596327

[3104.ftw]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 22, Ed. 1, Tree #3104, Date of Import: Dec 9, 1998]

letter written by Carol A. Clapp 1/9/1968. "My father, Wardlow Ansel Clapp was
quite a man. I think of his kindness, understanding and interest in people.
He would always have you sit down and "talk things over." After operating the
dairy farm, and having many debts, his boyhood friend Frederick Underwood,
helped him to obtain the job of postmaster in Wauwatosa.
We had a great deal of fun on the farm. One sport was to slike down the 2
hills on North Ave. Another was to go skating in Kinney's(a neighbor) swamp.
It was here where Isabel skated around and around a hole in the ice, fell in
and broke off her 2 front teeth. The Clapp Family were not related to the
Pioneer families: the Swans, Morre's, Gridley's, Kinney's, or Gilbert's.
However, Isabel and I were included in all the "Country Cousin" parties. I was
younger and don't remember much what we played. Isabel had bright pink cheeks
and would laugh and set the whole crowd laughing with her gaiety. In the
summer, Dad and Mom would load up the hay rak with tents, food and a small camp
stove and we would go camping for 2 wks to Lake Keesus, near Merton, WI.
Sometimes, we would go over to hte Country cousins tenting ground across the
lake and eat with them. They had about a dozen tents and one canopy with a
large table filled with food. They were all excellent cooks.
On the farm we had quite a few chickens: Plymouth Rocks and Rhode Island
Reds. One Christmas (we were poor) my mother gave Aunt Mary Rogers and her
husband Uncle Ozzie 1 doz. eggs. She dated each egg daily is it was laid. When
she gave the eggs to them, Uncle Ozzie said, "Annie you forgot to include the
year." Our cherry trees were a great joy to my sisters and me. I guess we
must have had 18. Often our dessert on Sunday was bananas with cherries. At
Christmas as a special treat, diced oranges were added. We girls loved picking
the cherries. Because of my very thin skin (I had bright red hair) mother
would paste a bit of paper over my nose so that it would not peel. Isabel
always climbed to the top of the tree picking the biggest one. All of a sudden
one day down she came and hung on a broken branch screaming for help.
We always had prayers right after breakfast. Father would read from the
Bible, then we would all kneel down at our chairs and he would pray. No meal
was ever started without a prayer.
Mary P. graduated from high sckool when she was 16. Our mother believed in
having us skip grades to get ahead. This was king of hard on Mary P. as she
was younger than her high school and college classmates. She was the first
girl from Wau. to attend Oberlin College. As she could live with Aunt Sarah
Goodrich, who was at home from China on Sabbattical leave, mom and dad were not
afraid she was too young to be away from home. During the summers Mary P. came
home and sewed dresses for me and Isabel. As soon as she graduated, she taught
school in Fargo, ND, Racine & Hartford, WI. The first time Wesley Frost
visited us he asked me what mom wanted for Christmas and I replied, "a pancake
turner." Mom turned the pancakes with a knife and fork. I still treasure the
pancake turner.
The Fourth of July was always a great day at our house on the farm because
all the relations came. Norman Frost ofter came and helped cut the grass, turn
the big ice cream freezer and pick the strawberries. Then there was potato
salad, and homemade sunshine cake. The PM was spent in playing croquet and
firing fire crackers. In the evening we had our own fire works.
After Mary P. was married to Westley Forst, she lived in Washington and was
lonesome, so asked me to come and live with them for a year. Mom was in
Rochester, Minn, with Aunt Mary Rogers who was awaiting an exophthalmic goiter
operation. aunt Libbie Horne.."sewed me al up" and away I went at 16 years
alone on the train. Her last words to me were.."Don't talk to any young men."
My money was in a little bag hung around my neck. Mary P. and I had a ball
together. I got out of school at 2 pm and she would then have some interesting
sight seeing for us to do each day. When I came home to Wau. Iwas not guite
so bachful and all the girls looked with envy at the beautiful stylish dresses
Mary P.. had made for me.
When I went to Oberlin College my father's last words to me were, "we trust
you." When I broke my engagement to a menister he said, "I'm sorry."
My first job was with Milw. Family Service, as a visitor and case supervisor
for 8 years. I had 2 wonderful friends here, Margaret Oeder and Elsie
(Simester) Redmon, both of whom I have loved dearly and have been my oldest and
dearest friends. I am sure they also helped mold my life. We took many trips
together and I was always welcome in their homes. At the end of my 7th year at
Family Service, I was given 2 months leave with pay, so away Elsie Simester and
I went to France, England, Italy, Germany and Belbium. The first night in my
sister's home in Marseilles, France, she and Westley had a "family dinner" (W.s
whole staff was included), neither of us hadever drunk wine. In front of each
place at the table were 3 glasses for different kinds. Elsie, like Grandpa
Clapp, was a great joker. When she came home her stories got bigger and better.
One of her favorites was and "Every time I looked at Carol, the butler was
filling her 3 glasses."
As I went to Racine, WI and worked her for 2 years with Family Service as
case supervisor. Then I decided to go "West." My next job was with the Iowa
Emergency Relief and was really a very tough job. I had nothing by young men
(College graduates) whom I was supposed to train for social work. Several of
them were very difficult and would do anything to disrupt the class and were
always trying to make dates with me.
When mother and dad became ill, I gave up my job and came home, cared for
them for 5 years. Nuala (Frost) Johnson came and helped me when father was
dying. After dad passed on, I hired my good friend, Helen Lamb, to care for
mother, (Mary P. & Wesley paid the rent at 86th & Stickney Ave, where mom and I
had moved) and I took a Civil Service exam, passed and went to work for the
Milw. County Welfare Dept. for 2 years at the lowest pay. When I was laid off,
as the case load went down, I finally secured a job at Allis Chalmers in the
Chemistry Dept.
Part of my job here was going down into the factory and seeing that the
correct materials were added to whatever they were making. I don't know which
I was most afraid of, the huge caldrons of boiling hot iron, or the very tough
men who tried to make dates with me. I finally told them I was a widow and had
8 children. (This scared them off and they left me alone.) From here I went to
the Milw. A.R.C. where I worked 14 years.
At Dad's death, a friend wrote for the Wau. News quoting an English author
the following lines where were so true an index of Ward's character:...
"He scarce had need to doff his pride, or slough the dress of earth
E'en as he trod that day God, so walked he from his birth,
In simpleness and gentleness and honor and clean mirth
So cup to lip in fellowship then gave him welcome high
And made him room at the banquet board, the strong men ranged thereby
Who had done his work and held his peace, and had no fear to die.
Am glad to pay tribute to him, de died respected by all who knew him.
He did good, never harm."