The Early Days Of Elm Creek

Tales told to me by my Grandpa George.

From His Mouth To My Ears.

What It Was Like To Be A Pioneer In Nebraska.

I was pretty much a normal farm kid. I grew up knowing what it was like to work hard. Both my brother and I had our daily chores to do. Even as kids we would put in a full days work. We could go to town with mom every Saturday to get groceries, but that was it. This was my only contact with the "town kids" until I could join 4-H. You see 4-H was the only social life a farm kid had in those days. Other than playing with my younger brother in the creek, my only contact with other people was Grandpa George.

I went to a one room school until the seventh grade. We had all twelve grades, but only about ten to fifteen students. Most grades had one or two students, some grades had none. I really did not have many kids to socialize with.

My own father was always out in the field working. He worked a lot of long hours as I grew up. He went through the "dirty thirties" as a young boy, and I think that experience made a big impression on him. He was not about to let anything like hunger or poverty cripple his family. It’s for these reasons most of my early years were spent with Gramps. He was my education and my entertainment.

Now as far back as I can remember my grandpa George never really worked. Dad did most, if not all of the work on the farm. All I remember gramps doing was to set in the shade and whittle. He would set there and I would pester him. I was great fun!

As I got little older, it became my job to go to the pastures with gramps. The only real duties that gramps had was to check on the cattle. We would take salt and mineral to them and make a head count once a week. I loved going on these trips with him. We would drive around the country side afterwards, just enjoying the day.

He would be reminded of things that happened to him over the years, and he would tell me a story about this or that. His stories always fascinated me. I fact they still haunt my memories. Hardly a week goes by, without me thinking of gramps. You see his stories, although true, always seemed to have a lesson about life in them.

That is why I am going to write all the stories that I remember down on paper, so to speak. Stories that encompassed many very interesting subjects. Most of the stores he told happened right here where I still live and work.

Now this is where I need your help. I would like to know if there is any interest from any of you, in reading these stories. Do you think they would interest anyone? Am I the only one who thinks the pioneer days were awesome? If you do see some value in my tales, please comment on my idea.

Sincerely,

Kurt Mitchell

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