Grandparents' Farms 1947-1967

The First Farm	It was located about 1 mile from Bechyn, Minnesota. It had a stream running through it and a gravel pit. You guessed it. Not great for growing crops. Plain two story house. I remember the barn, too. They were there until 1950. I returned with friends to fish the creek in 1964. Most farm houses in Minnesota had a trees growing nearby acting as a wind shelter and they are called a grove. This farm didn't have that.
The Dress	When we arrived from Austria, my folks had an apartment in Minneapolis. Both worked so I was put out to pasture and lived with my grandparents, aunts and uncles. And what did Jeanie and Margie do? Dressed me up as a girl and I was their living doll. Anyway they would always bring that up each time we got together over the years.
The 2nd Farm	In 1950 they moved from the "creek" farm to a better one overlooking the Minnesota River valley. diagram of farmyard.
The Fields	The main crops Grandpa grew were soya beans, corn, wheat and alfalfa. He had 100 acres (which was normal back then for a one-man operation). In one field there was a bog and I would go there to catch frogs to use as bait for fishing.
The Trees	A small field along the road (which was a gravel one in 1967 and then asphalt in 1975). This is where the farm equipment was stored. And it was the horses grazing area. There was a row of gigantic cottonwoods growing parallel to the road. And over the years down they came one by one for firewood.
The Horses	King and Bob. They were such docile animals who would stand forever. I can recall how long it would take grandpa to get all of the harness equipment on them and they never flinched. Then he would get them to reverse up to the farm equipment being used that day. I am sure that when the time came to sell them it would have been emotional for him. I heard that they ended up on a farm in Iowa.
The Gardens	Grandma had two large gardens. One was behind house that was filled with flowers and never weeded. The other was vegetables and from it I learned to love kohl rabi (green ones). This garden supplied the vegetables that would be "canned" in Mason jars. I loved eating the fresh peas. No running water so large buckets would be hauled on the two-wheeler cart (see photo) and then plants were watered by hand. The last thing you wanted was to leave the gate open for the chickens to get.
The Breakfast	Grandpa would break two eggs and swallow them raw. Then head out the door.
The Fruit	Not your A-grade stuff, aside from the raspberry patch which was more of a weed patch with berries. The apple tree was across the road and it only produced small crab apples. Like the three apple trees we had at home, it was never pruned. In the grove near the house grew wild plums; again small in size, tart and eat too many you would live in the outhouse.
The Grainary	I was very intrigued by this building for several reasons. Firstly, because it had a rickety outdoor stairs to the second level. The grain was put into the various stalls through the roof. Secondly, I loved the smell of the place and couldn't help but wonder how many mice were in there with me. Thirdly, it was built on piles (to reduce moisture) and underneath it chickens liked to lay eggs. I discovered this when retrieving a ball that had gone under. I ended up crawling all the way across and was I a mess when I got out. The tractor was kept at the back lower end of the building.	with a new ladder 1967 tractor 1962
The Grindstone	There was an old one that I would use to sharpen things. Trouble was that one of the pedals would detach and it was difficult keeping it going with only one. It can be seen in the grainery photo above.
The Pullets	This building was used to raise wee chicks until they became pullets at which point they were sold off. I was only allowed into it a couple times and it was wall-to-wall small yellow chicks peeping to beat the band.
The Tool Shed	This was next to the water pump and I loved going into it. So many tools, nails screws etc. It had a particular smell from oil being used to stop these things rusting. I so wanted to straighten it out, but I feared doing so.
The Pump	It was outdoors and ran by electricity. Sometimes a pipe would be attached and the water then ran downhill to the trough by the barn.
The Trough	It was near the garage. The cattle would drink from this. It was lined with a slimy green growth. Nevertheless, at least once, I went into it for fun as the water was warm on a hot summer day.
The Corn Cribs	Just like the one in the photo and some sort of machinery inbetween. We liked to climb them. Once in awhile we would take cobs from one and then grind the kernels off (see Husker below) to added to the grain for the chickens.
The Garage	The garage had been a house and that made it interesting. The main area held the car and in a smaller room was the grain trailer. In the attic, which would have been the bedroom, I found many large photographs in oval frames. I never found out who they were and by the time I tried, the photos were long gone and no one knew where they ended up. In the photo, next to the garage is a two-seater outhouse complete with Sears catalogues. And next to that is the duck house.
