Truthfully, I never read much about the Korean war. I don't recall studying it in school. I don't remember many people talking about it. I have relatives who fought there and I heard some of their stories, but somehow the significance of this war eluded me.
Merry Helms and her book Prairie Boys at War has sharpened my focus. I bought the book for Justin, and when he saw the size of it, he sighed. But once he began to read it, he continued. And he has recounted what he has learned.
John Durand writes : "In this riveting narrative, Helm sought out the fast-disappearing Midwest veterans to----reconstruct their countless acts of sacrifice and heroism, their almost unbelievable suffering, and the horror of captivity experienced by many----I am reminded of Winston Churchill's tribute to the Royal Air Force----: 'Never have so many owed so much to so few'."
I never realized how many American's were prisoners of war in Korea. Merry Helms writes "Many surmise that when all was said and done, the Hadong-Taejon prisoners may have suffered a fatality rate that surpassed anything ever endured by American prisoners in any war". The accounts in her book from the survivors tell of atrocities that numb the mind.
Prairie boys going to war. Cousin Eddy said when the recruiting officers asked him what he could do he told them he was 'just a farm boy'. A couple of weeks ago when we visited with him, he began to recount his own war stories. In his early eighties now, his eyes are clear, his hand steady, and his mind is sharp. He told us of some humorous events, and then he clicked his tongue and sadly said he lost some good buddies.
I think of our young men leaving home and everything they know and love. Going to a foreign country where they are hated. Protecting the good from the evil. Coming back home to settle down and raise a family. Putting most of the memories on lock down, and trying to forget what they saw.
I believe in prayers for our soldiers, prayers for their families, prayers for the wisdom of our leaders and the military. Prayers that all those young soldiers in any war have not died in vain. And prayers that all of us will remember those who sacrificed so much to keep America free.
Have a good and Godly Veteran's Day, Tuesday, November 11
www.prairieflowerbooks.com
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
Rediscovering memories
Marie Wheeler, Grandmother-in-law, was a young woman when her friends urged her to come to West River Country and file on an 80 acre homestead. There were available jobs, a chance to own some land, and adventure! Since Marie was an orphan, and accountable to no one, she heeded the call and boarded a train as far as Philip.
Her claim was near a little outpost called Marcus, and with fortitude, a strong faith in God, and good and caring friends, she made her way into the north country and picked a spot to put her shack.
When she wasn't at her homestead, she worked as a waitress, cook, and 'gofer' of a general store and eating establishment in Marcus. I would underscore this----Marie worked and Marie learned the English language. She was born in France, orphaned, and immigrated to America as a young child. When her aunt died, Marie was eleven years old. Basically, she raised herself from that point on.
So, the homestead shack was her first very own home. She loved all 160 square feet of it. She wall papered with newspaper, used apple crates for cupboards, kept a white tablecloth with bouquets of prairie flowers on her homemade table, and fulfilled the requirements needed to call this piece of ground hers.
When she was in her eighties she discovered her homestead shack was still in use. The daughter of her good friends invited Marie and her family to come and see it at her ranch, and so on a lovely South Dakota day, two carloads of us trekked up to Isaac's ranch. We loaded kids, food, and our spry little Grandmother and spent time reminiscing of homestead days.
We recorded Marie recounting how she paid $50 for her shack, and how the folks she bought it from hauled it to its new location. She also told us how she bought a Montgomery Ward saddle to ride her horse back and forth from Marcus to her shack. She was overjoyed to stand inside the doorway of her first home, and pointed out where she had placed everything.
For years the little cassette tape gathered dust in Justin's gun cabinet. Recently our daughter Jackie took it and recopied it onto a disk. Once again we hear Marie's voice, her laughter, and we relive that special day when the past became the present, and wonderful memories were made.
Goodbye, Belvidere is a tribute to those brave and hearty souls who settled this country. And in 'A hundred and sixty acres', the brave and daring
Joanna takes a wild stagecoach ride with a driver who hitches broncs alongside of somewhat tame horses to complete his team. Meet Art Wheeler, the love of Marie's life.
