Rapid Robert Feller Museum

This picture was taken in the Bob Feller Museum at Van Meter, IA when Elaine, Brother Don and Gladys stopped there on our way home from Tomah, WI. This morning's Omaha World-Herald carried a story on the Museum being converted to the Van Meter City Hall. It is a striking example of "fleeting fame".  Feller was an "All Star" pitcher for the Cleveland Indians back in the glory years of Major League Baseball. He gained National attention as a 17-year old HS student in 1936 when he made his Major League debut.  In 1938 he set a record of striking out 18 in a 9- inning game. He pitched the first of his 3 no-hitters on opening day in 1940, the year he won 27 games. His career was interrupted by over 4 years of service in the U.S.Navy during WWII for which he was awarded 8 battle stars. He resumed his career with the Indians in '46, retired after the '56 season having led the league in strikeouts 7 times; and,  was voted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1962. His architect son Stephen, designed the Museum in their home town where Bob had grown up on a 360 Ac. family farm. The Museum opened on June 10, 1995 and was visited frequently by Bob, family members, celebrities and sports fans. However, following Bob's death from Leukemia on 12/15/10 at the age of 92, visitors dropped off dramatically and it was closed earlier this year. Some of the memorabilia will remain in the building following its transfer to the city and other provided to the Cleveland Indians Charity. 

Owens Youngsters

We got out to visit the Owens family this morning and Elaine finished feeding Jack. He surprised us with how he had grown since we saw him a week or so ago. Julie says he typically wakes up twice during the night and expects to be fed. Some of us "older" people also get up a couple times during the night but she says the feeding takes quite a bit longer than going to the bathroom. She is looking and feeling better every time we see her. Carolyn spends a lot of time helping with everything while John is at work. Even at 3-weeks Jack appears to be of a much different personality than Sadie. He seems to be of a much lighter  complexion and a lot quieter in his disposition but he's still young. 

Sadie continues to learn and do new things. She and Grandma Carolyn do a lot of food preparation.  I was surprised to see her take a egg out of the carton, crack it open on the counter top, put it in the glass dish and stir it for a scrambled egg. I was a pretty big guy before I even tried to crack an egg, and when I did, it seems that some egg shell ended up in the skillet. She has a toy that will sing a song when a certain button is pushed. It is one of her favorites because she can sing right along with it. They have a bird feeder just outside their living room window which she enjoys watching. Elaine mentioned to her that we had a Red Breasted Woodpecker on one of our trees the other day. I don't think she was familiar with the word but enjoyed walking around saying "Woodpecker", 'Woodpecker" just as well as anyone could say it. Her mind works like a fly trap and anything she hears "sticks to it". 

Grandfather Walker

This picture of the Seward County (NE) Courthouse and Civil War statue is from a postcard which I've sold on eBay. It was  taken some years ago judging by the size of the tree and a few other "landmarks". The flagpole was taken off the top of the dome because of damage to the structure and the landscape plantings have been replaced. For some years our Soil Conservation Office was in the area with the two lower windows to the left of the statue. My desk was in front of the furthest left one. Among my memories are of watching my Grandfather Walker walk along the sidewalk toward his home a couple blocks away. He would spend every afternoon with his card playing friends in a neighborhood tavern and walk past with his cane about 4:30pm. On one occasion, my boss asked if I noticed that old man who walked by on a regular schedule. He was  surprised when I told him that it was my Grandfather. While we would visit the Grandparents occasionally and had many demands on our time with job, family, etc.; the thought never occurred to me that I could have slipped out and told Grandpa how I enjoyed seeing him walk by and of the many happy memories he brought to mind of staying with them when I was a youngster. He died within the next year without my ever having expressed my feelings--I hope he understood. 

