My mother Ruth (Betty) - 1918-2010 - pretty much spent her entire life on Main St Souderton until 2004 when a combination of stroke-related dementia and osteoporosis made it mandatory to enter Lutheran Home at Telford. She stayed there till her death in 2010. That calculates to about 85 years on Main St. My mother never drove a car and worked at 129 Main St and lived at 207 Main St and would walk the Main St hill several times daily. She graduated from Souderton High School in 1936, went to Rudemar Beauty School in Philadelphia and graduated from it in 1937. During this period of train commuting she met my father Chester Gegan on the train in 1936. My father at the time was commuting to Temple University from Perkasie PA and they would save seats for each other on the train. She then began her career as a hairdresser with my Grandmother Adella Yerger upon graduation from beauty school in 1937. She and my father married in May 1941. Then World War II began, my father was drafted into the U S Navy. My brother Jerry was born in 1944 while my father was in the Navy and I was born in 1947. In 1948 my parents bought the Kline's home at 207 Main St. and lived there until 2004. My father passed away in 1996. My mother only worked part-time from 1945 to 1959. (Remember...no one knew what a day care center was at the time and women stayed home to raise their children. During this time she would work primarily Friday nights and Saturdays so that my father would be home to take care of us kids. In the 1950s my Grandmother retired from hairdressing and opened the Tiny Tot Shop at 129 Main St. The beauty shop was still in business and was run by my Aunt Pearl Rutherford. My mother at this time worked in both the Beauty Shop and the Tiny Tot Shop. These businesses continued until 1979 when my grandmother sold the properties and moved to Peter Becker Home. She passed away in 1985.)

 

Chapter 1 - Ancestors

 

About my ancestors I do not know very much. I cannot trace them any farther back than my great grandparents. My ancestors on both mother and father's sides were of German descents. (The Yerger's came from Germany in the 1700's and settled in New Hanover Twp.- suburbs of Pottstown, Pa.) My great grandmother on my mother's side was a German. She came to this country with her parents at the age of four. They were farmers. (My grandmother, Betty's mother, was Adella Smith Kratz. The Kratz farm was located where the A. M. Kulp Elementary School is located on Cowpath Road, Hatfield Twp. The old farmhouse stands today at the corner of Line Lexington Road and Cowpath Road.)

 

My grandparents on my mother's side are also farmers. (George B. Kratz 4/1867 – 3/1930 and Katie Kern Smith b. 4/1868) In grandfather's younger day he had a very large farm and also a market route. He also held the position as tax collector for several years. Today he lives mostly retired. (Of my Grandmother's siblings, My Uncle George Kratz would be the best known to the Souderton Area. He worked as a presser at Goldsmith's on Washington Ave. his entire life. He was the youngest brother of my grandmother and was the last to leave the family homestead mentioned in the previous paragraph. Then he built the 2 cape cods on the family homestead farm land next to A.M. Kulp Elementary. My Aunt Kathryn married Chester Knipe who became the long time mayor of Hatfield. He was mayor till he died. Uncle Chet and Aunt Kathryn also ran the Hatfield Hotel across from the Hatfield Home for the Aged.)

 

My mother (Adella) had four brothers and three sisters. Three of these died while very young. As they had a large farm mother had to help with the outside work because she had been healthy. Her two sisters, who were sickly, helped grandmother with the house work. Like all children mother often tells of the many fights they had together. When the weather was nice mother and the other children went to a nearby country school. She went for about eight years, and then stopped school and went to work in a factory. Mother as well as the other brothers and sisters had the chance to go to a college or business school. In those days it was not considered very necessary to go to school, therefore she did not go. One sister went to Lansdale Business School but because of poor health was forced to stop. She died soon after.

My father's parents were Germans. My grandfather's main occupation was a music merchant. He was also proprietor of several hotels. He organized and conducted several bands and orchestras. He died, when I was two years old, from gall stones. I do not remember very much about him but that he was very fond of me. When he was about I always got what I desired. He was a very kind and jolly old man. (George Ellsworth Yerger b. 3/1866 and Lizzie (Kulp) Yerger b. 8/1864 lived at 32 Hillside Ave. Souderton. Prior to that they owned the County Line Hotel in Telford, sold that and opened a music store on Hillside Ave. Then when George died, my grandfather, A. Paul Yerger moved the music store to 129 Main St. Souderton (c. 1920-1935). A parking lot has since replaced this building)

 

My father (A. Paul Yerger b. 611/1895) was the only son. Like children, when the only one in the family, was very much spoiled. He got or did whatever he desired. He did not take an interest in school and often played "hooky" and went fishing instead. He, like mother, had the chance of farther education, but did not take an interest in school and did not take the chance. After his fathers death he continued the business as music merchant. He also was an oil burner agent and owned a large creamery (in Niantic, Pa).

