During March of 1940, World War II was rapidly changing the look of Europe, but in Horicon, Wisconsin it was quiet and beautiful along the Rock River.  At 123 East Lake Street, my parents, Clifford and Esther Johnson had a glistening view of Simon’s Grocery & Penny’s Candy Store from their front window.  On March 23, 1940, they were also looking at their new daughter, Joyce Joan Johnson, who entered the world around 4:00 p.m., according to my Uncle Carl Johnson,  “She didn’t have much blonde hair, but she had blue eyes and came out screaming with good lungs,” he said.

My Mom, Esther, was an outstanding homemaker for many years.  She was an expert in sewing and crocheting, making beautiful handmade clothes and rugs.  She could cook anything too.  My Mom believed in raising me and my sisters right.  She’d play with us and keep an eye on us as we played with our friends in the neighborhood.  My Dad, Clifford, worked at Gardner Manufacturing in Horicon, and was a part-time police officer for the Horicon Police Department, and a part-time fireman for the Horicon Fire Department.  He repaired bikes at his shop in the cellar, and briefly owned a hardware store before it closed down, due to the Great Depression of the 1930′s.  My Dad also like to fish on the Horicon Marsh too.

As a baby, I was bottle-fed, wore cloth diapers, and ate whatever my Mom made for me, as we couldn’t afford baby food.  I had a pink metal crib and liked to play with little dolls.  I also enjoyed playing with measuring cups and pots & pans when I got a little older too.

I was baptized at St. Stephen’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Spring of 1940.  My sponsors were Uncle Earl Johnson, Aunt Lula Johnson, and Lorraine Johnson.  I think I took my first steps when I was about a year old and was pretty healthy as a little girl – with the exception of the chicken pox and the measles.  Back then, there wasn’t a local emergency room.  If you had to, you went to see Dr. Jones at his office a few blocks away.

My older sisters were Betty and Shirley.  They were also born at our home on East Lake Street.  We all enjoyed playing together when we were young.  I was a little more quiet than Betty and Shirley, and I liked to color, play cards, paint and make things in the sandbox, or in the dirt by the garden.  I liked to play with plastic dishes on the table and also with the dollhouse that my Dad made for me.  I also liked to have “tea parties” with my dolls too.  We liked to play outside, pushing our dolls on little buggies down the sidewalk, jumping rope, playing jacks, or playing kickball.  Betty would also push me on a rope swing that was tied to a tree in our backyard.

Betty and I got along good.  She was the oldest and always took good care of me.  She taught me well.  She worked at Ulmer’s Furniture Store doing office work when she got older.  She also went on trips with her friends.  Betty had the big room in the front of the house, Shirley had the middle room, and I had the back room.  Betty used to sew too.  We had our disagreements, but we had to make-up.  “No fighting!” Mom would say.  Shirley was three years older than me and got into trouble more too.  She would talk-back a lot – and she got in trouble for it.  We used to disagree a lot on things.  When I got older, I used to wear some of her clothes….and she’d have a fit!………