The Elevator	Once a summer grandpa would get the trailer out of the garage and fill it with grain. We would drive the short distance to North Redwood. Drive onto a scale inside the Grain Elevator to be weighed. Then it would empty onto the grill on the floor. I assume grandpa was paid cash.
The Magazines	Up in the boys' bedroom stacked against a wall were many magazines from the 40's such as "Boys' Life" and "Open Road For Boys". I loved lying on the bed and reading them. I removed a few pages of sports trivia drawn by Gene Mack.
The Radio	It was in the dining room and was usually on in the evenings. Completely different from radio in the Cities, there was no rock 'n roll, but plenty of polka music. Local New Ulm band, Whoopee John was a favorite. In the daytime there were farm reports. Grandma's favorite songs were: "If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Baked a Cake", "Hey Good Looking" and "Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye" which she would change to Johnny. In the evening Grandpa loved "The Lone Ranger" program and I have to admit that I also enjoyed it.
The Chair	The main chair in the diningroom was an old wooden rocker painted black. It was Grandpa's chair in the evenings. He would put on his glasses and read a newspaper or a comic book - always westerns. In the afternoons Grandma would claim it - couldn't spend all her time in the kitchen, eh?
The TV	They got one in 1961. It was in the living room which was only used on special occassions so I am certain it was a gift as they never watched it. But when cousin Steve and I discovered it, we watched the Twins lose to Kansas City 7 to 8 on July 2nd that year. It seemed that most of the programmes were local out of Redwood Falls.
The Closet	The closet in Grandma's bedroom was L-shaped going under the stairs. It was dark and spooky but filled with so much junk to explore. Great place to hide.
The Cellar	Two entrances - both inside had me puzzled until I saw a photo of the house before the entry (mud room) was built. The entry was built over the cellar door. The other floor door was in the kitchen walk in pantry. I didn't like going down the steep steps into the hole in the ground, lit by a single bulb. On the dirt, in bins were piles of potatoes, onions and carrots. The walls were lined with shelves filled with Grandma's canning efforts: green beans, pickles, tomatoes, peaches...
The Barn	The barn was where all the action was. As you enter on the right is the chicken room. To the left was the horse stalls. The horses were beautiful and so docile. I was amazed that they would stand there hour after hour. There was a small raised room that held the electric separator. After milking Grandpa would use it to split the cream off which generally went to the waiting 10-20 cats. The milk itself ended up in a large milk can for pick up by a truck. The back half of the barn had the 8 milking stalls for the cows on the right. The left was sometimes used to hold calves. The cows pretty much remained in the barn over winter, so they needed a lot of hay, which was stored in the giant loft. More than once I helped pitch the hay from the wagon into the window. But being weaker I usually ended up in the loft to drag the hay to the far end and build the huge mound. We kids liked to run and jump around in it. For winter heavy snowfalls a rope was tied to the house and barn, so you could find your way.
The Haystacks	There were three high ones on the side of the barn (in background of photo above). We liked to climb up and then slide down. We would also chase around them as kids would do.
The Treehouses	Chris and I built a small tree house in 1961 ingrove next to the house and in 1962 we built a better one shown in the photo. There were lumber pieces behind tool shed.
The Go Cart	Grandpa had two wooden ramps to drive the car onto when working underneath it. I turned one upside down and added wheels from an old buggy turning it into something that we could sit in and be pushed around.
The Ditch	Dec 1954 - Chris had just been born so when school ended Daddy brought us to the farm for the Christmas break. It was dark and a blizzard made the gravel back roads difficult to see. We ended up in a deep ditch at an intersection. Daddy left us the back of the car and headed out on foot to the nearest farm. Angi says that she went later and found him drinking their beer. I remember being in the back of a horse drawn wagon covered by blankets with Christmas gifts with Grandpa driving us to the farm in the storm. I believe that a following day they would have gone back with a tractor to pull our car out.
