Thursday, November 30, 2006

Winner from Haigler, Nebraska

Darin Freehling, making the winning loop in the October 2006 USTRC Finals in Oklahoma City.

Darin grew up on the family farm/ranch west of Haigler and is the son of Calvin and Susan Freehling, long time residents of the Haigler community.


--Submitted by Calvin Freehling

News from the Northwest

I certainly hope the weather in the northwest is not indicative of what we are in for this coming week!!

Dallas writes that they received 12 - 22 inches of snow, depending on which part of Washington state you live in. They were without power for 12 hours and cable, computer, phone for 4 days. The temperature has been in the teens and 20s. Their cable and phone service was just restored this morning.

He says they have a generator and 2 gas stoves for heat, so they fared better than alot of folks. They are getting ready for round two.

This kind of storm is unusual for their area. In fact, there hasn't been a bad storm like that in 10 years, and it reminded them of Nebraska days.

Happy Birthday, LaVoine

This is your Day, enjoy the celebrations and family gatherings. Happy Birthday from Dallas Adams.

As a young kid, I remember the Days in Haigler with the Collicotts delivering Milk, Opal working at the Post Office, and you working with the Road Graders (Maintainers) across the street from our house.

Happy Days

--Dallas Adams

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

LaVoine Collicott will be 92 on Friday


LaVoine T. Collicott will be celebrating his 92nd birthday on Friday, December 1, 2006.

He was a Haigler resident until January, 2006, when he and his wife Opal (Myer) moved to Hillcrest Care Center in Wray, Colorado. Opal died in March, and though each day is fragile for LaVoine; he is still holding his own.

He would enjoy hearing and/or seeing from any of you. Address is 360 Canyon Ridge Road, Wray, CO 80758.

LaVoine was born in a sod house in 1914 on a small acreage homesteaded by his parents, Charlie and Glena Collicott, just across the Kansas-Nebraska line. A few months later his parents moved into Haigler, where he grew to manhood and received his education in the Haigler Public Schools.

He worked on the Ned Tecker Ranch, was employed by Burlington Northern Railroad, worked for W.H. Brown farm at Sanborn, and then worked for Dundy County, maintaining roads for 24 years. In 1971, LaVoine was named by the Commissioners as the Highway Superintendent of Dundy County.

He and Opal were married for 65 years and had 3 daughters and one son. Their son, Gail, was killed 5 years ago in an auto accident near Laird, CO. The daughters have all returned to Haigler: LaNeta Carlock, Myrna Mulligan, and Galena Webster. His daughters visit him daily at the care center.

-- Submitted by LaNeta Carlock
Received the following about the Mary Stute painting. Compare the pictures below and see what you think.

I feel that Mary Stute's painting is of the Sackett House and not the Palmer House. Check it out, I could be mistaken, I was once in 1963! HA!

I think the Palmer House has one chimney and the Sackett House (Butterfield House) has two.
Try to stay warm today.
Cal Freehling


Happy Birthday, Calvin

I give thanks every day that I am vertical, out of bed and down the hall to the kitchen for my exercise and nourishment. I relate to your echo-cardigram report and results of having a healthy heart. 64 years young and still going strong is a good indicator that you have many more years left. Take care of yourself, Calvin, and enjoy the family.

-- Dallas Adams

Happy Birthday to You!

Today is Cal Freehling's Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Cal, and hope you have a wonderful celebration today!

He writes:

Today is my birthday, I am 64 but look 41. HA! I couldn't have asked for a better present than the good results from the echogram.
Cheers and stay warm today.
--Cal Freehling

Monday, November 27, 2006

The Wagner Homestead on the Hackberry

The Wagner Homestead is on the north side of the road east of the Merle Mills house, which is south and east of Haigler in Kansas on the Hackberry creek.

There is still some of the cement foundations and a cement wall that can be seen to this day. In this picture one would be looking to the north.

It is amazing that when I scanned this picture the scan looks better than my original photo.

--Cal Freehling

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The Palmers

My grandmother has been so excited to share stories about the Palmers. I have a few things that she wrote down that she said I could share on the blog, along with a really neat picture of my Great, Great Grandma and Grandpa Palmer.

There are a few stories that I have heard in the past, that I am going to have her write down for me.

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

--Jody Crouse

This is a picture of Mary Mullally Palmer and Archibald Grant Palmer. It was taken around the year 1958. Mary and Archibald were married May 11, 1900. Archibald passed away in 1960 at the age of 90 years. Mary passed away in 1961 at the age of 83 years.

