Growing up in a large family...

(submitted originally to the Marysville Journal Tribune)

by Gloria (Drumm) Oates

What's it like growing up in a large family of 14 kids, plus 2 parents?

16--WOW !!!! That's a loaded question. It's the family of Francis and Evelyn Drumm--10 boys and 4 girls in the following order with the oldest first. (sorry Pearl): Pearl, Robert, Carl, Stanley, Wilma, Arthur, Richard, Donald, Francis Jr, Gloria, Lloyd, Rodney, Wanda, and Marilyn. There is 20 years difference from the oldest to the youngest.

This was a family that was taught to work and to do the job right. Regardless what this job was, or we did it over and over til it was done right. We were around each other all the time-- those that were home. As we younger ones came along, the older ones were just beginning to leave home to serve their country or got out and got a job.

As we got old enough to go out and work, we were told to: "Get out and get a job, even if you have to dig a "post hole", do it, and work your way up. Don't know about the older ones, but at least this was told to us younger ones.

Also was told, " you do not expect a handout from the "John Q Public". You do not go on welfare. Everyone in this family has done just that. WORK!!! Some are still working, hard at it. Others are retired. After those that served their country was discharged, they came home, got a job and continued on with their lives. We younger one too, got a job and continued on with our lives. This family knows nothing else but work. This has been a close knit family in our growing up years and for some, still remain so for those who are still here . We had our share of squabbles, as most families do, but we got over them and continued on. For the most part we were there for each other. We were taught the basic-simple rules of living; work hard, pay your bills, keep your nose clean, have respect for whoever and whatever, pay your way for what ever you did and wanted, and at the same time enjoy life.

There are many good memories of this family. One paticular that comes to mind is, and would include most of them, is that almost every Sunday,after our Sunday noon dinner, family members and their families would come home and just sit around the dining room table, and visit, joke and laugh, while eating left-overs, if there were any, snacking and drinking coffee, those who drank coffee. We didn't have pop then. At least not in our house. It was a time of getting together and just talk, and have fun. This included the older ones as they came home from the service and had started their family, as well as the younger ones. Our parents looked forward to Sundays.

Another look-back is when we would eat our meals. We had this long dining room table, with a bench sitting 4 people. There was a bench on both sides of the table, as well as a couple of chairs on both sides, along with two chairs at each end of table. There would be from 10-12 of us counting our parents sitting at this table at mealtimes. You sat there and ate. There was no squabbling. If there were, you were reprimanded, or got down from the table.

You sat there and you ate. We would talk, laugh, pass the food, until you were done or the food was gone and then you got down from the table. After all was down from the table, we four girls had our work cut out for us. Clean-up began, the kitchen details, doing dishes, sweeping floors etc. This would continue till one would move out and get a job. Yes, we argued at times.The "guys" did outside chores and other outdoor work. Yes, we gals got out there and helped also at times. Funny thing is, we gals don't rec-collect the guys doing dishes and sweeping the floors. We had no carpet in those early days.
 Yes, we had our snow-ball fights, building snow-huts, sledding down the hills and all that good stuff.

The older ones would baby-sit for us younger ones when the folks would go away. We girls would go wading/swimming in the creek behind the house with our neighbors, the Jewel girls, only later to find out that "someone" came down and took our clothes. UMMM ! Wonder who that was!!!!!!!!. Christmas time was something else as we look back to ponder on this beautiful day. During our growing up years, one can recall more good times than the bad times. As we all grew up, and left home, lives changed, but to look back over our growing up years, it brings to your mind, how lucky we were to have the parents with 14 children, giving us the basics of life.

There are so many memories that can be said about this family. But the one that stands out in front as well as many others is when Francis and Evelyn Drumm's children went to serve their country. Every time they recieved a letter from one of them, my mom would take that letter and go to her flower garden and sit on a bench or go to the enclosed back porch and read them and cry while doing so. That will always stay with me seeing her crying over those letters.

As I look back, what I feel is so much more important, than having the good memories, is the fact we wouldn't have them if it were not for all the fighting for our freedom in order to be able to continue on with our lives to create these good memories. Of those who helped to give us our feedom along with numberless veterans in the past as well as the present, was the Drumm family; our dad, nine brothers, and one sister.

Our dad, Francis Drumm, Sr. served in the Ohio National Guard during WW I.Pearl Drumm served as a 3rd Class Quarter Master in the U. S. Navy during WW II. He served on the U.S.S. Phenakite Ship which was a converted yacht until WW II ended. When the Phenakite Ship was decommissioned, he served on a Navy Tug Boat on Statin Island, N. Y., until he was discharged from the Navy January of 1946. He was cited for the American Area Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the Victory Medal. After his discharge, he returned to Marysville to raise his family and to farm. He currently continues to farm as well as doing farm drainage along with his son.

Robert Drumm, who is deceased, served as a Private First Class in the U.S. 2nd and 3rd Army during WW II, in the European Theatre Operation, fighting out of fox holes, stationed in Germany and France. He was transferred from the 2nd Army to the 3rd Army in England, with General Patton, and later in an Army group commandered by General Omar Bradley. His citation medals were the Good Conduct Medal, and the American Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Stars. After being discharged in December of 1945, he returned to Marysville where he farmed for five years and later worked at the Marion Depot in Marion, OH. He lived and raised his family in Prospect, Oh.

