Times were hard. The war was over and thousands of men were back, flooding the job market. Lots of them could not find work. The Oldham clan would load up in the back of a big truck with tall sides all around and head to Arizona to pick the pima cotton. I remember we had to pay 10 cents for a cup of water once we crossed the border into Arizona and it was kind of shocking, being from Texas where you could get water for free all along the way! We'd find some tourist courts to stay at for $4 a day and settle in there before everybody headed out to become part of the Pima cotton pickin crew. The pima cotton grew on 6' stalks. SD would not let me go out and pick because I was pregnant and already had some of you kids. I only remember me and an old man 93 years old staying behind there at the courts each day when everybody else went out to pick the cotton. When the cotton harvest was done, we loaded up and drove back to Texas.
When I think about it, I didn't have it near as hard as some other people. I knew of a mother that had a lot harder time than I ever had. People didn't have washing machines in their houses after The War. Instead, there were wash houses that mothers would send their children to with the wash loads and a mother sent her three daughters and one young son one day to the wash house to get the family wash done. The girls left the brother with the cloths at the wash house and went for a ride. Their car stalled on the railroad track and the train came and hit the car and all three of those girls were killed. I can not imagine losing three daughters all in one day.... I've never had as hard of times as that!
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