Category Archives: Family History

Music Along the Creek

Over the years and through several generations, there’s been music along the Creek. In the days before radio and recordings, you had to make your own music and the homesteading family did that. But even in later years, people continued … Continue reading

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Asparagus for Breakfast

A couple of weeks ago we had asparagus with creamed eggs on toast for a Springtime Sunday morning breakfast. It was the same day that the church we “Zoom” to, had their first service in the sanctuary after a “Sabbath” … Continue reading

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Hattie Shurr: Homesteading Artist

Great-grandma Hattie Shurr was an artist and also one tough woman. She’s the one who wouldn’t go back to “civilization” when the family first arrived with three children under the age of four. They found a rusted stove and the … Continue reading

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Landmark Legends

When our homesteading family built their first home (a log-lined dugout in the side of a hill) in the nineteenth century 150 years ago, it was located near a big old tree that stood alone on the prairie. That “Lone … Continue reading

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Farmyard Changes

The farmyard has changed in response to fluctuations in row crop and livestock markets and to the inescapable cycles of wet and dry weather. But, there have also been modifications to accommodate family generational changes. We’ve got a set of … Continue reading

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Two Sheds

Many of the original buildings on the farmstead have been torn down and replaced. But, there are two metal sheds that are more than sixty years old and sit side by side on the north side of the farmyard. In … Continue reading

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Watching the Wind

Last week we had another ground blizzard similar to the one that we had back in mid-December. Both of these storms had lots of wind. The “dust of winter” made it possible to “see” the wind. What little snow there … Continue reading

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Tall Tower

This is the first in a series of posts that will describe the buildings spread around the farmyard at Lone Tree Farm. Some are still standing, but many have been demolished, repurposed, or replaced as the farming operations have changed … Continue reading

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SEASONS CHANGE

Seasonal rounds are an intrinsic part of life on the prairie. They’re an experience shared by Ice Age animals and plants, by Native American hunters and farmers, and by homesteaders and people in agribusiness. But, 2020 has been different. COVID-19 … Continue reading

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GENERATIONS CHANGE

Four generations of our family’s Grandmothers have lived and worked on Lone Tree Farm since 1871. All four had the kind of quiet courage that holds young families together and contributes to viable farming operations. However, each woman had her … Continue reading

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