You’ve heard parts of this story before from other people, but I’m going to publish everything, because I think it’s important to hear how different people remember things. –Lloyd
The first seven children were born at the first place where Daddy was born and raised. Mom’s first child was born in August of 1917 and her last child was born in May of 1943 –that’s twenty-six years of child bearing. He purchased it from his dad. The condition of the sale from Grandpa to Daddy was that he, grandpa, had a room in the house for as long as he lived. As the family grew, Daddy and Mom needed more room, so an additional room was added. While times were good, Mom and Daddy also had electricity put into the place (gas driven generator).
They then lost it [the house] when the depression hit. Uncle Bill Meyer and Aunt Yetta took it over when Daddy lost it. Grandpa Sommerer stayed in the house with the Meyer family, but later he came to live with us at Schubert. Later he moved to Aunt Margaret’s house where he died.
Since uncle Herbert Sommerer was crippled, grandpa Sommerer gave him a college education and he had a good job after graduating, but he had farming in his blood, so grandpa Sommerer again helped him [.This time by helping him to] buy the Ivan place which he walked away from when the depression hit. And [he] got lost from the family until about some time in the early forties the Jefferson City Sommerer’s got word that he was in a hospital in St. Louis. So he was bought to Aunt Dora’s who took care of him except for a short time when he lived with us on the seventh place.
cleo says
In reply to Vernons article I am so glad you wrote this. and I wish you would write more.I hope someday you can respond to Bea’s article about the water works at Schuberts.I am looking forward to more of your memories. I hope you are preparing for telling your coon hunting in the Labador stories at the family reunion at Heits point this summer. THANKS
Lloyd Jr. says
I do have a lot more stories from Uncle Vernon, Aunt Naomi and to a somewhat lesser extent Aunt Bea, Uncle Mahlon and Aunt Lillian. Some of them are from the book of memories that was produced while I was still banned from the family reunion (Christina typed them up for the website). Many of the ones from Aunt Naomi and Uncle Vernon are from longer documents that they made. I’m splitting them up into smaller chunks to give us a chance to talk about each part.
I still don’t have much from Aunt Cleo, Aunt Lolly or Uncle Lloyd.
cleo says
I was trying to figure out why you would be banned from the family reunion, so I went to my dictionary and looked up what it ment to be banned, and there is no such word in my dictionary. Are you sure you were banned.(I hope I spelled this right)
Lloyd Jr. says
I’m not sure how long the ban went into effect, but it finally ended in 1998 or maybe 1999. When was the first reunion at Heit’s Point?
Aunt Lolly says
When were you banned from the family reunion? I’m glad I never knew about that. I would have been very upset. Love you to much.
Julie Baker says
He must mean he was band because he wasn’t born yet.
Is that it? Or did you ever bring a dog?
Christina says
I think he is referring to the February reunions that were just one day and were hard to make it to because of the terrible weather in Nebraska……maybe he meant to say stranded from instead of banned!
Danny Sommerer says
Lloyd Jr.,
If we didn’t ban Pete from the family reunion for voting for Demo’s Clinton, Kerry and Obama (Our Big Assed Mistake America) we could never ban you!!! Ha Ha
Naomi Vetter says
I always wondered how, if any way, our family would have been any different if there had not been a depression.
Christina says
Maybe Grandma and Grandpa would have had MORE kids! That would have been fun!