August 13th

 Yesterday Far Guy worked on the wood carved Christmas Ornaments...I joined him in the afternoon.   In the morning...I did a whole bunch of "stuff"  I had a number of tasks going at once....making Humming Bird food, laundry, clearing off my desk etc...I had a Post It Note nightmare near my computer...recipes and notes to self.  

My baby brother and his bride visited in the evening...Smudge and Baxter like visiting here...I have Cheerios for treats:)  They brought me more green beans that I will cook up and freeze. (I shall watch them like a hawk)

Minnesota Weather: High 81F  or 27C  Low 61F or 16C 

What's Cooking?  Walleye,  corn on the cob, tomatoes and kiwi.

August 13th was the day my Father In Law was born back in 1914.  

This photo was taken on his birthday in 1994 when he was 80 years old.  That is Far Guy and Jen in the photo.  A few weeks later he would die from multi system failure after a surgery.  He was a very kind man...he is missed.

Far Side

Happy Father's Day!

 We remember our Fathers on this special day.  

Far Guy's Dad, Far Guy and Far Guy's sister photo taken in the Summer of 1950.

My Dad, my baby brother and me in the Fall of 1954...note how attentive I am.

My Dad with my sister and my other baby brother in the Spring of 1967.

My husband is also a great Dad!!

Trica, Far Guy and Jen at the Needles in South Dakota Summer of 1978.

Happy Father's Day!

Far Side

August 13, 1994

 Yesterday would have been my Father In law's birthday.

This was his last birthday on earth, he died a couple of weeks later from complications after a simple surgery...they called it multi system failure...he was 80 years old. 

In the photo Far Guy, Marvin and Jen....three generations.  As I recall we had angel food cake with berries to celebrate.  Marvin was a wonderful man who we still miss very much.

Far Side

110

 Far Guy's Dad would be 110 years old today.  He died shortly after his 80th birthday.  That was 30 years ago. 

He was a very kind, wise man.

Marvin with his Willys - Knight.  He liked cars. 

Far Side

Happy Father's Day

 Although our Fathers are no longer with us.  We think of them and what kind men they were who helped raised us. 

 

Far Guy and his Dad 

 

My Dad and me  May 1952

 Happy Father's Day!

Jen visited us yesterday to help me get caught up on some of the high dusting (the things I have to stand on a step ladder for)  AND to visit with her Dad and she took us out for supper! 

Far Side

Happy Father's Day!

 Our Fathers are both gone now.   I was really lucky to have my Dad for 71 Father's Days. Not many people can say that.

Me, other baby brother, our Dad and baby brother.  Our sister was not born yet when this photo was taken in 1963.

Far Guy only got to have his Dad for 44 Father's Days.

Far Guy's Dad, his sister,  Far Guy's Mom and Far Guy in August of 1958. 

Yes we could be sad because they are gone...instead I chose to be thankful for the years we had them in our lives.  Both wonderful Fathers who did the best they could. 

Happy Father's Day! 

Far Side

Happy Father's Day!

 Happy Father's Day to all the Father's out there. 

My Dad will be 95 this Fall.  Here he is with my Mother at the wedding a few weeks ago. 

Far Guy's Dad and Mother.  His Dad died in 1994 at the age of 80.  His Mom died in 2006 she was 91 years old.

And here is Far Guy!  He is one of the best Fathers ever!

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday : August 13

Far Guys Dad died in 1994 at the age of 80.

His birthday was August 13, 1914.  He would have been 105 years old yesterday.

Here is an old Photomat Photo of him.  I will guess this was taken about 1940.
I wonder who had it folded and tucked away?  Perhaps Far Guy's Mother.

He had a nice smile.  He was a nice gentleman.  He was a wise man, I often wish he was around so I could ask him a question or two...or three.

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday : August 13 1994

This was Far Guys Dads last birthday with us.

Far Guy, his Dad and our youngest daughter Jennifer on August 13, 1994.  We took Dairy Queen Ice Cream over to the apartment for his birthday.  A few days later he would undergo a surgery to improve his breathing…he had Alpha 1 Antitryspsin Deficiency but we didn’t know it back then.  The surgery was really hard on him and he went into kidney and liver failure, was transfered to a hospital in Fargo ND and died shortly after midnight on August 28, 1994.  We had been taking turns sitting with him.  Far Guy’s Mom was with him when he died, the nurse called us and we ran from the Hospital Hotel to the Hospital as fast as we could but didn’t make it there in time.  Far Guy’s sister said she never saw two people get dressed and out the door so fast in her life…we were both members of the Fire and Rescue Squad back then and were used to getting dressed and out the door half asleep.

This week would have been his 104th birthday and he died 24 years ago. He would be amazed at how things have changed since he died…computers and cell phones especially.  I remember in the early 1970’s when he was thrilled to have a CB (Citizen’s Band) radio in the camper and in the car so he could call us up and talk to us on move days…Breaker Breaker Channel__ for ??…we cannot remember what his “handle” was or ours either for that matter. Funny what we remember or don’t remember.

Wistful Wednesday: T Bird

Cousin’s Bonnie and Wayne shared some fun photos with us by email,  we thank them for sharing! 

This one made us both smile.  Far Guy is in cousin Jay’s #10 T-Bird, helped along by his father.  This must have been around 1957 –1958 sometime.

Uncle Jimmy built this for his son Jay.  Note the string steering and the front wheels are wider than the back.

Far Guy thinks that there were races of some sort in Grand Forks, ND  this T Bird had no motor it was a push car.  (There are no hills to speak of in North Dakota.)

Midway Memories : Double Wheels

Back in the hay day of carnival business having two popular high rides was a big deal.  They could been seen from a long ways away which made for good advertizing and the capacity was fairly good.  A good wheel man was very important. 

Promotional photos were taken so a booking agent could show the Fair Board the double wheels.  We think this is Far Guys Dad in the photo.

Waukon Iowa

The wheels would have a first man, a second man and sometimes a third man..and set up help.  Men who worked the wheel over the years were Perkel, Jerry Leper, Billy Grover, Dale Merriam, Ron Zwald, Stan the Black Man, Hubert Heeren and Virgil Landgraft. Perkel was a tall guy the spitting image of John Wayne, and he had a good sense of humor.

Hubert Heeren was one of the best wheel men ever.  Far Guy worked the wheel on set up/tear down day/night.  I would find a spot out of the way, settle in and watch.  Far Guy worked the top.  Which meant he would climb up one of the towers once it was set and raised and then balance on the top and attach all the spokes.  There was a series of ropes, the spoke was assembled on the ground and then the ropes were pulled and it rose to the center where Far Guy put in the bolts. He would slide down the cable, put together another spoke and climb up the tower and pin another spoke in place until they were all in place. It was a dangerous job, but with Hubert in control all the time injuries were minor.  Far Guy used to call it fighting the pig iron.  I learned alot by watching…and didn’t get involved other than to get them water and once in awhile searching for a cotter pin in the dark.  Far Guy fell out of the top once, hit his shins, ribs and head and bled all over in Staples Minnesota, Lois (Hubert’s wife) helped doctor him up and that was the last time he ever set up a wheel. ( Hubert calls us every once in awhile, he lives in Oklahoma and is a widower…when he gets lonesome he calls us.)

Half of the wheel seats were taken off each night and covers put on over all the seats.  If the weather turned stormy the seats would come off and four ropes were tied from the wheel to trucks. 

Sometimes that didn’t work.  Columbus Nebraska 1956

Hubert Heeren, Al Merriam, Dale Merriam and Marvin Henderson.

This wheel had the old wooden seats.  That is possibly Hubert Heeren in the photo.

The wheels were a total loss. New wheels were purchased.

This is Northfield Iowa a number of years later.   Eventually one of the wheels was sold, with the advent of other more exciting carnival rides.

When I was about 12 years old, Far Guys Dad told him to take me on some rides.  Needless to say he stood there with his hands in his pockets and his head down and mumbled “You don’t want to go on any rides do you?”  Far Guy says he said “You wanna go on some rides?”  I said “No” “No thanks.” But I relented and went on the Ferris Wheel with him.

So we have a wheel seat in our yard. 

Midway Memories :1956-1960’s

I think he got his love of trains from the early carnival days.

