Family Secrets

There seemed to be alot of secrets in the Balk family.  The biggest secret on the Phillips side.  I had an aunt who after attending school at Alva Normal School and obtaining her teacher`s certificate was back at home at about age 23 teaching in a one room school.  Mother was only 3 so couldn`t remember but an older brother, age 11 who was probably in her class, related she came home sick from school one day and went upstairs.  Grandma Phillips went up to check on her and came running down the stairs yelling "Lillie had a baby!"  No one suspected!  She married the father 9 days later and had 4 more children.  The last was a mentally retarded girl.  The first child , a girl named Irene, died at about age 8 after eating an apple treated with insecticide.  Her funeral was the top of the line including several limos with all family members assigned to a certain numbered limo.  My cousins told me recently that little girl was never quite right but Mother never told me that but then she maybe didn`t realize it being only about 11 at her death.  She did say the family always doted on her.  I think the whole family lived with Mother`s family out on the farm for a number of years.  I know Irene`s crib was still out at the farm when Jeff and Lori had children because I think she used it for some of  them.  I seemed to remember a written tale of Lillie and family and her 2 or 3 children moved to Freedom at a later time.

We`ll blame the wild side on the husband`s side of the family.  His great neice, a girl about my age, repeated the act by concealing her pregnancy until the 9th month.  I remember her cheerleading skirt was huge for a formerly thin girl.  She went to the City to marry the boy and had the baby before the 3 day waiting period on the marriage license was up.

A couple of thoughts-was it a shotgun wedding?  I can`t imagine Grandpa Phillips doing that.  He was a very kind man.  Also this happened in September did she lose her job?  Who knows!