The 70s - Tracy Memories - A-M Systems

Business Development - Consulting / Products / Services - since 1986
A-M Systems
Go to content

The 70s - Tracy Memories

Projects > Eddie Books
410.004_70s Tracy farm memories
Age 6 to Omaha from St Louis – walked 8 to 10 blocks to school, and didn’t like potato soup!
age 7 to Carson – but went to school in Macedonia
age 9, moved to 40 acre  farm and rode school bus to Malvern to school – Burt was the bus driver.

Me and my sisters were picked on and bullied a lot in school. A favorite teacher was Mrs. Ford, my fourth grade teacher. Mrs. Powell was my seventh grade teacher and another favorite – she introduced me to the “Hobbit” series books. Vernelle Hedlund was a best friend, until she became more interested in boys than me. That was a hurtful lesson for a seventh grader.

Also when I was in seventh grade, I went out for football. I competed in the Punt/Pass/Kick event. This was a long time before girls were much into sports, let alone football. I didn’t stay out for football very long. I played softball in high school and was a catcher and third baseman. I went out for basketball and I also ran track – long jump and discus. Mr. Gilbert was our music director and I liked him and enjoyed music and band. In marching band, I was a drummer. Other school activities included working in the library

Richard Kelly was a special friend – maybe because he also was picked on a lot. On one occasion, when was being tormented, I whacked the guy with a newspaper stick and then he punched me in the stomach, so I whacked him again, and he punched me in the stomach again. But he did quit picking on Richard. Other school mates included Tommy Bare, Debbie Fickel, Lisa Port, Carol Blackman, Elaine Jones, and Monte West. Elaine and I wanted to take shop class (not sure if that happened). … graduated from Malvern High School in May 1981.

Horses – M A marshad, Shadow, Ricky Ticky Dashram – bought ___ horse from man living south of Shenandoah IA – would soon find out that I was allergic to horse slobbers and we would ultimately have to get rid of horses – don’t remember where or how.

Cats – lots!.. most received names – when the barn burnt, a momma cat and her babies had to be rescued from the hay loft of the burning barn… had to tar out some boards to even get them out. Then went inside the burning barn to retrieve the horse saddle and bridle.

Me and my sisters took turns with kitchen duty – the folks had a calendar that posted each girls’ job  - washing, drying, put away, etc.
One of our early projects was caring for “Dude and Stubby”. These were feedlot calves from a farmer west of Treynor (Herb Sudman – had a small feedlot and fed heifer calves.) One year we took them to the Mills County Fair in Malvern. On one occasion, dad bought baby calves from Minnesota - we all had to help bottle feed calves – then we taught them how to drink directly from a bucket. Then we helped Dad build feed bunks for the calves and helped grind feed for the calves.

Other chores – when we had sows that were having baby pigs, I would let the sows out of their pens, and then clean their pens before putting their feed in their pan and then let the sows back in to their pens. I learned to castrated pigs, give shots, clipped needle teeth, notch their ears and cut off tails. On newly born baby pigs, we would cut off the navel cord and put iodine on the navel. We nearly always to pigs to the Mills County Fair – don’t recall any special awards for our pigs.

I learned to drive the tractor when I was 11/12?? and could cultivate corn.
… also raked hay drove tractor and did lots of field work
One year we put up 50 acres of clover – I often drove the tractor to rake and bale hay. Then I helped load and unload small round hay bales. I would take a gallon of Kool-Aid and a gallon of water.
Other crop jobs included walking corn and beans to cut weeds. Sometimes we did this for other farmers and got paid to do so – but not on our farm – our pay was eating regular meals… I think.

Malvern used to have a Fourth of July Celebration, and one year I helped my dad – taking tickets, directing traffic, etc. We worked nearly all day. The reward for such a job was to get to go to the Appreciation Banquet in the fall for all Celebration workers – all the school boys that helped with the event got to go to the banquet, but they didn’t let me go because I was a (only) girl to help with the event - and I never helped again – don’t think my dad did either.
2020 Copyright (c) A-M Systems
All Rights Reserved
Powered by Website X5 & Website Source

A-M Systems
204 S Broadway St - Box 459
Red Oak IA, 51566-0459

eddiebarnett@live.com
402-305-2575 cell
Back to content