1977 and 1978, the Lost Years

Spring of 1977 was a busy time. We were trying to get the Orient Grocery Store bought and financed. Lanny was finishing his obligation to Zenith Corp in Sioux City. We had our Hubbard house on the market, trying to get it sold. We had meetings with the bankers and Mr Christy, the seller of the store. We were packing up the Hubbard house and looking for a rental in Orient -- and there weren‘t any! We couldn’t buy another hosue until the Hubbard house sold as we needed the equity to finance a purchase.

Christmas at Gramma's. 

It think this was Christmas of 1978 because I seem to have a maternity top on.  Although, you wouldn't have thought I would be wearing a maternity top yet.  Nor sitting on the stairs in a room of a bunch of children smoking!  My goodness!  how times have changed.  I wish I knew who that was in Grampa's chair, behind Kent.  Anyone know that gal? 

 

This is marked "Christmas on the Farm". 

There's the big time cowboy talking on the phone getting to round up a bean bag or two! 

 This photo is marked Yankton, SD zoo.  Erica, 5 years old.  That dates this photo to 1978.  I wish this cute little girl would turn around so we could see her face -- although her little derriere and long legs and curly hair are cute!



We were writing proposed business plans (oh yeah? Never done this before!) for the grocery store the bank and the FHA (Farmers Home Administration who would underwrite the bank loan to buy the grocery store). We were soliciting the Small Business Administration for help and assistance in starting our small business. And I was still caring daily for my three young children, one of whom was an over active little blond bomb shell. 

Christmas again!  We only seem to have had time to take photos at Christmas time! 

No wonder I have, like 6 photos for the years of 1977 and 1978! It is falling into place! How did we get every accomplished and moved to Orient and didn't leave any children behind!  Okay, I think I am now going to forgive myself for not having more photos from these two years! Hope you all do too!
　
　

　

　
　

Erica, Kristy and Kerry.

At Gramma Hof's.  Didn't you love her house? 

　
　
Orient!  <3  I loved being closer to family. 20 miles to Prescott or 30 to Afton. That was awesome! I liked starting up the store and learning my way around Orient and getting my children established in the school and with babysitters and preschools. I really liked being on committees and volunteering. We had good years and slow years in the grocery store but we always ate good! Also, our employer always let one of us off to attend school functions, art shows, athletic events, and tend to sick children, so that was a major bonus.    The down side was no Health Insurance nor paid vacations.  (Oh! if I had only known about Medicaid! : ) 

Dad and I worked 7 - 6 pm, 6 days a week and 8 - noon on Sundays (sometimes Sundays were our biggest days!) These were good days of physical activity, family activities, learning new skills, meeting new people, stretching and learning (city counsel, school board, starting a library, Preschool treasurer).

Lanny, all dressed up for Smyser's 2nd wedding. 

I sure did like Ellen, his second wife. 

They were married at the Little Brown Church in the Vale.

Then, sometime around Thanksgiving or Christmas, I found I was falling asleep every time I sat down. I thought, well, we are working hard but then after some thought and counting on my fingers, we were jubilant to figure out that we were “with child!” Yes, I was pregnant and although as regular as clockwork, I didn’t really know when this happened or when the baby was due. I hadn’t counted calendar days for two or three months. But that didn’t matter, a baby will come when a baby is ready. And we were ready for a baby!

Leftovers, 1975

I think I have misdated pictures and have published some out of order.  I've worked with the pics so much I can't remember where they are in the blog -- published or unpublished so here's some leftovers . . . and some never before published. 

Christmas 1975. 2 little girls' Christmas gifts were (homemade) robes and dolly bunkbeds.  (PS: this is at Gramma Hof's in Prescott.  I just discovered that!)  Kristy and Erica also got more stuff and toys but their Christmas sure wouldn't have been like today's Christmas even tho I bet it seemed like pure magic . . .

I don't have a date on this pic but we do have the custom "wild" drapes in this pic.  I bought that rocking chair at an auction before Kristy was born and rocked all my babes in it (with a cushion in the seat and on the back) and a squeak in a rocker.  It is in my bedroom today, as we speak.  This pic  is before the wall-to-wall carpet was put down in the livingroom.  Kristy, I think I have to apologize for those short pants and knee socks.  : (  oh my! 