The Cows	The cows weren't named. We'd just call out: "Here Boss". But they didn't need calling. They knew when to come in from the fields. And they knew which stanchion was their own and would line up outside the barn accordingly. Prior to opening the door feed was poured into each manger. Maybe a little hay was strewn around the ground having pushed a supply of it down from the loft. Grandpa would milk by hand sitting on his three-legged stool, and yes he did let me try it once or twice. I was intrigued with the big white blocks left in the barnyard. Apparently, it was salt for the cows to lick.
The Dogs	There was always a yard dog. No matter which version it was always named "Pal". In 1959 one bit my stomach (it got over excited when I was jumping around) and even though it was just a minor puncture the poor thing had to be put down.	Last Pal
The Grinder	I was intrigued watching as Grandma pushed meat into a grinder and out came hamburger type stuff. At other times it would be pork being put in and the output squeezed into gut making sausages.
The Dead Animals	About a mile down in the Minnesota River valley was a rendering plant. Dead farm animals from all that weren't good enough for eating were brought to the plant. I went there once with grandpa in 1960 and we saw the animals being burned. Boy, you would smell it as you drove past. I guess the place I knew was demolished and replaced with larger one in 1970.
The Flies	Thick as thieves, they would cover the wall next to the door to the house. We would get the flyswatters and kill them with abandoned. I am sure that the carnage left on the white wall upset grandma but they let us do it each visit. The other thing I recall is the sweet smell of the spray (probably DDT) used in the barn when the cows were in for milking. And the sticky fly strips hanging from ceilings.
The Insulation	Grandpa and, I suppose, my uncles would pile a mixture of cow manure and straw up against the base of house in autumn to keep the cold out. Trouble was in spring there would be a mighty stench. I guess grandma's complaining finally led to it being bales of hay covered with gravel.
The Cash Railway	Redwood Falls was the nearest city and it was way behind "the Cities" in lots of ways. I loved Montogomery Wards across from the Greyhound bus depot. The sales clerk put the money into a canister and sent it up to a lady in a corner balcony and she would send back the change.
The Tin Chicken	A toy from the 1930's that in our younger days was a must play when we stayed at the farm. Turn the crank and it squawks and then lays an egg, which in our case was a marble.
The Chickens	There were around 50 laying ones and it was Rose's job to collect the eggs each day. I was allowed to help once in awhile. Quite scary for a young boy to be faced with all these chickens on their roosts a little upset by a stranger in their mist. I was impressed with the horizontal slats upon which they would roost at night and all day long in the winter. Then she washed them and put them into a large container. When it was full off it went to town to be sold.
The Chicken Dinner	Once in awhile I was allowed to catch a chicken (usually old ones, no longer laying eggs). Whenever money was need Grandpa would fill a gunny sack with live chickens and bring them into town. Best fun was when a chook was to be our meal that day. Grandma would catch one, take it by the legs and lay it across the stump and chop its head off. She would let go of it the darn thing ran around the yard spraying blood everywhere until it died. Grandma then poured boiling water over it and plucked the feathers - not a pleasant smell. Speaking of which, next came the removal of internal parts. We would be told to be careful to not open the gizzard which had a really foul (no pun intended) smell. Of course, she would then accidentally cut it and chase us with it.
The Notepad	Grandma would give me a new manilla paper notepad and pencil on a regular basis. One time on the way home I wrote down the towns as we passed through them. Here's the ones I remember: first was Morton, then Franklin. Get a bit hazy after that but I know we went through Gibbon (with its Dance Hall), Green Isle, Bird Island, Winthrop, Glencoe or Arlington and Chaska. There were two routes - one was 212 and the other was 19. 212 was a concrete one and you would hear, if not feel, the rubber joins.
The Greyhound	Sometimes we, or just me, would take the bus either or both directions. The downtown Minneapolis station filled a large part of a block and it was cool to see all the buses inside it, each going to a different place. The bus would always stop in Glencoe for short coffee break at a cafe that was also the bus station. I can recall that the bus pulled off the road onto the semi circle driveway. Checking images in 2021 I can't find the place. The bus depot in Redwood Falls was at an angle to a street corner. The buses drove in under a roof. The business counter was up stairs. There was a water fountain that I always tried to use when we passed the place. Sadly, Greyhound went out of business due to Covid, but the buildings are still in place.	Minneapolis Redwood Falls
The Cafes	Once in awhile, when driving there, we would stop for a snack in Arlington at a cafe that was much newer and nicer than the Glencoe one. And more than once my father (when my mother wasn't along) would stop in at a bar in Olivia, to see if anyone he knew was there. It meant we kids sat in the car for what seemed ages.
