Easter blizzard of 1873

In the spring of 1871 we sold our spare horses and other belongings; and loaded a Car for

Lincoln Nebraska ----

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{In the summer our Son Christian was born but died a few month later} here at Lincoln I worked my two teams, excavating cellars and hauling freight, from  [   ] City and other places:,,  In the fall of 1872., I drove my Mule team, to The Republican Valley; where I homesteaded my farm in Section 35 – town 3 –Rang[r] 20 west 6^th Principal Meridian -- -- -- during the colder weather, I drove back to Lincoln, and in The spring, took my wife and Baby’s along and arrived on our homestead, on the 12^th day April 1873. -- -- On the 13^th day of April, just after unloading our belongings, a most fearfull rain and snowstorm set in; which lasted over Three days; and we had neither food nor shelter for our poor teams – and fed them the husk out of our strawticks;,,  We ourselves found a little protection, in an open Log [shant] without any roof on the same:” -- -- What your dear Mother, and Myself suffered, to keep our little Baby’s warm and dry, you can not imagine – and my pen is too poor, to describe the same!! -- -- -- -- -- Our horses and mules, broke loose from cold and hunger, the second night – and it was on the, 3^rd day after the storm, that I Tracked

Page 11

Them to the mouth of the Sappa:”-- -- Soon after this, I found a couple of homesteaders, hired them to help, put up our first Log Cabin in which our daughter Elizabeth was born July 25^th 1873. -- -- Now we went to work with a good free will; digging a well, putting up a shed for the teams, breaking a little of the Prairie sod, and put in a few acre of Corn, and the rest of the time, I used the Armstrong machine; and put up as much Prairie hay as possible. – Of course our harvest didn’t amount to much; for we planted so little – but the pesky Grasshoppers, came along, anyhow; -- and looked over the location; so as to be able to find it the following Year:” -- -- --

The next year, we broke out about 15 Acres and would have had a nice bit of Corn; but The hoppers Came, and saved me the trouble of husking it:,, -- -- -- -- Then came the Year 1875. and with it our Son Adolph, on April 21^st. -- -- -- Now we had on hand five hungry little ones ==  a   part   of   our   happy   lives!! But they had to be fed, and Clothed; and the measly hoppers took ever thing,

That we Expected to harvest:,,

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So There were many heartaches, of what to do in The future!!:”  We kept on a planting and sowing; but even The Uear 1876; our entire crops were distroyed[sic], when we almost had a big Corn Crop in our reach == at times we were much discouraged; but Yet we held on and struggled for our little Band:,, -- -- --

The Year 1877. was a blessed one for all of us, besides an abundant Corn and Wheat Crop;; we harvested a bouncing Baby girl, for on May 2^nd our Cathariene was born, -- to help us, to chase the hoppers = but she came to late; for the Bugs must have got scared and They never bothered us afterwards! -- -- --

From now on, Time passed somewhat easier for The Children grew up like Sunflowers; and were soon able to help a little here and there; {In the Year 1879, our daughter Maggie was born but died a few mont later;,,} 

{The Year 1881 brought us our Son Henry who also died when but a few month old:}

     So time passed with Sorrow – Grief --; and happiness; for all of us:,, -- -- -- Excepting The Year 1880, we raised fair to good Crops, and with The Childrens help; we got along pretty well:,, but yet we needed

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Help, for if one on the top of the list got married; it was nessessary [sic], that another took her place == == == == == So on The 11^th day of October 1882. our Son Nicolai was born; and promised to take The burden off The old mans shoulders = but that still left your Mother, to carry her big and heavy load: -- -- -- -- -- Therefore kind providence was with us; and on The 15^th day of August 1884 our daughter Dorothy was born;,, --

This made it an even dozen; That the good Lord had given to us;,, and as we now look back over the past; we must say:,, Father in Heaven we Thank Thee:, Amen!!

In the Year 1885, we sold off, our stock on hand; for I was too sickly; to do the farm work any longer – we rented a house in Orleans, where we lived until The fall 1889, when we moved to our farm 12 ½ miles west of Orleans; and which I had prepared while living in The City. -- -- -- During our residence in Orleans of four years;,, I worked in a store – and one winter I taught German, to a Class of Eleven;, all grown Men & women. ==

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While here I was thrown down, on my sick bed, for a couple of month, suffering from Neuralgia of The heart, and at the same time of Erysipelas over the whole head:’- What I suffered, when near death door; nobody Knows but me – and  The  almighty  father  in  Heaven

From The fall of 1889 untill the spring of 1910, we lived on our farm, west of town; then we moved into one of our houses; which we had built in 1909. and where we now live happy and contended[sic]== spending our old age, in peacefull retirement, and will not go forth, to any other home, until The good Lord says;,, Come!! -- --

Now in conclusion, of This short;; and Yet long life == of your old parents == let me say to you, our dear Children; That at all times, we never looked for trouble in The future!!  We always took the bright side, of happenings, as They came to us; and were always trying to face The Sun:  So That we could’nt[sic] see any shadow!= And to you each and every one we would say:

Always  try  and  face  the  Sun!!

