Field Notes. Laura (Schulz) Hellmuth. Interviewer: Andrea Mott. Typed by: Marlena Fongthian. Twins born 7 years after her. Earliest memory.

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1 Interviewer: Andrea Mott Typed by: Marlena Fongthian Twins born 7 years after her Earliest memory Siblings Music Barn dances Helped parents Wagon = potatoes/carrots Milking Inside chores with mom Baking Childcare Twin brother died Gardening Canning Shell peas All kids had chores Laundry Games With siblings Baseball Ante-I-over PP pull away Ice skating Ski

2 Tobaggan Typical winter Bad Rope from kitchen to barn Milking/separator story Always cleaned it Sell cream & use for groceries Mom - made cottage cheese Hot chocolate Making cottage cheese Crops Wheat Flax Corn Barley Dad took grain into town mill Mom made bread Mom's food Sauerkraut Canned peas Carrots/potatoes Root cellar Chicken eggs Hid in grain/kept for winter Depression Mom made clothes

3 All self-sufficient Postum - made from wheat tastes like coffee Coffee/cocoa Town 1x a week 4th of July Carnival from Chicago on streets in Kintyre Now just Family on the 4th Games, picnics, ice cream, ice from straw storage (no refrigerator) Well was used as a cooler Summer 4th - picnic Under trees; neighbors - baseball; potato salad, meat, ice cream, fudge Make fudge when parents went to town - use of sugar Made taffy as well Mom's recipes Made best cakes; kuchen, homemade donuts, with homemade lard Holipse recipe is a favorite - was a house staple School - public 1st - 8th grade = ppl, teacher boarded Most fond memory Teacher - declamation caules Song/music contest 1st prize

4 In spring Courses Tutoring HS - memories Kintyre, moved into town, 4 girls boarded together 1/2 year Sports Correspondence course 1 year in Jamestown HS GED College Santa Monica, CA Family Large - always lots to do Sing - entertain family Played harmonica Cards in winter Barn dances Sq. dances/polkas/waltzes 10 or 12 started going Not very religious Morals at dances No specific clothing Public dances (city halls) Pay to get in Father Stowaway on ship at 25 years

5 Ran from war in Germany Lured to Russia Ellis Island Father had a brother (Shoemk) Decided to homestead, sod house Bride in Ashley, 7 years Mother's stories With 7 year old son; moved with Scholz and married, moved to sod house Old pioneer Mother Short with rosy cheeks, very kind Hard worker Memory Always made special clothes Always had clothes Mom/Dad not very affectionate Father Strict, too disciplined Machinery always broke down/good planting and crafting Could have been a shoemaker Made family shoes Biggest memory Christmas Bible & stories Nuts/treats Father and Christmas

6 No talking at table! Loved history 1 1/2 years became a naturalized citizen Farming with horses was hard Brothers chores Butchering hated it! How it was done Yearly Mom raised turkeys, pulled feathers; put in barrels - to town, shipped to Minneapolis and sold Chickens/eggs Killing chickens Caipons (male rooster) Altered (grew very large)/ sexually Enjoyed it Father and Laura we'd fix animals Cattle Angus (beef); Heifers (dairy) = 100 Herded cattle Father bought harmonica She self taught Siblings and music No aunts/uncles in area Knew spouses School friends Checkers/games/dress up - plays Rhubarb plants

7 Doll furniture; cardboard & matchboxes Used dolls from No real toys; just ragdolls Poor Depression story Cow & Sickly calf Laura took care of it Market - $18 - $20 Lost money - bank closed the next day Started doing hair years old when began Weather - hot, crops failed Poured water on burlap; sucks over window, because so hot Dust storms Erosion causes - education Too much plowing Bad time Dust in window, kept covered with burlap sacks Religion Childhood All kids were baptized 12 years at baptism Attendance Difficult in winter Seating arrangements Met husband in church

8 Young people gathering Sat on Willy's lap; interesting Ages 16/17 Wedding Mother cooked Surprised wedding Lived in trailer house Went on honeymoon traffic in California McDonald Douglas was hiring - got a job at $.15/hr Honeymoon Yellowstone, Mountains, Hollywood Spoke to movie stars Told her to wear hats Wedding Ring at Dime Store Had a blue chiffon dress with white accessories 30 people at church that day - mostly family Reception Food/home cooked fried chicken, etc. Honeymoon In area & then to Yellowstone June Marriage Came back every year to visit with all five children Courtship = 1 year World War II

9 Was in California Bombed Pearl Harbor Could see planes, was scary Blackouts/black shades No car lights McD. Douglas Plane production Farm kids could work Town kids Cars; good clothes Farm - horseback, hard work, builds character, less demanding, less anxious Canned food Not as good Japs in Santa Monica Grew nice gardens 1-3/x a week Pearl Harbor Attack Oldest son's bedtime/firecrackers going off (guns) Scary Rationing - Magazine Coupons Fresh fruit/canning Son went into Army Reserves Relatives killed Vietnam Son-in-law went; bad for him

10 Took injured/dead back Adjustments; flashbacks Youth activities & Rituals No dancing Fishing and outings Drive - ins Movies Post-marriage Willy had a projector We'd rent movies Westerns Couple of months 17 started dating Only protestant Typical date Radio programs Father liked Hitler's speeches Joe Lewis (sports) Soap operas Western music Favorite holiday Christmas Program & tree Santa Clause with gifts Bags with nuts & candles

11 Basket socials Make up basket with food, up for auction Had to eat with who bought the basket Money to school board Politics involved Twice a year Dresses One dress for Sundays, always a hat Easter Dye eggs Dinner & church, meat and potatoes Hats with flower and ribbon Pineapple/rice with whipped cream Birthdays - no Butchering Cut up, fat rendered, canned Sausage Cleaned intestines Blow into/wash Father had a joke with sausage "Measuring the sausage" Head cheese - explained Head meat Liver sausage Good/process/like pâté Blood sausage - only father ate it

12 Childhood experiences Stressful Header box Horses ran off with her in cart Hay rack tipped & Laura was under it; 6 or 7 years old Happiest Christmas and summer times No school, could play Mcot adventures None really Going ice skating and falling into pond, brothers would ask her to do things Bulls & red cloth Happy childhood Except two brothers died of diphtheria - Henry (15) and Sam (9) And month old twin died Bodies in granary until funeral Sister and Laura went to see them Three months lost three children Her neighbor came over with cloth to make funeral clothes Laura was about 8 or so Buried in Kintyre 1 brother killed by car - George (23) Brother Goltz - heart attack in his Doctor friend's home Other siblings natural death Father's death Inhaled chemicals; asthma and pirson; heart attack at 81

13 Mom - 79 Heart attack Importance of telling our story Different world Don't believe how things have changed Younger generations need to know Adventurous House a snow bank Well driller 270 feet in California desert 30 years ago Equipment used Took three weeks Dropped a wrench in the well Couldn't get it out Lived there 1 year Everything was stolen $100,000 worth of materials, home & work Grandpa On Sundays talked about Russia & God No stories he remembers well, weren't told to him Spoke German until went to school spoke English Spoke some German Train story 28 years Hobos in boxcar Almost killed Walked 2 1/2 days

14 Last time bummed train ride 1st time - in Napoleon = 25 years old Brakeman let him in Good story 4th of July - Wisconsin Earned the trip Sometimes firecrackers, Jackrabbits Very abundant (gunny sack full) - Rabbit hunts