Childhood Photos 1945-46 - 1st Grade

 

Childhood Photos 1945-46 - 1st Grade

I can’t be sure exactly when this photo was taken, but I’m going to assume 4-County Fair in Coon Rapids, likely in Summer of 1945, and go from there. I just love this photo!! ;-)

Again, this was likely a church related party, in the backyard at our farmhouse. Quite a spread. One of few photos we have of this side of the farmhouse in full.

Billie with first cousins, Kathleen and Karen Kinnick. Interesting background of barn and tractor.

 

Cute photo of brother Jim and I. I do not have an occasion or a date, again. Background interesting again, featuring the garage.

This one features Mom and Jim, again… quite the pose! Again, consider the background, the buildings, the car... as World War II was ending, as well, time-wise! ;-)

When school started in the fall, I had the same teacher, neighbor Mildred Peverstorf. Here is the announcement in the paper:

75 Years Ago - The Coon Rapids Enterprise
August 24, 1945
The three rural schools in Willow township, Greene County, will be taught by Coon Rapids
girls this year. Mildred Pevestorf at No. 3, Etta Scott Fick at No. 4 and Ruth Pfieffer at No. 9.

Jim and I in Winter attire, again, note Barn and Crib behind.

Dad got the “new” - to him - Farmall M - that is Jim with him - I think this was Feb 1946. But, the most important element of this photo is just behind Dad, above the tire... the old front porch was replaced by a wonderful new indoor bathroom... complete with tub and toilet!! Also, a 'front door' that never worked out that way!! ;-) Little things mean a  lot! ;-)

This is likely Bible School, June 1946. Nancy sitting in front of me. I’m second from right, standing, if you cannot tell.  

NOTE: As a reminder, compiling these black and white photos from this era is an exercise for me and my family. I'm sharing it widely, and I hope each of you find it interesting and worth our time to view, but, it is mostly for my gratification. Thank you.

See you down the road... ;-)

The year 1942 and me - in photos

 The year 1942 and me - in photos

Last week we looked at 1941. In Mar 1942, we moved to the farm that Mom and Dad bought and where I lived the rest of my youth.

In this first image, cousin Karen and I are checking out the qualify of the soil, in March, it appears:

In one of my more infamous photos, in May, I’m leading the chickens away from the chicken coop, it appears. In the High School Prophesy, they suggested I would be a chicken farmer… has haunted me all my life! ;-)

In July, Uncle Buzzy and cousin Dave Thomas and I check out the yard east of the house, in front of the “Wash House!” It was already there, and we mostly used it for storage during my years there:

In August, with Grandma Kinnick, cousins Karen and Kathleen, in her back yard in town:

This one is obviously dated 18 Oct 1942… I do not know the occasion:

I do not have a date on this one at family gathering:

Finally, the one on the woven stool…still have that stool, by the way… my artifact for my ancestors:

Families are Forever! ;-)

 

The year of 1941 and me - in photos

 

The year of 1941 and me - in photos

Earlier, last week, we looked at some photos from 1939-1940, my first 18 months on this earth.

Today, we will look at four photos from the year 1941. If I should find more, I’ll add them.

Skip to mid-year, I had my usual birthday on July 1, with angel food cake. Note we are now living on ‘the Anderson place’ over on the county line between Carroll and Greene counties. We were a mile and half south and a mile east of the Star Church corner. A mile east and half a mile south of the Smith Homeplace.

I seem to be in social isolation… not much has changed in 79 years, is seems. This was birthday number 2:

 

This one seems to be in the fall on a cool day. Is that a truck I got for my birthday? Who knows? Is that our 1934 Chevy back there??? ;-)

First formal photo - Bill holding a Ball!! How about that outfit???

This final one is at Thanksgiving - still warm, it appears, in Lohrville… coming to life, it seems…
Girls allowed in this one, as well… progress?

I think that is cousin Karen on the left, by the tire, and a neighbor girl on the right...we are in a town, not just family in the afternoon, following Thanksgiving dinner with family.

Families are Forever! ;-)

My First Year: 1939-1940

 

My First Year: 1939-1940

I was born on July 1, 1939. These were the proud parents.

Last week when I published my Childhood Memoir Challenge article, I included the following:

“My childhood can be seen in three phases, in my mind, at least:
1) Farm Rentals in western Iowa - Mar 1938 thru Feb 1942 ( I was there Jul 1939 to Mar 1942, approaching 3, on Jul 1 of 1942.
2) Our own farm, nearby - Mar 1942 through Seventh Grade at Willow #3 (May 52 - 10 years)
3) Town School, still lived on same farm - Fall of 52, 8th grade through Spring of 53 plus High School thru Spring of 57 (18 on July 1, 1957)

I have absolutely no memories of phase 1. Nothing. [ADDED: I’ve since been told that is perfectly normal to age 4…whew!] I have read my mother’s diaries of that time (She kept a daily diary from 1932 to 1999, the end of her life) and there are a few photos, but they only show things I don’t have memory of. Thank goodness for them, however.”

This week, I want to bring together the photos and words I have of my first eighteen months of so, birth through 1940. Next week we will look at 1941, and 1942 the following week, on Tuesdays.

These next two photos are also from 1939. An earlier blog post said this about the photo with Dad (it also applies to the photo with Mom, I’m now certain):

“I may have posted this before, but I've now determined more details about it. In Mom's diary, the first week of December, 1939, they got a new (to them) 1934 Chevy, it snowed, and Mom got me a new snow suit by mail order from Montgomery Ward. Pretty good reason to take a photo, I think.”

 This next one, with cousin Karen Kinnick, nine months older, would have been late spring of 1940.

And, on the Smith side, here I am with first cousin, Gary Hilgenberg, nearly a year older than me:

These two with Dad around the same time.

And, this one with Uncle Buzz, about 12 (now 92) around the same time.

 

At a Smith gathering in the summer, Dad is holding me, just left of center and the women:

With Grandma Kinnick on the farm:

 

 

With Mom and Dad perhaps in the fall of 1940:

 

Next time, we’ll look at the 1941 photos. Neat to finally put these together in one place…

See you down the road…