They had 8 children:

  • Archie
  • Mary
  • Margherita,
  • William (Bill or Tab),
  • twin Stanley, (Stanley died at 4 yrs.)
  • Patricia,
  • Lyle (Beanie),
  • Lorretta.

Some tidbits from Pat DeWester, granddaughter of Mary and Archibald Palmer...

Pa ordered the Sears/Roebuck house before Lorretta was born in 1923. It came by rail. Pa bought a lot in town south of school for the house. In the meantime, they lived in an old house on the farm. When the Palmer house moved to the farm, Pa sold the lot to the school for $100. It was the lot on the NE corner with the trees, along cemetary road.


Pa gave Pat O'Brien $100 for a lot on the highway and gave it to the church for the Catholic church, which Ma was set on having. (Another story.)

Now to the school teacher. Her name was Millie Fuller and she went with Archie. She was his only girl friend. They were going to marry but Ma insisted they live with them. Archie and Millie did not agree. Millie finally went back east. A love story with no end. They always kept in touch by phone or letter. When Arch died (1980), her picture was in his billfold.

--Jody Crouse and Pat DeWester


Green's Corner

Previous posts, by Al Zuege and subsequent responses to his original reference to Dick and Molly Green, prompted me to investigate this location while visiting Haigler last month.

Apparently, the railroad crossing at "Green Rd" was named after Dick and Molly Green, the first and only black family to make a permanent home in the area. The couple lived there when the railroad through Haigler was in its early years of operation. In those days, there was alot of traffic in and out of Haigler because of the cattle business and a thriving and busy community of homestead settlers in the 3 corners area.

According to the "Dick Green Story", by Florence Clegg, printed in the 1976 Haigler book, the couple "came about the time that free land was given to people who were willing to improve it and live on it for five years." Their son, Floyd, went to school in District 69 north of the river. "Rumor says that Floyd had a white father who paid Dick twenty-five dollars to marry Molly."

"Dick was two years old at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. He was named for his master's ox.
The family, at first and mostly through the years was treated without prejudice. As new settlers came in from the south, race discrimination was noted at times. At one time when a crew of neighbors were gathered at a farm home for threshing, they washed for dinner outdoors and proceeded inside where a long table was set. Several were already seated when Dick sat down. A Virginian immediately rose and declared that he didn't eat with black men. "

"Floyd received higher education at Tuskeege Institute. He married a pretty white girl named Vesta."

The Greens: Dick (38) , Mary (45) and Floyd (15), appear on the 1900 census for Blaine Township in Dundy County.

In about 1910, Dick and Molly Green moved into town and operated a cream station for several years. The story is told of some boys in town climbing on top of the roof over the sidewalk and using wires with a hook on the end to reach down and hook Molly Green's wig. What naughty boys they all must have been!

Alice Gregory remembers that Molly worked for a family in a town somewhere east and when she got married to Dick Green, her boss got them the cream station. Thier son, Floyd didn't look very black, but she said the kids in town teased him alot.

There is no evidence of the home where they lived and there are no markings on the railroad signs, as there used to be, indicating the crossing name.

We received a note from Gene Pennell saying that he & his sister, Helen, lived at that corner when he was growing up and going to school in Haigler during the 1940s and Floy (Crabtree) Ruggles lived at the next place north later known as "The Roundtree Place" for a short time.

Delford Trembly wrote saying that he lived at that corner, also.

-- Quotations from 1976 Haigler book, p. 17

Parks, Nebraska

Only a few miles down Highway 34 to the east of Haigler, is a little town named Parks. This little community is rich with history. I'm sure many "Haiglerites" have stories intertwined with people who lived there.

During a recent visit to that area I took some pictures that I'd like to share with you.

I remember going to Parks when my mamma's Uncle Lute and Aunt Georgie (Bartlett) Stafford had a grocery and cream station there just north of the grain elevators. All that remains on that lot are some pieces of foundation and a hand pump. The location is across the street south of the little postoffice that is still active.

Across the street east of the store was a little filling station which is still standing, vacant and lonely. Just east of that is an unoccupied house that is reminiscent of the families that grew up in it.


I don't remember where the Staffords lived because I only remember being at their store. The other times I remember spending time with them was at family gatherings either at my grandparents, my aunts Floy Ruggles or Ethel Rath or my parents homes.

