Ira's castle on Keys Street

Ira E. Stratton and his castle on Keys Street Oakdale, Ma

Ira E. Stratton, ex-timber cutter, says, "Phooey" to (His) 86 years.

 

Translation of above article (1):

Ira E. Stratton lightly leaned his 86 years on his rake- he just finished cleaning up about two acres of his neighbors’ yards near his own home 51 Keys st. (In the winter I'd be snow shoveling for the same neighbors).

 Said Ira: " I don't want to brag, but 40 years ago I could cut so many chestnut trees at $1.25 a tree that I had to quit because I was cutting so many trees, I thought they might lower the price on me."

His Home

 

About that house of Ira's (see picture above).

 Ira insists he is not sentimental; but the front part of that house is the very lunch cart that used to be parked day-times near the old trolley barn in Worcester (that’d be about across Main St. from Wesley Church); and nights the car was horse - driven to the common where it served all night.

 "My father was a shoemaker in Grafton", said Ira," and when I was 10 years old, I'd come into the city with my father on business and I'd eat in the cart."

 In 1917 he bought the cart for $50 and had it hauled out here.

"Just lasted the trip, too " says Ira " about the time George Buck and I got it set up, the spokes fell out of the wheels."

A Lumberman

Ira has outlived two wives and his children have grown up and live in faraway places.

 

His younger days were spent lumbering all over New England. Why he lives in Oakdale is obvious - it's the trees.

And to ask him his recipe for old age would be an insult; that's obvious too.

He just keeps busy.

Despite all I have learned about Ira through the years (see "Mabel makes a fresh start "and Week #6 "Same song second verse.... Ira really can't sing") I am drawn to Ira. He was quite a character. Near the end of his life, he wrote a letter to his daughter Mary Stratton Bradley. The letter began. " My dear daughter Mary...." The letter was memorable enough that Mary's children mentioned it years later. I do not know the contents of the letter but as I always do I like to imagine he expressed regret for his actions. All of us are flawed human beings. Some of our flaws are very visible like they were for Ira but in the end all we can do is try to help each other be better people. From what Mary's daughter Kathleen reports, "Ma was never bitter about her father. She was always just a happy person". 

How Are We Related to Ira Stratton (1875-1963)

Ira and Mabel Stratton and Children

Ira Stratton and Jennie May Jennings and children