Our Bio page...

go to Top

• Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997
• To: Suz
• From: Stan
• Subject: Slowpoke

Your note of few days ago, read and reread. Asking about me, my life and interests opens up a Pandora's box. It gets me thinking so much about it, I am a loss as to where to start. Have often thought of putting my life on paper (parts I would reveal) and then the world would have it. Actually been encouraged to do it. Maybe one day....

I may 'mirror' you in many traits, being born under the same zodiac. I too, am a Saggitarian. Week before Christmas to the day. This was in Fitchburg, Mass 1913.

Moved to Bath, Maine to live with mother's father, grampa Small as infant. With 4 sisters and 2 brothers that followed, we grew up there. Lost mother when she was only 38. TB was so rampant in those days. Dad remarried, died in accident when I was 20. I worked in Biddeford mill, and Syracuse G.M. factory. Married April '38. Not in WW2. deferred cause was making machine guns and during war, back to Maine and building Liberty ships.

Post war, self employed, small wholesale biz, candy, tobacco, sundries to country stores. About 1960 sold out and became mutual fund salesman and later sales manager living in Portland, Maine.

At 65 semi-retired to Melbourne, Florida. There 7 years, then Okeechobee for 7-8 years and then for medical reason moved here to Gainesville. Repairs made and so stayed.

Interests have been golf, boating, movies and movie people. Now in two Scrabble Clubs. We've had a daughter, two sons. All've done well. This has to be the shortest and least sensational 'bio' ever written, but it's gotta' do for now. Very latest interest is setting up my "Home Page" on the net. Keep adding to it. May show family pictures up soon. Worth waiting for?

Stan

go to Top

I wrote this about my Grampa Small awhile ago!
John Small 1853-1941

"Grampa Small", simply "Pa' he was addressed by his seven grandchildren. As I, the oldest, when now I think about it do I appreciate the hours in a day he labored doing what had to be done. Farming and sometime carpentrying, he was up before daybreak. In a farmhouse without central heating, 'Pa' would start a kitchen stove fire by shaving a piece of scrap wood with his pocket knife and light the curled up slivers. Then with a milk pail to the barn (attached to the house-New England style) first go aloft to fork hay down to the animals. Milk the cow, come in for breakfast.

Whatever his plans for the day, they usually meant throwing heavy harnesses on team, after leading the cow out to pasture. Depending on the job to be done, the horses were hitched to either the 'jigger' for any kind of a mixed load, the dump cart for anything granular, the hayrack of obvious use, or in winter to a 'double runner' sled for hauling a load of cordwood. Wood that he by hand saw and axe he had cut and piled days before. Often in winter, the team would be in tandem hauling a sidewalk snow plow for the City of Bath. As a 13 year old 'city employee' I was paid to ride and guide the lead horse.

In the spring, there were gardens to plow and harrow, not only for 'us' but for others engaging "John" to handle. Often at work with the team for the cemetery department, it involved a 1O mile round trip walk to the site. After quitting whatever job, it meant unharnessing, bringing in the cow, feeding and watering the animals. After supper another milking. Following him out to the barn on one occasion, I found a frayed piece of rope ablaze on the barn door where gramp has scratched a match to light up his pipe. Wow! with tons of dry hay overhead, so glad I was there.

Grampa Small was one of four boys born in Bowdoinham, Maine. Likely as a young man moved to Bath and worked in a shipyard building 5, and 6 masted schooners. His skill with carpenters' tool was undoubtedly learned there. He met and wed Ada Gatchall. They had two daughters, Eva and Grace. Following Ada's death, 'Pa' remained unmarried and provided a home for Eva and her seven children. Dad, Eva's husband, Stanley B. Wallace Sr. was often working away from Bath, so in a sense, 'Pa' was the man of the house.