Cousin Brenda and Kristy cruisin' Rebecca Street.  Even tho our house had those shingles for siding, wasn't it still kind of pretty all gray with red and white trim?  Dad and I are debating whether there is a Hofmeister sign hanging above the stairs or not. 

Dad is just pretending to spank (as was his habit) but Erica is reacting like he is really going to whallop her good!  It was about this time Erica was starting to be called Queen Josephine . . . which shortened to Josie. 

Isn't this cute?  This is a photo that we haven't seen much of (maybe due to the couch and the curtains? : )  The photo is date 12-18-1975.  Kristy's 4th birthday.  Look, the girls have their home-crocheted ponchos on their laps.  Kristy got a Family of dolls for her birthday.  They were like homesteader dolls.  lol  No, just down to earth, Mom, Dad and little girl.  I think!  I hadn't thought about these dolls for 40 years so  I'll have to do some thinking and research.  But I like this photo -- two little heads together checking it out. 

This also is dated 1975.  Setting is our downstairs kitchen @ 1503 Rebecca.  Kristy, Molly Duncan and Erica.  It is someone's birthday I think.  Is that a cake on the table?  Very cute!

1976 and 77 Update

 We lived in Sioux City, of course, when Craig was born at St. Lukes Medical Center, the same as his older sisters.  Lanny was sure glad to get a boy, being out numbered the way he was -- 3 to one.  Craig came fast and furious, rushing through those early years full-speed ahead without care or planning.  I see the same attributes in Bella : )

When we knew the third child was coming along, we started figuring out how I could stay home because paying a baby sitter and going to work wouldn't have been to profitable in those days.  We determined that after the babe came, I would do daycare.   I had gotten to know The Duncan's down the street.  They had two little girls, Mollie and preemie, Carrie.  Mrs. Duncan needed some respite and we determined that Mollie (and Carrie when able would come up a couple of afternoon's a week.  There were a couple of children that the State of Iowa paid for their care, there was a little preemie who only found comfort from the hum of the vacumm.  There was a precious little guy we would have adopted, Mark, who's Mama worked at a massage parlor and was often late to pick up her boy. 

At Hubbard, there was the little girl with the Cleft Palette ( I am going to have to look up the spelling!) and little red headed Jaime.  I could have bonded with her but we weren't there long enough. 

Bohemian Mama (did you read that "hippie" ?) was sure glad to have a new babe safely delivered, and yelling at the top of his lungs.  The babe, that is -- not the Mama!  There's that gypsy robe again.  I mean to have/make me another. 

It is always a good sign tho, when the baby squalls loud!  Back in the olden days, the doctor kept you in the hospital for 2-1/2 or 3 days.  (In my Mama's time, if they got you to the hospital, they kept you in bed for about two weeks . . . by the time they wanted you to get up, you couldn't as your muscles had atrophied!  No wonder Mama had 7 of her nine babies at home! 

Remember the Chinese women that worked in the rice fields . . . they walked over to the edge of the rice paddy, delivered the babe and then went back to work.  OR so we were told! 

This photo just won't "format" and it is so cute and shows that lovely old fashioned yellow shrub rose that we had in Sioux City.  This would have been late spring 1976.  Our last spring, so sad!  Kristy is a caring 5 year old and Erica a very proud 4 year old.  This is just a charming little photo -- maybe just a tiny bit blurred.  But I remember the day and the smell and the feel still.  To this very day. 

PS:  look at those big old 70ish cars across the street!

I believe this was taken before Craig's 1st hair cut in Hubbard, at about 18 months.  I only let these blond tresses get this long because your Dad didn't have the heart to cut them.  Really and truly. Look at his dimpled knees.  His nice tan.  The cloth diaper under that pair of hardened "plastic" pants!  You shouldn't dry plastic pants in the dryer but when you only have 3 pairs and the cloth diapers and the plastic pants leaked each time, you had to dry them in the dryer so as to have a clean pair to put over a cloth diaper.  I'm not griping about the cloth diapers.  I really didn't mind when I was a stay at home mom.  I liked bleaching them out and hanging them out on the line to whiten in the sun and I was thankful to have plastic pants.  The disposable diapers available weren't much better so I didn't know what I was missing. 

Which child remembers me singing "Valerie!  Valerrah!  ??

