind the hole. Yuck!

Apparently, these farmers had not developed a good relationship with these teenagers.  My dad said no one ever owned up to the deeds and he was telling me when he was 60 years old and explaining the difference between Halloween then and now.  He still thought that the face of the farmer would have been funny to see when he saw his mules on top of the barn.