Louis Raymond Graham

    Louis Raymond Graham was born December 23, 1907 in Rosedale.  The only other blonde and of course, blue eyed.  All the boys had curly or wavy hair much to the girls' despair.  The girls had natural wavy hair and perms came in when they were young.

He (Louis) loved cars even more than Earl and had a red Chevy with a rumble seat. He and I would go flying down S.W. Bl'vd and I'd yell, "Faster, faster!" He was a lot of fun! I lucked out with relatives!!
He married pretty, brunette Mildred Cass, who was a "hash-slinger". She had a sprinkling of freckles on her face and was very slim. She was always called "Toots". They had Ray, Ron and Sue (actually named after her mother).
In 1992, at Betty's I saw Aunt Toots and Ron. Ron had been a paratrooper and then truck-driver, a very manly person, who regretted he didn't know the Grahams better.
Ron took care of his widowed mother and divorced sister. I corresponded with Sue. When I worked at South West Bell, I'd take the boys to first-run movies, usually "Tarzan" films. Ron married a girl named Gloria. I called him not long ago and she has cancer. I believe their children are adopted.
Aunt Toots (1995) has died, also Sue. Ron said she had several strokes. It must have been LOVE, because Sue told me her parents were married twice. Louis died in October, 1975. He must have gotten angry and kept his family away from the rest of the Grahams.
Aunt Toots couldn't keep house either (she worked) nor scrub up her kids. I sent Sue old pictures and she wrote back, "We kids always looked so dirty!" I loved Aunt Toots and visited them, since Louis "Sorehead" Graham wouldn't come to see us.
None of my old Aunts drove a car. Perhaps Toots.
The grahams all had tempers! If too many of them gathered at the same time, there was usually a big fight. Holidays were bedlam!
In 1923, there were a series of devastating tornadoes in several states south of Kansas. It rained frequently, but I don't recall severe storms. Kansas was so far inland, it did have extreme weather-torrid Summers and Winters that chilled you to the bone!
As to church, I attended Sunday school from 501. At Whitmore School, we attended church school and Betty and I attended a little white church across the street from 1406. All Baptist and Methodist churches. When I worked Sundays at South West Bell, I no longer went to church. Reverend Hughes was at the front door (1406) when Will died. Will was not a pious man and wanted no minister around, while he was alive. It was Anna who insisted I attended church.
As to church, I attended Sunday school from 501. At Whitmore School, we attended church school and Betty and I attended a little white church across the street from 1406. All Baptist and Methodist churches. When I worked Sundays at South West Bell, I no longer went to church. Reverend Hughes was at the front door (1406) when Will died. Will was not a pious man and wanted no minister around, while he was alive. It was Anna who insisted I attended church.
written by: Dorothy Nugent Hatch