The day I was there, the grain elevator dryers were going full blast creating the only sound in this quiet little village. It was during corn harvest, so I'm sure the bins had been filled to capacity.

When I was at home on the farm, I can remember my dad checking to see which "elevator" was paying the best price for wheat or corn and many times, it was the Parks Elevator that he delivered loads of grain that he hauled in our little red 1940 (?) chevy truck. This truck had stock racks that you folded down on the sides when you weren't using them to haul cattle. We would climb up the side of the truck, using the stock rack as a ladder, to jump into the grain and sometimes ride to town on top of the grain.

My mamma's cousins, Margaret, Esther, Larry and Keith Stafford, went to school in Parks at the two story brick building that now stands as only a shell. The schoolyard is overgrown with weeds and most of the windows are broken out, but there are still alot of memories exuding from this quiet spot in town.

My grandmother taught sunday school in the Parks Methodist church where my grandparents, Frank Crabtree and Mae (Bartlett) Crabtree got to know each other during the years before driving to Benkelman in a horse drawn wagon to get married on September 13, 1916.

Sometime during the 1950s the church was destroyed by fire.

There is also a building that looks like it may still be used for community activities. There is a sign on the outside that says "Parks Community Building".

Driving east along the river road toward Benkelman, there is a building that I don't remember knowing about. I wonder if anyone can enlighten me on the history or function of the long brick building just south of the railroad tracks between Parks and Doane.

If you have stories or pictures of Parks history, we invite you to share them with us by contacting Sherri Gregory or Floy Ruggles.

-- Submitted by Sherri Gregory

Please read comments that have been submitted for additional information.

Newspaper Clipping - 12 Guage Shotgun Found

The following news snippet was published in The Benkelman Post & News-Chronicle - November 22, 2006.

There could be a very interesting story behind the discovery of this gun near Benkelman.


(Click on the picture to see an enlarged version)

Belated Birthday Cards

The following ad was printed in the November 22 edition of The Benkelman Post & News-Chronicle. Belated birthday cards are always a welcome surprise.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Map of the Townsite of Haigler, Nebr.

A map of the townsite of Haigler is printed in the 1986 book. Follow the link to see a version created on the computer.

Gus Cave's Horse Drawn Wagon


I found this photo of the restored rickety horse drawn wagon with the body of a 1946 Chevy car bolted to it. It belonged to Gus Cave who lived out of his wagon, told stories, was friendly and well known in the area. He died in 1996 while in his 80's and is buried at the Mayflower Cemetery located in Kansas south of Stratton, NE.

The picture was taken at the Stratton, NE Fall Festival parade in Stratton on September 30, 2006.

-- Linda Jones

Response to Don Smith's Picture Story

I remember this big old house and Don, Mary, Mel and Patty Smith!!! Also Pat and Catherine Smith.

Our church had an ice skating party on that pond one Saturday night. I think I cracked my tailbone when falling on the ice that night, but I was having so much fun it didn't matter. It was SOOOOOOOOOOO cold that night and we had a big bonfire, roasted marshmallows and had hot chocolate. My brother, Dick Gregory, had a 1959 yellow and white Ford convertible car. He and my cousin, Mel Fisher, took that car out on the pond and slid all around on it and I was so scared that the ice would break through!!.

Thank you, Don, for bringing back some special memories of you and your family!

-- Eunice (Gregory) Richard

Thursday, November 23, 2006

43rd Anniversary of JFK Assassination

Whatever your political leaning, the assassination of anyone is tragic. The course of our country was changed 43 years ago when our president was shot while riding in an open car through Dallas, Texas. Encased in mystery and conspiracy theories, this event remains one that every American is fascinated with. Across political lines, this president was respected and loved.

Every person living that day can remember exactly what they were doing when they heard the tragic news.

Today, with Thanksgiving and the 43rd Anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy falling together, let's give thanks for the freedoms we still have in our country and say a little prayer for our current "situation".

God Bless America

Biography and A&E Video - available on their site for purchase.
Information about the conspiracy

Haigler Stock Show

The caption on the picture says "Haigler Stock & Fair 1923"

Haigler Stock & Fair 1923


-- Picture and Clipping submitted by Linda (Harford) Jones

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Pictures from Don Smith


-- Submitted by Don Smith

These pictures were scanned by Ray and Floy Ruggles after a visit to Don Smith at his home in McCook. Floy says he had so many stories about the pictures they looked at and she hesitated to take the pictures back to Haigler with her, but Don insisted. She was wishing she had a recorder to "remember" the stories.

