Fred Albert Sands

SANDS KETELSEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/14/2010 at 21:43:48

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Fred Albert Sands
By Catherine Sands

Fred Albert Sands was born April 12, 1910, at Danbury, Iowa, southeast of Anthon. Fred was married to me, Catherine Margarethe Ketelsen, April 12, 1937, in Sioux City, Iowa, by Judge Rice. I was born and raised on my parents’ farm two miles west of Anthon.

Fred and I have farmed in Anthon-Moville area all our lives. We now live in town, Moville, Iowa.

We have four children, thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Christian ‘Chris’ Henry Sands, born January 21, 1938, married Kathryn ‘Kathy’ Myrtle Shever. Chris works at Iowa Beef Packers in Denison and Kathy works at Dubuque Packing Co in Denison. They live in Schleswig, Iowa. Their children are: Kirby Ray Sands, born March 30, 1962; Kimberly Kay Sands, born August 3, 1963; Karla Sue Sands, born January 8, 1965; Khristy Mae Sands, born May 6, 1966. Two of their children are married. Kimberly married September 1, 1979, to David Lee McFarland, and to this union was born, David ‘Michael’ Michael McFarland, April 2, 1981. They live in Boulder, Colorado. Kimberly does housecleaning and Dave does refrigeration work. Karla was married June 25, 1983, to Michael ‘Mike’ Joseph Nowatzke. They live in Odebolt, Iowa, and Mike works at Dubuque, Iowa, and Mike works at Dubuque Packing Co. in Denison, Iowa.

John Jens Sands, born September 14, 1941, married Beverly ‘Bev’ Van Dusen, October 2, 1965. They have three children: Kevin Lee Sands, born March 26, 1966; Tammy Kay Sands, born January 29, 1967; and Lorie Ann Sands, born March 6, 1973. John and Bev are self-employed, running J and J Products, a clothing store and John also sew aprons for packing plants and tarps for trucks or covers. They live in Tarkio, Missouri.

Fred Lyle Sands was born January 31, 1944, and married Sharon Elaine Spink, September 22, 1962. They have farmed in the Kingsley-Pierson areas and are now farming and living in Moville, Iowa. Sharon is employed at IGA Grocery Store for Moville, Iowa. They are the parents of four children: Tracy Allen Sands, born June 11, 1963; Todd Michael Sands, born August 28, 1965; Trudi Sharnelle Sands, born January 23, 1967; and Tara Jo Sands, born December 7, 1979.

Catherine ‘Cathy’ Ann Sands, born February 16, 1947, was married October 14, 1967, to Bruce Alan Svendsen. They were divorced in March 1982. They are the parents of two children: Catherine ‘Kit’ Mildred Svendsen, born April 12, 1969; and Curtis ‘Curt’ Jay Svendsen, born December 29, 1970. Cathy works at the Morningside Care Center in Ida Grove, Iowa. Bruce is self-employed contractor in Ida Grove.

Fred and I bought our first farm in the fall of 1941 for $80.00 an acre. Fred Lyle Sands and family are now living on the farm. We exchanged farm work with the neighbors at threshing and haying time. Used horses for farm work, when we started farming and later on we used tractors.

We had running water in the house in the fall of 1943, but used the outhouse ‘toilet’ until 1948 when we had one installed in the house. Used anything from old catalogs, papers and peach wrapping paper instead of toilet paper.

We used kerosene lamps for lights in the house until electricity was installed in 1949. When we went outside we used kerosene lanterns.

Heating our houses was done with a pot-belly stove; we always had to put in coal, wood or cobs. I cooked on a cook stove which used wood and cobs also.

We hatched our chickens with setting hens ‘clucks’, putting twelve eggs more or less, depending on the size of hen.

Picked corn by hand instead of a corn picker or combine. Then unloaded it all with a scoop shovel. Now they use elevators and augers.

Washed clothes with a wood wash machine that had no motor, but had a handle that had to be pushed and pulled back and forth to agitate the clothes clean, also used scrub board and rinse tub. I also ironed clothes with what they call a sad iron; had to heat it on the cook stove.

The children had to walk one mile to country school, depending on where they lived; now a school bus comes by the farm and takes the children to school in town.

We had no hard surface roads, and had to drive in mud when it was bad weather.

Milked cows by hand, later we got milking machines. Separated the milk with a cream separator. We made our own butter out of cream and sold the rest.

These were considered the good old days.