Memories of Iva Mae (Lux) Goucher

Just a bit of our background by Iva Mae Goucher (90th Birthday, July 1986)

John Kelly Lux (my grandfather) was born at Brownstown, Jackson County Indiana, November 7, 1833, son of William Gregory and Mary Kelly Lux. He was the third child of a family of 9. He was about 20 when the family moved to Tama County Iowa. He enlisted in 1861 Company C Infantry and was a Sergeant of Arms when mustered out September 1865. Then November 16, 1865 he married Caroline Fisher at Toledo, Tama County Iowa. I have no history on Grandma Lux, only she had 2 sisters living in Shelton. She was a good Christian lady. To their union were born four sons, Clarence and Dad in Iowa, Rolla and Pearl in Nebraska.

They homesteaded in Nebraska, near Gibbon Nebraska in Sharon Township April 7, 1871. Grandpa (John Kelly Lux) died of a heart attack January 17, 1904 at the home north of Shelton, Nebraska. Grandma (Caroline Melvina Fisher Lux) passed away in Shelton in May 1909.

John Alexander Hogg was born March 29 1844 to Robert and Mary Jane McFate Hogg. He was the oldest of a family of 10. They lived at Mitchelville, Iowa. He passed away March 19, 1920. Margaret Hall was born April 9, 1844 - November 14, 1924, a daughter of William and Minerva Thompson Hall, the oldest of 7 children. Ivan Elsworth Lux was born to John K and Caroline Lux October 27, 1861 at Toledo Iowa. He came to Nebraska as a baby, grew up in the Gibbon neighborhood.

Sadie Inez Hogg was born to John A. and Margaret Hogg, June 14, 1875. She came to Nebraska at an early age and grew up north of Shelton. Her parents lived first in a dugout then moved to a sod house which Grandfather Hogg built. He put plaster on the outside of it and of course on the inside. Then a large 2 story house was erected of which I have many fond memories.

Dad and mother were married January 30, 1895 at Shelton. I no nothing of their meeting, courtship, nor the wedding. Just seems that Aunt Lib (Elizabeth "Libby" Hogg) and Uncle Burt (James Burton Hogg) went with them. Can't say.

Their first home was a large two story house about 2 1/2 or 3 miles south west of Grandpa Hogg. Dad was a farmer can only recall the threshing time. Raymond and I were both born in this house. Then we moved to a farm south of the first place. (the Frank Eddy Farm). A small house and as I recall an orchard. I did not get to start to school because I would have to cross a pasture filled with horses and mules and go alone. So mother taught me at home. Then Dad bought 80 acres north of Shelton. It was a mile west of Grandma and Grandpa Lux and about 2 1/2 miles southeast of Grandpa and Grandma Hogg. There were no buildings so with the help of Grandpa Hogg, a sod house was put up. We moved in the spring of 1904, shortly after Grandpa Lux left us and Grandma moved to town. We were a mile from the Gardner School No. 112, where Raymond and I started and finished school.

We walked across meadows, pastures, jumped creeks, and in the spring gathered anemones, violets, and sweet peas. At school we would hear a sharp whistle and if we could catch a glimpse out of the window or get a chance to leave the room, we would see a ground squirrel with his head out of the hole. At recess or noon, someone would grab the water bucket, pump it full, and drown the squirrel out.

Our sod house was one large room so we divided it into 2 rooms by hanging curtains up. The smaller one was divided again so there were 2 bedrooms. The larger one was kitchen, dining room, also a bedroom for the boys, an all purpose room. It was warn in the winter, cool in the summer. Our heat was the kitchen range. Fuel was cobs and coal. A windmill furnished our water. An outside cave to store canned goods, potatoes, apples in. Our house was plastered but some cement was used so it was very hard. No nails could be driven in. Wooden pegs were put in before the plaster was put on so we could hang pictures. Make places for coats. The ceiling was open with the bare rafters showing, so mother bought unbleached muslin at 5 cents a yard and covered the ceiling. Then she papered the walls and ceiling. The wet paste shrunk the muslin so we had gaps in it. Of course, mice are always plentiful, they got in the attic and enjoyed eating the wet paste so in the morning we had little holes all over the ceiling. The next time we papered, mother mixed cayenne pepper in the paste. The mice did not eat the holes anymore. Around about 1910 or later, Dad built a frame kitchen joining the sod house so we had 3 rooms, anyway the family was growing John, Minerva, Donald, Rachael, Irene, and Bud were all born there.