Pat & Catherine moved to the Huey Ranch in 1923 and Don told the background about how they came to get that job. There will be more pictures and stories to come.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Belated Birthday Greetings to John Phifer

Happy Belated Birthday to John Phifer. He was 89 years old on November 6. We hope you had a great day, John!

Thanks to Dallas Adams for the reminder. He writes:

Missed John's birthday by two weeks. Need to rekindle the birthday candles. Does John Phifer want to do this all over again?

Anyways, a belated two week error on my part.

Happy Birthday, John.

-- Dallas Adams

Send an Email to Alice Today

Alice's email address is agregory92@hotmail.com. She will be happy to hear from you.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Helen and Gene Pennell

For people who cannot get the slide shows to load, I am posting any pictures requested in a regular post.

Here are the two pictures of Helen Pennell that Gene and Vie sent last week.


Helen and Gene Pennell - 1946

Helen Pennell

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Friday, November 17, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving

Tribute to Ward Wonder

Ward M. Wonder was born the only child of Oscar G. and Ida Bell (Adams) Wonder on Friday, Oct. 13, 1916, in Mondamin, Iowa. He departed this life at his home in Haigler, Neb., on Nov. 1, 2006.

At the age of 1, the family traveled by train across Nebraska and settled on a farmstead just west of Haigler. Ward attended grade school in the one-room school west of town. In 1934 the family moved into town and bought the Skelley gas station. He graduated from Haigler High School in 1936 and continued on to the votech school in Greeley, Colo., to learn the trade of welding.

In December 1942, Ward joined the United States Army and was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., and served in the capacity of military police. He was honorably discharged in March 1946 with the rank of Tech Sergeant. While serving in the Army, Ward received the Victory Ribbon, the American Theater Ribbon and the Good Conduct Medal.

After being discharged, he moved back to Haigler where he helped his dad with the small family farm and began to tinker on vehicles. He had a true knack for fixing things. In the 1950s he and four or five of his friends started a band. They called themselves, "The Noisy Aces," playing for many weekend barn dances in the tri-state area of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. When the band was not playing, Ward could be found dancing the night away at other area dances.

He and his friend Les Adams spent many hours inventing something or getting something to work better than it did before. They were also great hunting friends.

In July 1962, Ward married Theo Ogden and they raised three wonderful children: Karla, Terrie and Lynn. He continued with his wrecker and mechanic business out of "Wonder's Garage." He always had a little time to play catch or run a footrace with one of his kids.

Ward later went to work at Palmrose Ford, the beet dump and also for Dundy County. He drove a school bus for many years and truly enjoyed the kids on his bus and the activity trips to various sports.

After his retirement, he spent his time doing light mechanic work, maybe helping out a neighbor or someone traveling through town and having mechanic problems, assisting the Haigler Fire Department and the Color Guard or playing cards with the guys at Jake's. His highlight of the week was attending the single's dances. Occasionally, someone in the group would talk Ward into singing. He would say "Oh, maybe just one tune." He loved playing the piano or the guitar at family gatherings.

He and his very good friend, Lucile Corder, spent many Sunday afternoons traveling to single's dances throughout the tri-state area. Ward truly did enjoy his simple life in Haigler.

Ward was preceded in death by his mother and father.

He is survived by his daughter Karla Parker, husband Jack and children: Dalton of Wray, Colo., Becki and family of Enon, Ohio, Kelli and family of Wray and Michael of Wray; daughter Terrie DeLorme of Wray, and his son, Lynn and wife, Nancy, and children, Darian and Riley of Greeley, Colo., Tony of Holdrege, Neb., and Matthew of North Platte, Neb. He also leaves to mourn his passing his special friend Lucile, lifelong friend Lester and many other friends.

Ward touched many lives with his humor and quick wit in his 90 years and 18 days, and will be missed by many.

Services

Services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov, 6, 2006, at the Haigler United Methodist Church in Haigler with the Rev. Terry Douglass of Yuma, Colo., a lifelong friend of the family, officiating. Ward was taken to his final resting place in a 1967 Ford pickup owned by Irv Withington. He was laid to rest in the Haigler Cemetery. Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home in Wray was in charge of arrangements.


