Pat McFarland
also written Pat, Patty in the book
Biography
Neighbor friend who, along with Marilyn, helped massage Diana's painful leg. Narrator’s best friend; they did everything together and played Jacks for hours. Pat was among the children Virginia took to the movie. Named among frequent neighborhood playmates in the phrase “Pat and Marilyn McFarland.” Hospital nurse who ordered Friday-night hamburgers from the Greek restaurant across the street using money left in the children's hospital "banks." Not identified as the neighbor Pat McFarland. Received a Toni home perm from Mom and Virginia. Marilyn and Pat had a big canvas tent. Not explicitly identified as Patty McFarland. Mentioned in the recollection of the McFarlands. Her speech was so fast that the narrator could barely understand her and found it mesmerizing. Joined Carol's sisters and Marilyn in reporting that they had found flesh from Carol's leg; it was actually strawberry. Carol's mother made most of Patty's clothes. One of the McFarlands and a childhood playmate of Carol. Later referred to as Pat, who moved out of town when she married; spouse not named.
Timeline
1952
The McFarlands moved into town
Carol was about fourteen. The town is not named.
Carol's ChapterChildhood
Referral and repeated hospital stays in Chicago
Dr. Menton referred Diana to outpatient clinics, followed by several hospitalizations. She is unsure of their number and duration; the longest lasted several months to a year.
Diana's ChapterAs the girls were growing up
An entire day of Toni home perms
Mom and Virginia gave the girls Toni home perms. The narrator refused to attend school the following day because her hair was too curly.
Dee's ChapterWhen the narrator was about six or seven
A frightening first memory of The Wizard of Oz
Virginia drove the children to the movie. Frightened by the Wicked Witch, the narrator later slept between Virginia and Dale.
Dee's ChapterWhen Carol was about eight or nine years old
Carol's scooter accident and treatment
Carol cut her right knee on the sharp edge of her scooter. Barbara's double pneumonia kept Mom at home, so Virginia accompanied Carol while Mrs. Hannah drove to the doctor. Four clamps closed the wound. Afterward, the girls' discovery of supposed flesh proved to be a piece of strawberry.
Carol's Chapterdate not given
Pat married and moved away
Pat moved out of town when she got married. Neither her spouse nor her destination is named.
Carol's Chapter
Stories mentioning Pat
- Neighborhood Friends and Games for Every SeasonBarbara remembers her closest neighborhood playmates and the pretend games she shared with Margie Britz. Childhood pastimes included swimming at Riverside Park, Popsicles, catching lightening bugs, lemonade stands, jump rope, cards, treasure hunts, yard games, and Jacks at school. She describes the frightening nighttime chasing game One O’clock And The Ghost Isn’t Here. Winter brought snow games, sledding, cocoa, and warming up on the register; fall brought leaf piles and Halloween treats and pranks. Quiet pleasures included reading Little House in Big Woods and watching clouds beneath sheets on the clothesline. Children also played in summer rain, although they were warned about “Night Air.”
- Early Morning Journeys and Friendship in the HospitalDiana traces the unexplained falls and progressive skin and leg changes that led Dr. Menton to refer her to Illinois Research Hospital in Chicago. Early morning family drives combined the comforting smell of coffee and cheese sandwiches with the fear of examinations and long waits. As illness interrupted school, Mrs. Lynch tutored her at home. Repeated hospital stays brought painful procedures and treatments, but also friendship with Loopy Gonzalez, hallway races, water-balloon mischief, Friday hamburgers, parties, special dresses, chapel services, and visits from family and friends. She also remembers homemade food and a church-donated basket from which she could open one present each day.
- Flour-Dusted Hands, Pretty Nails, and a Day of CurlsThe narrator remembers Mom’s full-time work at home, her habit of dusting off her hands after tasks, and her lasting pride in her appearance. Susy recalled how Mom displayed polished nails but concealed damaged ones. Mom taught the girls beauty tricks, and she and Virginia spent a whole day giving five girls home perms. The narrator refused school the next day because her hair was too curly, though she later loved curls.
