On my Mom’s birthday and ‘Grandma’s Memories’ - Part II

Last Saturday, April 17, we celebrated the 87^th birthday of my mother, Marcella Kloeckner. The occasion seemed like a good time to share with our Indy readers some memories of her early life that my mom had written about in 1998. This is the second part of ‘Grandma’s Memories’; Part I appeared in last week’s Random Notes column.

The conclusion of Grandma’s Memories begins with a very auspicious event in my mother’s life – and, as it turns out, in my life, too - the first time she met Clemens Kloeckner – her future husband and my father.

Grandma’s Memories – Part II

Howard Martens owned Forest Hill Store at that time and he sponsored the Riley softball team. Nearly everyone in the area went to the games on Sunday afternoons. They played in the field across the road on the south side of the store. They had good teams, and had big crowds. After the games, everyone went to the store for refreshments. Pop was 10 cents, a big ice cream cone was 10 cents. That was always a fun time. My Dad always went too, and he always let me drive. We had a new Chevy.

Clemens and his brother, Martin, came to the ballgames in a new Ford that his dad had bought in 1935. We ‘sort of’ became acquainted there – talked – but I did not know him that well. I also talked with him at Fowler’s (Most Holy Trinity) parish picnics.

Clemens was born May 7, 1914, at his parent’s home on Centerline Road, Riley Township. He went to Hill School on Centerline Road, about 1-1/2 miles west of his home. Olga Witt was his teacher the last two years. Alfred Mohnke was in the same grade. He went to Holy Trinity Catholic School in Fowler for one year. This was when he was eight or nine years old. He stayed from Monday to Friday with a Kloeckner relative. He had to go to Fowler to write the exam for the eighth grade and he passed.

Then, when it was threshed, men in the mows pitched the bundles out of the mow into the threshing machine. The grain came out on the side into a bag - two bushels in a bag or about 60 pounds. This was carried on their shoulders to the granary and dumped into a bin - then back to the barn and repeat the process. The straw was blown out the other side of the barn and two men were on that side and made it into "straw stacks" which were used for bedding for cows, horses, pigs, etc. Their Dad had both Cem and Martin go to help with this threshing.

At age 18, Clemens was doing all the farming and his Dad had rented more land. Martin was also doing all farm work. Clemens and Martin rented another 40 acres on the corner of Price and Francis - this was theirs for income. They bought a new 1936 Ford together, and started to date and go out. They went to the Forest Hill Store on Sundays when there were ball games, and then became acquainted with "Riley girls." Forest Hill Store was the "hang out" for young and old. I have several camera pictures of the gang.

Margaret Martens (Leona Marten’s sister) worked at the store and she and I had been to dances together at South Riley Grange. She had gone with me to the Fowler picnic. We decided that the next dance there was, we would go to South Riley. Cem and Martin were there – but neither one danced. We got acquainted instead of dancing. So, Cem said he would drive my car home to the Forest Hill Store, and Martin brought Margaret home. We made a date for another time. We went to a few movies – we did see each other every week at the store.

We always went with Doris and Alfred. A year later, Martin was going with Leone, so he bought a new Chevy. Cem bought Martin out on the Ford they had shared, and his Dad bought a new pick-up. We went to many dances. The Young Peoples Society was very active. We put on plays every winter. I was in five different ones - and those were really fun times. We had ice cream socials; picnics at Crystal Lake many times - most went swimming.

We dated for 4-1/2 years, and became engaged Christmas of 1940. We were married Jan. 29, 1941, at the Rectory in Fowler by the priest. Doris and Alfred, and Martin and Leone were the bridal party. My wedding dress cost $10.

We had the wedding dinner here in my home. The bride’s table was in what is now our bedroom. Another table was in what is now our kitchen (called the parlor, then), and a table in what is our living room (then it was a dining room); and what is now the entrance room and bathroom was the kitchen. The woodshed was all cleaned out and that is where the men had beer and played cards. My Dad and Ma had to change their clothes at 5 p.m. and go out and milk the cows and do the other chores - pigs, chickens, sheep. I don’t remember, but assume they probably never got to eat.