Carl Drumm served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corp during WW II with the 4th Marine Division stationed at Mauri, Hawaii. He was later transferred to the 6th Service Depot in the Hawaiian Islands, as a shipping clerk, shipping military equipment all over the world. After his discharge in August, 1946, he returned to Marysville and went to work at Wagoner  Kulls, an Implement Dealer in Marysville. He moved to Irwin, Oh. where he raised his family and started in farming. He currently lives in Marysville and continous to farm.

Arthur Drumm served as a Staff Sgt. Quarter Master in the U. S. Marine Corp during the Korean War, stationed in San Francisco, CA. He was cited for a M-1 Marksmanship medal. After his discharge in July 1952, he returned to Marysville to raise his family and to farm, until he started his own business on State Rt. 4, North known as the Marysville Rotary Broom Co. He currently is semi-retired.

Richard Drumm, served as a Private First Class in the U. S. Army during the Korean War, stationed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. He attended Service Schools Civilian Occupation tractor mechanics. He served overseas in Germany little over one year. He was presented with an Occupation Medal in Germany. After being discharged in 1954, he returned to Marysville and started his own business as the Drumm Wrecker Service. He currently still operates this business.

Donald Drumm, who is deceased, served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, stationed at Smoky Hill Air Force Base, in Salina, Kansas, where he attended cooking schools. He was transferred to Sampson N. Y. and promoted to the 802 Food Service Squardon. After his discharge in 1954, he returned to Marysville and worked for a Cement Company. He later moved to Magnetic Springs, OH, to raise his family.

Francis Drumm, Jr. served as a Buck Sgt. in the U. S. Marine Corp during the ending of the Korean War, stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA. During his Marine Corp tour he was a Sea-going Marine stationed aboard the USS St Paul, CA-73 which operated in the South China Seas. After three years of serving in the Marine Corp ended, he was discharged in November of 1957. After his discharge from the Marines, he returned to Marysville and went to work at Ranco Co. in Plain City, Oh. Six months later, he re-enlisted in the U. S. Air Force. He was assigned to numerous basis in the U. S., prior to going to Viet-Nam in Sept, 1967 as a Staff Sgt. After one year he rotated back to the states and was stationed at Hurlburt Field, at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, training troops for Vietnam on the C-123 aircraft. After one year at Hurlburt Field, he was transferred to Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, CA. He was then sent to the C-141 Flight Engineer School in Texas. After completing his schooling, he flew missions from Norton Air Force Base to Southeast Asia for approximately five years. During that time he was promoted to Tech Sgt. and later to Master Sgt. which rank he held til he retired in May 1975. During his tour of duty in Vietnam, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, by extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a C-7A Flight Mechanic near Camp Evans, Republic of Vietnam on May 5, 1968. On that date, Sgt Drumm while, Camp Evans was under hostile attack, quickly secured his aircraft's load of explosives. At the risk of his own life, he made possible the saving of numerous lives and a valuable aircraft by ensuring a minimum ground time, offering the hostile forces little opportunity to score a direct hit. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Sgt Drumm reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. After his retirement from Norton Air Force Base, CA in May 1975, he was awarded the Air Medal with 7 Oakleaf Clusters. He remained in California with his wife and started a small business.

Rodney Drumm served as a Private First Class in the U. S. Army during the Cuban Crisis, stationed at Ft. Eustace, VA waiting to be deployed to Cuba, should that war had taken place. He was later transferred to Paris Island, S.C. on a boat called the Duke Liner. After his discharge in 1963, he returned to Marysville and worked at the Ohio Grain Co. and later at the Marysville Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. He lived and raised his family in Marysville. He currently is retired.

Wanda "Drumm" Henry, who is deceased, served in the Women's Army Corp, known as the WACS, during the ending of the Korean War stationed at Fort McClellan, AL. Due to medical conditions that occurred during her time of service, she was discharged in 1961. She returned to Marysville and worked at the Dutches's Restauant on St. Rt. 4, for a number of years, and raising her family.

We had a brother, Stanley Drumm, who is deceased, who wanted to serve his country also, but was denied to serve due to medical conditions regarding a motorcycle accident. He tried several times to enlist, but each time was denied to serve. He wanted to follow his brothers and sister footsteps.To have this many members in one family serve their country in the capacity that they did, and to help give me and others our freedom so we could live our lives in the way that we could have good memories to look back on as time marches on, is truly honorable. It is a great privilege for me and for other members of this family to be very proud to be a part of. Don't we wish we could all gather around that "big" dining room table like we used to do years ago and just "chat", eat and drink coffee. Well, some of you drank coffee, others drank water or milk.

After all the family members left home and started their own families, and businesses, it wasn't long till our dad retired. They spent most of their retirement years in Bradenton, FL, where they purchased a home. They would leave in the Fall and return in early Spring. More good memories can be said at this time of their life.

And they raised a family of 14 children.

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Comments

[Kim (Drumm) Smith]

Gloria, THANK YOU for all this information and insight. Some I've heard before, lots of it new stuff. Good memories!