The DQ	We would normally drive right past the Dairy Queen at Winthrop, but I am positive that we did get a cone once or twice when we were being taken by mom.
The Blind Guy	Once or twice we dropped off Dad's cousin, John Knisley, at Minnie's place in Green Isle. He always chewed tobacco (snuff) and had his own tin can to spit into.
The Squeals	I wasn't allowed in but I did stand on the far side of the sty. The men went into the building with knives and what followed was grunting, squealing and screeching as the male piglets were castrated. I saw a lot of blood that day.
The Guineafowl	There was a brood of these birds that wandered everywhere together. I don't know why they existed. I don't recall gathering their eggs to eat or eating the birds themselves. I can't remember where they stayed over winter. And now there is no one who can tell me. Wikipedia.
The Ducks	There were around 30 mallards, kept in small area behind the house. Aunt Rose was in charge of them and would lock them up each night. On special occasions one might have a duck as a change from a chicken supper.
The Thresher	There was an ancient hand cranked corn thresher and it looked vicious, plus grandma spun stories about people grinding a hand to pieces. I was able to use it under supervision. The stripped hard corn kernels were either feed to the chickens or ground up to make mash for the pigs.
The Spices	Once in awhile I would climb up onto the kitchen counter and rearrange the spices. Don't know if Rose or grandma got upset and put everything back to the way they wanted. I just remember the wonderful smell that came out of that cupboard.
The Bin	In the kitchen cupboard there was a bin that swiveled downward when opened. It held flour. Grandma always made fantastic buns and kolaches. I always wondered if mice enjoyed the thing when it was closed.
The Teeth	I recall seeing my teenage high school going aunts come down from their bedroom at night dressed in their pyjamas with hair in curlers to brush their teeth at the kitchen sink. My grandparents didn't brush theirs as they were false. Heck, my grandfather rarely wore his.
The BB Rifle	We were allowed to shoot it. I think most of the time I aimed at chickens, trying to make them jump. Pretty sure the pellet wouldn't go through the feathers.
The Bird on a Wire	One Thanksgiving when there was snow all about we went next to the corn cribs. My father impressed me by shooting a bird perched on a power line about 200 yards away with a real rifle.
The Washtub	No running water, so no shower. Baths weren't too frequent. You had to heat the water (ice cold from the well). Fill the galvanized washtub on the back porch. Then we took turns using it, from the youngest up. The adults probably just did sponge baths. But I doubt that my grandfather ever washed much of anything.
The Lake	Below us in the Minnesota River Valley was Davis' farm and it had an off shoot of the river which everyone called a lake. I remember fishing there when I was quite young. My branch had a string attached. I caught crabs while the others were pulling in bullheads. I had great funny with my crabs moving about sideways. Bullheads have very thick skin, and to remove it the fish was nailed to a board and then the skin was peeled off using pliers. My friends and I fished there in 1963 and got about 30 bullheads. Steve got a northern pike.	1963 1964
The Schhhhck	Aug 19, 1967. Chris, Steve and I go to Jerry's to pick up Steve and Mark getting there around 10AM. Had a tour of the farm and ate lunch. Went to Redwood Falls and while we were looking for Grandpa and Rose's new house we ran into him at Katie's. He gave us a tour of the house. Set up the camp at the farm, Chris and Mark sleeping in the tent and the Steve's and I out in the open. We had a walkie talkie and cut in on some guy from Civil Aviation for awhile. When it got dark we went down to the big rocks in the river and had a fireworks display. We worked our way back going through the woods and ended up in a cacti patch.
The Caramels	While Aunt Jeanie worked at Kraft in New Ulm, grandma had a supply of caramels (traditional and fudge). And she was very good at handing them out to us kids. I liked the fudge (chocolate) ones best.