I recall his skill with the adze, axe, planes, augurs and saws as he fashioned his own horse drawn wagons and saw watched him build a complete hayrack. Seemed to be doing everything with ash as his choice of woods. Following his employment at the Percy and Small shipyard during the first World War, he was able to buy our first automobile, a '22 Studebaker 'Light 6 for mother who had to be a rare woman driver. Gramp's working day continued until in his mid 8Os. A quiet uncomplaining man, of very even temperament, I cannot recall his having a bad word about anyone. We were more blessed than we knew.

go to Top

I was 13 1/2 when she died.  Can't forget Jack coming over to the house on Getchell Street that June morning to tell me, "Mama died". I remember Lib Trott, her long time friend (mother of Omah, Elsie, Roland, Merritt, Evelyn, Beth) consoling me on the steps of the 'piazza'.  The funeral, the very next day as I recall, with a big sedan provided by Mrs. McCarthy, another long time acquaintance. What a bad time for a squabble.  But Evelyn and Maxine, insisted on window seats and that I be seated between them.  Dad must have been in the front seat with the driver and may have settled the matter.

The things that stand out the most in my recollections are of incidents of accidents and scoldings.  She came down to water's edge of the Kennebec, where I had gone to play carrying a horse whip and was really worried and gave me the 'what for' but don't recall her using the lash.  Anyway, I never again went there.  It was a dangerous spot with a 'spit' of sand beach, it dropped off sharply.  Not long after Tommy Crocker, my age drowned there.

Am sure she was thrilled when Grampa Small bought for her, the Studebaker about 1922.  We made many Sunday drives taking "Pa" up to Bowdoinham to visit Frank Curtis, who lived across the road from house where gramp was born.

May have told you this before, mother most upset and in tears over the mishap taking Aunt Emma to Portland shopping.  Left the car in the Eastland garage. While shopping, garage attendant, moved the car to another spot.  Emma got back first, saw the car missing, figured mother had gone off without her, and took the train back to Bath. Can see her now on the phone later with aunt Emma, who apparently was most unforgiving and that really shook mother up.

How she managed with all of us, like laundrying, cooking, dressing us for school hard to imagine. I recall her handwriting was like samples of penmanship we were taught in school.  She once drew a likeness of a horse's head and it seemed perfect.  She had a fondness for crossword puzzles.  They had only been around since 1913.

When I had the paper route. 40 Bath Times customers, Pine Street to just below 231, I collected 18 cents a week from each.  One time I can't forget, the Times phoned, wanted to know why we hadn't turned in their share.  I know it went for groceries so we could eat.

In the end, she was abed on a single wide, (may have been a cot) in the  dining room.  Evelyn waited on her and was so much in contact it undoubtedly left her too with the affliction..

Another time she was most distraught, I was in kindergarten or maybe 1st grade, at Mitchell school, when a 'big kid' knocked me down as he ran by me.  My forehead was cut open from the steel matting. Miss Wright, principle, had Seth Snipe walk me home.  You can imagine how a mother would react to seeing her child bloodied up. She called Dr. Fuller,,we got on trolley up town and he stitched up the cut.

I know I was quite often running down to Perry's market on Washington street for bread and whatever. Luckily we had hens, had eggs, big gardens for all sorts of vegetables, cow and milk, pig slaughtered once I recall.  Several apple trees, current and gooseberry bushes.

Dad may have come to Bath about 1910-11, worked in Texas Yard installing first diesel engines in ships, mother was telephone operator and met dad through introduction by someone who may have been his first attraction in Bath.

If I have any afterthoughts, memories, recollections, will send them along.

We finally saw TITANIC.  Breathtaking as reviewed and reported.

go to Top

   Stan Wallace of Gainesville couldn't think of a way to bridge the gap between him and his family members scattered across the country. He needed a way to communicate with his children and grandchildren in places like Chicago, Hawaii and San Diego. Wallace knew phone calls would be too costly and visiting would be out of the question.

   So three years ago, at the age of 82, Wallace decided to get a computer to keep in touch with his family. The fact that he had never touched a computer before did not scare him. Wallace wanted to keep up with new technology.

