Orient Express

Late 1976 or early 1977:  We had just moved from 1503 Rebecca Street, Sioux City, Woodbury Co, Iowa to Iowa Street, Hubbard, Dakota Co, Nebraska when we found out that Zenith was going to close and move their operations to Mexico or Taiwan.  We didn't, of course, want to pack up our young family and move so far away so Himself and I decided that perhaps we could be our own employers . . . and not be at the beck and call of someone else  nor recipient of their whim or whimsey. 

We started reading the Des Moines Register's Sunday classifieds "Business for Sale" ads .  We talked about grocery stores and restaurants or bars but somehow we knew (even in our naivety) that a bar and restaurant would be relentless, require too many hours and probably be a seven-day a week committment.  We decided to find a small town grocery store to buy. 

Somewhere in the winter of 77-78, we found the ad for the Orient grocery store, Christy's Market.  We also found a store for sale in DeSota and one in Humeston, Iowa.  We looked at Orient and we looked at DeSota.  A winter storm one weekend and flu or family sickness, another weekend caused us to postpone traveling to Humeston.

DeSota was close to Des Moines and basically was what was called a "bedroom town".  The folks that lived in DeSota worked in Des Moines.  And shopped in Des Moines.  We both liked the idea of Orient as it was about 20 miles to Prescott and about 20 miles to Afton, halfway between our families!  And not so close to Des Moines. 

Negotiations began.  We applied with the Small Business folks, the Farmers and Merchants bank and the Farm and Home Administration, a Federal program that would guarantee our loan with Farmers and Merchants. 

July 1978, we have been looking for a house to rent but they are few and far between.  We finally find an old farm house on the Stoll farm west of Orient.  It was $125 or $175 mo.  It was not fancy!  It was pretty basic and it had hogs in the hog lot and flies in the walls.  And that is not to mention the house was overrun with mice!  But it was a roof and shelter and we grabbed it!

Aug 1978, Kristy started 1st grade with Mrs. Harter and Erica started kindergarden with Mrs. Ritchhart.  Craig went to daycare with Patty Wilson.  I don't think the girls ever rode the bus from here so we must have taken them to school on the way to open the store. 

November 1978, or thereabouts, we were delighted to learn that there would be a new baby in June.  We were thrilled!  and motivated to move again.  We wanted to be in town, closer to the store and school and in a house where we could have use of the bedrooms.  In the old farm house, we all slept downstairs in the winter.  Lanny and I slept on the hide-a-bed couch in the living room and the children in the bedroom.

We rented a house from Helen Speed on hwy 25 south, across from the school.  There were 2 bedrooms down, a livingroom/dining room and kitchen down.  There was a nice enclosed front porch and two bedrooms up.  The kitchen was at the back of the house.  There was an outside door on the south west corner, counters and sink -- and the stove on the north wall.  There were three neighbor kids about the age of our children.  All's good.   

This house is where we brought Johanna home from the hospital.  It is were we became a family of 6.

It is here, when Johanna is about 3 or 4 days old that Craig pulls the crockpot off the counter and burns his feet and legs.  I picked him up and put him in the sink, running water on his legs while I wait for Lanny to get home from the store and for LaDonna to come stay with the girls -- all three girls including my newborn baby!  waahhh  !

On the trip to the hospital, I kept a wet towel on Craig's legs but it is still the longest 10 miles I have ever ridden in my life (including my trips to the hospitals when I was in labor!)   
It is from this house that Craig climbs trees, cuts off the neighbor girl's pigtail and falls in the rosebushes.  It is here that Kristy and Erica use a coffee can upstairs and throw the contents out the window and where they play birdie in a nest (using bean bags a top of dressers).  Kristy goes to second grade, Erica to first grade and they all play with the little girls next door.  Kristy, Erica and Craig welcomed Johanna with open arms just as Kristy and Erica welcomed Craig when he was born. 

In the spring of 1980, we move to the Lobaugh house.  I love this house!  4 bedrooms up.  Front entry, open stairway.  Two full sets of Pocket doors on the living room.  Formal dining room.  Wooden floors and natural woodwork.   A swinging door to the kitchen.  I can't remember the kitchen!  I'm thinking on this!

There is a big yard and there's an enclosed back porch where a bulkhead door lifts from the porch floor to allow us acces to the basement.  If we wanted to go.  And we don't.  But it is there in case of bad weather.
Johanna learns to crawl up the stairs here,  then walk.   This house is just a couple of blocks from the store and Lanny or I can walk to work while the other has the car to carry children here and there.  It is comfortable.  Maybe a little cool in winter and we pull shut the pocket doors to close off the front entry way.  My washer and dryer are still in the back room of the store and that works as we still have diapers and lots of laundry.

The children come to the grocery store to wait for the school bus. 
Craig goes to preschool from this house and to Patti Wilson's yet for daycare.  Johanna goes to the store, then to Patti's and when she's old enough, begs to go to play with Lyndsey Diers. 

About 1982, we buy the Klingenfus house in the 400 block of East Division/    Johanna, doesn't want to move and being a pretty articulate little talker, lets me know she does NOT LIKE this house!  But we settle in. 

Photo taken by the big Maple Tree

at the Klinkefus House. 

Oh! you are all so cute! 

This house backs up to the school play ground and we use the school grounds as an extension of our backyard.  We play tennis and use the ballfield.  The children all spend enormous amounts of time on the playground.  We have a sidewalk out front of the house where Craig and Johanna learn to ride two wheelers and then later, build a zipline from the front maple tree to the redbud.  They play in that big ol' Maple above the sidewalk and later I think it is a miracle no one ever fell out and broke an arm or cracked their head.  We build a tree house in the tree in the backyard.  We have a garden and apple trees to pick up after. 

We move the washer and dryer home. Himself and I take turns having a day off from the store.  I'm a cub scout leader for one year here.   We have countless neighborhood kids in and out.  They come here after ballgames to wait for parents; they come before ballgames to wait for bus times. 
It is from this house that we take our Washington, DC, our Arkansas, the Dillion, Colorado and the Duluth, Mn vacations.  I wish we had stayed there another 8 years.
Well, consider this entry a beginning,  an outline.  Hopefully I can use this to explore and record our houses and lives in future entries.

Add your comments and memories . . . that will encourage my memories.  Love, Mama

PS:  what a tell-tale sign that I comment on these houses in regards to the laundry . . . washer and dryer are still at the Store.  House where we brought the washer and dryer to.  lol