The Bodily Functions	Yes, there was an outhouse (a 2-holer) with Sears catalogs - not to read but to use.... Wonder why we never brought toilet paper with us when we visited. On cold winter days I was allowed to use the slop bucket in the back porch. There were also chamber pots under the beds. Interesting how a two hour drive from the big city to a farm brought you back one hundred years. Just before Grandpa sold up and moved away in 1967, a bathroom with a modern flush toilet and a shower (i.e. running water!!!) was attached to the house.	Outhouse
The 1st Drive	I had my learner's permit in 1962. On a summer trip to the farm I was allowed to drive. After we exited freeway 169, we stopped in Henderson and I took over. I still remember going up the hill (Henderson being in the Minnesota river valley) and I went off the edge. That was an exciting moment. Not a gradual shoulder like these days but the highway was a concrete slab with a sharp edge to it. I corrected immediately, but mom got a big fright.	Henderson
The Clutch?	The first time Grandpa let me drive the tractor was a failure. He had me push down the clutch, showed me how to set the speed with the rachet lever. He was standing behind me. He said let the clutch which I was grateful to do as it was hard to keep in down so I popped the clutch. No one had explained to do it slowly so the tractor shot out and he fell off. I immediately put the speed to zero and hit the brake. Over time I got better and would be allowed to put the tractor into its shed with no fear that I would crash through the back wall. This tractor also needed to be started by a hand crank.	Age 10
The Runaways	When grandpa was working in the fields we would bring him a coffee in a mason jar and sandwiches. One time as he settled in the shade of the hayrack to eat, I stood next to the horses, Bob and King, and made a clicking sound with my mouth that I had heard him use. Sure enough, the horses took off and with no one on the reins they sped up pretty darn fast. Grandpa who was no spring chicken worked up a sweat chasing them down.	1951
The Music	They had an Edison cylinder player and I played all of them. My favorite was An Easy Job on the Farm and I played it many times. I wrote it down and would recite it to my friends. My father inherited the player and cylinders. They were stolen in the 1970's. In the 90's thanks to the Internet I was able to track down a CD containing it. Then in 2014 I found it on Youtube (listen).
The Front Porch	Since everyone came in through the mud room off the kitchen, the front porch was only used to sit out on hot days to get a cool breeze. In it was another wind-up phonograph player. These were 78RPMs and unfortunately the the old needle gouged them so that the sound quality was pretty bad. We kids would use the porch at times as a place to play.
The Bats	There were bats in the attic of the house. Grandma would scare us with stories of them being caught up in her hair. So when we went out at dusk to watch them fly out for the night we would sit with our backs to the front porch wall.
The Tricks	One time grandpa, who usually said nothing to us kids, showed us a few card and rope tricks. 60 years later I can still do the one on the hand, but have forgotten the broom one and the card tricks.
The Needle	Grandma had it. Each afternoon she would put her urine into a tube, add a tablet, shake it and then check the color against a chart. It would indicate how much insulin she needed. She would inject it into her thigh, making us grimace.
The Stereoscope	Pre-cursor to the ViewMaster. This contraption would allow you to see three dimensional photos. Always store-bought pictures, never family ones.
The Watkins Man	This Watkins salesman would show up with his items to sell: spices and extracts as well as personal care items, liquid hand soaps, home cleaning and the remedies. Grandma would always buy the orange cordial for us. It was a Minnesota company so imagine my surprise when a fellow showed up at our Papakura place in the 1990s. I remember that I bought black pepper and it was fresher and better than any you could get from a store.	Not my G'ma
The Rubbish	Once or twice a year grandpa would load a wagon with jars and cans and other stuff (plastic didn't amount to much in those days). Across the road there was a deep gully filled with trees and into that he would shovel the rubbish. I recall going down into that gully a couple times looking for treasure and once I came upon a skunk.
The Branch	There was a tree that had a long branch, parallel to the ground. I recall one time when I was hanging from it upside down, making it bounce up and down when it broke. I landed on back and the wind was knocked out of me. I couldn't move for some time and it frightened my mother.