-- Published in The Benkelman Post & News-Chronicle on Nov. 15, 2006

DEGREES of Haiglerite-ism

Are you a Haigler person? Or a Benkelman or Wray or a St. Francis person? I wonder if growing up equidistant from all these other towns makes people wonder "who" they are or have multiple personalities.


I call myself a Haigler person, but we did all our “legal” business in St. Francis because our farm was located across the state line in Kansas. Our telephone was listed in the phone book as “South Haigler – Kansas”… our phone lines came from Haigler, but our area code (when we got one) was 913 – a Kansas area code. We were on the Haigler exchange, but the phone was actually in Kansas. Our mail was delivered to a Haigler address and carried by a Haigler mailman (Stan Zuege). We took our cows to the sale barn in Benkelman most of the time. Andy Anderson was my dad’s favorite auctioneer. We went to church in Haigler. We went to the doctor and dentist in St. Francis. Dr. Walz and Dr. Haberbosh. We took music lessons and swimming lessons and did some of our shopping in Wray. Our grandmother lived in Wray. We got most of our groceries in Haigler.

What is it that determines if you are a Haiglerite?

Is it because you went to high school there? Is it because it was the closest town? How far east did you have to live before you called yourself a Benkelmanite? Or how far west did you have to go before you called yourself a Wrayite? How far south did you have to live before you became a Saintyite?

Maybe you are only a Haiglerite if you lived in Haigler, went to high school in Haigler, married another Haiglerite and stayed in Haigler, raised your kids in Haigler and when you die you are buried in the Haigler cemetery.


So there must be DEGREES of Haiglerite-ism. Some people lived “around” Haigler and went to high school there, but then married someone from somewhere else and raised their families somewhere else. These Haiglerites would be a degree MORE Haiglerite than someone like me who lived “around” Haigler and went to high school somewhere else….. etc. etc.

Or maybe its where the heart is. That’s what it is…. If you grew up around Haigler and have fond memories of Haigler and love to visit Haigler and people who live there, then you are a true Haiglerite. That has to be the answer and that makes me one of the HIGHEST DEGREE of Haiglerite there is!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Finely a Face with the Name!!



Dallas & Judy Adams

Gene & Vie Pennell - Pictures

I have some pictures of Helen Hoff, my sister, Vie my wife and myself. Floy knew Helen when she went to school there.

We read in the blog today about the 2 women from Denver and it was exciting to watch the movie. You did a good job.

I don't know much about the houses in Haigler as I lived out in the country.

Do you have a big picture of my graduation class in 1946? There were just 7 of us and our teacher. I think there are only 3 of us left. Glenn Workman, Lois (Griffin) Sitton and myself. I have tried to get ahold of Lois by letter, but so far have never gotten lucky to recieve one back. I know she lives in Calif.
And I wonder about Glenn for I haven't seen him since we got out of school.

It was interesting to see the ones you showed today from the class of 1948. I knew some of them.

Well guess thats about all for now.

--Gene and Vie



Happy Birthday - Alice Gregory - November 20

WARNING: If you have a dial up connection the following video may take a long time to download.

Haigler House Stories

The Pate House: I remember when it was built. Mr. Brown (I don't remember his first name) built it. He had a form and made his own cement bricks, built it and then stuccoed it. It was always very cold. It might have been Leonard and Maxon Brown's dad that built it but I am not sure.

I think Mr. Crabtree lived there for awhile. My dad bought it as a rental house in later years and had several different renters. He sold it to Sophia Zuege's sister Edna and she lived there until she went to the nursing home.

The motel was built by Voland Schmutte
and he and his wife Losia ran it
until they moved to North Platte.



The earliest person who lived in the house
you refered to as the place where Norm and Leone
lived, was Chris Samler,
he moved into that house
when he moved to Haigler.
He was Bill & Otto's Dad.

The house on Green Road
belongs to George and Carol Peterson,
they also own the
Lodge in Haigler.

Wally McKay's body shop where
they repaired body damage
and pai
nted cars.


Marie Pauline Sass.
She had been a missionary, wrote books and
ministered to people.
Had a little mission, pews etc in the basement.


John Kamla house later the Potthoff,
then Earl Krustsinger and
now Jerry & Linda Olsen house


Tucker House,
later Grandma Daniels and now Jerry Crum

Caroline Stute House,
now John Brunswing


-- Cal Freehling

Monday, November 13, 2006

The Emmons Adams House

The Emmons Adams house was new when mom and dad moved in. I have been told that Lester was a baby. It was a six room house. The two porches were closed in later. The laundry room was in the back porch and the front porch was where dad liked to lounge.

