Recipes for Living Warren and Sue Keeler

Warren and Sue invite readers to take an imaginary trip with them to Italy. This is Warren's account: Once again Clarke County made Gold Star because of the work of many county Farm Bureau members, and this enabled Sue and me to take part in the IFBF (Iowa Farm Bureau Federation) presidents' incentive trip to Italy.

On March 3, 2004, eighty Farm Bureau members from Omaha, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids, arrived in Chicago, where we boarded an Alitalia flight to Milan, Italy. We arrived in Milan about 8:10 Wednesday morning, after a flight of some eight hours and a time change of seven hours.

After clearing immigration and customs, we boarded one of two tour buses, depending on whether we had been assigned to the "Red" or "Green" group. Our group· would be led by IFBF staff person, Alice Mercer, while the other group was led by Joel Severinghaus. Much credit goes to these two for the planning and coordination that made this a wonderful experience. During the week, we would also be escorted by our Italian interpreters, Giovanna Campagnolo and Daniela Pellegrini, who would help with communications at our various stops and hotels.

From Milan we headed for the city of Cremona on the Po River. Much of our travels the first three days would be in the broad, flat expanse of the Po River Valley. This is a prime agricultural region of Italy, yet I never really had the feeling of being in the open countryside as we experience it in most of Iowa. This is also a major industrial area and interspersed with the farm land would be industrial, commercial, and residential developments strung out between the towns and cities. I suppose you would call it urban sprawl.

Our first tour was COFA, near Cremona. I can't say what the letters stand for in Italian, but it is an artificial insemination dairy cattle stud farm. An official of the firm explained how the districts and regions of Italy were collecting data on the dairy herds and milk production for the purpose of improving the dairy industry and the work of his company toward the same end.

There wasn't a lot to see at the actual facility, but we had a chance to get a closer look at the farm land we had been traveling through. Their seasons are the same as ours and there was a fair amount of last year's com stubble and a lot of new green growth, which I took to be wheat. Also, there was a lot of ground that had been plowed, evidently with reversible plows, as there was no evidence in any of the fields of back or dead furrows. The plowed earth had a strong yellow color to it, not the black soil common to Iowa. This is not to say it was poor soil, just different.

After a group lunch in Cremona, we continued toward the city of Brescia with the next stop being a tour of il Baitone pig farm. This was a 2,000 sow confinement operation with finishing facilities located elsewhere. The company also is a leading manufacturer of hog equipment such as farrowing crates, ventilation and heating equipment, etc., though not at the site we visited. There were several buildings housing sows with litters, feed storage facilities, and above ground cement manure pits. The farm guide indicated complaints from neighbors over odors were not a problem as this was a rural area. At least from what we were able to see, it appeared a lot like confinement operations here, except the entrance was nicely landscaped and there was a very attractive living area and visitor/business center.

From the Bresia area we drove to Verona and the Grand Hotel, where we would spend our first three nights in Italy. After an excellent group dinner at the hotel, we settled in for some much needed sleep.

Thursday began with a visit to Fieragricola, or agricultural fair. Verona has a large complex of buildings and open spaces where it holds ag fairs on a regular basis, showcasing both livestock and machinery. The visit began with a meeting of Italian ag officials and a "working" farmer. We were told that a few young people are entering agriculture with 60 years of age being common. The typical farm is quite small, five to ten acres, but the farmer who spoke to us had managed to pull together 2,000 acres, although he did not own it all. He grew corn, soybeans, wheat, and sugar beets, using some irrigation. Land is expensive and the typical small farm, he pointed out, cannot earn enough with these crops. They produce high value crops, such as grapes that can give a higher return per acre. Most farmers do not own their own big machinery, such as combines.

This was a very large international exposition and time did not permit seeing it all. I concentrated on the machinery areas. Common tractor companies were in evidence: Case IH, New Holland, Massey Ferguson, John Deere, McCormick, and Caterpillar were all there. There were some fair sized models but I did not see any of the really big tractors we see here. I saw one tractor manufactured by an Italian company. Other equipment was dominated by European companies with unfamiliar names. Tillage and haying equipment were much in evidence. A lot of the tillage equipment was power takeoff driven and mold board plows were very common. It was a very interesting experience as was getting lunch from one of the many vendors. Many do not speak English and we don't speak Italian.