1957  Far Guy standing on a junction box.  Note the name on the side of the train is Ogden. That is more than likely a ride boy talking to a gal in the ticket box.

Far Guy’s sister Janice washing windows in 1956.

Far Guy writes:

Set up day!  In the above photo my sister is washing the glass on the diggers. The glass was always washed with windex and old newspaper on set up day then they didn’t get washed again unless they were really dirty or some kid smeared his cotton candy all over it.  The prizes inside the digger laid on corn kernels.  The prizes and corn had all been removed prior to moving to the next spot so on set up day we put all the corn back in, cleaned the prizes and wiped down all the wood cabinets with Old English Red Oil.  The reason for the corn was simple it was a filler.  Remember these machines were first filled with candy.  The corn just brought the prizes up to the level where the shovel could close on them.  Some operators used rocks, but Dad liked corn he said it was lighter and easier on the tires.  A few years after this photo Dad developed a way to cover the corn and hold it in place while moving.  He had three bolts under the corn so on the last night instead of removing the corn you had to dig down, find the bolts, place a fiberboard plate over them and tighten them down with a wing nut.  It might have been easier than removing all that corn but you still had to dodge that darn 100 watt light bulb above the cab in the machine.  I usually burned my arm four or five times in the process.  Finally in the 1960’s, I convinced Dad that foam would work just as well and would be easier on the tires.  From then on the prizes stayed in the machines while moving, we covered them with plastic tucked in under the foam.  When we got to the next spot and had our location the digger trailer was leveled and then the plastic was removed and all the prizes put into place, the windows washed and everything wiped down with red oil.

Far Side Writes:

There are two kinds of joints.  Center joints (like the diggers) that can have customers on all sides and line joints that only have customers on the front side.   When you get to a new town your location would be marked with chalk on the street or a fairgrounds had a wooden stake.  You found your location and lined up your joint properly, leveled the joint and set up for business.  The Boss ( Carnival Owner) always did the locations…everyone would wait around for him to head out with his tape measure and bucket with chalk/stakes to lay out “the lot”…sometimes it seemed to take forever…and then there were good locations and bad locations…the bad ones were called Donikers.  A Doniker is carnie slang for toilet.

The damn Red Oil.  I hated that stuff…it smelled.  It collected dust…in later years only the dice and knives were oiled the rest of the prizes were cleaned with Windex.  Fairgrounds are very dusty places…and if there are races in the grandstand dust billowed over the fences.

Light Bulb burns.  It was hard not to swear it hurt so bad when your arm touched a light bulb.  You had to put your hand in the machine all the time to replace prizes.  Far Guy’s Mom had scars all up and down her arm.

The Dash August 13 1914 -1994

Today would have been my father in laws birthday, he would have been 102.  We were talking the other day, he was a Democrat…would he still be today?  We don’t think so.

Marvin was the firstborn of James X and Theresa who lived on a small farm just on the outskirts of Park Rapids Minnesota in 1914.  He was raised on a farm near Osage just two miles cross country from where we live now.   He survived the Great Depression, Civilian Conservation Corps., Prohibition (he bought some moonshine from my grandfather), marriage, World War II where his contribution was doing modifications on the B 26 Bomber, the death of his first two children, life after the war and starting his own business, and the birth of two more children.  He would have joints out on three diffrent Carnivals for over 40 years.  At one time he was a Wrestling Promoter for the likes of Dirty Gertie and others. ( Dirty Gertie was talking to Marvin once and Far Guy was verbally impatient…Dirty Gertie pushed him and knocked him down and said “Don’t talk to your father that way!”) He owned a tree farm along with Ben Knapp, Colorado Blue Spruce Christmas trees were grown and harvested for a number of years.

He was a booking agent for Merriam’s Midway Shows.

He was very tall…about 6’1”.

Marvin in the early Carnival years.

Marvin with Far Guy and Far Guy’s sister in the summer of 1950.

August 13 1994.  Far Guy, Marvin and Jennifer (our youngest daughter). This was his 80th birthday.

Sadly 15 days later he died from complications after surgery to remove fluid from the plura around his lungs.  One by one his kidneys, liver and lungs failed him.  We know now that he carried the Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Gene.