CNB & T Ag Appreciation Dinner

Jeff Kurrus, wildlife photographer and writer for the Nebraskaland Magazine provided the program for the Cattle National Bank and Trust Farmer Appreciation Dinner this evening. Kurrus calls himself a "non-native native" of the State after coming here 8 years ago from Tennessee. He has teamed up with Michael Forsberg in writing two Children's books on wildlife. Forsberg was the speaker at the event last year. Kurrus is more concerned with the story and Forsberg the picture.

Kurrus is shown here with Brad Wagner, CNB & T Ag Loan Officer who MC'd the evenings activities. He has just drawn out Ryan Ihde's name as the winner of 2 tickets to the Nebraska - Minnesota football game in Lincoln on Saturday. It was a great evening. A Smoked Pork Chop dinner was catered by Pack n Sav for the large crowd of Ag customers and others. We had occasion to visit with many friends. Even the pleasure of introducing some folks who knew of each other but had never met. We had some interesting discussion after the program was over about the practice of planting cover crops into early harvested  corn fields to add to the "pasturing" of cow-calf herds. Spring calves come off as 900 pounders ready for the feedlot. 

Florence and Tony

This is my Mother and Dad on Christmas Day 1997 when they had driven down to our house for Dinner. I came across the picture this afternoon while going through some things and realized they were about the age then that I am now. They were both gone within 3 years but at this time and for some time following, they enjoyed life & the independence of their own home. They enjoyed their extended family, friends and neighbors right up to the end. Church and related activities were a major part of their social life. They lived in a very nice neighborhood where everyone took pride in their homes and yards. 

After KiTone practice I visited with a neighbor who sings with us and  lived next door to them for several years. He told of Mother bringing over fresh cupcakes as they were moving in and how much pride Dad always had in his yard. He also said they spent a lot of time setting out on their front "porch" enjoying the neighborhood. I have told him earlier how much the folks enjoyed them and their other neighbors. Dad always spoke of him as the Professor. (PhD at Concordia).  While I always recognized my folks as models for many things, it wasn't until I approached their age that I realize they were also a model for advanced years.

Clarence and I Cutting Hedge Posts

This picture was taken in March  of 1951. Clarence Schmidt, with whom I worked with the Soil Conservation Service and I agreed with Lee Jeffreys  to trim up this half mile row of Osage Orange (Hedge) trees that he had bulldozed out. Many "hedge rows" were planted in this area when the land was homesteaded to meet some of the requirements and also provide a "living fence". It made great wildlife habitat for Quail, Pheasants, Rabbits, etc. This row had been cut over once before and 4-6 trees were growing from each old stump. We are using a two-man saw to cut the several newer trees from the old stump roots. We used our "double blade axes" to trim off the brush and piled the poles and helped Lee saw them up in "post length" with his buzz saw. The Osage Orange was a very hard wood and made excellent Hedge posts. I noted in my Diary that I got $84.00 out of the project when we finished. It was one of the first "projects" Clarence and I undertook. We worked at it for several Saturdays and think we got something like $1.25/hour. It wasn't long after this experience that he and I started selling and planting landscaping nursery stock as a part-time job. Fortunately, it was much more lucrative. Incidentally I still have my axe out in the garage that I bought new for the project. My Brother Don and wife Gladys later moved to the farm  where the barn is shown over our heads. 

Happy Anniversary

We participated in a Surprise Wedding Anniversary party today for Terry and Debbie Soucek. Their son Cory and his wife Amber planned a great event. It was timely, after Debbie having serious heath problems last summer,  it was also a celebration of her recovery. They had put together  a series of pictures taken over their 41 years of marriage and showed several of Terry's parents, my sister Vivian and her husband Eddy. Vivian passed away very suddenly back in 2008 and Eddy died a few years earlier. It was interesting to see the pictures and reflect on many happy family events. As families grow and the "senior members" pass on, it becomes more difficult to "keep up" with siblings families. Facebook helps to some extent and annual family  reunions are most important. But events like this today are very much appreciated. Thanks Cory and Amber for your leadership and Thanks to everyone who contributed to its success. Happy Anniversary, Terry and Debbie.