If you would like to play in the scramble, please contact me also! We will have lots of exciting door prizes this year!
Scramble- June 5, Festival- June 17-19

I would like to add some things I remember about Mom and Dad. I was not born until they were 37, so most of what I learned of their younger years was what I was told. When you think about it, you spend very little time with your parents. By the time I was 8, they were 45; when I started Purdue, they were 55; and when Alice and I were married at 22, they were almost 60. So I only spent about 10 meaningful years with them.

Dad’s father died when he was 16 and he was left to take care of his mother and younger brother, George, who was 6 years younger. His mother soon moved to Bedford and left him alone on the farm. I assume as a result he became a very good cook, especially of the things produced on the farm and especially in the big garden he always had.

He started working and managing the farm from then on until he died in 1968 at 74. Dad was a big man. He was 6-foot 4 and-a-half inches tall and weighed 240 pounds, which was very big in those days. It was said he could pick up a barrel of sugar, which weighed 320 pounds. He was very quiet and I never saw him lose his temper. He never whipped me but once, and I am sure I needed it, but when I was small he did thump me on the head, which did get my attention. It was always said that he had the patience of Job. I never saw him take a drink and the only time I ever saw him drink a beer was a warm one at a Cincinnati Reds baseball game. He never went past the 6th grade but always seemed to manage quite well. I never saw him read anything, but he was always sure Mom had the paper. He was one of my greatest supporters for going to school and wanted me to study veterinary medicine at Purdue, but of course Purdue did not have a veterinary school at that time. He liked kids and enjoyed driving the school bus, which he did for 22 years. He was pretty easy going and one of his favorite sayings was never run when you can walk, never stand when you can sit and never stay in the sun if you can get in the shade. That was kind of his philosophy.

Mom had a quite different personality from Dad. To say the least she was not quiet. She grew up on a small farm, 40 acres, across the road from where Dad lived from the time he was 16 years old. She had one sister, Beulah Pearson. She was 4 years older than Mom. I don’t think they ever got along too well, although the families were always close and visited almost every weekend. Dad and her son, Worth, farmed together and shared equipment.

Mom was always good in school and after finishing high school attended Indiana Central Normal for six weeks and obtained her teaching certificate. I am not sure how much she taught in her early years but later in life she renewed her teacher’s certificate and taught at the Springville School for many years. Kent Armstrong was always telling me he had her for a teacher the last year she taught.

She was a self-taught musician. She could play the piano and later self-taught herself to play the organ. She gave music lessons to almost everyone in the community, including me. As far as I know I am her only complete failure as a student. She was very active in community activities. She belonged to the ladies aid society at Church, taught Sunday School, played the piano for services, belonged to the county choir, and played the piano for the Day and Carter Funeral Home in Bedford for awhile. While she was a member of the County Choir they made a trip to Washington DC and sang on the capital steps. One of the original Capital Steps singers, get it?

During World War II she worked at an electronics plant in Bedford. This was all in addition to helping on the farm, raising chickens for egg money and canning hundreds of quarts of fruits and vegetables to put in the cellar for winter. The one thing she did not excel in was cooking and she made no bones about it. She readily admitted that Dad was a better cook. I have heard her say many times she would rather clean up afterwards than cook. When Robert was in the Army and asked if he didn’t miss good home-cooked meals he said, well not that much!

In later years, she and Hobert Powell were instrumental in getting the Springville Methodist cemetery enlarged and in keeping it mowed for many years. She was also a big proponent of me going to Purdue. However when I got homesick during the first semester she did tell me just to come home and we would do something, however she did not say what it would be. Thank goodness she never did have to say what it might be.

We of course, had no electricity until 1946, after WW II, when I was 15 years old. But that is another whole chapter. I spent most of my early years by myself, as Robert was 13 years older than me, so I had to entertain myself. But that was not trouble with all the animals, both tame and wild, that could be found on 250 acres. So I will begin by recalling some of my early memories of Church and Sunday School.

To be continued….

I was born 1 mile north of Springville, Indiana at home, in the North bedroom, on a small general grain and livestock farm on April 14th 1931. It was in the throws of the Great Depression so no one had much ready cash and activities—both work and play—involved very little money, either earned or spent. For example, a fellow named Cookie Kirkman worked for Dad on the farm for many years for $1 a day. I remember riding to Springville on my bicycle, on a gravel road, and watching Cookie and other guys play pea pool on Saturday afternoons for 10 cents a pea and sometimes Cookie would win a whole day’s wages: $1! I also remember Dad and Mom telling of the time a show came to Springville and they and Jess and Ruth Noel, who were living with them at the time, wanted to go but did not have any money. So they caught some chickens and sold them to get enough money to go. As a result it must be said we were as well off as everyone else at the time. However, in terms of having a loving family, plenty of good food, and certainly enough interesting things to do, I was truly blessed.

The house I grew up in was built in 1860. It originally had 3 fireplaces, but two of them had been closed and were no longer being used by the time I entered the scene. The house was heated by a wood burning cook stove in the kitchen, a drum stove in the south bedroom, and a fireplace in the living room (until it got really cold and it was closed and a coal stove was put up to provide more heat). One winter a teacher by the name of Defoe lived with us and gave me a new dictionary for Christmas; I drew a picture of the stove on the flyleaf. I still have it.

