There isn’t any news from the world of Rippey, this week. I’ve been communicating with the Rippey Alumni that shared their E-mails and after the ones who responded decided to cancel the annual party.
The ones who shared their memories are fun to read. I didn’t grow up in Rippey, but some of the stories shared, make me wish I had asked my husband more questions about his childhood. The neighborhood “boys” seemed to have time to go fishing at the river behind my house and the love of fishing continued through their lives.The stories about 4-H and the FFA trips with Jake Peters are priceless. Who, in this era, would ever take a bunch of boys in a stock truck, camping along the way, to places out of state? In 1948, 16 boys, their driver, Darwin Jackson, and sponsor, Jake (who was the Vocational Ag teacher) took a 13 day tour of the Rocky Mountain Regions. These yearly trips continued for many years.
Of course, as I add to various Rippey family histories, I am thrilled to visit with my favorite “vintage” friends about their lives and their friends, who lived in the 1930’s and on.
Oh, how I wished I had asked my own parents and grandparents more questions, as I fill in the gaps of my own family.
I do sense a common ground in all this remembering. Most of the time the memories are happy and humorous. The sad and tragic times are always there, but the love of their families and community that helped them through these tough times, always comes through. The kindness of people is always remembered.