Our garden and flower patches were made where they took the sod to build the house. To make a windbreak north of the house, Mother planted mulberry seeds in a row and then Peach pits in another row. It was in the making of a real wind break. We had cherries and plums, besides Rhubarb and grew all our vegetables. The windmill supplied us with all our water. Dad made a cement tank to cool our milk, cream, and butter. He put a shed over it. The water pumped up first ran into the cooler, then into a barrel and carried by a pipe underground to the stock tank near the barn. When it was full it ran over downhill into the pig pen.

A creek crossed the place and after big rains it rose until we couldn't get across. Along the creek were plums, gooseberries, grapes, choke cherries, so we had wild fruit most all the time. Of course Grandpa Hogg had large orchards we could help pick cherries for cherries, also peaches, and always apples of all kinds. He also had currants and June berries and in earlier days before mother (Sadie Inez Hogg Lux) married, a large strawberry patch. He hauled the berries 20 miles to a store in Panama Nebraska to sell. They were packed in crates 24 boxes to a crate. He also had a lot of bees and sold honey. During the summer super boxes were put on top the bee hives to be filled. These super boxes contained framework for 1 pound boxes. Grandpa Hogg was not a farmer but a carpenter and cared for fruit trees and shrubbery. He had orchards of apples, cherries, peaches. These plots were edged by mulberry trees with hedgerows around the outer edges.

What wonderful times we had at Grandpa's place. On Fourth of July we gathered there and Aunt Rose, Uncle Irv, Inez Van Dyke, Edgar Van Dyke, made up a parade, dressed us all in old clothes and we marched down the drive way. The Johnson's from Broken Bow were there for the summer. Uncle Irv and Edgar were clowns. Our Christmases, Thanksgivings were always spent there.

Raymond, John, Minerva and I all attended the Gardner School District # 112. Raymond and I completed the eighth grade there, then I went on to High School at Shelton. First did light housekeeping in a small house. My roommate got a job so left me and because the occupants of the rest of the house drank, my Grandfather Hogg would not let me stay, so I finished the year there. Started the next year in an apartment, was fine until Grandpa was sick and they needed someone to get the mail and run errands, so again, I was back there. Of course, Mother furnished items butter, eggs, buttermilk (a favorite of Grandpa's). I finished the 11th grade at Shelton in the meantime taking exams so I could teach.

As the community was settling up it was hard to get extra land to farm, so Dad sold our place and bought the farm northeast of Crookston, Nebraska. He now had 160A farm land and 160A for pasture. We still had to lease land for hay. The family milked cows, sold cream, and Dad raised hogs. All worked hard, no tractors, and not even a car for a while.

The farm had a small 2 room house, a barn, hen house, windmill. So the first thing was to build more house rooms. Before moving to the above, we sold the cows, then Dad got a railroad car loaded his machinery, household goods, and the horses. He and Raymond went along. It turned cold and snowy. By the time they reached Crookston, every road was full of snow. Evidently, another family was moving at the same time to a place northeast of Dad's and had arrived the day before, so a road was broke for Dad. They unloaded and moved out.

Mother, John, Minerva, Donald, Rachael, Irene, and Bud had remained in Shelton with Grandpa. But she wanted to get going so left sooner than Dad had expected. So Grandpa had sent a wire so Dad was there in the middle of the night to welcome them. There were 9 of them in the 2 room house for some time. They built on 3 rooms, made a cellar underneath. It was all done by the time I got up there around June 1. I got my certificate so I could teach and got a school about 1 1/2 miles from home for my first year. I had to drive or be taken. Once in a while I rode horseback. I had a large number of pupils and all grades. Enjoyed it very much. At Christmas, we got a bare branch and tied evergreen branches on it. No one could tell what we did.

The second school, I had only 4 pupils and had to carry our water each day. This was near Kilgore, Nebraska. The next was Southwest of Merriman, across the Niobrara River. Then I came closer to home with 2 years at the Harmony School north of Valentine. Then I went to Lake View South Dakota for a year, teaching the lower room, beginners, and fifth grade. During this time I met my [your] Aunt Ruby (to be). I then tried my hand at the Grand Island Business College for the summer, but came back to teaching. The school needed a teacher as the first one left so landed near Gordon, Nebraska. Boarded on the Niobrara River front. Had to walk to school up and down the hills that follow the Niobrara.

