As the fourth child from a family of eight, I have many memories of living on a farm and belonging to a large family. Of these memories, I particularly recollect that my parents were well organized and assigned each child a job when the child was old enough to do these chores. I remember vividly all the winter chores being done by lantern light with each carrying his own lantern.

Of the eight children, I have stronger memories of Millie and Tillie since were near the same age and were dating at the same time. Brother Walter was just older than we three sisters, and we often took advantage of him by tagging along or getting him to take us places. I also remember that he and Tillie trusted me to cut their hair. Brother Otto, who was just younger, looked up to us. We often helped him with his homework and gave him much of our attention.

When Sister Rachel was a baby, I remember that Mama broke her leg. It was part of my job to take care of Mother. On hot days I was instructed to fan her. One day I got careless and let the fan hit her. When the fan hit her, she was frightened, jumped, and jerked the bone out of place. Because of this jerk, her leg never mended as it should and neither has my conscience.

My first school days were spent at Guggisberg, which was walking distance from home. When I was taking instruction for Confirmation, I attended Zion Lutheran School. This school was five miles away, and we either took the buggy or rode horseback. After completing Confirmation, I went to Kincheloe where they taught through the ninth grade. By this time I was allowed to drive our car. After being out of school for several years, I attended the newly consolidated Five-in-One School, which had recently been made into a high school. A bus route had been established and transportation was easier. I graduated from this school in 1931. While I attended high school, Sister Millie stayed at home and sewed for me. Her sewing kept me in pretty clothes.

I have fond memories of fun gatherings at Grandpa Schoppa's. He had play toys and outdoor recreational equipment. I remember how pleasant it was to have his maids do the cooking. Sometimes they cooked the noodles in the big wash pot outside. Often the men spent a part of each day in the wine cellar.

I also remember the time when we all had the whopping cough. Sister Rachel, who was only two, often coughed until she choked and turned blue. Brother Edward was only an infant and no one was allowed to go in his room. Therefore, a long string was attached to his cradel and by pulling this string we could rock his cradle. Our parents were told that it would help if we drank goat's and horse's (mare's) milk while we had the whopping cough. Consequently, that was our milk for some time.

I also recollect how Papa would send us to the barn to play while another child was born. The oldest child usually went to get the mid-wife, Mrs. Guggisberg, our neighbor. When our youngest brother was born prematurely on Christmas Eve, we children were sent to church with Sister Mary and her date, Paul Graf, as we were all in the Christmas program. This premature baby died 23 days later. I can still remember hearing Papa come to the stairsteps that morning to tell us that our brother had died. They saturated his little body with alcohol or camphor and carried the little casket in the Model-T Ford. When we stopped to get the mail on the way home from the funeral, a large box of medicine that had been ordered for the baby from a distant state had arrived. It was now too late to help.

I can also reminiscence on how we were taken to the cellar when a storm came. The children were instructed to hold hands. Mama would grab the baby and the prayer book. Papa would hold the lantern and carry a bucket of water.

The storing of the wheat in the back bedroom because the price of wheat was low is also one of my memories. We had made a large wheat crop that year and stored it until the price of wheat went up. Whenever I recall this incident, I also remember the time I was driving a team of horses pulling a load of wheat behind Papa's load and got too close to him while we were going down a hill. I ran into his wagon and caused him to lose a lot of wheat. I also recall Sister Millie and I holding sacks at the thresher to catch the grain during harvest.

Many fond memories center on Christmas. A few days before Christmas, Papa and two or three of us children would go to the forest to cut our tree. Then we would decorate it with pretty homemade cookies, popcorn strung on a long thread, paper chains made in different colors, apples, and candy. After Christmas we would eat from the tree until all the goodies were gone.

Early on Christmas Eve, Santa would deliver packages of clothing on the north porch so could all have new clothes for the Christmas program we were in that night. During Christmas week, Papa would read us an interesting book. While he read, most of us sat on the floor around the big potbellied stove. When he got sleepy, we would go to Mama, say our prayers, and go to bed. A family tradition on New Year's Eve was Papa's playing and singing "Auld Lang Syne."

I met my lover boy in 1929. I was only his Sunday date, as he dated others during the week, and so did I. This game went on for two years. After that we decided that we were meant for each other and we went together three more years before we got married on August 19, 1933. We went on a two-week honeymoon trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Since I had never been away from our large family, I got homesick and cried.

We lived with his parents the first five years. They were lovely people, and I adored them. Robbie, our firstborn, arrived on January 1, 1935, her Grandmother Streit's 61st birthday. When Grandfather Streit's health began to fail, they moved to Vernon in June, 1938. The next month on July 19, our daughter Kay was born. Eight years later our son Don was born, much to the happiness of his sisters and to us.

In 1958 we celebrated our 25th anniversary by building a new home. This same year our daughter Kay married James Smith, and Robbie and Bill Jeter presented us with our first grandchild.

Now 44 years later, we have five grandchildren--Lyn and Susan Jeter; Lee Ann and Chancey Smith, and Dedrick Streit, son of Don and his lovely wife Joni.

Reprinted from The Otto and Alvene Obenhaus Family History compiled by their children April, 1977 pages 32-34.

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