I sent this photo to school with Craig when they were doing a "this is me" bit at school.  When it and others came back home, the teacher had stapled about 25 staples in the pics, to hold them together.  I took them to school and showed Mr. Tussey because I thought it was pretty careless of a teacher to do such a thing (photos were more of a luxury in those days and if you wanted copies you had to find the negatives and send them off somewhere and order reprints -- obviously, I never did that with this one!)  Anyway, Mr Tussey more or less shrugged his shoulders like "no big deal".  I think the teacher was Mrs. White but may be wrong about that. 

Now Craig, if I have held a grudge against your teacher all these years and find out now they turned you loose with a stapler, I am going to have to take it all back! 

Craig was a climber.  In this pic, he had put the dishwasher door down, climbed on it to the counter, crawled across to the sink and was running water.  I swear!  I swear I never let the boy out of my sight for more than two minutes! 

Our kitchen window faced East, looking out over the backyard.  The dining room is to our right.  The door into the garage is to our left and before you went out to the garage, you could turn left and go down the basement stairs.  We had a garden here and as you can see, the tomatos did well.  I canned and froze out of the garden this summer.  I think dad might even have had a small patch of sweet corn. 

Becky and Kelly's mom called me up one day and said there's a real bargain down town.  A gunny sack full of potatoes for a cheap price.  (wish I could remember how much!)  so I went and bought some. 

Dad has never been fond of pototoes in quantities greater than 10 pounds because as a lad, he had to plant, hoe, dig, carry, tote, wash, sprout, cut into "eyes" and hoe again the very large 10 acre potato patch his dad planted and fed to the whole town of Prescott!  He and his brothers are still arguing over who had to hoe more potatoes than the others! 

Anyway, we had potatoes about every meal and we were slowly getting all the potatoes used up and then spring came and the pototoes started to sprout.  I think Dad must have started having dreams about cutting those potatoes up and planting them and starting the viscious cycle all over again because he got on me to use those potatoes up before they spoiled!  lol  So I pared and peeled and cooked and broiled and made potato salad and we used them up (or I threw away the squishy ones while he was at work! lol) but I gotter done!  I never was tempted to buy a gunny sack full of potatoes ever again!  The end! 

 

What a happy, little tow head, mostly.  Well, as long as he could be down and going and climbing and digging and running.  This is spring, with the tulips blooming and it must have been a warm spring with Craig's bare belly and legs hanging out.  Photo was taken on the south side of the house at 1503 Rebecca, on 15th Street.  

On the driveway in Hubbard.  Erica is helping ?? Craig in -- or Craig out.  I'm pretty sure that Mama wasn't encouraging them into the pool with water in the bottom, dressed in long pants.  I'm pretty sure those pant legs are going to be dripping water.  However, Mama must have thought this was "cute" enough to take their photo.  Erica, are you urging Craig into the pool?  so if you get in trouble it will be cut in half?  I made Craig's jump suit and Erica's polyester pants.  I love making those little slacks and sewing the crease in down the front!  The shirt is boughten.  I think Audri may have inherited Erica's curls.

Is there such as word as "boughten" anymore?  Do any of you refer to "boughten" clothes?  "boughten" shirt?  hhmmmm. 

I am pretty sure this is just inside the front door at Hubbard.  The door in the top right corner would have been the outside door, the front door.  The smaller door to the left was a coat closet.  I had forgotten that coat closet.  I am just now reminded of it.  Don't know where we got the coke box but we had two or three of them.  The coke boxes were "cars", toy boxes, storage boxes or building blocks -- we may still have one down in the crawl space here.  That yellow chest was in 1503 Rebecca when we bought it.  It was natural wood first, then yellow, eventually orange and Craig and Traci may still have it yet.

My beauty contest winners.  All three took first place in my book : )  I think Craig is looking to his older sisters for clues on how to react and behalf here?  Or maybe just wanting their approval?  love you little sweeties <3

This is another photo that we haven't used a lot. 

Look at this pretty girl and her sparkling eyes! 

Photo taken at Granny's, at Shagbark.

Erica, do you remember this shirt? 

It was a favorite.  This pic is a favorite. 

