The wooden door to her parents' General store squeaked open, closing with a bang, letting her know another customer had walked in. It was a busy morning, and Beatrice wrote a customer's order in the ledger. Marked at the top was the date, April 20, 1939. On the left-hand side, she added to the running tab of purchases: tea, flour, four-gun shells, butter, baking powder, and syrup for $5.10.