My Father's First Car

The year is 1925, and I'm 5 years old. My father went to a car dealer and with cash in hand he bought a 1919 model T Ford. That was the year I was born. He paid for the car and the dealer gave him the keys. After a few instructions, he told him to drive it home. There were only a few cars on the road, because there were only horse and buggy era.
Well there was no gas peddle. The throttle was a lever in the middle of the steering wheel. It had no starter. It had a crank that had to be turned by hand.It was hanging in front right behind the bumper. In my curiosity I reached over the bumper, lost my balance, hit my chin on the crank, cut my skin, and went home bleeding.

My father would service the car including greasing the wheels. On one occasion he forgot to put the cotter pin in. We were on our way home from Fox Lake with my Grandma. The cotter pin was missing from the right rear wheel. The wheel came off and the car tipped; sliding on the axle. My poor Grandmother was being squished into the corner of the car. Luckily, the car finally stopped in front of an auto repair shop. Thankfully the service man was in. On a Sunday! He told my brother to go get the wheel which rolled across the road. He looked at the axle,and he said there was enough tread left. So he was able to put the wheel back on this time with the cotter pin, and we continued on our way home.

Earlier that day we went to mass. Our angels were working overtime.