We concluded the day with a walking tour of Verona. This is a large city in northeast Italy and known for its rich Roman heritage. Old city walls were in evidence and there is a large coliseum in the heart of the city - not as big as the one in Rome, but a very impressive ruin left from ancient times. This is also the city of Shakespeare’s fictional characters, Romeo and Juliet, and we saw Juliet's balcony during the tour. Several of us went to the top of a bell tower for a panoramic view of the city. This was a very impressive sight with the coliseum very evident in a sea of red tile roofs.

The next day, Friday, we went to Venice. On the way to Venice, on the Adriatic Sea, we passed through a range of low mountains. Here the crop land we had been seeing in the Po valley gave way to terraced hillsides covered with vineyards. As we approached Venice we passed through a highly industrial area of factories, rail yards, and in the distance, huge cranes used for loading and unloading ships. After crossing a causeway, we came to the end of the road. Venice is a city of canals and we had to leave our buses to board water taxis for the final approach to the old city. Venice is truly an amazing place and neither words nor pictures can explain it adequately. All travel is by foot or some sort of boat as there are no roads, only canals. Built on some 118 islands, there are 400 bridges, and water comes up to the foundations of many of the buildings. We were treated to one of the famous gondola rides through the often narrow canals and then had free time to wander the sidewalks of the city. A highlight was St. Mark's square and a visit to the Basilica of St. Mark, a magnificent Byzantine church. It is said the remains of St. Mark are in the church.

Alice Mercer had plans to take the train from Venice to Milan to meet the next Farm Bureau tour that would be arriving. She suggested anyone who wanted to experience an Italian train for about 10 euro could join her as far as Verona, rather than ride the bus back. Several of us took advantage of this opportunity. As luck would have it, our particular train got stalled for about an hour at one of the towns along the way. We never did know just what happened but it was an interesting experience just the same.

Following the tour, we stopped for lunch at a shopping mall in Parma, with a little time for shopping. This was an enclosed mall with a variety of stores, but by U.S. standards, it seemed dated. Not anything like Valley West Mall, for example.

In the afternoon we toured another value added enterprise near Parma, the Prosciutto di Parma ham factory, Quattro Stagioni. The cheese and ham produced in the Parma area are linked; left over whey from the cheese making is fed to the hogs, along with cereal. Like the cheese, the Parma ham name is controlled by a consortium and only hams produced in a very specific geographic area of Italy, and meeting rigid standards, can carry the name. Such hams carry a premium price. We were told this small region is just right for aging the hams due to the nearby mountains and sea. This produces just the right kind of air for the aging process. It is also the traditional area for this type of ham production. I don't know which is the most important - tradition or the air. The hams are all natural with salt the only preservative. After aging up to two years, they are tested, and if they do not meet consortium standards, they are sold as Italian ham, not Parma ham, with a significant difference in price. This was considered a small factory, producing 1200 hams a year, with five or six workers.

Following the Parma Ham tour, we continued toward Florence. The route we followed took us through the edge of Bologna where we turned south and quickly began the assent of the Appennine Mountains. It was getting dark as we headed into the mountains and a light rain that had been falling turned to a heavy wet snow as we gained altitude. It was quite pretty even in the gathering darkness. This was a winding expressway with a great number of tunnels and considerable traffic. Upon cresting the mountain ridge the snow became rain again as we continued on to Florence where we would spend the night.

The next morning, Sunday, we walked several blocks in a light rain to Galleria dell' Accademia to see Michelangelo's famous statue, David. On the way we passed the Duomo, Florence's cathedral, a magnificent building inlaid with colored marble. At the Galleria we were able to view, briefly, a number of works of art including other Michelangelo sculptures, but 17- foot tall David was clearly the high point of the museum, and one of the true highlights of the trip. With a bit of free time, we were also able to visit the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. This bridge was built in 1345 and is lined with jewelry and gold shops.

