Where I was born, Part III - - - Out in the Nebraska country

Picture 3114 -- click picture to enlarge

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Here in the back again you can see the back yard. And the other back porch. Out there was Mom's washing machine, a wringer type Maytag. At first it had a gasoline engine, but in 1938 we got electricity and Dad changed it to electric.

Also out there was the shower. Until we got electricity, we hung a bucket of warm water with a hose on the bottom. After there was running water, we hooked the hose up to the faucet Mom used for washing when we showered.

There were curtains to pull when we were showering. I doubt if there was ever anyone out there to peek in (except us kids). There was a crawl in door beside the shower to go down to service the water pump. The water was pumped from a cistern in front of the house.

On top of the water system was a fairly large bathroom with a sink, tub, and lavatory. They were light blue, from Sears. We didn't look out there to see if the buggers had taken those fixtures. A closet for my clothes was also in the bathroom.

The roof on both these porches is metal, we called it tin. The porch with the shower was the emergency exit, out an upstairs window, then onto the roof. Dad had to use that when the snow was over the downstairs doors and windows. Then he would shovel us a path out the back door.

A cherry tree everyone called Jim's was beside the porch in the yard. Behind the porch is an old washhouse we used for storage. It was cute. Behind that are the chicken houses, then behind them is the outhouse. Family Birthplace Life Photos Nebraska Country 1940s

Even after we had plumbing we were encouraged to use the outhouse and the porch shower to help not overrun the cesspool. Dad didn't like to clean that out, but it had to be done too often. I never helped with that.

Lois doesn't want to burn the house down, she was born there too. Dr. Luckens came out, I remember vividly. I was five. Then Grandpa came to take me for a ride. We took his stud horse for a conjugal visit or visits. We were in his pickup truck with his valuable stud horse in the back.

I always did like to go riding with Grandpa. He called me Little Jim. More about our relationship some other day.
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Herman and Farm map -- click picture to enlarge

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This is a Yahoo map of Herman--at the eastern edge--and Dad's farm--towards the western edge. About three miles by road is the New England [country] School where I went to high school. Remember I rode my horse, Minnie, to that school.

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Tekamah, where Mom and Dad retired, is seven miles north of Herman. Crawford School, where my Dad attended high school for two years is north of the farm, at the # 27 box.

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Grandpa's farm was just west of the "D" in Dad, Uncle Howards farm was at the "a" in Dad, Uncle Chester live one half mile to the west on Road B, and my Uncle Chester lived on a farm near Craig, Nebraska, about ten miles to the northwest.

Uncles, Grandpa, and Grandma

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From left to right: My Dad, Uncle Lester, Uncle Howard, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Chester in 1940s photo taken at Grandpa's farm. The car was Dad's blue 1938 Ford Tudor Deluxe.