The house was finally burned Sunday October 1st, 2006 by the Perry Township Fire Department. I watched and took pictures. Interestingly enough, they started the fire in the north bedroom where I was born.

To be continued….

• Homemade Cookies
• Hot Chocolate & Coffee
• Chili Cook-off
• Bonfire
• Caroling

Springville Elementary School students will decorate the park with lights and their own crafty decorations. Please bring Christmas cookies — we will enjoy some and then donate the remaining to elders in our community. Come and enjoy the beauty of our park and the warmth of the Christmas Spirit.

Oct. 9th, from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Springville Park

Sponsored by: Perry Township V.F.D. “Helping *Springville Scouts* Help Their Community.”

**Admission free with donation to Goodwill Store or Food Bank**

Boy Scout Troop 343 / Cub Scout Pack 343 – Demos, Free Games/Activities, Learn What Local Scouts Do, Meet the Scouts and the People they help, help your Community.

Perry Township V.F.D. – Fire Safety and Demos

Red Cross – Kid’s Games, Info for Adults

Goodwill – Booth and Info, Donations can be made early at Bedford Store during business hours or at the Old Springville Gym for Free Admission Ticket.

Sheriff’s Dept. – Dare Car, Fingerprinting, Safety

Marketing Matters – Order Block Party T-Shirts

Lawrence County Health Dept. – Safety, Prevention, etc… Flu Shots (if available) – Adults – $20, Kids 18 and under – $8 (No Child turned away due to no money)

WBIW/WQRK – On Site

Bedford Boat Club – Hunter’s Education

Food Pantry – Non-Perishables, Drop off early at Springville Gym, Tues. from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm to get free admission ticket, or Bring Item to Party

Meal Concession Available – Kids / Scouts Free.
Door Prizes will be awarded.
** Note: See program at Party for any additions.

We would like volunteers to help and local businesses to donate. All suggestions welcome.

Call: Lori 277-0331 or Albert Cross 279-1377

    I joined the volunteers for the Museum while it was next door to the old Penny’s building. My first job was filing newsletters from other historical groups. This job took longer than planned for I read so many of the articles. Needless to say, I was hooked.

    By then the new facilities were almost completed, so packing for the move was required. This proved interesting for each exhibit was packaged special and must contain the identifying paper. All of this was a completely different type of volunteering for me, and I have met so many interesting people.

    Since I’m not so busy with the things I should do at home but would rather do other things, I’m now volunteering three days a month at the Museum and three days a month at the reception desk at Dunn Hospital. I have joined Altrusa. I attend Homemakers Club in Washington County, Englewood Baptist Church most Sundays, and also visit friends at three nursing homes.

    I don’t know if I’ve been promoted or demoted at home. For many years my brother and I have maintained the home place. Since my husband, Don, passed away we have combined the two operations. Dave and Jolene Fruits (our foster daughter) have moved back to the farm. Dave has taken over my place on the tractors and other jobs. For some 40 years we maintained a 50 sow herd of Yorkshire hogs and showed at the Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky State Fairs until Don’s health deteriorated. We still have 30 Angus cows and calves. I’m the “go for” and do book work. My supervision from the window and the car leaves me with “go” time.

    I do try to keep up on my special interest–the Lawrence County Fairgrounds. After having spent 35 years as secretary and as a member of the founding group. I’m really attached! As a part of the County Homemakers for 40 years, I was very active in building the Homemakers Building. The County ladies worked the food stand at the fair and did all kinds of catering, etc. for building funds. Besides the annual baby show event at the fair, I’m pushing the reconstruction of the “sink hole” to eventually become Zukumft Park. In 1991, I was privileged to be awarded a place in the Indiana Hall of Fame.

    I have been so lucky to have been involved in so many different organizations, and each one has provided such learning experiences and great memories. To name drop–Farm Bureau Woman’s Leader, township, county and state, 1951-1992; Inspector, Perry Township Election Boards; Camp Indi-Co-So cook, 10 years; State Highway Safety Leader, 6 years; Lawrence County Community Foundation, 6 years; Purdue Extension Board, 10 years 4-H member; 25 years 4-H leader; Extension Program Advisory Board; and 2005 State Friend of Extension Award; District Officer for Purdue CARET; Extension Homemakers county, district and state representative, 60 years; Indiana Organ Procurement Committee; Advisor to Vocational School Foods; Oolitic School Outstanding Alumni; Associated Country Women of the World, 9 years; farming in the classroom (Farm Bureau), 10 years; and the Soybean Association. I was awarded the Book of Golden Deeds from the Exchange Club; and Favorite Citizen from Walk With Excellence.

    I’m forever thankful to have had parents, Bill and Helen Kern, a brother, William F. “Buster” Kern, and then my husband, Don, who not only let me grow but assisted along the way. I hope to have added a little to this old world for I have truly enjoyed these 83 years.

Race to meet local Sprint Car Drivers
Jeff Bland Jr. – Steve Bradley – Scott Bradley – Andy Bradley – Kerry Kinser and Nathan Hughes at Springville Park from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday, June 18th, 2009.