Memories From Lorne

Lorne Remembers Marvel as told to Janet, December 2003.

The farm was 3/4 miles north of Schisselville and on May Day when some kids came and left a basket at the door and knocked, Marvel ran out to try to catch one, and then she was supposed to kiss them. After that, they would go on to the next house and she went too. Lorne started to go too but they made him stay home. There were three or four houses close together at Schisselville and they left baskets and had lots of fun that way. The baskets were made up of apples, oranges, cookies or whatever was on hand. One boy, Bob Fassler, had such long legs that nobody ever caught him. Marvel sure tried!

There was a time when Marvel dug a hole and made a pond in the yard. She put in plants and etc. for a lily pond look. The lily pads came from the creek. She brought rocks from the creek to line it and plants that floated in the water. He thought she either put fish in it or was going to. Of course, Marvel had to keep adding water all of the time!

Kids back then didn’t have much money to buy candy and gum, so when they had gum, they would chew it as long as they could. When it was time for bed they would take it out of their mouth and stick it to the backside of the headboard so the next day they could chew it again.

When they were little they played the usual games of tag, Hide & Seek, and Anti I Over the cob house. She was 11 when Lorne came down with polio at the Fair in Alta, Iowa.

Marvel and her mother put on roller skates and skated around the living room. As you know, they wouldn’t have had any carpet on the floor then. They also jumped rope together.

The Hahn’s lent a horse to Uncle Wes Day. He was mean to horses and overworked them. When Marvel heard that the horse was at the Days’, she walked the two miles to Wes’ house and brought the horse home. Lorne didn’t know if she rode or walked it home.

Lorne remembers helping dry dishes with Marvel.

Marvel may have been in a play in school, but Lorne doesn’t know much more about that. She went to the Methodist Church and sang in the choir. She liked to skate and when there were cousin picnics in Storm Lake. Marvel would go to the Cobblestone at LakeSide and skate at the rink. She was buddies at that time with double cousins Florence (Bruce) and Lucille (Cox).

Lorne remembers when Marvel learned to drive a car.  They had a Model A Ford and her Dad was teaching her how to drive. Lorne thinks all of the family was in the car at the time. Marvel was going about 35 mph and her Dad told her to turn right at the corner which she did but didn’t slow down. They almost went in the ditch but she managed to keep it on the road. Needless to say, she stopped and got out and traded places so her Dad could drive the rest of the way to town. She never drove his car again!

They made taffy and Lorne thinks Marvel was the one who made it and then they all helped pull it till it was right to eat. I asked if they remembered to wash their hands first and Lorne said Marvel would have made sure of that!

Marvel taught Lorne how to make Valentines out of red paper and lace paper doilies. She also showed him how to string popcorn for the Christmas tree. They would go out and find a small tree, cut it down and bring it in to decorate. Each of them usually got only one gift. One year Lorne and Don didn’t get anything but Marvel got a doll that her mother had made for her. Mother was mad that Dan didn’t go to town and get some cheap thing for the boys, but they really didn’t have any money to spare. Lorne said that was the year Bob was born (1931) and he was their Christmas present!

One summer Marvel went with a Micky Jones who worked for the railroad in Cherokee.

Marvel went to country school at Schisselville through the 8th grade and went to high school in Quimby.  Right after Marvel graduated, she left for nurses training in Sioux City.  Lorne remembers going along to take his sister there from time to time. He really didn’t get to know too much about Marvel as he was 8 years younger.

When Marvel was in nurses’ training, Lorne got a carbuncle on his hand. She came home for a visit and when she saw it she made them take him to the doctor to get it lanced. It was a good thing she came home when she did as the infection was starting to spread into his bloodstream.

Lorne didn’t remember Marvel being engaged before she met Elmer. However, at one time she was engaged to K. Rollins, a pilot killed in WW II. He is in Marvel’s graduating class picture. My sister’s husband, Paul Samuelson, was also in the same grade. He says that Rollins was a quiet guy and bashful around girls. Paul was surprised Rollins got engaged.

Lorne said Marvel really worked hard to become a nurse. She had to work as an aide and practice nursing at St. Joe’s in Sioux City. She put in a lot of long hours plus her studies. They were real proud of her when she graduated.