My mother and father were both of Reformed religion. (Zwingli – at the time on Main St., Souderton)

 

Chapter 2 - Childhood

I was born in a block house, on the 30th of August 1918, at the home of my grandparents. (George and Lizzie Yerger at 32 Hillside Ave. Souderton) I do not recall many happenings during my first three years, but like most children was continually getting into mischief when I started to walk. All drawers and closets had to be tied shut when I was around.

One incident I plainly recall was the time I wanted to play barber. My playmate was a very naughty boy, who was a year older than me. We got along very nice together. When his mother locked him on the porch he climbed over the fence, crossed the street, and came to play with me. We found an old scissors in the back yard, which someone had left lay when trimming grass. He picked up the scissors and carried an old bench from the cellar porch to what had once been a chicken pen. I ran to the house to get a towel in the meanwhile. When I returned I found my playmate sitting on the bench waiting for his hair cut. I pinned the towel around his neck and started to cut his hair. I cut and cut until there was hardly anymore left to cut. Then he decided he wanted to cut my hair. Just as he was ready to begin, my aunt discovered us. (Pearl Ziegler – mother of Leon Ziegler who founded North Penn Beverage. Pearl worked at Goldsmith's on Washington Ave. her entire adult life and died just as the factory was being closed in 1974.) He was sent home and I was put to bed. (The irony is that my mother Ruth (Betty) became a hairdresser in Souderton in 1937 and had a career till 1972 with her sister Pearl Rutherford and her Mother Adella Yerger at 129 Main St Souderton! It was called Yerger Beauty Shop. My grandmother started it in 1933 and was one of only 2 hairdressers in Souderton at the time.)

 

 A few weeks after this incident occurred my parents and I moved to (207) Main Street. There my playmate was Doris Hendricks. We played very happily together as well as often fighting together. One evening we found a cigar box in the yard and decided to be carpenters. She ran in the house to get the hammer and tacks. When she returned we both wanted to use the hammer first. She won so I left her use it first but it was so tiresome to sit and watch, so I again asked to use the hammer. She refused so I tried to grab it from her, but she hit me on the head with the hammer so hard that I ran home crying. We were both punished by being sent to bed immediately after supper. (I don't remember whom Doris Hendricks married but she and her husband owned the motel on the way to New Hope – Rt. 202. Doris lived at 139 Main St. Souderton – now torn down.) When I was six years old I had a birthday party to which many of my little friends were invited. I received many nice gifts. The evening was spent in playing games. I also recall attending many birthday parties of my friends.

 

Chapter Three - School Days (Summit Street Elementary School)

 

 

In the first grade I recall sitting in back of LeRoy Funk. One morning he happened to be drawing and I having nothing to do decided to watch him. I leaned over in my chair and before I knew it I was on the floor as the chairs lifted very easy. I was a very timid and bashful little girl in the first grade. I was in the B class.

 

In the second grade I was promoted to the A class. I liked my teacher very much. I also had a bad habit that year. It was that of singing and whistling to my self. The boy in front of me always hearing me raised his hand to tell the teacher I was singing. As it happened I had a large soap eraser and every time he was about to tell on me I broke off a piece of it and gave it to him. After a while I had no eraser.

 

In the third grade Mollie (Mollie Dietz from Hillside Ave. Mollie was killed in the 1938 trolley accident just below Souderton.), Doris (Doris Hendricks from 139 Main St.), and I occupied the last seats in the first three rows. Mollie and "Tommie" Dillon were always giggling and made everyone else laugh. "Tommie" always took off his necktie and took it in his mouth. That of course started everything. Whatever the teacher said you could always find us giggling.

 

In fourth grade we had three different teachers. They were Mrs. Yoder, Miss Ziegler, and Miss Shutz. She always sat down to assign the next day's lessons. Well one day she missed the chair and sat on the floor. Every one in the room laughed very loud and especially Joel Weidman. (Joel Weidman became a well known plumber in Souderton – his sister still resides in Souderton – Her name is Cleta Eisenhauer) He left out a big yell and the teacher sure scolded him. Not many of us liked her very much.

