--because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples.”
― Lyndon B. Johnson
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| the Standard |
black Standard. The Hungarian and Suez Crises both erupted in 1956, causing gas (petrol) in Britian to once again be rationed. In 1957,
seeking economic prosperity, we all went to
America together. Maureen was 7 and Barbara
was 2.
The week before we left two Morman boys
came to the door. Frank was really pumped up and told them we were leaving the next week
for America so that we could have a better
standard of living. They turned around and
asked if he didn't think we already had a pretty good standard of living."
--Joan Shelton
Maureen, who was 7, remembers the morning we left England. She says,
"It was around 5 a.m., still dark. Our neighbor, Mr. Wilson, was going to work and walked us to the bus stop at the bottom of Chestnut Grove. Mam wanted to walk up Aunty Mick's street and stand in front of her house to see if she was looking out and waving goodbye. Mam was carrying you, but after seeing no one at Aunty Mick's window, she and I walked back down to the bus stop. She tripped on the way and sprained her ankle.
Years later, Pop Shelton, told Mam that he had been standing that morning, shielded from view, in a shop doorway, watching us leave. He saw Mam trip. I think he must have had a sad heart that day, watching his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters leave, not knowing if he'd see us again."
--Maureen Wallace
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| Queen Elizabeth I leaving Southampton |
"We sailed out of Southampton in early November, 1957 on the Queen Elizabeth I. All our belongings were in one large steamer trunk and a few small suitcases. We also brought two rugs, rolled up in burlap and tied with twine.
We walked away from our fully furnished home; once we were in the States and felt sure that we'd stay, we had Momma and Aunty Mick go into the house and sell all the furnishings. Then the house was returned to the council.
On the ship we had an interior cabin in steerage (accommodations for passengers with the cheapest tickets.) It had 4 bunk beds and a sink. Toilets were shared and were outside the room in the passageway. When we needed a bath we had to make an appointment with a stewardess, who would draw the hot water for us and provide us with special soap that would lather in salt water. She expected a tip for this service.
The dining room on the ship was quite spacious, the food was excellent. Barbara, Maureen, and I never missed a meal, but Frank was seasick even before we pulled away from the dock. He survived on crackers and butter-scotch candies for most of the voyage. The crew told us to stay in the fresh air to ward off seasickness, so we had Frank outside in a deck chair with blankets over him. There were refreshment stations up on deck so we could always get tea, coffee, or bouillon (broth) and sandwiches.
There was plenty to do on board, with a special play area for children. You and Maureen spent most days up on the top deck roller skating."
--Joan Shelton
Maureen remembers,
"I had a nice pair of ball bearing roller skates; Mam and Dad must have thought I would use them on shipboard. I did. I met a girl my age, and I would let her use one skate while I used the other. One day there was a children's party on board with hats, masks, and favors. The ship employees gave us a Queen Elizabeth pin and a tie clip with a picture of the ship on it. I still have both. I also remember going to the pictures (movies). More than once I saw Frank Sinatra in 'High Hopes.'"
--Maureen Wallace
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| Maureen sharing her skates on the QEI, November 1957--age 7 |
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| Barbara on the deck of the QEI --age 2 |
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| The QEI sailing into New York harbor |
We landed with $750. in our
pockets. We managed to get a
taxi to Penn Station by waving a five dollar bill.
I remember sitting on a bench in Penn Station in New York City while Frank went to buy tickets for the train to North Carolina. You were asleep on my lap; Maureen slept leaning on my right shoulder. We were dressed in our Sunday best, and a police officer came up and asked what we were doing there. When I explained that we had just come off the ship and that Frank was buying train tickets for us, the officer stayed with us until Frank returned.
We traveled by train to Greensboro, North Carolina, where Aunty Gladys (Frank's sister) and Uncle Collette met us. We were tired and hungry, and I've never felt so low in spirit as I did at that time. Moving to the South was a shock. As we traveled south by train, we saw a wooden tripod in a yard with a butchered pig hanging from it. We hadn't seen anything like that in England for 50 years.
We stayed with Gladys and Collette for ten days. At the time they were living in a small clapboard house in the country with a hand pump in the kitchen and an outdoor privy. I asked Frank what on earth he was doing bringing us to a place where there was no indoor plumbing and no running water. It made me shudder to think what we'd left behind in England. We stayed with them for ten days, and then moved to Hickory, N.C., where Frank was hired as a tool and die maker by G.E. (General Electric)."
--Joan Shelton
