Pike Township Family Stories
PAUL AND ADELINE BRENNEMAN
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, page 277
By Adeline BrennemanIn March 1912 my father, Albert Rathjen and his wife, Alvena Rathjen, and their four little girls moved on this place where I now [1984] live. The little girls were Neola Rathjen, Ella Rathjen, Wilma Rathjen and me, Adeline Rathjen. Later on other children joined the family, Elmer Louis Rathjen (deceased), Marie Rathjen, Emil Rathjen, Donald Rathjen and Willard Rathjen. Dad farmed on this same piece until he had a sale and he and Mother moved to Durant in 1945.
My folks were both of German descent. In fact, my oldest sister, Neola Rathjen, spoke German when she started to school. We all went to Willow Grove school until the eighth grade. Some of my teachers that I recall were Alvina Kirchner, Faye Hummel and Ethel Chown. We always walked the mile to school. It was rare that we were taken; it had to be pretty bad weather.
I guess our growing up years were pretty uneventful. Everyone had to help, and since the oldest were girls, we helped in the field with horses. I imagine any of us could harness and hitch up a team yet. I know I could.
I can remember when Dad got one of the first Waterloo Boy tractors. I don’t know what year that was, but it sure was the beginning of a new way of farming. He also put in a Delco light system, which weren’t too popular those days. He always worried about us kids and lanterns.
Our growing up years experienced the same things in that time: threshing, corn husking, silo filling, shocking grain. We always churned butter (Mother sold butter to customers in Nichols for years) and baked all the bread we used. No one ever thought of buying a loaf of bread.
Since it is nearing Christmas when I write this, we never knew about Christmas trees. Oh! We always had a tree. Dad would cut a big branch off a pine tree, fasten it up in a corner and we decorated it. It was always beautiful.
My folks passed away in 1964.
On 31 January 1930 I married Paul Brenneman. His parents were Jesse Brenneman and Elsie Brenneman. Our first home after we married was where Paul’s folks lived. We lived there 23 years. We had four girls: Wanda Brenneman (Mrs. Melvin Campbell), Lola Ann Brenneman (Mrs. Dale Buesing), Loretta Brenneman (Mrs. Jack Meyers) and Virginia Brenneman (Mrs. Gary Swartzendruber). We have 15 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Our three oldest girls went to Buffalo Bluff school until the school closed. Paul was director of that school for several years. The parents and teachers promoted a hot lunch program. We took turns making the dinner and taking it to school at noon. Lois Orr was the teacher then. I don’t remember how many years we did that.
Virginia Brenneman started to school in Nichols. The three oldest girls went through high school in Nichols. Virginia only went two years, then she finished her last two years in Lone Tree.
I guess a noteworthy event would be when we got electricity. My, that was a happy day!
We bought this place (my folks’ place), and we still live here.
When we got to talking, the girls thought the highlight of their young lives was going to town every Wednesday and Saturday night. We didn’t think of not going. Everyone was there. The ladies mostly gathered in Shafer’s Store. The men usually were at the garage and, if the weather was good, on the street. We shouldn’t forget the band concerts. They were enjoyed by all.
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