Do you know Erlene Purdum?

Question:
Do you know Erlene Purdum?

Answer:
She was our grandmother's friend in the 1930s. And based on the photos, we would say they were schoolmates during the 1930-1931 school year in Mullen, Nebraska.

During our research, we were able to find out more about her. Erlene was born November 30, 1914 in Arkansas. But the saddest news came when we discovered her obituary. She passed on July 11, 2007 in Idaho, barely two years ago. The most touching of all was the paragraph in her obituary that reads:

Erlene spent a majority of her life cooking for others. During high school and the early years of her marriage, she cooked on ranches. The ranch hands she cooked for had 3 hot meals everyday that weren’t complete without a homemade pastry. After Erlene and Gerald moved with their family to Idaho in 1950, she continued cooking for others in various cafeteria kitchens. Of all the meals that she prepared, the ones that will be most cherished are the ones that she shared with her family. No one could fry up a chicken like grandma and her homemade cookies were something we all looked forward to.

This further confirms that Erlene and our grandmother were likely close friends during childhood. Our grandmother would later go on to do similar things in her life like cooking for ranch hands.

Also while doing research on Erlene, we discovered various references to other family members that grew up or lived in the same areas of Nebraska. So while we missed a prime opportunity to find out more about Erlene and her early years, we were still able to gather new information about our own family tree.

Photos:








References:
- "Erlene Hattenbach." Draucker Funeral Home. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. http://www.drauckerfh.com/Obituaries/Archived_Obits/Obits_07/Erlene%20Perrin%20Hattenbach.htm.
- "NEGenWeb Project ~ a proud part of the USGenWeb Project." RootsWeb.com Home Page. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgenweb/ne/grant/cemetery/grant-hyannis-hyannis02.html.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What illnesses do you remember from your childhood?

Question:
What illnesses do you remember from your childhood?

Answer:
My parents kept a very nice record of my medical history through the early years of my life, so I have a great source to use in researching those childhood illnesses I do not remember. As I got older, the record-keeping fell by the wayside, but there were a few illnesses and injuries that stick out in my mind.

One particular fall, I was sick with bronchitis or the flu or something that kept me in bed. I remember being very sad about it because it was Halloween and I was not allowed to go trick-or-treating.

I also remember one year, probably in the summer, when I had an ear infection and my Aunt Susie had to put drops or something in my ear. I know she was doing the right thing but it was NOT something I enjoyed. Felt totally weird and I remember jumping like she had given me a shot.

But the one that sticks out the most in my mind is the day I wrecked my bicycle. The neighborhood I grew up in has a road that made a big loop, so I would often ride my bike around the loop. One end of the loop had a small hill that you could coast down (or pedal hard to go faster). The loop had a slight curve and was within sight of my house (just over a tenth of a mile away). Well, being the adventurous boy I was, I decided it was a perfect spot to try riding a bike with one hand.

Needless to say, it did not work out very well. I remember trying to pedal, go down the hill, and turn, all with one hand on the handle bar. I must have over-compensated for the curve because the wheel went wobbly and I went over the handle bar. My Dad said he heard me scream and came to get me. I do not remember much about the accident or the events immediately after, but I apparently lost consciousness at the time of impact.

I do remember me getting patched up in my bedroom. I had a patch of road rash on my shoulder and probably a scraped knee or two, but I remember my Dad constantly checking on me to make sure I was not going to sleep. I am sure I had a concussion, but no bones were broken and I only had bruises and scrapes to deal with.

I did eventually learn to ride a bike with one hand, but it took me a few years to get over that wreck. And to this day, when I feel brave enough to try, I have a hard time trying to ride with no hands.

Photos:
While I had no broken bones during my bicycle accident, my son did manage to break his leg during a recent trip down a slide. He has healed nicely and shows no signs of any lasting damage beyond hesitating to go down slides.



References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What gifts do you remember most from childhood?

Question:
What gifts do you remember most from childhood? Was it a birthday present, a Christmas present, or for some other special event?

