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I was born at the hospital in Brawley California, but we lived on a farm just 7 miles north of Holtville, and that is my Hometown. The farm was the second place my ancestors had owned near Holtville, the other being a small farm beside the Highline Canal. My Dad was Willie Edward Dickey, but everyone just called him "Flip" in fact many folks did not know his real name. He had grown up on the farm, the first of his siblings to be born in California.. His Family had Immigrated from Ireland, Settled first in North Carolina, then migrated to Tennessee, Texas, and California. The best I can tell is that they were farmers most of the time in America. My Dad told me of working the land with horse, and mule teams. He also told me about the time he stole some harness from the Imperial Irrigation District, and how Grandpa blistered his behind for it. My Grandpa Dickey died in 1940 8 years before I was born but I do know a couple of family stories about him. Some of my first memories are of Dad, and Uncle Andrew, hauling hay for the local ranchers, they were paid by the bale, and they could haul a lot of bales! Each had their own truck, and many time the wives would drive the truck while the men loaded it. Once the truck was loaded they would stack it in roadside stacks for the farmer. After working all day hauling, they would gather under the eucalyptus trees beside the canal and work on their equipment. It was ere that something happened that I say I remember but it might be because I had heard the story so many times. Uncle Andrew (Drew) would love to rub grease on me and tease me. Well we had free range chickens, and one afternoon they were working on the loaders, and I stepped into a pile of chicken droppings, well I hobbled over to where Drew was and wiped my foot on him and started saying "chicken shit, chicken shit" over and over laughing because I had gotten even! I Loved living on that farm, but it was not to last. I will have other stories from there but that will be later, for now I must go so will see you later!!
BACK::
Had to take Robyn to do her drivers test and Yeah She Passed::
I have told you a little about my Fathers Background, and now for the maternal side. My Mom ws Sally Alice Rutledge, but she went by Alice! She was born in Mom's Family came from England and Wales, and migrated into Bucks county Pennsylvania, from there they made a big migration first to Virginia, then North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, and then into Indian Territory, (present day Oklahoma) and lived in Oklahoma when it became a state!! I am not sure how mom made it to California, but she was married first in Oklahoma, where my eldest Sister Geneva was born. Her first marriage did not work out, and in 1940, she married my Dad in Yuma Arizona! Mom was a typical Okie Lady when I was young, cooked, cleaned, and took care of the outdoors of the house when she wasn't helping Dad haul hay. She was a great cook, and I can Remember her humming "The Old Rugged Cross" while she cleaned and cooked. She was always very good a crafts also, making whatever the latest trend was and selling them for extra money. One thing that was selling good in the 50's was little logs, made from coffee cans, and toilet roll cores, covered with plaster of paris, and the bark texture was made with a dinner fork. She would put little ceramic squirrels or birds on them and could not keep up with orders. One year she made Tumbleweed snowmen for our school, but the next year the fire department declared them a fire hazard and they were not allowed. I have a few stories about my Mom but she left the family in 1961 or so and we never interacted much after that.. we lost Mom in 1972, three days before my oldest boy was born. But that's life I reckon!!