- Jacks, Paper Dolls, and a Childhood Full of ImaginationDee remembers a happy childhood despite wartime film shortages and few toys. She recalls punishment for peeling airplane wallpaper, fear after The Wizard of Oz, Virginia’s ketchup prank, and endless games with Pat and neighborhood children. Paper dolls from Iris comforted her during an ear operation. Bicycle rides, a clubhouse, swings, and imaginative play filled the days, although large dogs frightened her and Hannah’s dog once bit her.
- Imaginations, Paper Dolls, and the Warmth of HomeCarol remembers childhood games with her sisters and neighborhood friends when store-bought toys were scarce. They played House on an army blanket, dressed in cast-off clothes, played in a canvas tent and a deserted trailer, and enjoyed paper dolls. Quiet play in the kitchen while Mom ironed and listened to the radio gave Carol a lasting sense of security. The children made newspaper kites, Kleenex flowers, and Kool-Aid stands, played street games, and sledded through steep wooded hills before warming themselves at the brass heat register.
- A Scooter Scar and a Strawberry LaughCarol fell from her scooter near the strawberry patch and badly cut her right knee. With Mom unable to leave Barbara, who had double pneumonia, Virginia arranged for Mrs. Hannah to drive them to the doctor. Carol received four clamps and retained a visible scar. Back home, her sisters, Marilyn, and Patty claimed to have found flesh from her leg, but Virginia identified it as strawberry—a mistake they still laughed about.
- Clothes Made with Care on Mom's Treadle MachineCarol remembers her mother's skill and industry in sewing childhood clothes on a White treadle sewing machine, including dresses, slips, pajamas, and coats. She especially loved an orange-and-white three-piece outfit made when she was in first or second grade. Her mother also sewed for Marilyn, Patty, and Iris' daughters and crocheted a baby dress for Linda. Virginia exchanged ironing for sewing for her girls. Mrs. Vandergeist sometimes helped with machine-made buttonholes, inspiring Carol's father to buy a button hole attachment. Carol does not remember her mother using flour sacks for clothing, although she notes that this was common in the Thirties and Forties. The family also wore hand-me-downs and used clothes from friends, with her mother reassuring her that they were fine to wear.
- Next-Door Friends and a Lifetime of KindnessCarol remembers the McFarlands as next-door neighbors and closest friends. She played daily with Marilyn and Patty and attended school with them through high school. Virginia and Carol's mother supported each other through hard times over coffee and cigarettes. Despite working outside the home, Virginia helped with housework, ironing, babysitting, and overnight stays, once washing the girls' hair outdoors with collected rainwater. The two women were charter members of a 500 Card Club founded in 1948 and belonged for over forty years. The McFarlands moved into town in 1952, and Pat later moved away when she married. Carol and Marilyn remained close. Carol recalls the losses of Dale in 1994, Virginia in 1996, and Marilyn's husband Bill in March 1998.
- Remembering Roosevelt and Getting Out the VoteEthel and Floyd were lifelong strong Democrats who admired Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. They listened to Roosevelt's Fireside Chats and trusted that the war would be won. Ethel mourned Roosevelt's death in April 1945, and the family kept his picture in the living room for years. She worked with Virginia McFarland and Mrs. Welander to arrange rides and remind people to vote, stayed informed about candidates and issues, and never missed voting.
- The Little House That Grew with the FamilyBernard remembers the small house on 39th Street that became the family's enduring home. He believes Mom secured the loan to move the children away from the river and railroad tracks. Dad gradually transformed the four-room house with a basement, furnace, well, enlarged kitchen, bedrooms, indoor plumbing, siding, garage, and work shed. Memories of moving day, Grampa's songs and knee rides, the McFarlands, and freedom to play convey the deep closeness of the family.
Referenced in
- Barbara's Chapter — CHILDHOOD PASTIMES & FRIENDS
- Diana's Chapter
- Dee's Chapter — DADDY
- Dee's Chapter — SICK DAYS
- Carol's Chapter — A FEW GAMES I REMEMBER
- Carol's Chapter — THE STRAWBERRY
- Carol's Chapter — A STITCH IN TIME
- Carol's Chapter — BEST NEIGHBORS. BEST FRIENDS.
- Carol's Chapter — MOM AND DAD
- Bernie's Chapter — THIRTY-TWO-O-NINE
Family corrections
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