 

In fifth grade I was rather naughty. This was my most important year. I had a very bad habit of sliding down in my seat when things didn't suit me. Mollie also had the same habit. One day Mollie and I were cross so of course we both slid down in our seats and the teacher called us "crazy old ladies". Stanley Greaser also butchered flies that year. He caught them and chopped their heads off with a ruler. He made everyone laugh so his seat was moved up front of the teacher's desk. (Stanley Greaser – lived on Green St., I believe. He owned rental properties – one of which was on Main St. in the 200 block – 2 doors below the Dental Offices at Main and Church – died about 10 – 15 years ago – in the late '90's) I also remember the day the teacher came after me with a ruler about a half inch thick. Many other things happened which would fill a book if I wrote them.

 

In sixth grade my desk was directly in front of the teacher's desk. I recall the smack in the face for pouting when I was told to stay in for arithmetic. I received several smacks that year and had to write about twenty spelling words each 150 times because I talked so much.

 

Chapter 4 - Vacations

 

During my vacations too many things happened to be recalled. During my first few years I recall playing with a gang of girls in a play house. We collected all the old shoes and dresses from the young girls. We wore these clothes and played "big girls".

 

I also recall taking many trips with my parents. We motored to places such as Niagara Falls, Bushkill Falls, Canada, Pocono Mountains, Delaware Water Gap, Harrisburg, Atlantic City, and many other cities along the coast. I do not recall in what year these were made.

 

When I was eight years old my parents built a bungalow. Here all my vacations were spent until I was fourteen years old. (This bungalow was in Byram NJ. When my mother was 13, her father "disappeared" – common during the Depression. This is why vacations were halted. The bungalow had to be rented out for money.) It was at this bungalow that I learned to swim. It was a habit of mine to hang on the back of the boats, but not so very far out. One morning the boat went out so far that I could not touch bottom anymore. The only thing to do was for me to kick and move my arms until I reached shore. It was in this way that I learned to swim. As I before forgot to mention the bungalow was built in Byram, New Jersey, along the well known Delaware River. (Several well known families in Souderton built vacation bungalows in Byram NJ – Alderfer's, Frederick's, Souder's, Yerger's, Freed's, Hunsberger's, Drissel and Diehl, Zendt's, Faust's and Holly's. The south end of town was known as 'Little Souderton' while the north end was referred to as 'Little Doylestown'. These vacation homes started rather primitively with out-houses and no electricity.)

 

Another happening I recall was my first "ducking". I was sitting in the water near shore when a boy of about fifteen came sneaking up in back of me and pushed my head under water. I sure was cross at him. Every time I saw him coming I would run away and hide until he had gone by. This incident happened when I was eight or nine years old.

 

The following summers for six years were all spent in much the same way. My playmates at this place were Naomi Faust and Helen Drissel. When not swimming our time was spent in rowing the boat, paddling the canoe, motor boating, hiking to the town across the river (Pt. Pleasant, Pa.), playing crocket, and many other things. (Naomi Faust married Woodrow Rittenhouse – Rittenhouse Jewelry Store) (Helen Drissel married Clarence (Bud) Nace. The Drissel's were part owner of the Drissel and Diehl Bakery on Main St.)

 

Another incident was the time I learned to paddle the canoe. My father and I went out in the canoe. I took the front end and my father took the rear end because he had to steer the canoe. Everything went along nicely until we were ready to turn around. I got my paddle caught under the canoe and we almost upset. After that my father would not let me paddle the canoe anymore.

 

About this time I met a very good pal, Mary Nickel. Mary spends her week ends at the same place. We had many good times together and especially in the water when we went swimming. (Mary Nickel was the daughter of the Nickels who were originally from Quakertown. Since George Nickel and George Zendt ran Peoples National Bank on Main St. in Souderton, the bank was fondly nicknamed The 6 Cent Bank after Nickel and Zendt.)

 

My first canal boat ride was another interesting incident, but the ride was not at all long enough to suit me. The ride was from one lock to the other and the locks were close together. (Mrs. Ada Souder, wife of Walter Souder, owner of the cigar box factory on Green St. took her daughter Betty (Frese), my Aunt Kay).

 

My Christmas vacations were spent in helping mother and going sledding.(Wassmuth) and my mother Betty on the canal boat ride.)

 

Another happening was my first shopping trip to Philadelphia. It was just before Christmas and my grandmother (Lizzie Kulp Yerger) took me to toy land. As most children I became rather restless towards the end of the day. The crowd moved rather slow so to hurry it up a little I kicked the lady in front of me. I can still see the expression on her face when she turned around.   Many other interesting things took place during my vacations but I do not recall them at present.

 

This concludes the Autobiography of Ruth (Betty) Yerger.