I promised to come back and write more about dad's young adult life, but it's hard. It's hard because it causes overwhelming sadness in me to write about the difficult times they went through. It seems as if I become a part of it and tears roll down my face when I think of it.
After the depression in the 30s, dad's family had to work their way up from nothing. And they did. Grandpa worked very hard. He was not fast. His one arm was crippled. But he got up very early in the morning and worked diligently for long hours. He share cropped and saved up money to make a down payment on a farm. Grandma was also a hard worker and very thrifty. They pulled themselves up "by their own boot straps" and were making a go of it. But once more, mental illness crept in and caused trouble. Grandma was in the mental hospital for awhile. I'm not sure how long. Dad said he was the family cook while she was there. Although I knew both grandparents were in the mental hospital in dads early years, for some reason I did not know about the second time for Grandma.
When dad became old enough he joined the young people. By all accounts, he was outgoing and a bit wild. One night while coming home from a singing, or some youth event, he fell asleep in the buggy. Usually that was no problem because his faithful horse would take him home. But that night the horse walked out in front of a car and the horse and buggy was hit. Dad was seriously hurt and was in the hospital for awhile. I don't know how long. I know he was unconscious for several days. He feels like he had a conversion experience during that time. While I am not judging that one way or the other, there was definitely a huge change in him and his personality at that time. He became very serious. He felt like he must walk perfectly before God. He remembers a time he was walking to the barn and saw a feather floating in the air. He blew the feather back up into the air and was playing with it. He said he became very convicted of his foolishness and repented and tried to live holy. Some time during this time, he went to Tennessee to see about getting something printed. He was without a place to stay. While he was either taking care of some goats or staying on a place where someone had goats, he spent the night in an old house without a roof. It got extremely cold that night. It was well below zero. He survived by going underneath the house and huddling with the goats. I asked him how he got home. He said his parents came got him.
While living back home he felt the need to preach the gospel. He is still hurt and feels persecuted by the Amish because he was signed into the mental hospital. From other accounts, I understand he was knocking on doors at all hours of the night to preach to them. To this day, he does not see how this behavior was inappropriate and led to him being admitted. Unfortunately, in those days shock treatments was the treatment of choice. I think it's possible some of his distrust for the medical profession comes from his memories of being strapped down and shocked. I'm not sure how long he was in the mental hospital but I think about 6 months.
After dad was out of the hospital, he was back home again and helping his dad on the farm. I don't know much about the events leading up to the day my grandpa took his life. I was able to go back to the farm where it happened and that same barn is still standing. I got a picture of what that awful day must have been like. A 10 year old finding his dad hanging in the hay mow and yelling for the 6 year old to go get a knife. The 6 year old running as fast as he could to the house for the knife. The 10 year old cutting the rope in a vain attempt to save his dad. Almost too sad for words. My dad said he was out plowing in the field when this happened.
After grandpa's death, dad decided to move the family out of the community. Somehow he became the family leader. He traveled to look for a place to move to, and decided on the (then very poor) area of northwest Arkansas. The roads were mostly gravel into Clifty and the surrounding areas at that time. They sold the farm in Illinois. Because land was so much cheaper in Arkansas, grandma was able to buy several pieces of property at that time. I know she gave some (or all) of her children a piece of property. Enos was married at that time in Illinois but him and his wife soon joined the others in Arkansas.
It was in northwest Arkansas dad met mom. He has very detailed memories of their meeting at a camp meeting and the events following up to their marriage. He had went by bus to Washington state soon after meeting her. He wrote her while there asking her to marry him. She had replied yes, but he didn't wait for the answer. He came back to Arkansas by bus to get her. They were married by a justice of the peace and she went back to Washington with him. Just like that. Just a few short weeks after meeting each other. That was the beginning of life full of surprises and unplanned last minute trips. They had 7 kids, all home births with just dad there to deliver us. Mom never knew when dad might come in and say he needs her to be ready to go on a trip "this afternoon". How she managed to raise us and homeschool us as they were living their often nomadic life, I'll never know. But she has always been his loyal supporter no matter what.
