My Cousins in the 1950?s
By
Joyce L. Moore
This is a picture of me and my cousins over to my paternal grand parent?s house located at 2313 Shriver Avenue. This house was build by my Grandfather and his brothers (bricklayers trained for the trade at Tuskegee University in Alabama) as was two other properties on the block. The land was purchased from the Indianapolis Water company.
This picture was taken by my cousin "Bunny", William Smitherman, the first born and oldest of all of the offspring of the Edwards clan. I remember he did not want to appear in the picture because he felt he was "too old" for such a thing.
This is the "first" group of cousins. We were the ones that would have to wait, in "Beetle's" small bedroom in Uncle Nick's house, for hours on end while the brothers and their wives (our uncles and aunts) would play cards into the wee hours of the night. We would entertain ourselves, eating snacks we swiped from the card games, reading Stevie's funny books, listening to music on Beetle's record player, and being chastised by the older cousins because they could do that to us younger ones.
Sometimes it would be three or four in the morning before we would be rustled from a sound sleep on the floor, or where ever we could find a spot in that tiny room, to wrap up and go home. I remember one time, it was a very cold evening. We had previously all watched a high school basketball game on television. Everyone was so excited about this game, at the time I could not understand why. People were screaming and shouting instructions to the players and becoming very excited, as the game ended, every one broke into uncontrollable glee! To me, it was just a boring basketball game. Finally, I thought, we can go home. I put on my coat and hat and boots as did my sisters. When we were ready, we all ran to the car happy to be leaving. Sandra opened the door to the car and I ran right into the door, busting my head wide open! I was bleeding profusely and had to be taken to the hospital. I had to have several stitches. My poor sister got into big trouble that night, even though it was an accident.
Later I discovered the basketball game we had watched as a big deal. It was between Crispus Attucks and some white team for the state championship ' and they Won! It really was a big deal!
Left to right ? standing: Sandra Lee Edwards, Anita, Charlie Smitherman, David Franklin, Yvonne "Beetle' Edwards, Roosevelt Franklin, Steven Golder,
Sitting: Joyce L. Edwards Moore, Mark Franklin in Aunt Dorthy's lap (Dorothy Edwards Thorne), and Janice M. Edwards Gardner.
Picture 