Family stories are a treasure. On this beautiful October morning, I'm going to take the coffee cup outside and remember the folks who settled here before us to make this part of the world "home".
Have a good and Godly day!
prairieflowerbooks.com
Her claim was near a little outpost called Marcus, and with fortitude, a strong faith in God, and good and caring friends, she made her way into the north country and picked a spot to put her shack.
When she wasn't at her homestead, she worked as a waitress, cook, and 'gofer' of a general store and eating establishment in Marcus. I would underscore this----Marie worked and Marie learned the English language. She was born in France, orphaned, and immigrated to America as a young child. When her aunt died, Marie was eleven years old. Basically, she raised herself from that point on.
So, the homestead shack was her first very own home. She loved all 160 square feet of it. She wall papered with newspaper, used apple crates for cupboards, kept a white tablecloth with bouquets of prairie flowers on her homemade table, and fulfilled the requirements needed to call this piece of ground hers.
When she was in her eighties she discovered her homestead shack was still in use. The daughter of her good friends invited Marie and her family to come and see it at her ranch, and so on a lovely South Dakota day, two carloads of us trekked up to Isaac's ranch. We loaded kids, food, and our spry little Grandmother and spent time reminiscing of homestead days.
We recorded Marie recounting how she paid $50 for her shack, and how the folks she bought it from hauled it to its new location. She also told us how she bought a Montgomery Ward saddle to ride her horse back and forth from Marcus to her shack. She was overjoyed to stand inside the doorway of her first home, and pointed out where she had placed everything.
For years the little cassette tape gathered dust in Justin's gun cabinet. Recently our daughter Jackie took it and recopied it onto a disk. Once again we hear Marie's voice, her laughter, and we relive that special day when the past became the present, and wonderful memories were made.
Goodbye, Belvidere is a tribute to those brave and hearty souls who settled this country. And in 'A hundred and sixty acres', the brave and daring
Family stories are a treasure. On this beautiful October morning, I'm going to take the coffee cup outside and remember the folks who settled here before us to make this part of the world "home".
Have a good and Godly day!
prairieflowerbooks.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Fall and Festivals
The time seemed to go equally as fast this week-end at the South Dakota Festival of Books. The South Dakota Humanities Council had a full roster of presenters and those who attended seemed well satisfied. The exhibitors had use of the Falls room at the Holiday Inn, and we were well satisfied with the crowds. A big thank-you to all the organizers----you did a great job!
It was a book lover's paradise. Booths of books of every shape, color, genre, and price---and authors ranging from young to old---men and women--- we had the kinship of sharing writing experiences.
I bought a book for Justin. Both he and I had uncles who served in the Korean War, and Merry Helm has put together a fascinating book called Prairie Boys at War---this is the first of three volumes about the Korean War and those who fought in it. For more information about this book and M.M. Helm, go to www.PrairieBoyBooks.com My non-reading husband is already on chapter five.
I bought other books also----and wished I could have bought from every vender! They all looked so interesting. And---I sold books, which was the main purpose in going, and came home with less books, and more friends. Now that's a wonderful trade-off!
When we got home, the granddaughters told us they saw a goat along the creek. We don't raise the little buggers, and we didn't know of any neighbors who did, but finally figured out where a goat herd was located, and it was at least 10 miles away. At any rate, grandson Kyle came after supper and said he needed a little help. He had roped the critter, tied him up, and needed some more hands to get it to the barn. Bud the dog, Justin and I and Kyle all piled on the four-wheeler, and in short order, the little brown goat had bleated and bunted his way to the barn. Another new experience :)
I hope you're enjoying the beauty of fall, and getting ready for the freshness of winter. There's a nip in the air, and it makes me want to curl up in the green chair with a good book and a cup of coffee.
Have a good and Godly day!
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Counting Blessings
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| Island Princess |
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| Loved the long beautiful evenings on the water! |
When we got to Wittier, we boarded the Alaskan Express Railroad Train and started the nine hour trip to Denali.