Once again, I add the disclaimer about my knowledge as an historian of dad's life. If some of his family reads this and find errors. Please forgive me. I'm just related seconded information to the best of my memory and ability.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Dad's Childhood
Through all the difficulties dad has faced since mom became ill, he has opened up more about his life and I feel like I have seen more of who he is than I ever did before.
Dad was raised Amish. His dad had a crippled arm that made it difficult for him to work fast. He was a very hard worker but slow because of his arm. He got up early in the morning, around 4:30, to go do his chores and go work in the field. He shucked corn by hand. Plowed with horses, and milked by hand as do all Amish. The only difference was that he did it mostly onehanded. My Grandma was also a very hard worker and quite thrifty. With their hard work and determination they had what it takes to be successful. But unfortunately that was a hard time for many people due to the depression. My dad's parents lost what they had and fell under the heavy load of mental illness and depression. That would have been about 1936. They both ended up in the mental hospital at the same time. The children were separated and sent to live with other families. Dad remembers some about that time although he would have only been about 3 years old at the time. He remembers things. He remembers being fascinated by the ticking of a watch and of playing with string. Grandma used to tell me about dad liking order as a child and being fussy if things were out of place.
There is a great deal of trauma from his early memories of the struggles his family had. After several months in the mental hospital, grandma and grandpa were once more home and had their little family with them. They had nothing. Her parents provided them with a place to stay. Dad broke down and cried when he remembers his dad working all day cutting weeds from ditches for a dollar a day. He began sharecrop farming. They literally pulled themselves up by their own boot straps with strong will, hard work and determination. They saved up to make a down payment on their own farm and worked hard to pay it off. When Grandpa died around 1954, the family sold the farm and had enough money to move and buy several pieces of land in Arkansas.
When dad was about 6 years old he got kicked by a horse. As a result of this he had a pus pocket build up in his lungs. He was very sickly for awhile and extremely thin. He ended up in the hospital for awhile. He remembers having to blow up balloons to help strengthen his lungs.
I am aware that this is second hand information and dad's siblings may find something wrong with my account. I am just repeating it to the best of my memory as I heard it from dad. So if I'm wrong in my facts. Please forgive me and feel free to message me on facebook to correct me. I will try to continue at a latter time with more information of his teen years and early adult life.
Dad was raised Amish. His dad had a crippled arm that made it difficult for him to work fast. He was a very hard worker but slow because of his arm. He got up early in the morning, around 4:30, to go do his chores and go work in the field. He shucked corn by hand. Plowed with horses, and milked by hand as do all Amish. The only difference was that he did it mostly onehanded. My Grandma was also a very hard worker and quite thrifty. With their hard work and determination they had what it takes to be successful. But unfortunately that was a hard time for many people due to the depression. My dad's parents lost what they had and fell under the heavy load of mental illness and depression. That would have been about 1936. They both ended up in the mental hospital at the same time. The children were separated and sent to live with other families. Dad remembers some about that time although he would have only been about 3 years old at the time. He remembers things. He remembers being fascinated by the ticking of a watch and of playing with string. Grandma used to tell me about dad liking order as a child and being fussy if things were out of place.
There is a great deal of trauma from his early memories of the struggles his family had. After several months in the mental hospital, grandma and grandpa were once more home and had their little family with them. They had nothing. Her parents provided them with a place to stay. Dad broke down and cried when he remembers his dad working all day cutting weeds from ditches for a dollar a day. He began sharecrop farming. They literally pulled themselves up by their own boot straps with strong will, hard work and determination. They saved up to make a down payment on their own farm and worked hard to pay it off. When Grandpa died around 1954, the family sold the farm and had enough money to move and buy several pieces of land in Arkansas.
