Genealogy from [WalzHjelmstad]

Written by Kay Walz Mullen 1989 When I was very small, we moved to town from the Walz farm (which became Uncle Tom's farm later). We lived above the delivery barn, which was owned by Uncle Frank. Dad went to work for Uncle Frank driving 'livery'(delivery). Often he had to take Dr. Archibald on his rural house calls. Brother Louis was born when we lived in town. From there we moved about 3 miles west of town to the Spaeth place. Here two more children were born, Lucille and Aloys. It was here that the oldest, Christopher, started school, 1st grade. He had about 2 miles to walk to school. I also started - only went for a short time before moving. There was no Kindergarten in the country. Our next home is the home place. There was a fire in the upstairs of the place before we moved there. Dad was one of the neighbors who helped put out the fire, possibly a chimney fire. I remember I was old enough to help drive the cattle from the Spaeth place to our new home. We slept upstairs and would lay there, and look at the burned 2x 4's on the roof. The only heat was a small register above the pot-bellied stove down stairs. Then the folks bought some green oil cloth and put it up so we didn't have to look at those burned 2x 4's. When we started school after getting settled, we rode the bus. It wasn't a bus. It was car as there weren't many children in that area at the time. Uncle Tom was the driver. I can remember being upset because when we started in town, I had to go back and take Kindergarten first. I can think back going to school at 52 degrees below zero. In the winter time, one couldn't make the roads in a car. Uncle Tom had an enclosed sled on runners, and we went to school in that. It was drawn by horses. We all had our own foot warmers. These were pieces of concrete. Uncle Tom would get them real hot and wrap them in a gunny sack to hold the heat. At least our feet were warm. There were heavy quilts we threw over our legs, and laps - often they were over our heads - just to keep warm going the 4 miles to school. All ten of us children were in school at one time! Dad played at barn dances -wore out 7 accordions, also could play the violin and harmonica. Dad would play often on Sunday evening and mother would sing along. He had no teaching, he played by ear. It was beautiful. When I went into nurses training, I was always home sick on Sunday evening. One year Dad built a new kitchen on the house for mother. So we planned a dance to celebrate on the 4th of July. Eleanor's birthday was on the 3rd. We got completely hailed out and Dad didn't have a cent of hail insurance. It was during the depression, and we couldn't afford the premium. Anyway, we were going to call it all off, but I can remember Dad's words so well. He said "Do you think not having your dance is going to bring the crops back? We will have the dance and everyone will have a good time". Everyone did somehow. We survivied! We salvaged a small amount of grain. Dad drove the binder, and I walked behind trying to get what little grain we could into bundles. The Good Lord sure took care of us that year. When I was in 2nd grade,my teacher, Miss Stevens, did all her Xmas shopping at a local drug store, and won the most beautiful doll I ever had. I had admired that doll for months through the window. My Uncle Frank told me I won after the church when we picked up the horses and open sleigh to go home. I was so excited I had no idea my teacher would have given me the doll. Those days teachers could not get married and she had no children. When I was in the 4th grade, I got scarlet fever. I can remember because we were quarantined for 3 months before everyone got it and recovered. Uncle Tom would do the milking so we could sell our cream to get butter and eggs. It really put us back in school, but we all studied hard and passed our grade. When I was 9, I spent my summer visiting Grandpa and Grandma Flottemesch in Callaway. They paid me a penny a day, and I got paid every week. I felt rich! Times were hard. One year after potato picking, Dad raked the vines and said whatever was left, which we had missed, we could have. I remember we got enough to buy a bicycle. When I was a freshman in high school, we got enough potatoes to buy our first radio. What a day that was. We really had something. We were so proud. Written in the 1990's by Kay Mullen I don't remember Grandpa Flottemesch very well. Grandma was kind to me, but I had to get up early in the morning to help get breakfast, and get my uncles off to work. I helped in the garden during the day. Every afternoon I got an hour off to do whatever I wanted - I would play with the animals. I always had to keep the separator washed and clean, and the well house clean. Every Monday Uncle Herman or Uncle Joe would go for groceries. They always brought me a nickels worth of candy. I remember mother always going out to the garden every afternoon about one or two o'clock to weed. Always in the hottest part of the day. Maybe it was best, the weeds would melt! I had to help when the seed onions and carrots came up. I would weed the rows with a table fork, so as not to pull up the plants. During canning season she was always busy . I remember cutting corn off the cob, enough for about one hundred quarts!. She would get the cabbage ready and I sliced it in the fall into crock jars in the unfinished basement. I worked in the fields in June and July. I remember on day we were putting up hay. It was 100 degrees and 100% humidity! Just a little warm!. I and Chris generally started school in October rather than September - after potato picking time. My senior year in high school, I got on 'Federal Aid". I worked in the school library every day taking care of the 1-6 grades. Got $3.00 a month! Felt rich!. Made enough to buy my class ring. $16.00. Note: I am very grateful to Kay for writing her autobiography. I asked all the brothers and sisters to do the same, but she is the only one who took time to let our future family know about her life. * * * * * * * *