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Don’t hunt for trouble!

But look for success –-

You will find what you look for –-

Don’t look for distress -- --

If you see but your shadow

Remember I pray

That The sun is still shining –

But you are in the way. –

Don’t grumble, don’t bluster

Don’t dream and don’t shirk –

Don’t Think of your worries;,,

But Think of your work;” –

The worries, wil vanish –

The work will be done -- -- --

For no one, sees his shadow –

Who faces the Sun !!!—

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yours with Eternal Love;,, your

Mother and Father

Dorothy and August Sasse

October 15, 1911.

Orleans Harlan County

Nebr

 © 2012 Nancy L. Ruder

Wise grandfather grasshopper

After an art class project with beautiful blue butterflies, we turned to green grasshoppers. We used up some upholstery fabric scraps, and my entire collection of green bottle caps.  The oldest children used collected tissue papers for the wings possessed only by adult grasshoppers. The middle group talked about different colors of green.  The youngest preschoolers started their insects with three shapes; a raindrop, a saddle, and a hot dog.

This grasshopper impressed everyone with its wise, inscrutable expression. The word "sensei" popped into my mind, along with images of David Carradine in that old "Kung Fu" television series.



The oldest group liked making chevrons on their grasshoppers' legs.  It will give them something to think about at the gas station.

© 2010 Nancy L. Ruder

Grasshopper on the fence

As fascinating as grasshoppers are, I still don't want them jumping at me. This fellow posed politely on the playground fence when I was leaving work Friday. He's suggesting an embroidery project.

The return of my camera after its long trip to repairville coincided with the end of my year as a volunteer newspaper columnist. It's time for some visual artwork.




© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

August Sasse excerpt #1

From the handwritten biography of my great great grandfather:

July 25th 1873. ---- Now we went to work with a good free will; digging a well, putting up a shed for the teams, breaking a little of the prairie sod, and put in a few acre of Corn, and the rest of the Time, I used the Armstrong machine; and put up as much prairie hay as possible. -- Of course our harvest didn't amount to much; for we planted so little -- but the pesky Grasshoppers came along, anyhow: -- and looked over the location; so as to be able to find it The following year:" -- -- --The next year, we broke out about 15 acres aond would have had a nice bit of Corn; but The hoppers Came and saved me The trouble of husking it: --- --- --- --- Then came the Year 1875, and with it our Son Adolph, on April 21st. -- -- -- Now we had on hand five hungry little ones -- a part of our happy lives!! --- --- --- --- but they had to be fed, and Clothed; and The measly hoppers Took every Thing, That we Expected to harvest:!! So There were many heartaches, of what to do in The future!!!" We kept on a planting and sowing; but even The Year 1876; our entire Crops were destroyed, when we almost had a big Corn Crop in our reach ---- at times we were much discouraged; but yet we held on and struggled for our little Band:" -- -- -- -- The Year 1877. was a blessed one for all of us, besides an abundant Corn and Wheat Crop;; we harvested a bouncing Baby girl, for on May 2nd our Cathariene was born; -- to help us, to chase the hoppers -- -- but she came too late; for The Bugs must have got scared, and They never bothered us afterwards! --- --- ---From now on, Time passed somewhat easier for The Children grew up like Sunflowers, and were soon able to help a little here and There:


© 2007 Nancy L. Ruder

Low-end wizardry

My young students are having a magical time thinking about wizards and dragons this month. Most of them are just learning to read, so they are aware of Harry Potter through commercials and perhaps the movies, but not the printed word. I admit I enjoyed the first three Harry Potter books, but then it became too onerous a task to keep up with the series.

My brother, and later my oldest son, were Tolkien junkies, reading the whole Lord of the Rings cycle around and around for years. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis left me cold. I read Little Women every year during Christmas break, books about archaeology, and my favorite Laura Ingalls Wilder books many times. Given a good dugout roof over my head, a blizzard or two, and a plague of grasshoppers, I was a happy young reader.

So I was interested to overhear the kindergarten kids talking about the wizard headmaster, Double Door. Not the wise, powerful, and possibly deceased Dumbledore of Hogwarts Academy--I think Double Door presides over the Hogwash Academy of Wizardry housed in the aluminum double-wides down at Uncle Cam's Trailer Lot. Before he became headmaster, Double Door was the professor of bug zapping, and K-Mart blue light spells. When Hogwash Academy has a Sorting Hat ceremony, the hat still has a price tag hanging on it.

Bring on the grasshoppers.

Auntie Myrtle

Discussing groundcovers with coworkers has led me off on a new genealogical hunt. I'll keep posting about the search, but for now this is its origin.