Leaving Florence, we headed for Rome with a planned stop at the Pompano Carolina dairy farm on the way. It was not to be. When we arrived at the gate to enter the property, the bus driver would not drive into a large water filled section of the road. An alternate route was tried but eventually we had to leave the narrow paved road and turn down an unpaved one. It had been raining all day but the first quarter of a mile or so was passable. Then it became clear the bus could not continue on the dirt road, which by now was mud. After much discussion between the host farmer, the bus drivers, and our leaders, the decision was made to cancel the farm tour. Never in my wildest imagination could I have thought of a situation like this: Sue and I sitting in a tour bus, on a mud road, in the heart of Italy, surrounded by sheep pastures. I laughed out loud at the situation. I felt bad for the Italian host farmer who had planned on our touring his farm and I think it would have been an interesting experience for us. It was an interesting drive, however, as we were able to get off the expressway and see some very rural and very beautiful Italian countryside: sheep grazing, vineyards, farmsteads on winding narrow roads with mountains all around in the distance.

It was dark when we finally reached Rome and our hotel. Monday morning began with a guided tour of the Vatican. The line to get in was about four blocks long, but it moved steadily and soon we were inside the Vatican. We visited the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel with its famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo, and St. Peter's Basilica complete with Michelangelo's Pieta. The whole experience was remarkable.

Our Rome tour continued with a visit to the incredible Coliseum, Constantine's Arch, and a view of the Forum, plus other ancient Roman ruins. We also visited the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are in an upscale area where we had time to wander the narrow streets and at least window shop at the expensive shops. That evening we had a delightful farewell dinner complete with live Italian music. It was a fun and fitting end to a great week.

We spent a second night in Rome and on Tuesday began the long trip home, first flying from Rome to Milan, then to Chicago and Des Moines. It was a wonderful experience and Sue and I want to express our appreciation to all who made it possible: our county board and those who served on committees during the year, our agents Craig Fetters and Robert Reasoner, Office Administrator Leola Boyce, and Regional Manager Rex Hoppes. Their hard work made Clarke a Gold Star county.

We are very grateful for the timing of the trip because almost exactly 24 hours after getting home, I developed an intense pain just below the sternum. I tried to ignore it but finally told Sue, "I've got to go to the hospital" I went into the emergency room, where three shots in the hip got the pain under control, and they suggested I see my regular doctor. Because the pain went away, I didn't go immediately, but I knew something wasn't right. When I finally went, they discovered the problem was my gall bladder. I also had a hietal hernia, but it was determined that the gall bladder needed to be removed. In these days, they don't make a big incision. They just did four little holes, and went in with a camera - an intricate procedure that I don't understand, and didn't need to. It wasn't a big deal, but a few days later I had more attacks with intense pain, and that was not supposed to happen.

To make a long story short, I ended at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines for two nights. They discovered leakage and said there are two kinds people sometimes get, maybe 5% of the time. Not only was I one of the 5% but I was told, "Never do we have a person that gets two kinds of leaks, and you have them both." They had to put in a stent to take care of one, and a drain in my side until the other one healed by itself. The complications were worse than the original surgery, and it took some time for me to get my strength back. I am feeling great. Overall, it was quite an ordeal, undoubtedly harder on Sue than me. At one time she was sure I was having a heart attack, but it never did seem like that to me. There are several aspects of this to be thankful for: that we were home instead of overseas, that we have the hospital facility to take care of the emergency, and that even though there were complications, I have returned to health.

I am also grateful for the opportunity to make the trip. This is because our local Farm Bureau members are willing to meet some pretty challenging goals, which qualify us to go. Sue and I had another trip, a year ago, to Belgium. We didn't reach the goals this year, so we will not be going to Argentina, but I never dreamed that I would get to Europe and now I've been there twice.

My family also traveled. Ever since I was a little kid, whenever it was financially possible, we took trips. We went to California because Mom's family is there, and to Colorado.

We have been to Alaska a couple times - one time when my parents, my brother, and I went, we drove the highway, when it was still gravel. That was quite an adventure. The last time we were there was 1993, the year of the flood. We flew that time - Sue and I and our younger son, before he was married. All the time I was teaching, I wanted to take a fall vacation and couldn't do that, but the first fall after I retired, we drove to New England, to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine to see the leaves. I like to go by car and see the country. My goal is to visit all 50 states. I haven't made it yet, but I've been to a good share of them.

