Wallingford/Jarlov Family Trees

Edna Ruth Wallingford Lange's Stories

Edna Ruth is the daughter of John Pinckney Wallingford. She was born after her grandfather died, but she recalls some stories about her grandmother:

Grandma would go to the valley (San Benito) to see Aunt Minnie's family (Minnie Devoe Wallingford and Harry K. Noe) and would take Roland (John Roland Wallingford, son of John Pinckney) with her often. Edna Ruth can remember seeing her coming home on the train with her suitcase, pillow, and quilt under her arm. A highlight was the little gift in her suitcase for Edna Ruth and Roland.

Edna Ruth remembers her father getting a large box from one of the stores in Waller or Hempstead. They called it the "quilt box," and all the worn out or out-grown clothes were put in the box for Grandma to use for her quilts. Edna Ruth doesn't remember Grandma doing much besides her quilting. Grandma would say, "Honey - when Grandma gets her pension (Confederate widow's pension?), next month, I'll buy you something." They would look at the Sears catalog to find a blouse or dress.

Grandma would say, "Come here, Edna Ruth. Let's you and Grandma look at the Sears Roebuck catalog." As they turned the pages, Grandma would say, 'You know that couldn't be worth very much at that price."

Edna Ruth remembers that she and Roland would follow Grandma in the garden picking vegetables. Corinne Ogg Wallingford, Roland's wife, adds that Roland told her they ate mostly sweet potatoes, cornbread, and syrup - carrots were considered "pig food."

Grandma would put food on the table, and Roland would say, "Oh, Grandma, I don't want to eat that." Grandma would always say, "Well, honey, if you were hungry, you'd eat that!"

Grandma would keep her snuff on the mantel by the clock. Edna Ruth thought it looked so good that she got herself some in a teaspoon. It was the most awful stuff she ever tasted!

As a young teen after her father died and her family moved to Houston, Edna Ruth would take Grandma on the street car to downtown Houston to shop at every store. Grandma would embarrass her by trying to "bargain" the prices down.