Being at their house was always intriguing to me because there was one door on the north side of the house which led directly to the attached grocery store. All those goodies were potentially immediately available, although I don't recall ever taking advantage of that availability. I do remember that at about the age of 5 on a hot summer day, my parents gave me a nickel to spend there. I walked up the steps into Koop's Grocery and in the corner to the right of the door was a red pop dispenser. I inserted my nickel, lifted the door of the dispenser, and pulled out of the ice cold water an ice cold bottle of Nehi Orange Crush pop. What an amazing treat that was. I still drink Orange Crush to this day.
My Aunt Mae was such a dear kind and loving lady. She seemed to me to be always at peace, even though I know things were not always peaceful. Times were tough. WWII didn't end until I was 5. Uncle Gerrit must have been kind as well. My parents would worry about them because they would 'sell' groceries on credit to people who had nothing and I think they knew they would probably never see payment. What an important role they played in keeping the community going in those days. Besides Uncle Gerrit's role in the grocery store, he was the Sunday School superintendent for years and years. Every week he would begin the Sunday School session with all the kids together in the auditorium singing hymns requested by the children. It seems like every week we would sing, "I Love to Tell the Story". Another dear lady, Henrietta Koop, wife of Reynold Koop, was my Sunday School teacher. Just another kind and loving adult I was blessed to have experienced in my childhood.