Last December, Sue and I, our younger son, Bert, and his wife, Jen, flew to Las Vegas, rented a car and drove to the Grand Canyon. We hiked to the bottom of the canyon and spent a couple nights down there, then hiked back out. That was something I'd wanted to do for years, and it was a highlight. The canyon is about a mile deep, but it is a lot longer hiking because it is necessary to zigzag. It took about five hours to get down. To get out, we started before sun-up and hiked all day. It took about nine hours. It was a long day but an incredible adventure. There were a lot more people than I expected taking this trail, particularly since it was December. We had to arrange long in advance to get lodging at the bottom of the canyon. We didn't know it would be that busy in the wintertime, but it was a good time to go because it wasn't so hot. The weather was cold. It snowed the night before, which made walking - not treacherous - but you needed to be cautious. It became gradually warmer as we descended, and it was jacket weather at the bottom.

The Keeler and Hall family histories have deep roots in Clarke and Decatur Counties. The farthest back I can go on the Keeler side is John Wesley Keeler, who was born in Ohio, served in the Civil War in the Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and moved to Decatur County. In the early part of the twentieth century, his son, Bert, my grandfather, bought the farm where my folks still live, so we are coming close to being a Century Farm.

The farm that belonged to the Hall family is a Century Farm. That is where my uncle Morris Keeler and Aunt Leah live. That goes back to about 1860 or 1861 when my great grandfather, Ben Hall, bought the farm. At that time, there was nothing there but a log cabin. The land is in both Clarke and Decatur counties, but the home is in Clarke County.

Ben's daughter, Della, married Bert Keeler. Della and Bert bought the farm where my folks still live, next to where Ben lived. Della would be my father's mother. Ben Hall had a son, Charlie Hall, who died with no children, so the two nephews, Morris and Wayne, inherited the Hall land, and I farm part of it, along with the home place. Dad's sister, Lois Murrow, has land inherited from the Keelers, so all of that is part of the operation. I enjoy realizing I have a connection with some family ground that goes back over 100 years. I do all the cropping on about 350 acres more or less. This spring (2004), rain delayed my work.

Our son, Wesley, is doing research about John Wesley Keeler and has found that he was with General Thomas, a part of the western army of General Sherman. He was at Chickamauga, for example, but he did not go south. General Thomas was sent north to protect the rear area when Sherman made his famous (or infamous) march through Georgia. I have John Wesley's discharge papers framed and hanging on a wall.

Mother's side has a relationship to the Wallaces, definitely Scottish. We like to think we are related to “Brave Heart," Sir William Wallace, even though nobody can prove it. He was a Scottish hero who fought for independence against the British. This goes back to the middle ages. We don't know exactly when, but at some time the Wallaces came to America. Mother's father died when she was quite young and her mother raised the children. Mother's four brothers and sister all went to California about 1940, the Depression era.

I was born on July 14, 1943, and was raised on the farm where the folks still live. I went to Weldon to school through eighth grade and came to Osceola when the name was still Osceola High School. The next year they consolidated and it became Clarke Community. I graduated and went to Iowa State, with the goal of becoming a social studies teacher. My major was history. Upon graduating I spent four years teaching in the small town of Boxholm in Boone County.

By that time, I was married. I began dating Sue Spencer when I was a senior in high school, and Sue was a year behind me. She had grown up near Woodburn and went to high school at Clarke. A funny story is that a friend and I were going to double date, but I was turned down. My friend knew Sue and "fixed us up.” I never dated another girl after that. We were married in 1964, when I was a senior in college. When we moved to Osceola in 1969, we rented until 1973 or '74, when we bought the house where we still live on McLane Street.

