NEWGEN-L Archives

Archiver > NEWGEN > 1999-02 > 0919321487


From: <>
Subject: [NEWGEN-L] My home town
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 02:04:47 EST


Dear Listers: Like many of the others, I had not forwarded a description of
my home town because I also have more than one. However, I will trace them
lightly for all of you -
I was born on the plains of Nebraska where my great-grandfather homesteaded
land in 1865 - and which is still owned by the family. I have fond memories
of the big old barns built by those German-Polish settlers and the great
meeting place they made for the happy barn dances on Saturday nights.
My Dad played the accordian so beautifully and I was so proud when everyone
would call for him to step up and play "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" and "I'll Be
With You When the Roses Bloom Again" among others. His hands were rough from
his farm chores, but they sure made those accordian keys talk! My mother's
brother was famous as a square dance caller and in great demand for special
dances, such as anniversary, wedding, etc. He was a great improviser and
would adjust the words to the individual dancers in the "set" and since he was
a natural comedian, some of the calls were quite hilarious.
My great grandfather had immigrated from Deutsch Krone which has been
German, Polish, German, Russian and Polish. So many wars, so many changes.
He was just a young man when he arrived here with his parents and siblings.
Their first permanent home was close to the banks of the Missouri River in
eastern Nebraska. They bought a farm in Otoe county and when my great
grandparents married, they caught the "land fever" and moved west into the
plains country of Nebraska.
They came in a covered wagon from Eastern Nebraska and my precious grandmother
was a tot of two years. There in Gosper County, not far from the banks of
the Republican River, they became ranchers and farmers. The huge old home
they built was a haven for the children and grandchildren who followed.
Doctors were not nearby and the big old house many times sheltered sick
grandchildren as our grandmother was a born nurse/doctor and loved to care for
her people, as well as the neighbors who needed it. The scariest times I
remember there were when we would head for the cellar because of tornado
scares. Mom and Dad fixed a couple of cots, lanters, and of course, a deck of
cards. Many nights I remember faling alseep as they sat there playing
"Rummy." The other scairy thing was the way the wind would howl around the
corner of the house and sounded so mournful and sad.
We left Nebraska when I was nine years old, and moved to Idaho. Oh boy, was
that a change! The Nebraska roads were every mile, laid out just as straight
and neat. In Idaho the roads curved around big rocks, or around mountains,
wherever it was easiest to build. In Nebraska we relied on the windmills to
bring water for our domestic use, and for the Lord to bring rain for our
crops. In Idaho, water was carried swiftly along in a canal system that
permitted water for all the crops in a plentiful supply. The view changed
from the flat Nebraska landscape to the majectic "Edahow" Gem of the
Mountains. Even the desert areas proudly displayed their Indian paintbrush and
sage brush decorations.
California is my home now and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our
home is in Concord, where the spacious Concord Pavilion is home to the big
names in the music world and is famous for its outdoor concerts. In the
holiday season it becomes a tunnel of a million lights - most dazzling to
behold. Downtown is Todos Santos Plaza, styled after the old Mexican custom
of the downtown square for friendly congregating. Which is natural, since
this area was once all a part of the Galindo and Pacheco old Spanish ranchos.
Concord is home to Sun Valley Mall, one of the first big shopping malls in the
area, which was built in the early 1970's and still attracts shopped from
everywhere.
My granddaughter attends St. Mary's - a private university on the grounds of
an old Spanish rancho and which is just sssoooo lovely and serene. Her
classes are small and personal, some only twelve to a class! The college is
just about fifteen miles away and so convenient for her commute.
Although I moved to California and have lived here more than half of my
life, enjoying the lovely moderate weather, the beaches, and adjacent
amenities offered by San Francisco and Oakland, I know that each of my former
homes left its own impression on me, furnishing me with great memories and
warm thoughts.
Truly I am lucky to have had three such beautiful and diverse locales to
call MY
HOME Roberta in California

This thread: