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One of my clearest recollections of Grandmother is of her activity and good health - I never remember her being ill. There was always a great deal to be done about the Farm and Grandmother was interested in all that was going on - sheep shearing, hog killing, plucking of geese, harvesting, threshing and corn husking. Generally on these occasions some of the neighboring men assisted, as a sort of frolic, and then there was a big dinner to prepare; such quantities of corn, cucumbers, apple sauce, preserves, doughnuts, pies, custards, pickles, cheese, bread and biscuits, as these men ate as well as the lamb that had been killed for the occasion.

Grandmother and Aunt Sarah, who was at home during my early childhood, always wore their best dress to church with a riding skirt over it of green moreen or buff nankeen as the season demanded.  I often went with them riding behind Grandmother on "Snow Ball", a white horse that was her special mount.  Sometimes Uncle Joseph would take me up before him when his horse was not too spry.  We went to a church where Joseph Kerr preached. I think Uncle Joseph was named for him.

I would go with Grandmother to "Quilting' and over the creek to Patty Glenn's, she riding old Ball, I behind her. In the same way I have ridden with her many a time from   Allegheny Town on her return trip from Market (Pittsburgh Market) to which place she would start early in the morning before daylight to take the baskets of butter Aunt Sarah had made and packed in plantain leaves the night before.  She was on the road when the Shower of Stars fell, (Nov. 1833), quite a wonder in those days.  After market, Grandmother would come over to our home on Ohio Street to have lunch with Mother and incidentally take me home with her for a visit.  I must have been about five or six years old when I made my first visit in this way.  While visiting at our house old Ball was left at Urban's Tavern a short distance from our home.

Judging from my Mother's wedding outfit, Grandmother must have been very ambitious to have her six daughters well dressed.  Mother was going to the City to live and did not need horses, cows, etc.  So perhaps that was allowed for when her wedding finery was bought.  She had three silk dresses, a canary color with white silk stockings and gloves also a small gauze veil for her  wedding and two other dresses, one a wine color and a blue-black.  She had a bonnet like the wine color dress also a belt.  This was called her going away dress and was also worn when she made her first appearance at church after her marriage. I have remnants of all these things and have heard their history many times.  The dresses were all made low in the neck and there were collars and capes also shawls of small size to wear over the low gowns.

Uncle Joseph and Aunt Sarah were the only young people at home, Aunt Jane having been married during my very early child-hood but I was not too young to be present at her wedding and I remember Aunt Scott and Aunt Wallace being there wearing caps as was the fashion of those days.  They danced a little in the "Big Room" , a Virginia Reel or something like it and Uncle David Wallace sang fol de rol de rol.  I remember Aunt and Uncle Vincent coming from Noblestown also Uncle Scott.  Uncle John Cubbage lived in town and I think Uncle Alexander must have lived away also for I cannot remember of him at home. Uncle Joseph and Aunt Sarah used to get on their best clothes and go to Singing School but I cannot remember that they were away from home very much.  They were both very indulgent to me, especially Uncle Joseph, who took  me for rides before him on the farm horses as he went to work in the fields.

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