Answer:
For me, I would have to split them into two categories, birthdays and Christmas. The one that I remember the most from Christmas is probably the GI Joe Terror Drome I got when I was living with my mom. I was big into GI Joes when I was a kid and loved playing "army" with them. I would even make my own sound effects (which often resulted in many strange looks and a few giggles from family members). But I always wanted one of those big toys. Sure the four-wheeler and the motorcycle were cool, but I wanted something big like the aircraft carrier. Alas, no aircraft carrier for me, but I did manage to get my hands on Cobra's Terror Drome. And I loved it. It felt like it took hours to put together, but I enjoyed every minute.

For my birthday one year, my dad surprised me with a trip to Antigua. And it was because of this trip that I failed my Typing class in middle school. For some reason I never could get all the make-up work done right, but it did not matter much to me. I had gone to a wonderful hotel on the beach and had the week of my life (well, at the time it was the best week I'd had). Anyway, I had packed my suitcase and was in the shower when my dad got sneaky and switched out my clothes. I was under the impression we were going to Nebraska. And in October, Nebraska is a bit chilly. So instead of pants, he gave me shorts and swim trunks. And instead of seeing flat fields of corn and soybeans, I got to see jellyfish on the beach and Cal Ripken, Jr. on the flight home.

Photos:


References:
- Toy Archive. Alex Bickmore. Web. 14 Oct. 2009.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know the Johnston brothers?

Question:
Do you know the Johnston brothers?

Answer:
We have what looks like three brothers that we are trying to identify. Feel free to chime in with any information you have. Here is what we have been able to determine based on our research. The family consisted of Ollie the father, Helda the mother, and three sons; Earnest, Harry, and Floyd. We do have a few photos on hand that show one or more of the brothers together. So if you can help us identify them, please let us know.

Ollie Johnston

Ollie is listed as the head of household in both the 1910 and the 1920 census. In 1910, the family lived in Kearney, Buffalo County, Nebraska. In 1920 the family lived in the Dewey Precinct of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. He was listed as a "laborer" and was born around 1883 in Missouri. Both of his parents were born in Missouri.

Helda (or Hulda) Johnston

Helda (or Hulda) was listed as the wife in both census records. She was born around 1886 in Nebraska. Both of her parents were born in Sweden.

Earnest (or Earnest) Johnston

Earnest (or Ernest) was born around 1909 in Nebraska.

Harry Johnston

Harry was born around October 1915 in Nebraska.

Floyd Johnston

Floyd was born around January 1918 in Nebraska.

Photos:
1910 Census


1920 Census


Side by Side comparison of Harry Johnston (could also be Earnest or both Harry and Earnest)


Earnest and Harry Johnston (if names are correct, would be circa 1915-1916)


Close-up of faces


Butcher Photo, Kearney, Nebr. detail


Reverse of photo showing names and "28 st 9 ave" address in Kearney


Floyd and Harry Johnston (if names are correct, circa October 1918)


Close-up of faces


Reverse of photo showing ages (Harry 2 years and 11 months, Floyd 9 months)


Harry Johnston age 23 months (if name is correct, circa 1917)


Detail of face


One of these is labeled as Earnest Johnston


References:
- 1910 United States Federal Census.
- 1920 United States Federal Census.
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

What is your most memorable birthday?

Question:
What is your most memorable birthday?

Answer:
I would have to say my seventh (7th) birthday was my most memorable. I remember I got a shirt with a number "7" on it (it was a favorite for a long time) and I got a giant cookie instead of a cake. You know, one of those cookies from the Great American Cookie Company? It was huge and had a ton of icing (chocolate and white icing) all around the edges and plenty in the middle.

What I remember most about the birthday though was we had some of the cookie and put the left overs in the garage fridge/freezer. So every day I'd sneak out and grab a bite or scrape some icing off. On the way to school, coming back from school, before dinner, any chance I could, I'd go out and sneak a bite. I have no idea if my dad ever knew about it or not, but it tasted so good.

Photos:
Obviously this photo is not when I turned seven. Instead it is my first birthday, one that I don't remember. But that cake looks mighty tasty.



References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Do you know Clayton Armstrong?

Question:
Do you know Clayton Armstrong?

Answer:
We certainly do not know who he is, but we do have an email out in the hopes of finding a relative. Our best guess, based on the other photos that were with this photo, is that Mr. Armstrong was living in Nebraska during the 1930s. If you know him, please drop us a line at tk42one@gmail.com.

Photos:


References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.