After four years in my first teaching position, there was an opening for a social studies teacher in Clarke Community. I applied and was hired so a brief summary of my teaching career is a total of 33 years, 29 in Clarke Community, before I decided to take advantage of an IPERS offer (Iowa Public Employees Retirement System) and retired. I actually don't consider myself retired - rather, farming is my second career. I started on a small scale in the mid '70s. This was on my aunt's ground, 160 acres. Dad was ready to slow down a little and when I retired, I took on the rest of the home place. I'm having a good time. We could get by on my IPERS and Sue's work at Osceola Drug. That takes the pressure off. Everybody knows farming is up and down, so it is nice when that endeavor makes a little money, too.

When our first son was born, we named him Wesley by accident. We didn't know there was a Wesley in the family. He is married and has a daughter, Anna, who has just turned five. His wife, Alberta, works part-time in a bookkeeping-type of job. They live in Des Moines and he works at Principal.

Wesley has gotten deeply into the history and reenactment of the Civil War. He has done some traveling in that regard. Antietam is one of places they have gone. They are not allowed to reenact the battles on federal property because of the danger of contaminating the archeological sites. But they keep it pretty authentic, dressing in Civil War uniforms, carrying the heavy old muskets and rifles.

It has been interesting to read the history of the war, which seems to be quite different depending on whether it is the 'northern or southern version. In the latter, the North is thought of as invaders, whereas we think of ourselves as preservers and slave freers. In the '60s Sue had an uncle who was an engineer connected with the space program. His name was Grant, and he was assigned to Mississippi. His wife tried to find a job, and someone asked her if she really thought a Yankee named Grant would get job in Mississippi.

I've also had an interest in the Civil War, and have a small library of writings about it. I've been fascinated as well by the American Revolution. In general, however, I just love history, and that was another aspect of our trip to Italy that made it more fun for me. I am weakest in Asian and African history. I am more knowledgeable about Western Civilizations.

Our younger son, Bert, named after my brother, who was killed in Viet Nam, lives in Bondurant. His wife, Jen, works for the Blood Bank of Iowa. Bert is employed by Fisher Controls in Marshalltown.

I was a Boy Scout as I was growing up and am still involved - not as much locally as earlier, but I'm on the District Board of Review for Eagle Scouts. I also represent the Christian Church as we sponsor the local pack of Cub Scouts. That means we provide a place for them to meet and make sure they have adequate leadership. In this area, it has not been a problem. They have been a pretty strong pack, and have found their own leadership. I was a Scout Master or held other positions for probably more than 30 years, so I've done my share of camping out in the ram.

Gene Powell and I worked together for a long time. He was my mentor. He was involved in Scouting until his death in 2000. His wife, Betty, has placed a plaque in his memory at Little River Lake near Leon. It has his picture, a review of his years in Scouting, beginning in 1966, and a list of the boys he helped to their Eagle Scout status while he was Scout Master. There are twelve points in the Scout law (a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful...") but Gene started a tradition of asking, "What is the 13th point?" The answer is: "A Scout is hungry." Becoming an Eagle Scout is quite an achievement. It requires several years, earning 20 some merit badges, planning and executing significant projects that benefits the community and church, or something of that nature. We have evidence of their work, particularly at East Lake Park, where they have built trails, bridges, steps up to the dam, etc.

Two boys became Eagle Scouts prior to Gene's leadership: Burt Paul and Jim Edgington. During his tenure, the following boys earned this award: Michael Boehler and J. Martin McCallum, 1965. Both were minister's sons of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches respectively. Others were: Rodney Powell, and Dan Todden, 1968; Doug Van Werden, 1980; John Friday, 1981; Steven Earl Duvall, 1986; Brian Crawford, 1989 Jay Parish, 1990; Jason Powell, 1994; Clint Loghry, 1996; Bryan Lloyd and Ryan Seeberger, 1999; Tyler Henry, 2000. Gene's death occurred in 2000. Nathan Seeberger earned the award in 2002.

I am and have been active in Lions for a good many years. I've been president, secretary, and had other jobs. I've been pretty proud of what they have done for the community, throughout the states, and world wide, in their support of research for the benefit of the blind.

The Christian church is important in my life. I have served as an elder, sing in the choir, and beginning in July, I will be head of the property committee, but I have also been a trustee and board chairperson. I was raised to believe in giving back to community.