THINGS I REMEMBER
Written by Harley Kroth
assisted by Merle & Thelma

     In the early days of Henry and Louisiana Kroth, as I remember it from 1890 to the present time, we had our ups and downs - I mean, money was hard to get. We had plenty to eat and we all worked hard together to make life happy and comfortable. One thing I especially remember - how mother Louisiana would always read a few verses of favorite scripture and have prayer before breakfast - never fail - which I know made the day brighter as we all went to our work.
     On the Kroth homestead in the early days, my father was a professional blacksmith and wagon worker. I remember helping him many a day pumping the bellows, shoeing horses, setting wagon and buggy tires, and doing all kinds of welding, plow sharpening and wagon box work with tools that people would laugh at now.
     We had a large orchard, 8 acres with all kinds of fruit and grapes. Rans Osborn, one of father's good neighbors, would always come over and trim our grapes and prune the trees. The Osborn boys, Fred and Dave, would come over quite often to play with us in our big barn. We had boxing gloves and musical instruments. Fred was pretty good on the violin, would play old hoedowns and we would have big times. Then down Avoca way, store and post office was owned by Dave Hager where we went for our mail every day. Also, the Pottawatomie Indian reservation close by with their Indian dances and pipe of peace smoking gave us plenty of amusement in the early days.
     I cherish the memories of my old school days from 1890 to 1902. Some of the older brothers went to the old log school house which used to stand where Joe Peasley now lives (1964). Then went to school in the new school house which was very crowded from primary to 8th grade. Then the second room was built on which served 70 to 80 Pupils. My father served on the board of directors both in school and church at Buck's Grove.
     My fond memories go back to the time when Miss Edna Tweedy taught the large room and Miss Lillian Mohler taught the small room. During the second year of their teaching they boarded at the home of Clements and Frankie Bottom who lived nearby. They formed a Reading Circle for older pupils and anyone who wanted to take part in the discussions. John Kroth, then a gay young blade from Oklahoma, came to visit us and, of course, I took him to Reading Circle where he met Miss Tweedy, the lady of his choice, and escorted her home, and I escorted the charming Miss Mohler home. I recall that Eva Kroth, Frank Kroth's youngest daughter, used to kid us so cute when we had taken our lady friends home from Reading Circle. She would say, "Ha! Dohn and Teedy, Hardy and Modee! Ha! Ha!" After a few short years, John and Edna were married in the Presbyterian Church at Holton and moved to Oklahoma where they lived for a number of years.


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