The Sports Camp	In August 1960 Gary Olson joined me for a week at the farm. 28th: We brought along sports gear. We put a basket on the garage to take shots. I brought the home plate that I had made so we could pitch to each other. Tossed a football. The big event was camping across the road. Grandma was so worried about us that she made grandpa drive her over to check on us that evening. 29th: Helped grandpa put out manure from the barn and fill in straw, hunted gophers and removed the bee hive from the garage. We went to the rendering plant and saw the dead animals being burnt. Picked apples from across the road. Ralph came by. We played catch. Went to Jerry's for a visit. Stopped in Redwood Falls on way back to get postcards. Played football, basketball and pitched to each other. 30th: Threw apples at rendering trucks, went looking for gophers and pulled out a fence. I caught a rooster for supper. We went out to the fields and loaded hay and alfalfa and pitched it into the barn loft. After baths we played horseshoes, bowled and we went to Angela's. Aug 31st: we walked to North Redwood's general store to buy some pop and candy. It is about a 2 mile distance. Every single driver with room stopped and offered us a ride. They thought we were crazy for wanting to walk along the gravel road in such heat. Sept 1st:. Gary showed me how to fry perfect eggs and bacon and then we decamped. Grandpa brought us to Redwood Falls and we bought him some comics and Grandma a photo album. We unloaded the chicken feed into the grainery. Helped cut, rake and lift alfalfa across the road and then stacked it. Played checkers with Grandma. Sept 2nd: Grandpa brought us to Redwood Falls where Grandma saw the doctor and he got a haircut. Gary and I walked to the bowling alley but it was closed. We bought bb's and they jammed the air rifle, once grandpa repaired it we were shooting roosters. We went to the old farmstead and the creek seems more like a river. Sept 3rd: I did some target shooting and helped Grandpa pitch hay into the loft. Ralph brought a bull over and killed Pal. Gary and I golfed - he got so mad that he threw and broke his club. I caught two roosters. Rose and I played cards. Gary and I picked plums for Grandma. I made friends with bull "boy". Sept 4th. We went to 10 o'clock Mass and talked to Ted and Adolph. Charlie Malecek's store after Mass. Gary mowed the lawn. Played checkers with Grandma. Ralph and Angie came over. Eloy and Greg came for the night. Sept 5th. Played with Gregory (cousin). Gary and I rode over to Ed's in a trailer. Took down the basket. Daddy came to bring Gary and me home.
The Camping I	In 1963 my father brought Steve and Bill to the farm to camp. We set up across the road. Went down to the river to climb the large granite boulders. Gene and Grayce brought Angie and Chris, came to get us and stayed for lunch.
The Camping II	In 1964 Bill, Kincy, Steve and I arrived late at night. So not to disturb anyone we drove across the road and slept in the open air.
The Camping III	One year Chris and our cousins, Steve and Mark joined us.
The Commandos	A couple times we (friends and cousins) would pretend that we were going to blow up the bridge by rendering plant. We would move down the road and when a vehicle approached we would hide in the ditch. Happy to say that we never were caught. But...
The Gotcha	One time friends and I were across the road in what seemed to a disused gravel pit high above the road leading down in the valley. We would throw stones at passing trucks and duck down. Well, we must have hit at least one, because all of a sudden there was this large man behind us and he demanding to know who we were. I explained that I was a Malecek and it was my grandfather's farm across the road. We got off with just a lecture.
The Drive-Ins	There was a real one called "71" (it was on Hiaghway 71) outside of Redwood Falls and in 1959 we saw "Elephant Gun" there. The general store in North Redwood played free (old time) movies, weather permitting, once a month. We would sit on roughly made benches in the open air. I guess they hoped to make money by people getting drinks and snacks for the store.
The Bike	Aunt Jeanie had a nice looking bicycle and when I got big enough I could ride it around, but never on the roads.
The Kitchen	It had a hand pump which would draw water from the cistern (collected rain water). Not good enough for drinking or cooking but we would wash up with it. On the sink bench there was a pail filled with water from the outdoor pump and in it was a ladle - this aqua was drinkable. The stove was a casty iron combo gas and wood fired one. A washtub next to it was filled with dried corn cobs. I guess grandpa's younger brother, Pete, would lord over him that he had to stoop so low for fuel.
The Heater	In the dining room was an oil or gas burner. In Rose's floor above it was an ornamental cast iron grill which could be opened to allow heat up into her room.
