"Old Folks" History by Dale Lincoln

Kind friend Dale Lincoln stops by the Skillin's Garden Log with thefollowing writing which was first written for people attending the Ice Cream Social at Shady Oaks Park honoring people over 90 years of age, and people married 60 years or more, in February 2007. Additions and alterations were made for a similar presentation in February 2008.

John Williams, a resident of Shady Oaks Park, played his harmonica and led the singing as people sang some old, familiar tunes.


These lines were written for people:
OVER NINETY YEARS OF AGE
OR
MARRIED FOR SIXTY YEARS OR MORE
when they were honored with an ice cream social
at Shady Oaks Park, Zephyrhills, Florida,
in February 2008. The oldest resident in the Park
is almost 99 years old. She attended the social.
Each day many residents of Shady Oaks Park
stop their walk, or stop riding their 3-wheeler,
and talk to Mildred as she tends the flower gardens,
plants, and trees, around her home.
All people in attendance had printed words to the songs.

By: Dale C. Lincoln
Perry, Maine

PRESENTATION

If you are ninety or older we welcome you,
If married sixty or more years, it’s for you folks too.
All people in these groups, still alive and kickin’
Know that we don’t call you a “spring chicken.”

You have known times of sorrow, and times of fun,
As Earth made 80 or more trips, around the sun.
Haley’s Comet has appeared twice for you to see, (1910 and 1985)
You started with forty six States in the land of the free. (1912)

At their homes, Mildred and Mabel, played around the floor,
When the Titanic sailed,---Then was no more! (1912)
Ships sailed through The Canal ‘stead of round “The Horn” (1914)
Only a few years after this new song “was born.”

YOU’RE A GRAND OLD FLAG (1906)

A new nickel appeared, and an Income Tax, (1913-1914)
Your parents noticed those changes and facts.
Tightly gripping their nickels as times were slow,
They made the “Indian ride the buffalo!”
------------------

Now if you are only ninety or just a few years more,
You were born during the First World War.
Your Dad may not have been home every night,
Did he go to war in “The Over There Fight?”

Did you sing this song with your parents and friends

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1902)

Doing your duties during hard times for our nation,
You became forerunners of “The Greatest Generation.”
As kids, new songs you heard each day.
Did songs help you do things in your special way?

Your parents rejoiced on Armistice Day, (November 11, 1918)
And you survived the Flu of ’18, that came your way.
During the years when you would crawl and toddle,
The Country voted to take- everyone off the bottle! (1919)


Those were big years for the gangsters with gun,
‘Til Prohibition ended in ’31.
The Victrola’s played; movies started to talk,
You learned of war heroes like Sargent York.

Before my History notes make you tired and wearie,
Sing along with John on this song DEARIE.

DEARIE


Hobo’s rode the rails and camped near the station,
The Roaring Twenties, then Depression, gripped our Nation
Slow times, with bread lines, were upon the scene,
But people each day had time to dream.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

In your twenties, and in your own special way,
You remember what you were doing on Pearl Harbor Day. (Dec. 7, 1941)
Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree
While giving the best to our nation, you did survive,
And rejoiced at War’s end in ’45.
God Bless America
-----------------------
Now being married more than sixty is a special feat,
You remember things that still make the old heart beat.
You had joy, You had Fun, You had Seasons In The Sun.
After duties for World War II were done.
Many children were born with in our nation,
Starting the Baby Boomer Generation.

Beer Barrel Polka (Harmonica.)


Five years of peace ended very soon,
In 1950, came news, that Sunday morning in June.
People in the city, and working on the farm,
Would be sent to the land of The Morning Calm.


Three years later that war came to a stall,
Many sons, daughters, friends, had given their all.
Many Veterans that said, “I’ll do the best I can,
Lived to see “their kids” sent to Vietnam.

Great sorrow overwhelmed us, in the land of the free.
You remember that day in ‘63,
Riding with Kennedy a man from Texas would say,
“We can’t say the crowd isn’t friendly today!”

During the Sixty’s you saw America change,
Young men and women “started acting strange.”
Homeland fires burned, some cities glowed many nights,
People protested the war,--fought for civil rights.

The way our country was going made you feel sad,
But you remembered earlier days, when times were bad,
You prayed that The Lord would guide us through,
Like you did during the war, when this song was new.

THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER (1941)

Color TV arrived, Man walked on the moon,
New drugs would reach people very soon,
Some ladies near your age, heard their kids say “Ma,
I love rock music, and pizza, TV, and your car!

People did things in their own unique ways,
Not ever imagined in “Those Good Old Days.”
The world was in the midst of the Computer Age?
When this milleniem started a brand new page.

September 11, 2001,
We watched the Towers fall, one by one.
That was not caused by computer error,
Our Country Started fighting a War on Terror.


It seems the big events I’ve taken time to mention,
Memories of bad times, received lots of attention.
However, as we journeyed along our separate ways,
The Lord also gave us those happy days.

Many Shady Oaks people, hearing this little rhyme,
Have been living at least two thirds of your time,
Right now we all join together and say,
“May God Bless you, Have a happy day.”

May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You