The pictures of the five room bungalow (in Alice and Floy's post) looks very much the same, except the front porch was centered on ours and there was no basement. Makes me wonder if it was a mail order house??? Guess I will never know, but it sure has some similarities.

-- Dallas Adams

Oscar Wonder Garage

The old hiway 34 used to run down along the railroad tracks before the new Hiway was built through town.

Ward Wonder's parents ran a garage. The building has been there for years. Ward's dad's name was Oscar. There used to be some old cars sitting around there.

-- Dallas Adams

1948 Haigler High School Senior Class



-- Haigler Annual made available by Calvin Freehling

1948 Haigler News Ad

-- copied from the 1948 Arikaree

1948 Shoe & Harness Shop

-- copied from the 1948 Arickaree (Haigler High School Yearbook)

Video of Interview

You may have read the entry about the two ladies from Denver who happened to be in Haigler while I was there last week. I used the interview video to create a short video telling the story.

Click here to watch it: Two Ladies from Denver

Click here to read the original post: SPECIAL VISITORS TO HAIGLER

An Email conversation between two sisters:

Floy:

Look at the floor plan of the Montgomery Ward house called the Laurel. Interesting! It looks identical to Grandpa and Grandma Bartlett's house. They built an entry way on the west (back of house) with steps going out of Kitchen to a landing that went outside or down into the basement. Otherwise, it was almost identical as I remember it.

Alice:

Yes it surely looks like it. The front porch is different but that has been added of course. I remember the porch went along the entire width of the house. Remember the milk strainer? A cloth that Gramma washed and hung out on the line on that porch every morning to sun every day?

Floy:

Yes, the front porch did go all the way across the front of the house. I remember the space under it that I liked to play in. I think the dining area was in a corner of the living room instead of it being a separate room with an archway in between. Am I right?

Alice:

Yes, that house in the picture could possibly be Gramma and Grampa's "new" house--with new siding. It was shingled on the outside as I remember. I am looking for that picture of grandkids to see if it shows the siding. Their new house was a copy of Aunt Lizzie's house in Goodland but with smaller dimensions.

The steps up from the back door had a landing with 3 steps that went up into the kitchen, then from the landing the stairs to the left went down to the basement. In the kitchen, the stove was in the corner along the east wall. Beside the stove was the door to the "room", as Gramma called it, and in kitchen on the other side of that door was the wash stand. It had wash basin, bucket of water with dipper in it, and soap. Underneath was the bucket for water from the wash pan. They had "running water" ---Gramma did the running.

There was a cupboard and cabinet facing each other, one of them on the south wall, the other on the north. On top of the cupboard were the catalogs. Sears and Montgomery Ward. Then on the north wall was the drop-leaf table with chairs. No linoleum - bare wood floors with a shiny finish. Gramma scrubbed it on hands and knees. Betty "helped" scrub floors. Gramma told her that if you get the corners clean the middle would take care of itself, and she wondered how that could be!!! But by the time you got all the corners done there just wasn't any middle left. You could hardly use a mop with a handle. Besides, the way Gramma scrubbed, the handle would have poked through all the windows and cupboard doors!!

I remember, in the "room" were some chairs and rocking chairs, a magazine rack with Cappers' Weekly and some western romance magazines. One time Frances had written a story with pencil in a school tablet. Filled the whole tablet!!! I thought that she would be famous and rich.

Ethel and I spent a week there every summer. We dried dishes and thought we were really helping Gramma with the work. She was quiet--not talking--as she washed dishes and we thought that she was "mad". Well! Can you imagine her being quiet???

Editor’s Note: The house Floy and Alice are talking about was located a short distance northwest from Leo Richard’s place and south of Parks, Nebraska, in what is marked on the Google Earth map as “Bartlett’s Canyon”. Their property was in Kansas, but ran up to the Nebraska state line. Sometime in the 1950’s, the house was moved north of Benkelman and is still being lived in today. It was not a mail order house, but many of the mail order houses were very similar in construction to those being custom built at the time.

Last summer, Leah, Dwight and I walked in to the place where the Bartlett farmstead was located. All that is left is the foundation/basement filled with tree wood and three wells or cisterns.

