Neighbors

Pete got this from John Puffer...

I forgot to include it in my last email, but I remember Dad saying when he was a boy, before any tiling was done to the farm, that just west of the grove & SE of the house about 10 rods were ponds with cattails & ducks in them. Also that there was a natural waterway from the spot 10 rods SE of the house off southward. In the winter he & his brothers would ice skate from there down to near the country school that was on the SE corner of the section.

Some of my memories of attending that school the one year that I went there are: the students had to take turns going over to Lester Krause's & pump a pail of water & carry back for the day's drinking water supply. Donny Wilhite & I were the youngest so we got to go together, carrying the full pail, one on each side. The students were: Bob, Jim, & Donny Wilhite, Harry Fisher, an 8th grade girl...I don't remember her name, & myself. Each of us were in a different grade. The girl didn't have to do the "water duty" thing.

That HUGE stove in the schoolhouse. Just as you walked in the door from the south was a place to hang your coats. Just north of that was a cob & coal bin. That obnoxious Harry Fisher throwing rifle shells in the cobs & them exploding. The Wilhite boys had a Shetland pony & a cart. They would pick me up on the way to school. Bob would drive, with Jim beside him. Donny & I sat behind them, facing backwards. Once at school, Bob would unhitch the pony & tie it to a fence post so it could graze. About half the time the pony would get loose & go home. So we'd have to walk home that afternoon & then walk back the next morning, leading the pony down to school.

There were two outhouses located at the NE & NW corners of the schoolyard. The school yard was fenced on the W & N side only. On the last days of school the teacher built a fire with cobs in the south ditch & we roasted hot dogs & marshmallows for our noon lunch. When we got up to go back into school we discovered that Jim Wilhite had been sitting on a snake & it was dead.

And my best memory: In the spring, the ditch on the east side of the school had a lot of water in it from snow melt. Harry Fisher had put a plank from the schoolyard over to the gravel road which he would ride his bicycle back & forth over. Harry was in 7th grade, a bully, & had tormented me since my first day of school. We were watching him show off & some wheels within my head began turning. Finally once as he was riding from the yard to the ditch, I ran behind him to the middle of the plank & shoved him & his bike into the cold water. He probably beat the crap out of me, I don't remember. I only remember how good I felt, I felt I had gotten even for a whole year of his bullying me. I'm sure that the Bible says somewhere that this was not the proper way to do things, but it makes me feel good to this days just thinking about it!

John, both our Dad's & their brothers attended that school. I did for first grade only. It closed after that & I started second grade in at Corwith. Dad bought the playground equipment from the school & erected it out SW of the house near that old "falling down" shed. Dad also bought the teachers desk & used it until he died in 1989. I am sitting at that desk, as I am writing this.

Prayer Request

First one is a prayer request - Dad(Merle) will be having surgery on his shoulder (injured from the fall) on Wednesday. Should only be in the hospital over night if all goes well. Just pray for his safety and God's guidance during the surgery. Also that God will be with him as he won't be able to use his arm for at least 6 weeks and that will be hard on him.

Second - Mom and Dad's 60th Anniversary was in December but with how Dad has felt (along with the need and request for NO attention!) I made the decision to not have a big celebration but I'm hoping after his surgery at some point to be able to take them out for an evening and maybe just have family that is here in the area help us celebrate (late). I would like to be able to shower them with cards and wishes from all of you....so if anyone would like to send a card to them, you could send to me and I will deliver all at one time to them. My address is PO Box 55, Berwick, IA 50032. Thanks so much!!


Thanks
Jenni

Merry Christmas

Luke 2:10-11

10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

Uncle Merle

Jenni P said...

Hi all. Would appreciate everyone's prayers for Dad (and Mom. If you haven't heard. Dad fell from the attic last Wednesday and broke his back. God however was very good to us!! Things could have so much worse...Dad gets upset whenever he thinks about the possbility of mom being under the door when he fell (as the door was shut). He is doing well. Alot of pain though. No surgery right now - trying a back brace first to try and avoid any surgery. He also tore the rotor cup in his shoulder. You know him though he is all ready joking around. Just pray for a speedy recovery and his pain. Pray for mom as she "trys" to care for him when he does come home. Right now still in hospital but looking at putting him somewhere else for a couple of weeks til he can get up and move around better. Thanks - love you all and know you will be praying.

Wilhite Brothers 2005

This phot is from Merle's 80th Birthday 2005.

Ken,Merle,Bob,Jim,Don

Here is a site we can share photos on.

http://wilhitewaves.snapfish.com/snapfish

If you click on the above, and log in to Snapfish you can see some photos of Ken,Merle,Bob,Jim, and Don at Merle's 80th Birthday back in 2005. Some great shots of the brothers and spouses.

You can also post photos there.

Thanks from Jim and Bev

Dear Wilhite families,

Oh, what a wonderful great weekend at the Wilhite Farm!! Lots of memories were shared - a lot of fun, food, and fellowship was had! You dear people have been our conversations this week. Jim and I want to thank you all for coming and are already looking forward to next Aug 2008!

May the Lord bless!

Thanks again for coming to the Wilhite Farm.

Love,

Aunt Bev and Uncle Jim

ps A BIG thanks to Vana, Pete, and Keith