Young Patricia Cansler and her eight siblings play together, chasing each other up hills and making roads in the dirt to play “cars.” On the porch, their momma cranked the handle on their wringer washing machine. When night came and it grew cold, they helped her carry the wet clothes inside, laying them by the wood heater. For a bath, they carried spring water up to their aluminum tub, and at night they pack into beds so heavy laden with quilts they could hardly move.
Some people keep their memories in their hearts. Others keep their memories all around them. Today, many years later, Patricia lives in Vonore where her husband runs a successful construction company. They have many children and grandchildren, and Patricia’s memories of her childhood, all those years ago, are still precious to her, and you can see it in the way she decorates. “We never had much, but we had plenty,” Patricia reminisced.
Stepping into Patricia’s house is like stepping back in time. The primitive country décor is reminiscent of simpler times. It is a house of memories both new and old—a monument to a long and joyous life.
“I don’t like nothing fancy,” she said of her décor. “The older the better.”