The Cold	One year I caught a cold while at the farm. Grandma put me into her bed and covered me with several feather filled blankets and made me stay there. I worked up a sweat under all that. She gave me green tea with honey. And it worked, I was much better the next day.
The Nightmare	I was in the aunts' bed. Don't really know if I was in it alone or with them. Anyway, the dream was that this black undefined shape was entering the farm moving slowly, then it was getting closer to the house, then it was at the window. Then it was in the room. I had to lie perfectly still and not even breathe. Then it was next to the bed. Then it...I woke up. Interestingly, I have had the same dream a couple other times.
The Beds	I reckon that I had slept in every bed in the house. As mentioned above, I spent a night in my grandmother's bed and more than once in the aunts' bed. I can remember Angi and me sleeping with Aunt Rose in her bed at least once. I also slept in Uncle Bernie's bed in his room. And finally I would sometimes sleep on the metal cot that was in the dining room.
The Beds	I reckon that I had slept in every bed in the house. As mentioned above, I spent a night in my grandmother's bed and more than once in the aunts' bed. I can remember Angi and me sleeping with Aunt Rose in her bed at least once. I also slept in Uncle Bernie's bed in his room. And finally I would sometimes sleep on the metal cot that was in the dining room.
The Stand	One year Angie and I made a Kool-Aid stand and we also had veggies from the garden. We set up on the road and sat there for what seemed like all day with no sales. Finally a car stopped and wanted a drink, but we had drunk all of it! Well, he bought a few onions
The Game	The only board game at the farm was Monopoly so we played it a lot. In 1959 I decided to make my own copy of it. I began by drawing all of the Community Chest and Chance cards. Never did finish the project.
The Curlers	Basically, I divide a group into two and then play them off against each other. I also made up the rules of engagement and elimination. There were plenty of hair curlers, pink vs brown. Soldiers were the compressed version and the officers were full-height uncompressed. Details of how they would have died are lost to me.
The Firecraker	One year Uncle Bernie showed me how to launch empty tin cans with a firecracker. He dug a hole and filled it with water. Put the firecracker into the soft ground above the water, light it and quickly place the can at angle over the hole. He did some mighty blasts.
The Airplanes	I only saw these on highway 212 in Minnesota on the way to/from farm. Onto the concrete highway small airplane silhouettes were painted. My father explained that an airplane flying above could determine a car's speed by the time it took to get from one plane to another. That seems logical, but an expensive way of doing it. Checking the Internet I see that they are/were common in rural areas of several states.
The Sheep	Up the road from the second farm you could see sheep in a yard. Extremely rare thing for Minnesota.
The Town	Bechyn is where the Maleceks of Minnesota all came from. Read about it at my web site.
The Popcorn	In Redwood Falls there was a small wooden building on the main street along from the movie theater. Apparently, it only sold popcorn in the evenings. So it was never open when we were in town.
The Pens	My aunts used fountain pens and I found that to be intriguing, so I bought one for myself and in addition to blue ink I also used red ink, which was way cool. I loved the smell of the ink.
The Surprize	Jul 14, 1966. Kincy and I camped at the farm. I was sadden to find that all the animals were gone.
The Schhhhck	Aug 19, 1967.Chris, Steve and I go to Jerry's to pick up Steve and Mark getting there around 10AM. Had a tour of the farm and ate lunch. Went to Redwood Falls and while we were looking for Grandpa and Rose's new house we ran into him at Katie's. He gave us a tour of the house. Set up the camp at the farm, Chris and Mark sleeping in the tent and the Steve's and I out in the open. We had a walkie talkie and cut in on some guy from Civil Aviation for awhile. When it got dark we went down to the big rocks in the river and had a fireworks display. We worked our way back going through the woods and ended up in a cacti patch.
The Last Visit	In 1967 Steve, Kincy and I visited the farm, after camping out at Jerry's. All the animals were gone aside for the dog. Shortly after that Grandpa and Rose moved into Redwood Falls.
The Changes	Eight years after my previous visit in 1967 Gail, David and I drove past the farm. There was a large satellite dish next to the barn. The fences had been removed (no animals) and instead of corn the fields were covered with sunflowers. I was told that someone rented the house and an adjoining farmer rented the land.

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