By Connie (Evans) Sandberg, granddaughter*
*Relation to Andy and/or Flora Lehr
Early in the year 1970, my dad accepted a promotion and transfer to the main offices of Union Tank Car Company in Chicago Illinois. It was my junior year of high school and I was not happy about the move, to say the least. My parents made a deal with me: I would go and finish the school year in Downers Grove and if I didn’t like it, I could return to El Dorado for my senior year. The family made the move in March and I went along determined not to like it. I was a big dark cloud over the household as only a 16 year old can be. As [husband] Chris stated, “Cats and teenaged girls don’t move well.”
Grandma agreed to take me for my senior year. I’m not sure of the details that were worked out in the agreement, but not having a car was one of them, I learned years later. At Grandma’s request I didn’t have a car. I don’t think she wanted the responsibility or head aches of dealing with a teenage girl and a car; which was smart of her. I was grateful that she took me in and felt very lucky to be the one following [cousin] Mark who had lived with her the year before; finishing his senior year.
Grandma and I got along very well. She was easy to live with. I was responsible for keeping my room clean and cleaning the bathroom. I helped with meals, mostly the clean-up after as Grandma was a good cook and made great meals. I don’t remember any issues – other than me being on the phone too long at times. There was one phone in the house – on the kitchen wall. She has her ways of keeping me in line. For instance, coming home from dates, I had about five minutes after arriving in the driveway before flicking the porch light on and off!
Now and then, Great Aunt Eunice would come visit from Salina for a couple of days. The sisters would share Grandma’s bed and I would hear them visiting, kind of lisping with their false teeth removed for the night (I’d giggle to myself).
Once in a while, out of town aunts and uncles would come to visit and my bed was needed. So, I would stay at Bill and Beverly’s [uncle and aunt] which was a treat. I always enjoyed staying there. Debbie and Julie [cousins] were like sisters I never had. And sometimes Uncle Bill would let me drive his truck! I’d take Debbie and Julie and we’d run an errand or cruise Central [Avenue] once.
During this year, I became interested in family history and tried to learn to tat. I was a failure at tatting. Grandma patiently tried to teach me, but my knots just wouldn’t slide. I didn’t have much more success with digging into family history. Armed with names and dates, I visited the courthouse. Coming home I asked Grandma, “Are you sure and Grandad were married? I couldn’t find it recorded at the courthouse.” Grandma laughed, they were married in Derby, not Butler County. Roger and Marcia are much, much better at family history stuff. And I still wish I could tat!
It was a bittersweet year. I really, really missed my family and was often homesick. But, I wouldn’t have traded that time with Grandma and the memories for anything!
I’m sure I could have been more helpful, more considerate, better company, etc. That’s my only regret. As most 16/17 year old girls, I was pretty focused on self, I’m afraid.
NOTE: This story was submitted 28 August 2022. Below is a series of video clips that Connie provided in July 1998. She has not seen the video clips of the interview. Her consistency over a 24-year span is amazing.
Please share your memories of Flora Lehr with a reply – see below
Please share your memories of Flora Lehr with a reply – see below
By Roger Eaton, grandson
My memories of Grandma Lehr include times when sissy, Margaret “Maggie” Ann (Eaton) Gurley, and I would spend the night at her house. This usually coincided with our parents, James “Jim” Allen Eaton and Mary “Biddie” Elizabeth (Lehr) Eaton, going out for the evening or weekend. Most of the time she would be joined by several ladies and they would play a board game with marbles called Wahoo. I usually spent the time playing with some wooden blocks. The blocks were made by Grandma’s son, Richard “Dick” Lehr, for his brother William “Bill” Lehr
At her home on First Street , El Dorado, KS, she had a most unusual tree. It had fine leaves that would fold up in the evening. As a child it was fascinating to watch. It was too small to climb, or I would have spent some time in it.
She used a reel mower on her lawn. It had no engine. The person pushing it provided the power to turn the blades. I would take turns with my siblings and cousins pushing it. Before we could mow, however, we had to make a thorough sweep of the lawn to pick up sticks. They were hard on the blades and you couldn’t just run over them with the mower
On her 80th birthday, July 14, 1980, the family converged on El Dorado to celebrate. All of her children attended except James “Jim” Lehr. Nearly all of her thirty grandchildren attended the party. Anticipating the large gathering, Marcia and I scheduled our wedding for the same weekend. Since the wedding was the day before the birthday party, we missed the party to begin our honeymoon.
For many, her recipe for chocolate sheet cake is a treasured keepsake. It was served at all family gatherings and my favorite part of any gathering.
By Richard “Dick” Lehr, son*
*Relation to Andy and/or Flora Lehr
When I was still in grade school, I used that lawn mower, that had no motor, to mow the neighbors yards. I was paid the grand sum of one quarter for each lawn that I mowed.
By Mary (Lehr) Eaton, daughter
I remember my mother as being the kind of woman every wife and mother should be. Her family came first – her first concern. She not only loved her family – she liked and enjoyed their company.
My parents usually managed to give us all just about anything (within reason) that we wished for. Whether it was “going” or “receiving” – they found a way. Their home was our haven
I wish I had been more like her.
