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Life Was Fun & I Still Love the Area

Genevieve Karoll

My Mother, Emma Genevieve (Genny) Lingg was the daughter of Felix Lingg Sr. and Mary Rosella Brawner. Mother was born at home on April 25th 1915. She was one of 11 children and they lived behind Mount St. Mary's Seminary.

Mother attended a one or two room school near St. Anthony's. She completed 8 years of school which was the norm for girls of that time. Mother often spoke of picnics up at the Grotto, or "the mountain "as she called it.

Many of Mother's siblings remained in the Emmitsburg area and are buried at St. Anthony's or St Joseph's. Several family members were employed at MSM.

Mother married and moved to York, Pa, then in 1949 we moved to a house on the Track Rd. At the time we moved there the road was dirt and we had to walk down the Fairfield - Emmitsburg Rd to catch the school bus to Fairfield. It was a great day when the Track Rd was paved and the bus picked us up in front of the house. No more walking in the bad weather!!

On Saturdays we went to Emmitsburg , there was a movie house that showed cowboy movies or we could go bowling. Mostly we went to the movies. Mother and Dad would get groceries at the corner store and then tip a few cold ones . . . if you know what I mean.

The winters could be real nasty. I remember one year my brother, sister and myself went off to school in spring coats as it was warm . Well as the school bus got closer to Fairfield it started snowing, we arrived at school only to be told school was closing for the day.

By this time the snow was coming down so fast that Mr. Baker, our bus driver could barely see to drive. The bus couldn't get pass the Miller farm so we had to walk home. It was only 1/4 mile but by the time we got to our front gate we were frozen. Our little hands couldn't open the gate. Mother ran out and hurried us inside. She then put our hands in luke warm water. Oh how they burned but all turned out OK.

Sundays we went to church at St. Joseph's. The church always seemed so large and the sermons seemed long. After church we went home and Mom stared supper, the only meal served on Sunday. Usually we ate around 2:00pm then it was nap time or a relative or neighbor would stop by for a short while.

Sometimes the men would go off to e garage or barn. We could only guess what they were doing. Several times I heard the phrase "home brew'.

Life was fun and I still love the area.

Have your own memories of growing up in Emmitsburg?  
If so, send them to us at history@emmitsburg.net