Next year, I was late getting a school so filled in again in a school between Eli and Merriman, Nebraska for 2 years. At this place I met your Grandpa (or your Dad) (Harvey Goucher, Iva Mae spelled his name Harve). The second year, he came to my pie supper, took me to the school, and brought me home. We attended many dances that winter.

The last school was some 40 miles from Merriman. We were married (in Martin, Bennett County, South Dakota) on November 15, 1924 during that school term. Had a ranch north of Merriman where we were to live and work for the owner. I got an incubator and set it at my boarding place, the chicks hatched a few days before school was out. I went with all my things with the mail man to Merriman where Harve met me. He had the garden all in. It was so nice but on the eve of July 25, 1925, a hail storm took all we had. The corn patch and pumpkins were all gone. Our house was a large one built on a lake edge. Fishing was very good. They had a boat. During winter Harve fed the cattle and trapped. Then as Harve wanted to be able to farm, we moved near Crookston, onto a farm. Dry weather and many things was against us, so did not do too good. We were building up a herd of cattle. We bought 2 cows and calves before we left Merriman and had 5 head horses. Traded the car for horses so no car for some time.

Speaking of cars, my Dad's first car was Elcar we were all so proud of it. Then, I believe later, he had a Buick and I don't know what else. Now back to our life at this place we had a 4 room house. Helen, Henry, and Wayne were born there. We farmed, raised hogs, and of course, sold cream. I raised chickens and a lot of turkeys. Besides always a garden. In some way or other we would get wild plums, grapes, choke cherries. Once in awhile, buy a crate of strawberries and always peaches.

Then we moved north of Valentine for a couple of years. Wanda was born there. The years was poor ones, so again, to a place up near Kilgore. At this place, Barbara and Lyle were born. Helen, Henry, Wayne also started to school. It was the same school where I had taught my second term. Dad had to work on W.P.A. No feed, so we sold our livestock. Finally Grandpa Goucher (Henry Goucher) had a stroke. He was pretty bad. They lived in Missouri so Dad came down to see him. Later on we decided to go to Missouri so he could see our family.

The trip to Missouri was a memorable one. We had a small truck, built a partition for it and also had a trailer. We put what we could in there, especially our bedding and also our canned fruit. It was in February and cold. We were at Grandpa's (Ivan E. Lux) and our money was going fast so decided to leave. The Saturday morning we left it started snowing but we had got too far away for my brothers to stop us. We crossed Nebraska, found a cabin and place for the first night, but the snow was too bad so stopped over night again. Left on a Monday, had tire trouble first, but made it to Grand Island Nebraska for a camp, then on the next day, seemed as though someone had to stop at every filling station. A seat was made on the fruit boxes covered with quilts for Henry, Helen, Wayne, and Wanda. We had Lyle and Barbara in front with us. When we got to Missouri, we found they had had an ice storm and everything was slick fully. We made 2 stops and left early one morning intending to make it to Calhoun, then our truck broke down north of Warrensburg. A family by the name of Fox let us stay there until Dad walked to Aunt Stella's (in Calhoun, 34 miles) for help. We were broke, he had to leave his guns on the way to buy gas. Dewey (Dewey Kinney, Stella's son) brought Dad back that eve and he stayed with the truck, we came on with Dewey. Finally Dad came in with the truck and trailer. We unpacked, then went on to Grandpa Goucher's.

Finally found a house and some work. We had a garden and gathered blackberries. We moved to the house next to us to care for chickens for some people that lived in Kansas City. They failed to help feed, so that did not pay off. Moved into Calhoun where Dad worked W.P.A. then we finally found a place in the country. There we had to carry wash water up a hill from a creek or spring. A well was there but was full of snakes. Then we moved north of Leeton and worked there for awhile. It was a 2 room tenant house but they built on another room. There were more moves until we were finally on No. 2 Highway near Post Oak, then on to the Frazier place, a large 2 story house. Always had a garden and fruit.

Then we moved into Leeton, then to Warrensburg. Helen, Henry, Barbara, and Lyle finished High School at Leeton.

Not much else to say.