When dad was about 6 years old he got kicked by a horse. As a result of this he had a pus pocket build up in his lungs. He was very sickly for awhile and extremely thin. He ended up in the hospital for awhile. He remembers having to blow up balloons to help strengthen his lungs.
I am aware that this is second hand information and dad's siblings may find something wrong with my account. I am just repeating it to the best of my memory as I heard it from dad. So if I'm wrong in my facts. Please forgive me and feel free to message me on facebook to correct me. I will try to continue at a latter time with more information of his teen years and early adult life.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
How time flies!
I was just looking and realized I hadn't done a blog post in quite a while. I just didn't realize it had been so long. So tonight at work, while all is quite and my patient sleeps, I will update. (what is really going on is that I need to be doing some on-line training to meet my foster home training requirements, but I'm procrastinating. :) )
It has been a very cold winter and propane prices went way high so Susie closed off most of her house and is using her fireplace and a window heat/air unit to keep the place nice and warm for mom. Mom is so thin and weak but holding her own. She is sweetly confused but has not been difficult (personality wise) to care for. Her smile and the way she lights up when she sees us makes our day brighter. She has had so little of this worlds comforts but never complained. The one thing she wanted more than anything was just to be around her family. When I think of all the years they lived alone down a lonely road with her children scattered all over and unable to see them often it makes me incredibly sad. That is why this time with her is so precious. We can shower her with our love and attention. Every day we have her is a gift from God!
Dad goes over to Susie's house pretty much daily to eat supper with them. He has seemed to let go of the need to control everything about mom. I know it cost him dearly and was so difficult to accept. Right now he is translating the Bible into his "pure language" A man by the name of Terry Langley programed his keyboard so it would type that way for him. Most recently Terry created a web site for him so he can have it on the Internet. He is quite happy about that. He says he thinks its of God and it is his purpose in life. I am quite happy for him to feel that way and keep himself occupied. His goats have had their babies now and that also gives him something to do. He has 3 or 4 females and they all had twins. So a lot more goats now. Yay! (not) They are cute though.
I would like to do a post in the near future with a little more of my insight into what I think helped shape dad into who he is today but I will not go into that now.
Dad does not have a house phone now because the company messed something up when Joanna tried to change the services. I plan to get him a cell phone and need to get busy on that. If anyone wants to call him you will need to call Susie's number at 417 678 1001 and have them give him a message to call you. ,
It has been a very cold winter and propane prices went way high so Susie closed off most of her house and is using her fireplace and a window heat/air unit to keep the place nice and warm for mom. Mom is so thin and weak but holding her own. She is sweetly confused but has not been difficult (personality wise) to care for. Her smile and the way she lights up when she sees us makes our day brighter. She has had so little of this worlds comforts but never complained. The one thing she wanted more than anything was just to be around her family. When I think of all the years they lived alone down a lonely road with her children scattered all over and unable to see them often it makes me incredibly sad. That is why this time with her is so precious. We can shower her with our love and attention. Every day we have her is a gift from God!
Dad goes over to Susie's house pretty much daily to eat supper with them. He has seemed to let go of the need to control everything about mom. I know it cost him dearly and was so difficult to accept. Right now he is translating the Bible into his "pure language" A man by the name of Terry Langley programed his keyboard so it would type that way for him. Most recently Terry created a web site for him so he can have it on the Internet. He is quite happy about that. He says he thinks its of God and it is his purpose in life. I am quite happy for him to feel that way and keep himself occupied. His goats have had their babies now and that also gives him something to do. He has 3 or 4 females and they all had twins. So a lot more goats now. Yay! (not) They are cute though.
I would like to do a post in the near future with a little more of my insight into what I think helped shape dad into who he is today but I will not go into that now.
Dad does not have a house phone now because the company messed something up when Joanna tried to change the services. I plan to get him a cell phone and need to get busy on that. If anyone wants to call him you will need to call Susie's number at 417 678 1001 and have them give him a message to call you. ,
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