He was loved and admired by many, he was a kind and generous man.  He loved his three granddaughters very much, and of course his wife of 54 years and his children.  He also loved cars, Cross pens, Tiperillos, fried potatoes, playing solitaire with a deck where he marked all the aces, a good liverwurst sandwich, the newspaper, the newest Road Atlas, hunting, guns, fishing, watches, coffee so thick it rolled out of a cup and hearty discussions.

So that is a bit about my father in law’s dash…1914-1994.

Midway Memories: 1936 -1950

We have to lay down a timeline to follow this story.  Far Guy’s Dad Marvin graduated from High School in 1932.  He wanted to be a Lawyer. (He was a real good debater.)  Times were hard during the “dirty thirties.”  He didn’t see much hope for going to college.

I am not sure what he did in 1933.  Helped out on the farm making ends meet most likely.

1934 to 1936 found him in the Civilian Conservation Corps at Itasca State Park planting trees that are still around at the Headwaters and cutting trails for roads. He was also at the Hanna Ore Camp near Osage and Lovelis Lake near Itasca State Park in 1936.

From what I can piece together in 1937-1940 he worked for his Uncle Herman running one of the Erie Digger Joints in Nebraska and in states southward during the Fall.  He enjoyed Louisianna and would often talk about how whole towns would party when the shrimp boats would come in.  Far Guy says “ Dad talked of people singing Shrimp boats is a coming and of a shucked oyster soaking in a glass of whiskey and water..soaking up all the alcohol and of a tiny seahorse that was wrapped in a piece of cotton that someone traded him for a free game.”

This a photo of Marvin on top of Cotton Bales someplace in the south.

This photo was taken while he was working for Uncle Herman.

Marvin is on the right.  The fellow on the left is one of two people Marvin’s best friend Eugene Cowels or a fellow who was called Irish.  Far Guy says he thinks it is Irish. The Erie Diggers are still coin operated at this time.  I can see the coin slot just above the crank.  I believe the sign says “ The Erie Digger See it Work”  It might say 5 cents or 10 cents.

The coin slot can be seen in this photo of a small child.  No one is real certain who the child is.

On October 26 1940 Marvin would marry Evelyn.  We believe they traveled with a carnival the summer of 1941.  Evelyn had never been away from home, one day in Wisconsin she was so homesick that Marvin put her on a bus for home. 

From April 6 1942 to September 5 1945 Marvin and Evelyn lived in Omaha Nebraska at 1732 Van Camp Ave.  Marvin worked for The Glen L. Martin Company building B 26 Bombers during the war.

During their time in Omaha three children were born.  Twins: Phillip Leroy and Elizabeth Ann born and died September 23 1942.  Far Guy’s sister and only living sibling Janice Marie born May 29 1945.

After the war was over they purchased a home in Park Rapids Minnesota which would be their “home base” close to family.

During those years 1945 –1950.  Evelyn stayed home with Janice while she was really little. Marvin traveled with a carnival during the summer and fall.  He was with Home State Shows and Rocko Shows. In the late 1940’s Evelyn went out on the road with Marvin leaving Janice home with her grandparents for the summer because of the Polio outbreaks. Janice says “I was three or four years old.”

Far Guy would join the family in 1950.

Far Guy writes:

So far the photos have been of Herman Henderson’s Erie Diggers mounted on a trailer.

When my Dad started up on his own, he bought a few machines here and there.  These machines were grouped together and displayed on top of their shipping crates.  A wood 2 x 4 structure with a canvas top and sides was placed above the machines to help protect the machines from the elements.  In carnival lingo this was referred to as a “set joint”.  The shipping crates opened to the inside and the spare prizes (stock) was kept inside. An interesting note here; after I built the replicas of the shipping containers, I was wondering what to use as a door latch.  From somewhere in my memory I remembered a latch wasn’t used.  The door was simply kept closed with a screw.

An Original Erie Digger sitting on top of it’s shipping crate.

At the end of the spot (fair or celebration) the digger machines would be placed back into their shipping crates and along with the set joint placed into a box built on the back of an old Chevy 1 Ton Pickup. That box served as living quarters when the joint was set up.

Marvin and possibly a fellow named Dick. 