Click on the above picture to see an enlarged version.

The house in this picture is the "old" house. The road running along the east side of the canyon was a main road and a mail route. It went all the way to Hiway 34 and into Parks.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Experimenting with Videos

Hi, I have a new toy on my computer. It is a video editor and I created the following video with it using some pictures I took of some of my uncle Lloyd's slides.

I know there must be a way to transfer slides to digital pictures, but it probably costs a bunch of money. So, while I was visiting Ray and Floy last weekend, she got the slide projector and screen out and we looked at Lloyd's slides while I took pictures of them with my video camera. This is my first attempt at editing a movie so let me know if it takes too long to load. I have a cable connection to the internet, so it works fine for me, but not sure what it will do to those of you who have dial up connections.

Would you let me know? If this works out, I have more STUFF to show you!! and I just know you will want some of your own added in the future!

Sherri

Hunting & Fishing with Lloyd

BEWARE: If you have a dial up connection to the internet, the following video may take a long time to load.


Background music "Bayou Bash"

Gene Pennell

I was born and raised around Haigler. Lived 4 miles east from Haigler. I walked to Haigler to high school and graduated in 1946. Does anyone remember that class? There were just 8 of us that graduated then.

I knew the Frank Crabtree family, who lived about 1/2 mile north from our place. I knew Lloyd Crabtree, who was the son of the Crabtrees. Later years he had his own mechanic shop in Haigler. He was a real nice quiet guy.

Our house, which is torn down now, was close to the railroad tracks. Our place was known as the "..." Green corner. I went to a country school which was 2 miles from our place. It was district 42. I went there 8 years then I went to high school in Haigler.

My sister Helen (Pennell) Hoff was 18 months older than me and was married to Harold Hoff out of McCook. They did a lot of moving around because he worked on a crew that put in the dams around Trenton and other places. She had an inoperable tumor and passed away November 16, 1982. Harold passed away 2 years later. My dad, Ernest Pennell passed away January 13, 1983 and my mom on December 15, 1997. My half brother, Herb, and I have lived in Sioux City since 1947. We are the only ones left in our family. He is 84 and I am 78 years (young).

I remember Helen and Floy Crabtree were friends and they used to like to go to the river to wade. I sure do miss Helen; she and I were very close. I remember that Helen got to ride on the bus to school, but dad couldn't afford to have me go on it too, so I had to walk. When the bus went by, I used to try to hide because the kids on the bus would make fun of me. Do you remember the lady who owned the liquer store? When I got to school a little early, I would clean out the store for her and she paid me by giving me wine and cigarettes.

Lloyd Crabtree was my friend and when I used to come down to my class reunion, I would hunt him up. The Crabtrees bought my grandpa's place north of Haigler in the sandhills and where the Pennell family grew up. It seems like I took my saddle horse, Tony, over there to live the rest of his life in the pasture. He lived 3-4 years after that. When I left Haigler, I was 16 years old and on my own, as I had graduated from high school by then.

Do you remember Mary Bullock? (Mrs. Don Smith) She and I were the only ones who came to our class reunions every year. She passed away several years ago, so now I'm the only one in my class that ever goes to the reunion, so I don't care to go any more, for it isn't the same without her there. I still keep in touch with her husband, Don Smith from McCook. He is the one who told me and my brother, Herb, about the Haigler Blog.

My wife, Vie, and I try to make it back to Benkelman to decorate my mom and dad's graves and attend the class reunion at the same time. It is getting harder for us to drive, so don't know how much longer we can keep doing it.

Well, that's all for now, but, with my life, I think I could write a book. I'm always telling Vie that I'd really like to do that.

-- Gene & Vie Pennell

Alice (Crabtree) Gregory writes:
I remember Helen Pennell as a friend of my sister Floy. Yes, my dad was Frank Crabtree. And Lloyd was my brother. They moved to that place in the spring of 1939. and lived there until the place was sold to Ash Roundtree. Floy was finishing 8th grade in Kansas that spring and stayed with us until the graduation in St. Francis. Only a few weeks. Later Lloyd went into the army service and was a part of the "Invasion of North Africa". And then in Italy. After the army time he worked for our cousin Ben Wiley. Then after Ben's death he started his own shop.
Floy (Crabtree) Ruggles writes:
I have been wondering what ever happened to my friend Helen Pennell. We both started to Haigler Highschool the same year as freshman and rode with Tom and Viola Pierson (or Pearson) as they commuted morning and afternoon between Parks and Haigler - as I remember. On many summer afternoons we would walk to the river to cool off and play in the water. The river had a wide sandy bottom then and the stream was much stronger than now. Also it was clear and clean. We moved to Parks six weeks before school was out and I can't remember ever seeing her again. Wasn't there an older brother, Herb, too? Or was that the dad? Seems like the dad was Ernest or something like that. This blog has been so exciting. So many people that have moved away long ago are showing up there - from everywhere.