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| Looking down on tree tops----from the train. Oh boy. |
Mount McKinley, caribou, moose, bears and more cheery tour guides awaited us in Denali National Park. Also more ice cream cones, more family fun and adventures, and all too soon, it was time to pack up and fly home. We found we can really sprint in airports when we have 20 minutes to catch the homeward bound plane.
We are so blessed. Our world is beautiful. Whenever we travel we realize every spot has its own story to tell and sights to see. And family adds all the finishing touches!
Already it's September. The leaves are beginning to turn, it has frosted at Deerfield Lake in the Black Hills, and the fall cattle work has begun.
My calendar tells me that I'm scheduled to visit the Jackson County Library in Kadoka on the afternoon of the 19th when Homecoming is celebrated. Deb, the librarian, mentioned coffee after the parade---hope to see you there!
I'm also going to be in Sioux Falls, SD for the Festival of Books, September 26th and 27th. Looking forward to meeting and greeting folks at my booth in the Holiday Inn Centre Fall Room. I'm joining a group of other exhibitors and we will have books, books, and more books!
Until next time, have a good and Godly day!
http://www.joycewheelerbooks.com
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Friday, July 25, 2014
Old boots etc.
These boots are not made for walking. I found that out a number of years ago when I wore them to an all day and half the night affair at the Black Hills Stock Show. Vanity can be a miserable companion. You have no idea the struggle the boot jack and I had getting them off at 2 in the morning. Justin shook his head and went to bed.
I still love 'em though. These Blucher boots were custom made in Fairfax, Oklahoma a number of years ago. When my first pair was wearing out, Justin suggested I order another pair. You could pick the design and color from a little catalog,and the Bohemian in me became carried away with color. Even the boot maker was dubious and double checked to make sure I wanted blue and orange. I should have told the fine folks in Fairfax that these colorful characters won a contest for prettiest boots on the Family Wagon Train. It probably helped that the wagon master was also Bohemian.
They're all polished up now and still look good. And though I've worn them quite a bit, they're not my first choice when we're working cattle. I save that honor for this pair:
The green tops with the yellow butterfly was my first pair, and Justin ordered them from Olathe, Kansas about 49 years ago. They carry me through dust and manure and lots of miles in the saddle. They're a comfortable old pair but lately they've been grumbling about retiring. And, they also tell me a little cleaning and polishing wouldn't hurt either. The sad fact of the matter is that after I'm done riding, my bones and body feel the same way these boots look. And, as one of the characters say in Goodbye, Belvidere, 'that ain't purty.'
Aw well, most likely the boots and I both have some saddle time left. Not only that, but I have the second book in the Goodbye, Belvidere series to write, and it's sure to include both boots and Bohemians. Of course there's also grandkids to hug, and great grands to hold, friends to have coffee with----new music to play-----maybe I should retire the butterfly boots and start wearing the horseshoe/heart ones more----after all, with all the help in the corral from kids and grandkids, I could just stand on the sideline and yell encouragements. Oh, even better, I could sit on the four wheeler and yell. With a cup of coffee in one hand----
Have a good and Godly day!
www.joycewheelerbooks.com
www.facebook.com/joycewheelerbooks
Friday, July 11, 2014
Fifty
And here we go again. I'm starting a new blog site. Down and away with the old---actually, the old site just disappeared one day, and so goes one more tie with the old and defunct publishing company, WinePress. I'm sure you're hoping I won't bore you with yet another blog of WP Woes, and I promise I won't!
Actually, what I wanted to yak about was the Fourth of July. Fourth, Fun, Family, and Fifty. Justin and I will be married fifty years this fall, and our son and daughter-in-law surprised us with a small gathering of family and friends, and our original wedding party---
Don't laugh. Our wedding party was as small as we could make it. Our friend George, and Justin's sister, (my future sister-in-law) Charmaine stood up with us. Our parents, the minister, and Justin's grandmother were the only other guests. When we talked 'small wedding', we were seriously meaning 'small'. Actually, plan A was to sort of elope, but we settled for plan B, which included minimal family.