The myrtle planted around my patio is blooming with pretty, precise blue flowers. Sparrows are tearing off shoots of the vine for nesting material. With myrtle, the sparrows often get more than they counted on. One poor bird sat at the top of my fence with three long strands of myrtle hanging from its beak, but couldn't figure out how to fly with all this carry-on luggage.
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
In Texas the term "myrtle" refers to crape myrtle trees (Exh. A) which provide color in our hot summers. In Nebraska "myrtle" is the name for a ground cover (Exh. B) also known as Vinca minor or periwinkle.

Myrtle grew all around my grandma's house in Pierce, Nebraska. Being a kid, I was oblivious to it until my mom decided to dig up a bit to plant around our house in Lincoln. We wrapped these horticolonists in newspapers--probably The Pierce County Leader and the Omaha Wierd Herald--and fretted about whether they would survive the three hour, 120 mile drive in the trunk of the '63 Pontiac Catalina.

My parents weren't prone to gardening. We kids were brought up with the idea that if you didn't water or fertilize, you wouldn't have to mow very often. The original owners of our house had planted a few chronically depressed rosebushes on the south side of the house, outside my bedroom window. It's all a bit jumbled with my kid understanding of the 1964 Alaska earthquake, but our parched lawn sometimes had big cracks during the hot summers. I was reading Laura Ingalls Wilder books about the hardships of life on the prairie and the horrible infestations of grasshoppers in those days. Big, ugly grasshoppers jumped over the cracks, surprising my bare legs, and spitting tobacco at me. To this day grasshoppers creep me out. Making a sculpture of an adult winged grasshopper did not help me overcome this aversion. (This photo and the next two are by Steven.)

The transplanting of the myrtle from Grandma's house to our house seemed like a big step toward making our yard more lush and friendly. I was all for it, and happy to be Mom's "big helper" on the project. That myrtle still grows happily in the shadier parts of my folks' yard.



In turn, I transplanted new colonists of that myrtle around the apartment building I managed as a newlywed at 1822 H St. in Lincoln, and later around our two homes in Omaha. I wonder if it is still growing around these spots. To plant myrtle around three houses in Oklahoma and Texas, I had to buy small pots from the nursery. When I moved to the condo complex, I brought myrtle, ivy, canna, and "purple stuff" colonists from my old yard. This is "purple stuff":


Grandma's sister was named Myrtle. The baby name website call Myrtle a "neglected horticultural name deserving of consideration". Grandma's middle name was Fern, probably also deserving of consideration. I'll let everybody know when I get a batch of three year old students with horticultural names. This wave of deserved consideration has yet to reach shore! For now, I'm awash in Carolines, Graces, and Claires.

The myrtle
c.1400, from O.Fr. mirtile, from M.L. myrtillus, dim. of myrtus "myrtle tree," from Gk. myrtos, from same Sem. source as Gk. myrrha (see myrrh).

verbena
genus of plants, the vervain, 1562, from L. verbena "leaves or twigs of olive, myrtle, laurel, or other sacred plants employed in religious ceremonies," from PIE *werbh- (cf. Lith. virbas "twig, branch, scion, rod"), from base *werb- "to turn, bend" (see warp).


The word "verbena" time zaps me back to Mrs. Barry's eleventh grade English class. We are reading Faulkner for the very first time, and trying to make some sense out of Light In August. We are all making fun of the writing, and saying, "Verbena, verbena, verbena," in high falsetto voices. I remember absolutely nothing else about Light In August, and I didn't know verbena was myrtle. I have read other Faulkner novels of my own volition. The Reivers is my favorite.

Anacreontic
of or in the manner of Anacreon, "convivial bard of Greece," the celebrated Gk. lyrical poet, born at Teos in Ionia (560-478 B.C.E.). In ref. to his lyric form (1706) of a four-line stanza, rhymed alternately, each line with four beats (three trochees and a long syllable), also "convivial and amatory" (1801); and "an erotic poem celebrating love and wine" (c.1656). Francis Scott Key in 1814 set or wrote his poem "The Star-Spangled Banner" to the melody of "To Anacreon in Heav'n," the drinking song of the popular London gentleman's club called The Anacreontic Society, whose membership was dedicated to "wit, harmony, and the god of wine."

To Anacreon in Heav'n, where he sat in full glee,
A few Sons of Harmony sent a petition;
That he their Inspirer and Patron wou'd be;
When this answer arrived from the Jolly Old Grecian;
"Voice, Fiddle, and Flute,
No longer be mute,
I'll lend you my name and inspire you to boot,
And besides I'll instruct you like me, to intwine,
The Myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's Vine."

The tune is late 18c. and may be the work of society member and court musician John Stafford Smith (1750-1836).

Myrtle is a symbol of the goddess Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Yertle needs a few shoots of periwinkle in his mouth.