The Early Days In Washington

At the end of the trip, the car pulled up to the apartment where Helen Sykes lived, on 11th Street SE, in Washington, D.C. Bernice stepped out of the car. As her bare feet pressed onto the sidewalk, covered with its ever-present film of coal-grime, her heart sank. She had endured several days of difficult travel to a new home in this filthy place. Later, she realized that the city was actually one of the cleanest cities in the East, but the image of that first step stuck with her from then on.

As for her brother, he recalled the first few days of school in Washington. Dressing as usual for school in Oklahoma, in his overalls, he headed off to school. In D.C., someone in overalls was an unusual sight, and the other children let him know how odd they thought it was. It took several weeks for him to obtain clothes that were less conspicuous.

They lived with different relatives, including Aunt Helen (Sykes), Aunt Bonnie (named Myrtle), and eventually landed at 625 Main Avenue SW, Washington, DC.


Joanne takes a break during a visit to the National Zoo



Bernice and Kit (Kathleen) frolic in Rock Creek Park