Our dance at night was at the Olive Grange Hall. We had an orchestra from Westphalia, and a caller for square dances. About 11 p.m., the men passed sandwiches in clothesbaskets, and we had cake and cookies, and coffee and pop. We also passed out boxed candy and Cem passed out cigars. We were married on a Wednesday - that was the day all weddings were then. The day after the wedding was "clean up day." Cem’s Dad gave us a cow and pig.

We lived with my Mom and Dad at their house on Forest Hill Road for three years. Cem worked with his Dad and Martin the first year. He and Martin bought a team of horses and the second year they farmed Charles Krumm’s farm - 1/2 mile west of us on Pratt Road. He also used my Dad’s tools. The second year we were married he sold his one horse to Martin and bought a used Ford tractor and plow. The third year we were married he bought more tools.

Cheryl Lynn Kloeckner was born July 29, 1941, and Roland Clemens Kloeckner was born June 28, 1942. My Grandma Witt died in February 1942. When the estate was settled, my Dad bought the house "in Forest Hill." They remodeled the inside and had water put in the house. The day they left here to stay there, I cried and Sherry and Rollie waved "good-bye" - they were here again the following day and came nearly every day after they first left.

After they left, my Dad went to work for a meat-packing plant near DeWitt. I don’t remember how long he worked or his wages. The Federal Mogul Plant opened in St. Johns in 1947 and he applied there and worked there several years. My Mother started to help some women with house cleaning.

We went away a lot after Sherry and Rollie were born. Back then, everyone went to visit all their relatives. We went to Alfred and Pauline’s, Martin and Leone’s, Stella and Carl’s and family, and Leone and Don’s (these are all Cem’s brothers and sisters). Raymunda (Cem’s sister) came here and stayed two or three days at a time. We went to Aunt Hannah’s and John’s, Art and Irene’s, Aunt Lillie and Leo’s, Aunt Emma’s and George (these are all Doretta’s brothers and sisters).

All the Krumm family always gathered at Grandma and Grandpa Krumm’s for Christmas. We always had chicken noodle soup; exchanged gifts for $1. All of their nine children, husbands, and grandchildren came here at our house (before we were married) for July 4^th, and had homemade ice cream. Everyone had their own ice cream freezers you turned by hand. The men cut the ice from ponds in the winter and our ice house was a little east of the wood shed. They hauled the ice with big sleds and horses. They had ice hooks to get off the sled and lift it into the shed; then packed sawdust around it to keep it from thawing and by July 4th it was nearly gone. On July 4th we had tables out under the two evergreens on the front lawn.

Cem worked the Krumm farm west of us for two years, and then rented Henry Schrader (120 acres) on Francis Road (1-1/4 miles south of Pratt Road). My Dad had a sale and sold his tractor and implements. Cem bought his own tools. We borrowed money to do that. He had to load the drag on the wagon to transport it to Schrader’s. Francis Road was gravel at that time. He farmed alone, with my help.

I drove tractor and worked the ground up in front of him when he planted. I remember one time I turned too short when I was pulling a drag and almost tipped it over onto the tractor I was driving - what a scare.

He rented the farm for one-half of whatever the grain brought when it was sold. No one rented for cash rent at that time. He was 53 when he gave up renting the farm. We sold the cows, pigs, and chickens soon after that. He had been milking 10 cows; we had 300 chickens. I took crates of eggs (30 dozen in a crate) to Lansing and sold them at a couple of different restaurant places. There were "egg-buyers" who came to the country every week, but we could get more selling them ourselves.

* * *

That’s the conclusion of Grandma’s Memories – not a particularly inspiring ending. But, at the time in 1998 when she wrote down her thoughts – in excellent penmanship - the fact that the ending was so abrupt was not a cause for concern. The premise for her jotting down her recollections of years long ago was to have a record of her early years to give her grandchildren – not to produce a document that would span her entire life.

In hindsight, I wish I would have asked her to expand her ‘walk down memory lane’ to include later years. Today, under the circumstances, there are many ‘memories’ that are lost – we cannot capture them. That is sad.

Still, it’s pleasing to share in the joy she experienced with her friends and family via ‘Grandma’s Memories’ – and to offer it as a tribute of sorts to a truly wonderful lady.