My parents stood side by side in everything – except the pork-n-beans issue
‘The Pork and Bean Issue: For about as long as I can remember at our house, Saturday night supper was: hamburgers, potato chips, soda pop and pork and beans. This to us was a treat! One Saturday evening after some of us older children were older, our Dad was frustrated about something or other and we heard, “PORK AND BEANS PORK AND BEANS EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT PORK AND BEANS!” He continued, “I never did like them and still don’t !” Then he finished his meal. We never heard another word about pork and beans, but the menu remained.
By Mark Eaton, grandson*
*Relation to Andy and/or Flora Lehr
I was to spend my senior year with Grandma Lehr.
Life with Grandma was good. Food was great. She loved Kentucky Fried Chicken so every Tuesday we would go to KFC, my treat. She really enjoyed that.
When I first moved in, she wanted me to climb up into the attic to put some “valuables” up there. Naturally, I agree and she lifted the boxes up to me. As luck would have it, my foot slipped off the rafter and went straight through the ceiling. I never heard Grandma curse but she kept saying shht. I knew what she meant. No prob though, Uncle Bill was there the next day to patch the hole. Can’t even notice it.
Next duty was to clean out the gutters on the roof. I climbed the ladder and she held a bushel basket for me to drop the leaves into. I told her just let them fall and I would sweep them up but nooooooooo she insisted on holding the basket. By the end of the day, she was completely covered in wet leaves which didn’t make it to the basket.
Evenings were pretty quiet except for Wednesdays. Wahoo night with the ladies. There were 3 regulars and one alternate. All about 75 years old. They called each other Mrs. Mrs. Krelly, Mrs. Humig, etc. I was designated driver to pick up and deliver each lady for the “games”. I enjoyed listening to them giggle as they played.
I moved out of grandma’s upon graduation and had my own place.
By Megan (Badwey) Conger, granddaughter*
*Relation to Andy and/or Flora Lehr
I remember going to Grandma Lehr’s house after school when I was quite little. Grandma would often bake pies, but they held no interest for me. What I liked best was the pie crust strips sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar that Grandma made out of leftover pie dough. They were the best part!
Walking to her house after school and on Saturdays (she only lived 2.5 blocks away but it seemed longer than that when you are young). Grandma would give us a little bit of money to walk to the Little Store a couple of blocks away to buy a little candy (a candy bar was 10 cents), or sometimes something Grandma needed. It made you feel important.
Grandma taught me several fun, and sometimes useful things to do. She taught me crewel embroidery and all of the different stitches. We worked on a piece that was three mushrooms in a little grass and a lady bug. She would show me the different stitches but she had me do all of the work. Mom and I were so proud we had the piece framed. I still have it. I still know how to make those stitches. Grandma also taught me how to crochet and she would make “strings” of crocheted thread for grandchildren that wanted one. I remember Nick always had a “string” from Grandma. She also taught me how to play Solitaire, dominos, and hearts. We would do jigsaw puzzles on her dining room table, working on them for hours at a time.
Another memory dear to me was eating at Grandma Lehr’s house. When you had cereal, she didn’t pour milk on it; she used half and half. She had a cookie jar shaped like a Franciscan monk and almost always had chocolate chip cookies inside. She had us make a pie crust treat – pie crust rolled flat, sliced into strips, then buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. While it was baking, we would stand by the oven and just wait for it. And she taught me (I was about 8 years old) to drink hot black tea with cream and a little sugar. I still drink that today, just the same way.
On Halloween, we didn’t trick or treat at Grandma Lehr’s house. Mom said it was because Grandad was buried on Halloween and Grandma didn’t care for that holiday because of it. But it was ok because we had so many great treats all year long. The candy and goodies were kept in the upper left cabinet in her kitchen. It was a little high up, but we would jump on the cabinet to get them. Grandma would say, “Where did you get that?” in a teasing way and we would just smile.
Grandma had a small rose garden in her backyard and when they were blooming, she’d let us cut one bloom. We’d climb the trees in her backyard and play “chase” and run the perimeter of her house many times in a row. It was exhausting but fun. The garage was always a mysterious place and we weren’t allowed to go inside but we’d peek through the windows to see what we were missing. We’d draw hopscotch on the sidewalk in front of her house and play for hours.
Fun fact: her great granddaughter Katie Badwey’s middle name is Flora, after Grandma Lehr. Katie’s dad Tim truly adored Grandma Lehr.
By Margaret “Maggie” Ann (Eaton) Gurley, granddaughter
Grandma Lehr and chocolate sheet cake and chicken and noodles (HOMEMADE NOODLES) and Wahoo games with her lady friends and the marble game and blessing before each meal and the blocks and nights Roger Gustin Eaton, my brother, and I would stay the night, all these delicious and fun things come to mind. Also, the facts that my grandmother loved the Mike Douglass Show! I tried not to be at her home at 4:00 p. m. Monday through Friday.”
“The wonderful July 4th picnics also come to mind. aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers sisters, moms and dads. Food! Food! Food! Too much fun!