Fall of 1977.  Is that right?  This is the front stoop at Hubbard.  Kristy had her kindergarten year in Hubbard.  For awhile we all walked Kristy to school -- at least part way.  Then she got acquainted with LeAnn, down on the corner.  LeAnn had a brother about the same age and maybe a couple of older sibs so they made up a group, walking to school.  It relieved this Mama's mind, let me tell you.  I think they might have met up with the Collins' children too, at the corner. At the corner that went up the hill.

Craig at about a year holding this pup.  I do not remember this pup so hope he was the neighbor's!  lol  there is a swimming pool on the driveway and red lava rock in our flower beds under the casement windows.  These were good, busy, hectic days : )  I didn't have much time to take pictures nor much extra cash as I was a "stay-at-home" Mom doing daycare to help out.

ah, yes, the memories . . . good days!  Love, ur Mama

1503 Rebecca, continued . . .

Kristy's 4th birthday at 1503 Rebecca.  We are in the dining room at that big lovely table.  I recovered the chair seats.  We had six dining room chairs, I think.  I had never seen a table like it.  At each end, you reached under and pulled out an 18" extension and snapped it into place.  So the 5' table extended out to 8 foot.  Or was it 6' extended out to 9'?  It was nice!  I miss it : ( 

Late 1972 or early 1973.  I had sewed me this robe before Kristy I was born.  I loved the ease of the robe.  It zipped up the front.  It washed up, wrinkle free.  It was pretty and comfortable -- and roomy!  It accomodated pregnancies, I used it for all four. I wore it until the hem and the seams frayed and was falling apart. 

I also sewed up the cafe curtains for the big window in the kitchen.  I adored that blue, colorful printed cotton fabric!  Only the bottom half of the window was curtained, which allowed us (well, Dad and I anyway) a view out but afforded us privacy.  Guess I didn't think about the little ones wanting to see out! 

Here is our formica kitchen table.  We had four chairs to match.  Behind us, basically, is the amount of kitchen cupboards we had in the kitchen -- except for the extra cupboards in the little pantry.  There is a good gas cooking stove too.  Wish I had one like that today.  Okay, maybe the oven was a little hot but a person learned to compensate and turned it down a little and maybe we had to light one burner with a match.  Still, it cooked our meals!

 Kristy and Erica planting flowers at the corner of Rebecca and 15th Street.  Looking south and east.  Probably spring of 1976.  We didn't know the folks that lived in those two houses across the street. 

ahhh.  My little girls and Tiffany . . . or was it Mollie?  washing dishes in the side yard.  All the little girls needed was a pan of water, an apron and something to wash and they were content!  This pic is looking west on 15th street.  Weyer's is across the street, to our left.

Then along came Craig! 

a big bouncing bundle of boy. 

Erica and Kristy took one look at him and were enamored again!  And pretty darn curious about bottles and nursing babies and diaper changes! 

oh yes, there we are again . . . wearing our aprons and washing dishes. 

Nothing like that to keep a girl balanced and in control : )  and that is Tiffany.  Look at Dad's rose behind Erica and our house came with window boxes.  There were 30 or 40 colors of iris on the north property line, there was a wonderful yellow bush rose, there were tulips and dad planted roses and trees.  I can't remember what this big old wooden crate was or where we kept it but it worked great for washing dishes. 

I got that "loaf" pan and the 8X8" cake pan at the _ _ _ _  Store.  If I bought so many dollars worth of groceries each month, I got a "premium", a free gift.  Of course I had to take my own boxes and bags and box and bag my own groceries, but I did and I saved!  And I got many things!  This may have to be a story all it's own.  I got these two baking pans, colored green on the outside. 

Downstairs, small bedroom.  One day Kristy wanted in Erica's crib so I let her.  And Erica climbed up like a champ and slept in Kristy's bunk.  It was about 8" to the floor from the bottom bunk so was ideal for little girls.  And little boys. 
Erica has her home-made Granny Square blanket with her.  She dragged that thing around until it unraveled and shriveled up and decomposed!  And I encouraged it, every step of the way! 

Christmas 1975.  Still a family of 4 (but expecting an additon come February.) 

oh my, yes.  I know this feeling.  Thank goodness we grow out of half of that bashfulness by the time we are adults.   Erica!  where are you? 

Two little pretty Easter girls on Gramma and Grampa's front stoop. 

Aren't they sweet?  When Johanna was about three, I made her one of these little capes.  She hardly wore it and I put it away and kept it.  This spring I gave it to Audri.  I hope Audri wears it for Easter this year.  If she does, someone please take her picture!?!