   "This was entirely new to me," Wallace said . But he was determined to learn this new skill.

   A retired mutual fund sales manager, Wallace moved to Gainesville eight years ago. He settled in a retirement community with wife, Minty.

   Wallace is a prime example of how computers have touched a generation, people in tier mid-60s or 80s who had little or no exposure to computers when they were young. He's just one of the many seniors crossing over to the technological era.

   Nationally, computer ownership among older people drops precipitously after age 60, according to the U. S. Department of Commerce. A 1994 survey showed that 30 percent of those ages 50 to 60 owned computers; after age 60 it dropped to 16 percent, and then to 7 percent for people 70 and 80 years old.

   But Wallace in not the exception to such statistics. Laura Fay assistant director of development for the non-profit, San Francisco-based Seniornet, said more and more people are buying computers and looking for ways to become familiar with technology. She said older computer users, like any other part of the population, want to keep up with new developments.

   "They are curious and hear about (technology) and see other people using it", Fay said. She said it was unfair to categorize to the senior population as technophobic.

   Seniornet relies on 2,300 volunteer trainers, themselves older adults, to teach computer use to people age 50 and older at 140 learning centers nationwide. Seniornet offers computer classes in hospitals, community centers and other donated spaces throughout the country, with the Orlando.

   A free website, www.seniornet.org offers information on its programs.

   To get his start, Wallace looked closer to home, taking classes offered by Alachua Freenet at the public library.

   He feverishly scanned the classified ads in search of used computer. His first was a Tandy, an outdated IBM compatible. Wallace now boasts about his replacement--a Compaq Presario and color printer.

   In the Alachua Freenet sessions he met Don Pratt, who reports Wallace proved a quick learner. "He's sharp," Pratt said, "He is always using his mind, whether it be on the Internet or playing Scrabble."

   In fact, Wallace now combines both, participating in international Scrabble games on line.

   Wallace admits although he has a good grasp of computers he continues to learn new things everyday. He has mastered sending e-mail, and with his new computer set-up, can now send photographs and attachments via e-mail to family. "It is quick and easy to get in touch," he added.

   He has also designed two web pages that reflect his own interests. The first, www.afn.org/~stan/, is called Stan's Maine Page. Wallace pays tribute to his beloved Maine, where he grew up. This web-site also includes a short biography, pictures of his family and many links to other favorite web sites.

   Wallace's second page www.afn.org/~stan/ships.html , is dedicated to schooners, six masted sail boats and receives even more hits than his Maine site.

   Although frequently using a computer enhances and augments skills, most seniors are just looking for a place to start. Unfamiliarity with computers, combined with poorer eyesight or slower hands of some older people, set up obstacles for some seniors who face the new technology with trepidation or downright fear.

   Sante Fe Community College offers introductory and advanced classes for seniors through it Community Education program.

"I don't think people ever quit learning", said Kris Williams, SFCC's Community education director.

   She said the classes are very well attended. The current sessions are full with people still on waiting lists. The introductory class has more than 70 students and the Windows 95 and the operating systems classes have a combined total of 46 students. The next cycle of classes begins April 17.

   Wallace now spends at least two hours a day on the computer and admits that he can sometimes get carried away with all the interesting things he finds on the Internet. Sometimes Minty has to tell him to get off the computer. But Wallace says, she too enjoys sending e-mail to their children and a sister in Melbourne and collecting recipes from the Internet.

   Wallace has incorporated the computer into his daily life. He prefers to read on-line newspapers because he has access to publications from across the country. He like to keep up with news in the Maine and Massachusetts areas.

   Wallace says he also uses the Internet to supplement his magazine reading. "Most magazines will refer you to the Internet", he said.

   Wallace does his banking and checks his stocks on-line.

   "We just couldn't live without our computer", he readily admits.

go to Top

go to Top

go to Top