In an earlier story I wrote about memories of my life on our farm which was east of Viroqua, WI. Since I only lived there from birth, December 7, 1944 to one month before my fourth birthday, November 1, 1948 I did not have many memories to share.
Today I will share early memories of my life seventy-five miles north west of my first home. These memories will be taking place on another farm five miles outside of Fountain City, WI which was a small town on the Mississippi River. The photo below shows Fountain City, WI. Our farm was at the top of a hill after a two mile drive up a winding road from a highway that followed the Mississippi River. Where we lived, the Mississippi River divided Wisconsin from Minnesota. Because of trees and hills, we did not have a view of the Mississippi River but our view was to the west where we often enjoyed gorgeous sunsets.
We moved the whole farm with its cattle, implements and household goods on November 1, 1948. At that time our family was Dad, Mom, Jim, 6, Linda, 3, Kathleen, 2, and Barbara, 1. Moving day was very difficult because of freezing cold rainy and windy weather. Half the herd of milk cows died enroute due to being trampled in the truck that was hauling them. I have a memory of seeing some of the cows sliding out of the big truck that was hauling them and not being able to stand up after the rear gate was opened. That must have been extremely difficult for my parents as the milk cows were their source of income.
The farm buildings were a large brick house, a barn, a granary, a milk house, a chicken coop, a hog shed, corn cribs, an outhouse, a windmill and a cistern for the water that held the supply used in the house and barn. There was no water piped into the house which did not have an indoor bathroom. The water for all purposes had to be pumped into pails and carried to wherever it was needed. The water for bathing and laundry was heated in large kettles on the wood burning stove in the kitchen. Warm water was poured into a wash tub on Saturday evenings and we all took a turn having a bath in that tub. The youngest child was bathed first and Dad had the last bath. Laundry was done by hand and hung on a line outdoors or in the basement of our home.
We walked a path to the outhouse when we needed to use the bathroom. There were two holes cut in the board a person sat on. Our toilet paper was a page torn from a Sears or Montgomery Ward catalog. There was a pail inside our house for use in the middle of the night if needed which Dad would empty in the morning.
I think our house had a wall telephone by then but that convenience was just coming to rural areas. We were on a party line with about eight or ten other families.
Another service that was just coming to this area was electricity. REA (Rural Electrification Administration) had used some of our farm land to install the tall poles that strung the wires bringing electricity into the farm lands across the country. Underneath the poles, there was often the need to clear trees and brush so the wires could be strung safely. The trees that were cut down could be used by the owner of the land if he brought in saws as well as a tractor and trailer and loaded the wood himself. I know that my Dad was very grateful for this wood as our house had a wood burning furnace. He was able to haul that wood to the house. He had a saw that could be attached to the front of a tractor which was used to saw the lumber into the size pieces that could be burned in the furnace that was in the basement and which heated the house. Wood was also needed for the wood burning kitchen stove. All cooking and baking was done on that stove. The photo below shows the trap door that opened for wood to be thrown into the basement and used in the furnace to heat the house. I think we had electricity for the house and barn but it may be that it was added in the first or second year of living on that farm. I do remember that the electricity was somewhat unreliable and would go off just as it was getting dark or was needed to run the milking machines in the barn. We had kerosene lamps ready for use when we lost power to the house. It there was no power to the barn, milking reverted to milking by hand. My mother would have to go to the barn to help with the milking if there was no electricity. This would mean that we four little children were left in the house alone or would have to be bundled up and taken to the barn with our parents.
During one of those times when we four young children were left alone in the house, we had a problem that could have had an unfortunate outcome. Apparently we children were coloring around our kitchen table. One of my younger sisters decided to put a crayon up her nose. We didn't realize this had happened until she started screaming and bleeding from her nose. I think Mom arrived back at the house about the same time as little sister started screaming. Mom rushed to the rescue and was able to get the crayon out of her nose before she had to be taken to a Dr. That was a scary time for all of us and we were greatly relieved to have our sister recover without any worse complications.
One month after getting settled on our new farm we were invited to a neighbor's home for a meal and a time of being welcomed to the area. It turned out that the date for our visit to the Heizingers home was December 7, 1948. That date happened to be my fourth birthday. I doubt that our neighbors knew it was my birthday until after we got to their home that afternoon or evening. But when they learned it was my birthday, they gave me two gifts which turned that event into one of the only childhood birthday memories that I have. They gave me a round plaque that had a picture of a big elephant on it which was hung on the wall of my bedroom and which remained in my possession for many years. Their other gift was a few coins which made me feel very special and privileged. Our family celebrated birthdays with an angel food cake frosted with 7-minute frosting and which we all enjoyed immensely. Sometimes we had whipped cream and strawberries with our cake. I don't remember that any gifts were given or that parties with friends happened.
These are my memories of the first two months of life on the farm on Buffalo Ridge near Fountain City, WI.
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