Boys in Blue

oh boy.  Are we teething, son?  or just sleepy?  lol  Papa and Craiger.  In the front yard of 1503 Rebecca.  Weyer's house is across the street.  I don't think I ever got inside that house!  Wasn't it huge? 

Here!  Kristy was sleeping in Erica's crib while Erica slept in Kristy's lower bunk (above).  Kristy, feeling some sibling rivalry maybe? needed to sleep in her old bed.   So I let her and Erica swap.  All in the downstairs small bedroom.

Kristy, Erica and Nicky Knickerbocker

Isn't this adorable?  This is at the base of the stairway door that took you (me, thee, us) upstairs to the second floor.  I hauled that laundry hamper around with us for years.  I finally spray painted it blue and think it was only here, in Creston, that I finally disposed of that thing! 

Oh, gosh.  Who are these people? 

Strangers in our house!  : )

Easter 1976.

It was a beautiful day and we hunted eggs in the front yard. 

Pretty babies

It wasn't often that my children wore coordinated clothing : ) This is at the south east corner of 1503 Rebecca. When we moved in there was an ornamental sumac tree that had character and was a beautiful orange most falls.  We have planted about three of these at various houses we have owned.  There is one down on a lake lot at Twin Lake but it is not ours, sad to say.  So, soon, I will plant one at our new cabin. 

Published. 1974

1974

In 1974 we moved downstairs.  Our good renters, the Huebsch's moved out so we moved down and rented out the upstairs to another good set of renters.  Too bad I can't remember their names and too bad they didn't stay long!  We bought a reconditioned Electrolux vacumm from him -- Todd or Jeff or Edd or something!  Usually your Dad can help me out in these memory lapses, but not this time.  Names and Dates remain annonymous . . .  misplaced!   

Our downstairs dining room. 

I think this is where I learned to love a formal dining room.  There is a bay window in this room, radiator covers right and left of the bay window, the massive swinging door to the kitchen which was usually propped open except for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Dad always had to work at Zenith the Friday after Thanksgiving so I learned early to roast turkey and make stuffing and pumpkin chiffon pie . . . and real whipped cream!  I loved my hardwood floors,  big, big windows and the picture rail high on the wall.  In the old days, the wire or picture hangings showed above the hanging picture or photo.  The hanger had a hook on it that sat on the picture rail.  Guess you didn't have to punch any holes in the wall that way.

The hallway to the bedrooms was off the right hand side of this picture, above.  In the hallway, there was a door that closed off the "real" stairway to the upstairs, the master bedroom doorway a bit further down the hall and to the left, the bathroom straight ahead (which sported a dead bolt lock - and a story for another day!) and the small bedroom with the bunkbeds to the right. 

This Vega was a 1972, so a little late for this entry but that's our backyard and we were still driving it.  The car is sitting in the driveway and the garage is out of sight to the right and Mr and Mrs Huss' house beyond the car.  We drove the Vega until 1976 when we bought a bright red / orange Plymouth Valorie.  oh well.  Not we.  Dad and Grampa bought a bright red/orange Plymouth Valorie.  In fact, after the fact, I had your dad go to the courthouse and put MY NAME on the title.  : ) 

Our play yard.  This is the south yard on 15th Street, running east to west.  Dad put up a fence to keep you little hooligans out of the street.  And/or the neighbor hooligans out of our yard!  (really, the Weyer children were pretty well behaved.)  This pic may have been used before in Nana's View.  It is early spring 1974 as the Redbud is blooming across the street. 

Oh yeah!  The dirt on the floor of this garage was so fine and soft and silky.  I've never seen dirt that soft and fine before.  Erica took a dirt bath in there.  It was a hot summer day and she just sat down in the coolness of the shade and dirt floor and thoroughly enjoyed herself.  Yes, that is dirt in her hair too!  She looks pretty pleased with herself!  It was a good Mama moment even tho it called for a bath, directly after. 

Erica's 1st Birthday! 

This is at the kitchen table.  The kitchen had big south windows and was bright and light.  The kitchen counters are to our left, the big metal kitchen  unit was behind Kristy on the short wall of the kitchen.  To the right of the kitchen sink was a door to the pantry.  The pantry was a cute little room with cupboards built in and shelves -- almost a butler's pantry, had the family that built this been wealthy enough for a butler. 

