Aunt Eleanor's Journal, January 26, 1982

Grandpa Stoutenburg dies...

Jan. 26, 1982

Here I am again. Ready to add a paragraph or two.

That house we moved into had been occupied by a couple of bachelors and the left it in a very dirty condition I scrubbed and cleaned like I had never done before but finally got it so we could live in it. The pump on that place didn’t work so we had to haul our water from the neighbors or from a creek that ran thru there it was about ¼ of a mile from the house. Edward and Leola were big enough and it was their job to take an 8 gal. cream can on the little wagon or a sled and fill it up with water at that creek then putt it up to the house for washing. They had to make several trips every wash day. Quite a job for 2 little ones age 10 and 6. Daddy hauled our drinking and cooking water from the neighbors place. One day when I had wash it was very icy we had had a sleet storm so the trees and bushes were coated with ice and it was very bad day but I had to wash so Edward and Leola were busy hauling the water. Dianne was supposed to stay by the house. I checked to see where she was and no Dianne. This was just 2 weeks after our little blonde boy named Max joined our family. So I had to leave him in the house and run out to find Dianne. There was such a noise from all the ice covered woods it sounded like a child crying. I was running and calling, but never got close. It wasn’t much fun. I was worried sick about her and also Max left in the house by himself. I was about ready to give up but I prayed to be led to her, then I heard talking and turned around to retrace my steps and saw Edward and Leola pulling the sled and there was my little runaway. She had found her way to the creek where they were. All was well. My hair must have turned a bit whiter that day. I did get the washing done and I had to hang it all up stairs because of the weather. The day that Max was born all the Drs. were out on other cases so we had no Dr. and my sister Grace who had delivered dozens of babies came and took care of us. I think I must have worried her because I got pretty sick and Daddy also got scared and when it was over he came and knelt by my bed and wept and thanked me for another son. Max was so blond, all the others had darker hair so I used to cover his head with the blanket so I wouldn’t see his white hair, with his read face it looked all the whiter. When he lost the redness it was O.K. He had blond curly hair and the longest dark eye lashes. A beautiful little boy he was. We let him have his blond curls until he was about eighteen months old then we dressed up in a little dress put a ribbon in his hair and took his picture. After that we cut his hair and he was a boy again. Some of the people thot it was a shame to cut his hair off.

Shortly after Max was born we moved again because the people who owned the house we were renting wanted it. This time we moved down on Grandpa Stoutenburgs farm. We built a little house down there close to their house. Edward and Leola were going to school in Pine River and had to walk a half mile up to the main road to catch the bus. June and Joyce were going too so that had company The last day of school before Christmas vacation June, Joyce and Edward came home but Leola wasn’t along. She had missed the bus and was left at the school. We were rather upset about that she was only six years old and no doubt a scared little girl. Well the bus driver called the school and had them get in touch with his wife who was in town and have her bring Leola out which she did but instead of bringing her down to our place she left her off up on the highway and she had to walk down by herself and by that time its was getting dark. I wasn’t too happy about that.

We got a dog that looked some like Sally and named her Tippy Tin she had puppies and one of them was all white with a black ear and no tail we named him Shag. He just grew up with Max and truly became his shadow. We had to get rid of Tippy Tin because she started running with other dogs that were chasing some neighbors sheep in fact they had killed one, so those dogs had to be done away with.

In July of 1939 Grandpa Stoutenburg died. We lost a much loved friend and the children all missed a loving Grandpa. He was so good to his grandchildren and they all loved him dearly. Life wasn’t quite the same. Daddy had to kind of run two households it wasn’t easy. Kendall was in a C.C.C camp so it was only Grandma June and Joyce. The summer passed and another winter arrived. Wood had to be furnished for the two houses and Grandpas house was big it took a lot of wood to keep it warm. So Daddy was kept busy working on the W.P.A. and keeping up with the other work too.

We had a different Pastor by this time. Pastor Mastid had come when Pastor Dehaan was called to a different church. And Pastor Mastid got Daddy to go to Adult confirmation class so ones a week they met and finally the date was set when Daddy was to be baptized and taken in as a member of Faith Lutheran. Just 2 weeks before that date on April 16, 1940 he was killed by a truck loaded with gravel that was standing still and just as Daddy walked by it and stepped back into the road behind it the driver backed the truck up and run over him. Of course that driver didn’t see him and it was entirely accidental. My only comfort was the fact that he had been taking confirmation lessons and Pastor Mastid told me he was saved. He had been going to church with me for a long time so I know we will meet again. But I was left along with my 4 children. To be continued.

To be continued...