(Hattie Tolman Stinger grew up in Marion, Idaho. She tells of an experience that helped teach her about the importance of honesty. This experience took place at the Island Store. The Marion Store is pictured above.)
Mother and dad took advantage of every opportunity to teach us the principles of the gospel. One time I was taught the principle of honesty and not to lie. Somehow our parents know when we are not telling the truth. I was in the first grade where I was going to school at the Island. There was a grocery store on our way home and I stopped in the store to look things over one night after school. Everything looked so tempting, especially the oranges. The only time we got an orange was at Christmas in the toe of our stocking. That was the greatest treat of all. So I took an orange without Mr. Cranney seeing me. I don’t know why I didn’t eat it on the way home, but when I got home mother wanted to know where I got the orange. I told her that Mr. Cranney had given it to me, but of course mother knew that I wasn’t telling the truth, so I owned up to taking it. Mother had the horse hooked up to the one-horse buggy and took me right back to the store. She made me give the orange to Mr. Cranney, tell him I was sorry that I had taken it, and that I would never do it again. That was a hard lesson but I never forgot it. (Hattie Tolman Stinger – story happened about 1930.)
In her own words, Hattie recalls the story of the orange with Kay Badger and Trent Badger while they visited with her in 2015.
Hattie Tolman Stinger is the daughter of William Alvin Tolman and Hattie Naomi Tolman. She is married to Thomas Ross Stinger. Visit FamilySearch to learn more about these ancestors.
Also visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.