The Diggers were no longer coin operated at the time of this photo about 1953.  The “See it Work” signs are now hanging from the roof of the joint to make way for the people to put their dimes on top of the machines.  The machines are now trailer mounted, it is no longer a set joint.  There are fourteen machines on the trailer.  This many people watching the diggers work, in carnival lingo would be called a “tip.”  My Dad is very well dressed, as he wears a white shirt and a sport coat while he works.  This was Dad’s first big joint. 

Happy Father’s Day!

My fathers 89th year has been a good one so far.  He is still walking and talking and knows who most people are.

This photo was taken by my other baby brother in May when they were in Washinton DC at the World War II Memorial.

This trip remains the highlight of my fathers 89th year….he is still talking about it.

His vegetable garden is growing.  He likes to garden, he takes his Cadillac (walker) out to the garden with him.

He loves to go to Bingo and most Thursday nights you can find him down at The American Legion playing Bingo.

Both Dad and Mom have been asked to be the Grand Marshall’s of The 4th of July Parade in town.  So that will be another fun day for them.

**************

Father’s Day wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Far Guy’s father who died in 1994, he was 80 years old when he died.  Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency most likely lead to his death and also the death of two of his brothers.  If we only knew then what we know now.

Here is Marvin most likely in 1937 in Louisiana, he was 23 years old.

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!

Wistful Wednesday on Thursday: A Car

Thought I would update on the car situation in 1924.

I am doubtful that this is the car…but it might be.  In the photo is Aunt Skinnie(Frances) and Far Guys’s Dad Marvin.  The photo is taken at the farm.  Marvin was born in 1914 so in 1924 he would be ten years old…I am thinking that he looks about 12 here. 

Grandpa James X Farm Diaries

June 1924
11 Wednesday Finished fence cleared some grubed some Carron Peterson here to sell me car.  Plowed some
12  Thursday  Plowed all day bought car (What kind I wonder?)
13 Friday Plowed Big party on Thresa  disced harrowed Maleta here (Tracie would have been 29 years old)
14  Saturday Harrowed planted spuds and cucumbers rainy
15 Sunday Planted spuds in morn To Sunday school picnic at Park Rapids planted some beans in eve
16 Monday Harrowed spuds to Primary election Judge
17 Tuesday Cleaned barn in AM viewed roads in PM ( He was a Township Supervisor and they review roads every year)
18 Wednesday Cultivated sweet corn and spuds and garden a hard rain in eve
19 Thursday Made car shed

Not a garage…but a shed. 

I also heard a story. Grandpa wouldn’t let Marvin or Ronald drive his car.  BUT Aunt Skinnie (Aunt Frances) would let them drive her car into Osage, it had a rumble seat.  The boys would pile in and take off.  It was probably quite an adventure for them and gave Aunt Frances and Grandma quiet time to visit.

Wistful Wednesday: 1957

In 1957 my Father in Law (Marvin) was in a production put on by the Lion’s Club in Park Rapids.  Possibly it was a fundraiser.

Today’s specials were Mule Kick, Tokillya, Rattlesnake Sting, Lions Cocktail and something else I cannot read.

 

Far Guy says that the spittoon played an important part in the play, cowboys would walk in and spit…and the bartender was suppose to drop a marble in a bucket…the timing was never perfect.

The Indian Chief is wearing a sign on his Hudson Bay Blanket ..Shop for your Redeye Wiggler at Fullers. (Fullers was the Bait and Tackle Shop in town.)

The play was loosely based on a western like Gunsmoke.  Remember that western back in the day?  Personally I like westerns.

Well with any western comes the Doc…who is Ben Knapp (His son Byron wood carves with us and I scanned these photos for him), a bartender, cowboys and gunslingers and of course saloon girls.

Note the stick horse tied up at the rail on the far left.  This photo was taken in the old high school, the one that is apartments now.

Check out the third from the right saloon gal.

Yessiree that gal in the flowered dress is my father in law. He would have been 43 years old that year.  I wonder who did his makeup?

We have had some great fun looking at these old photos.  I scanned them for Byron so he can share them with others.  I asked him if he would share the photos with the Historical Museum..and he said he would.

Old photos are fun to share.