Friday, February 28, 2014

Grandpa and Grandma Parker on Their Way to Florida














Pictured above are my great grandparents, Leroy and Ada Parker, with their car and trailer en route to Florida. For most of their adult lives, Grandma and Grandpa Parker worked the family farm in Perkins Township ,in  Erie County, Ohio. During World War Two, the U.S. Government purchased several acres of farmland in Perkins, to make way for a munitions factory for the war effort. During the 1940s, Grandma and Grandpa moved to an apartment in Sandusky, and worked during the summertime as concessionaires with the Concourse Amusement Company. This company operated several rides and attractions at Cedar Point. For many years during the forties, Grandma and Grandpa spent several months of the year in Florida during Cedar Point's off season. My great grandparents adapted to their new situation, and met many wonderful people in the process. They saw so many technological advancements during their lifetimes, including electricity, radio, television, the automobile. I truly admire their strength of character and work ethic, and I'm glad they were able to relax in their later years as "snow birds."

2 comments:

Miss Merry said...

The Sandusky Library has presented a series of programs about the Plum Brook Ordnance. I never knew about the taking of all the farms in Perkins before this. It certainly was a sad time - they barely had 2 months to move and find a job (since all were farmers) and really weren't paid what the land was worth. This is a wonderful picture and it certainly seems like they made the best of a bad situation!

Dorene from Ohio said...

My mom always said that the farmers in Perkins had already planted their crops, when they were forced to sell their land. It really was a challenging time!