It was a cold and snowy day in November----and we had already postponed our tiny event once. Justin had pneumonia and my Dad had a horse wreck which resulted in a broken ankle. After the ceremony, Justin and I had a wreck when someone ran into his beautiful '57 Chevy.
So, standing in the snow, just barely croaking, was my new husband, my father with his ankle in a cast, and the rest of the crew. In those long ago days, everyone always opened up the hood and looked at the motor. Usually they sighed, nodded, and fixed whatever looked fixable. In this case, it worked, and we continued on our honeymoon.
And in those days, Gillette, Wy. was not a huge booming town. It was a quiet little village, and the only theater had just burned down. In the morning, the doors to the yellow and white '57 Chevy had frozen shut. I don't remember how long it took to unthaw them.
We finally started for home via Devil's tower. We were young, in love, and to shower us with loveliness, a beautiful full moon was rising above the Black Hills. I thought it was romantic, but Justin was frowning.
The Chevy was jerking. The Chevy had a bearing going out. The Chevy needed a doctor. We ended our honeymoon in a garage in Spearfish.
Now, fifty years later, we are planning on sailing to Alaska via Princess Cruise Lines. It's what I would call a perfect second honeymoon. We hope the boat doesn't sink. (This is the second time we celebrated with an Alaskan cruise---the picture below is from our 45th wedding anniversary)
Justin and I have fought, argued, laughed, raised our children, cried, and hopefully, matured a little. We've been blessed with great kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, family, friends and fun. And we're grateful our wedding day has provided us with many a merry telling and re-telling. With a start like that, the rest of our marriage seemed like a breeze!
Have a good and Godly day!
joycewheelerbooks.com
Actually, what I wanted to yak about was the Fourth of July. Fourth, Fun, Family, and Fifty. Justin and I will be married fifty years this fall, and our son and daughter-in-law surprised us with a small gathering of family and friends, and our original wedding party---
Don't laugh. Our wedding party was as small as we could make it. Our friend George, and Justin's sister, (my future sister-in-law) Charmaine stood up with us. Our parents, the minister, and Justin's grandmother were the only other guests. When we talked 'small wedding', we were seriously meaning 'small'. Actually, plan A was to sort of elope, but we settled for plan B, which included minimal family.
It was a cold and snowy day in November----and we had already postponed our tiny event once. Justin had pneumonia and my Dad had a horse wreck which resulted in a broken ankle. After the ceremony, Justin and I had a wreck when someone ran into his beautiful '57 Chevy.
So, standing in the snow, just barely croaking, was my new husband, my father with his ankle in a cast, and the rest of the crew. In those long ago days, everyone always opened up the hood and looked at the motor. Usually they sighed, nodded, and fixed whatever looked fixable. In this case, it worked, and we continued on our honeymoon.
And in those days, Gillette, Wy. was not a huge booming town. It was a quiet little village, and the only theater had just burned down. In the morning, the doors to the yellow and white '57 Chevy had frozen shut. I don't remember how long it took to unthaw them.
We finally started for home via Devil's tower. We were young, in love, and to shower us with loveliness, a beautiful full moon was rising above the Black Hills. I thought it was romantic, but Justin was frowning.
The Chevy was jerking. The Chevy had a bearing going out. The Chevy needed a doctor. We ended our honeymoon in a garage in Spearfish.
Now, fifty years later, we are planning on sailing to Alaska via Princess Cruise Lines. It's what I would call a perfect second honeymoon. We hope the boat doesn't sink. (This is the second time we celebrated with an Alaskan cruise---the picture below is from our 45th wedding anniversary)
Justin and I have fought, argued, laughed, raised our children, cried, and hopefully, matured a little. We've been blessed with great kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, family, friends and fun. And we're grateful our wedding day has provided us with many a merry telling and re-telling. With a start like that, the rest of our marriage seemed like a breeze!
Have a good and Godly day!
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