Earl & Helen Putnam

PUTNAM SMEJKAL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/13/2010 at 22:22:19

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Earl and Helen Putnam
By Earl Putnam

Earl Putnam was born in Randolph, Nebraska, June 15, 1904. His father was a farmer and after moving to Texas and back to Nebraska, they operated the Putnam Dairy in Beatrice and Crete, Nebraska. At a young age, Earl and his brothers and sisters worked on the farm and helped run the Dairy business.

On May 11, 1932, he married Helen Smejkal, and they lived in Crete, Helen’s father, John Smejkal, came over form Czechoslovakia at an early age and married Rose Fillipi. He was a railroad man. Helen worked in a grocery store until she was married. She then helped with the dairy and farm work.

Earl and Helen’s first child, Maxine was born while they lived in Crete, November 1, 1934. When she was three months old, they moved to Dakota City, Nebraska, where Earl farmed. Dorothy was born, September 7, 1936, and Margaret was born May 19, 1940. In 1946, they bought the farm in Salix. All three girls graduated from Salix Public School.

Maxine worked in Sioux City, for a short time, and then went to Des Moines, Iowa, where she played basketball and worked for Look Magazine. While there, she met Marlin Heggen and married him and they farmed in Huxley, Iowa. They live in Climbing Hill, Iowa, and have four daughters. Marlin died in 1980. There are three grandsons.

Dorothy works in Omaha, Nebraska, where she met and married Bob Strahan. They now live in Lincoln, Nebraska, and have one daughter and two sons.

At the age of 72, Earl retired from farming due to diabetes. He rents out the land and uses his time for his woodworking hobby. He makes benches, necklaces holders, sewing boards to hold spools, Bible stands, etc. He uses memorable pieces of wood saved, such as the headboard of their first bed, wagon tongues, porch rail posts, and end tables. Paper weights were made from a memorable tree cut down. Anything that can be saved and is good wood and can be used is used.