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Haiglerites 90+

Haiglerites 70+

Haiglerites 1 - 69 (Some of these have moved past the 70 mark!)

  • Aaron Irwin - May 7th
  • Bernice (Smith) Douglass - February 15
  • CD Samler - January 19
  • Cal Freehling - November 29
  • Claudine (Wiley) Sterner - June 8, 1940
  • Dan Leinen - September 10
  • Dick Gregory - May 29, 1946
  • Elaine (Adams) Corkle - July 29
  • Eunice (Gregory) Richard - December 14, 1951
  • George Sharp - March 27
  • Glenda Smith - December 31
  • Janice Irwin - December 27th
  • Jerry R. Sampson - August 17
  • Joanie Henderson - January 2
  • Joann (Adams) Webster - March 5
  • Joie Brown - December 4
  • Joyce (Tucker) Lovenburg - Sep. 17
  • Karen (White) Lindell - June 13, 1946
  • Karen Harford - May 20
  • LaVern Smith - January 12
  • LaVeta (Smith) Blecha - January 12
  • LeNeta Carlock - May 7
  • LeeAnn Steinbeck January 30
  • Leone (Gregory) Carlson - January 27, 1943
  • Lloyd Douglass - March 18
  • Marlin Crouse - May 7
  • Mel Fisher - August 8, 1946
  • Paul Freehling - May 23
  • Sally Leinen - March 25
  • Sharna Richardson - January 15, 1959
  • Sherri Gregory - January 20, 1945
  • Stanley Carlock - December 12
  • Tim Steinbeck January 31

GOC Observers

  • Alice Gregory
  • Barbara (Dexter) Platon
  • Claudine (Wiley) Sterner
  • Dallas Adams
  • Dick Gregory
  • Don Harford
  • Evoi (Billy) Clark
  • Gail Harford
  • Gladys Freehling
  • Glen Childers
  • Hazel Daniels
  • Karen Harford
  • Leah (Gregory) Brewer
  • Leone (Gregory) Carlson
  • Lillian Mahon
  • Lillie White
  • Linda (Harford) Jones
  • Lloyd Douglass
  • Melba Harford
  • Myrna Oster
  • Posts about GOC
  • Ray Harford
  • Richard Gregory
  • Sam Clegg
  • Sherri Gregory
  • Veda Douglass
  • Virginia Harford

Flying Haiglerites

Haigler Twins

  • Haigler Twins
  • Laurene Rohn & Larry Crabtree
  • Marilyn and Gerrald Logan
  • Gail & Galena Roach
  • Kyle & Kaleb Greenwood
  • Ryan Jean & Lucas Walker Mildenberger
  • LuAnn Green Wall and LuRue Green Krutsinger
  • Edgar and Edna Williams - b. 1895
  • William & Stanley Palmer
  • Frank & Frances Tiff - (Shauer)
  • Fernando & Mahala Trembly - (McBride)
  • Donna and Dennis Workman
  • Marlene and Darlene Workman
  • Rodney and Ronney Workman
  • Rusty and Randy Flamig
  • Robert and Richard Ambrosek
  • Chase & Seth Barron (Grandsons of Delford Trembly)
  • Robert & Delbert Tucker (Alvie's)
  • Ali and Alvie Tucker
  • Albert and Elva Enfield
  • Natalie and Nicole Harford
  • Sharon & Shirley Williams
  • Lloyd and Floyd Smith
  • Jami and Joni Pevler
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  • Janice & Julia Relph
  • Pearline and Pauline Freehling
  • Sharon Ruth and Sheila Louise Rose
  • LaVerne & Laveta Smith
  • LaVoine & LaVonne Smith
  • Elois & Elaine Adams
  • Dorothy & Donnie Brown
  • Carolyn and Marilyn Samson
  • Galena & Gail Collicott
  • Grand-daughters of Rae White
  • John "Keefe" and Kiara Grace Schorzman