Someone had taken time to make cute radiator covers for some of the radiators.  I like this radiator cover above Erica's head -- seems like there should have been telephone books or something in the shelf! 

We had a big old boiler in the basement that Dad learned how to take care of and it heated the house very well. Except!  I remember one very, very cold winter where the butter froze in the west cupboards of the kitchen.  The house was old and didn't have much for insulation. 

Erica is teasing her sister! 

The girls are laughing and having a good time.  It is probably nap time -- time to get silly and keep each other awake!   This is a double bed in the "master" bedroom downstairs on the left side of the hallway and the room where Erica had her dog nightmare.  The bedspread was made and given to Lanny and I by Gramma Sychra when we got married.  I have it yet although the bedspread is very worn.  The pillow covering is in better condition.  They will attend the Hofmeister Reunion in July. 

And, oh yes.  The lovely living room!  It was a nice size room.  Dad and I stripped and sanded and then repainted the woodwork.  There were two "pillar" dividers between this room and the second living room on the left, or the north.  You can see the front door with lace curtains on it.  This carpet was big and old when we moved in.  Wish I had it now!  : )  we put down plush  brown wall-to-wall carpet, probably about 1975.  It showed every piece of lint.  The coffee table was made by your dad in Shop in high school.  I think there were pocket doors between this living room and the dining room (where the photographer is standing) but I don't think we used them at all.  Maybe once or twice at Christmas.

Some of the radiators were short.  Straight ahead in this pic, you can see a long, low radiator, under the window.  I loved the big ol' windows!  until it came time to buy drapes.  We bought the big floral drapes at Sears on sale, custom sized, and thought we paid an arm and a leg -- then I always wished I had gotten something more subdued! 

Sweet babies,

Camping, July 1974

In the Coleman Minuteman camper.

Erica, modeling her new bikini, summer of 1974. 

Way cute, Erica, sweetie pie! 

I called you Dolly, some. 

Until you turned into Queen Josephina!  lol    

The upstairs stairway and Weyer's house behind her.  There's a wading pool or inflatable boat here somewhere and I'm a gonna find it!  Erica is saying! 

This is the Sugar Daddy Day, I think. 

Silly, and kept getting sillier!  A sugar high.

Cute apple green outfits

on cute little girls <3 

Living room again.  Here are the drapes we custom ordered.  They were insulated and did help with energy bills and the room was certainly big enough to stand the big print.  I don't know this occasion.  Maybe we got new little lawn chairs?  Prior to the lawn chairs, each girl had a little blue chair with a wicker seat.  I see one living room pillar so we are actually in the north living room.  We usually used the south as that was where the TV was. 

I just remembered!  We got a new TV late 1975 and me, 6 or 7 months pregnant got elected to help carry it in.  Himself and I gotter done!  I had, after all, played volleyball that winter and was in good shape, chasing after a 3 and 4 year old. 

We had a volleyball team from work that played in a league . . . and, me, 6 or 7 mo pregnant, was told by the coach that I was the best player on the team!  lol  pretty sad team . . .

Kristy and Erica on the sidewalk under the stairs.  Just to Kristy's left, was the door we used to get in and out of the downstairs apartment.  It went in to an entry.  Basement stairs went straight down but if you turned right and went up 2 or 3 steps, you walked into the kitchen.  There was a door between this entry and the kitchen that we kept closed in the winter to help in heating the house.  In summer, we just let it hang open. 

Erica and Kristy on the front steps of 1503 Rebecca.  Lanny and I screened in the porch, to the left.  Lanny, did you build that screen door?  I love the red painted bricks with the gray siding.  It was painted like that, I think, when we moved in.  You girls didn't get to play around here, the front, too much.  Usually you were in the back or side yard.  I do remember one warm summer rain we were all sitting on these front steps and you two stripped off your clothes and ran up and back on the front sidewalk, naked as blue jays, soaking up the freedom of it all!  Hearts light and spirits soaring!  all of ours! 

We had a front door (east), a side door (south) and a back door (west).  I think this is the side door.  You are sitting on a wooden step looking pretty happy.  Me too.  These were happy days.

                                                        Love you, my babies.  All four! 
                                                        Love, your Mama and future Mama!