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uncle henry

Aunt Naomi’s Story (Part 28)

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My 7th and 8th grade years were spent at Immanuel Lutheran Church at Honey Creek.  This school was located only about ¼ mile from where I was born (we moved to Henley address when I was one year old).  My catechism teacher was Rev. Zeigler and regular classes were taught by Marvin Brandt.  Marvin lived with my Aunt Nora and Uncle Henry Hemeyer. Aunt Nora and Uncle Henry lived in the house my grandpa Ehrardt built.  Grandma Sommerer watered the cedars that are still on the road.  This sacred spot is called “Cedar Row.”  Marvin later married my cousin, Alice.

For a while our catechism classes were held in the original building which I believe served as church and school. It was a log cabin.  I don’t believe it is there now.  I graduated from 8th grade at Honey Creek then went on to Eugene High School.  I was also received confirmation at Immanuel Lutheran Church.  I can’t remember what my memory verse was.  I can remember the nice dinner held at our house with brothers, sisters and relatives attending.  I received many gifts.  I remember a pink billfold, a chiffon pink blouse from Alma & Bud and there were other gifts I can’t remember.

It was special to me in another way – I got to wear my first high heels, hose and bra!  I made my white dress (it was traditional for the girls to wear white dresses).  I think Margie sent the material.  My moral values and spiritual commitment were a result of my parents’ strict upbringing and influence.  It was well understood/absorbed from my early years on that expectations were high and no immorality would be tolerated.  I am thankful to have had parents who loved enough to make life a little difficult in the teenage years, to later have an unencumbered and fulfilled adulthood. (In other words, I am glad they were strict/mean to me so I turned out good!)

Uncle Vernon’s Story (part 5)

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No children were born on the second place (Ivan place) or the 3rd place (Aunt Dora and Uncle Theodore’s Honey Creek farm).  While at the second place, we had no team of horses to farm with, so Daddy worked for Uncle Theodore.  When Mom’s folks passed away, Uncle Henry and Aunt Nora purchased the farm so the folks had a little inheritance to spend, so they got a team of mules (Bert and Tuck) and I don’t know what else except that Bud and Felix each got a coat which I wore both when they fit me and also Mahlon.  I don’t know if they lasted for Lloyd or not.  We were able to do a little farming then after we got the team of mules.

We didn’t have a car. Uncle Henry Heymeyer took care of that problem for us.  I started school while at the third place. I was four years old and we had to walk across the Honey Creek to get to Pleasant Valley School, so Daddy built a foot bridge across the Honey Creek so we could get to and from school when the Honey Creek was up.

Both houses on the Ivan place had slave quarters. Where we lived, it was the concrete kitchen and on the lower house where Ehrhardt’s lived there was a lean to on the lower side of the house that they used for a chicken house.  Ehrhardt’s had a battery powered radio and sometime at night we would walk down to their house to listen to the radio. There was a large circle of people around the radio. But the volume was so low that no one could hear much of anything

I don’t remember about the move from the Ivan place to Ehrhardt’s Honey Creek farm.  I don’t know if the mules were purchased while on the Ivan place or when we got to Honey Creek. Daddy was able to do a little farming there with the team of mules.  When Ehrhardt’s lost the two Ivan places, they moved back to their Honey Creek farm where we lived and we moved to the Relius Beck farm.  While at the Beck farm, Daddy purchased a model T-Ford truck of $25.00.  It was while there, that Elizabeth was confirmed and graduated from grade school and went to Jefferson City to go to high school.  She lived with August and Frieda Beck who a very good job at the printing plant that did the state of Missouri’s printing.

Also, while there Mahlon Lee Otto Hink Gladys Sommerer was born.  He was born and baptized in the Beck log cabin.  We were butchering and Pastor Bultman came and did it while we stopped for lunch.  Otto Tichelkamp and Hink Beck were there. I got to stay home from school to help butcher.  The Beck house (or cabin) was two log bins joined with sheds on one side. The lower bin had a cellar under it and the upper bin had a crawl space where a skunk took up residence.  That was quite smelly and exciting, so when Mahlon was born, I said that Daddy bought Mom a little skunk…ha!