Memories of the 50s

by Mark Crowel
(Near Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Sandra Lee Smith Triggered My Memories

I was reading Sandra Lee Smith's Memories of the Good Old Days, and the good old memories in my head were set off like a string of firecrackers. (I was born in 1952).

Watching Sergeant Bilko, Alfred Hithcock Presents, Captain Kangaroo, Superman, Sergeant Preston, Dragnet, Rin Tin Tin, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Buffalo Bob, the Mickey Mouse Club, and local stock car races on TV.

Our 1956 Pontiac Chieftain four door hardtop, (red and white!) while it was still in the showroom in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I was four years old, dancing around it, exclaiming, "It's red like a fire engine!"

That pretty blonde-haired fourth grade girl, Ruth, who thought I was cute, and walked me to school often, when I was in the first grade.

The time I got lost on the way home from kindergarten, and two nice teenage boys showed me the way home. (It was a safer world in 1957).

Seeing Sputnik move across the night sky, at my grandparent's house, in 1957.

Spending a week in bed with the chicken pox, in 1957, listening to that new "rock and roll stuff" on the radio.

Going to see the "New 1958 Edsel" at the local dealer.

I have to stop, or I'll be at this all night.

Ahh...I never completely left the '50's.

Comments for Memories of the 50s

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The 50s memories
by: new Seng Vancouver cda

Fifties was a time I watched my older brothers and sisters grow up from teenagers to married couples.

they wore jeans rolled up, or my brother the eldest, used to shoot bee bee guns at the lamp posts at night or grow up to use a bow and arrow in the backyard or go hunting with my younger brother.

We had 10 siblings: 6 brothers and 4 sisters. We all grew up in Chinatown where our mother was part of the Chinese opera and sang in shows in the oldest part of our city.

We had watched our first TV in the 50s and neighbors would come to watch with us as we had the first TV on our block.

My brother wore his hair in a waterfall and my sisters wore long pencil skirts and short scarves wrapped around their necks.

I sang in the church choir at Catholic school and so did my sisters who were in plays and concerts. My sister Maria played a nun and they both were in Christmas concerts. My younger brothers and I had to wear uniforms. I had a hula hoop when I was 12 that was in 1960.

I remember that the 50s we had to take care of our younger brothers and a sister all born in the 50s.

I enjoyed the baseball games we played and watching Ernie Kovaks and the Indian in the middle of the circle as well as Howdy Footy.

Times were more light hearted and carefree a lot of playing at the school grounds or going to have our chocolate milk at noon.

I enjoyed my music lessons with Sister Margaret.
Thank you for commenting.
by: Mark Crowel

Thank you for commenting, Melva. Some of the sweetest memories I have are of that decade. I'm glad that I am at least barely old enough to have my own memories of those times.

And yes, my brother and I also had to be home when the streetlights came on!
1950's
by: Melva Colbur5n

Oh yes Mark!

I remember riding our bikes from morning till dusk, time to go home when the street lights came on!!!

4th of July block parties, the neighborhood treehouse where we all spent lots of summer nights.

Listening to music on my "new" transistor radio.

And riding to the beach on the bus with tons of friends..... yes I could go on and on.

I hope our grandchildren have the same kind of memories, but sadly I don't think they will.

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