1898 The Baby Weighed Only Three Pounds

 As she took the bottom of her apron to wipe the sweat that was determined to drip into her eyes the thoughts of fun and games at their wedding popped into her mind for absolutely no reason.  Those days were over that's for sure. Oh it was so hot and she was so sad. She had given birth to twins, but only one of them had survived. The little mite was in a wooden box on the door of the oven to make sure he stayed at a warm even temperature. She had him swaddled in soft blankets. He was so very tiny. The doctor said less than three pounds. He gave her and her husband little hope that he would live but a day or two. Her husband was happy that they had had twins, but seemed too busy to reassure her that the tiny baby in the kitchen would survive.

July was a hot month. Thank goodness for the cottonwood trees that had been planted so many years ago. There were nearly a hundred of them on the farm. They stood tall and their glossy leaves seemed to talk to her as she stood on the porch for a breath of air. She heard a tiny cry and hurried back to the kitchen to tend to her tiny son. His name was LaVerne. She had already added his birth to her Hayes family Bible; July 1898. Hopefully she would not have to add the date of his death.

Her faith in God helped her through the many weeks leading to months of caring for her tiny baby boy. He grew drinking cow's milk and mashed vegetables as he grew older. As he grew up to be a very tall strong man she often shook her head and thanked God for the opportunity to help her tiny boy become the man that he was becoming, but he talked often about leaving Iowa to see the world. She worried so that he would leave her.

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Five years later she gave birth to a red faced strong and healthy baby boy who took the world by the horns and laughed at the warnings of his mother. She added his name to her Bible. His name was Nathan after her father. She worried herself sick as she watched him take risks with his life without a thought of danger. He and LaVerne grew up to be friends. They helped their father in the fields and the farm yard chores. They planted and harvested corn and oats and hay. They both were much taller and stronger than their father. They took after their mother's side of the family.

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In the cold winter of 1912 about nine years after Nathan was born she gave birth to her daughter, Gladys. She again added her name to the Hayes family Bible.  She was a little thing and cute to look at, but in her two son's estimation she was a toy for their mother, kind of a nuisance to them. She seemed to always want to tag along after them. As she cuddled her daughter she thought; My family is now complete. I have a daughter to help me with so many things. Little did she know that four years later Glady would have a new baby brother that would grow up to be her best friend. His name was Leslie.  His birth was added to the Hayes family Bible. 

These four children all had a story. Each one so very different; each one changed the world in it's own small way for generations to come.

Six years after Gladys was born her mother suffered a loss that again led her to her Hayes family Bible. Her brother died of the Flu  during the Pandemic of 1918. They said a Pandemic would never happen again...

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The Hayes family Bible is safe and still holds the history of the the Hayes family descendants. What an interesting bunch! Their stories will continue.

Her Life As A Farmer's Wife Was Just Beginning

 So many people hugged her and shook hands with her husband after church. The church people were more like family to her. She had grown up with them. Her father insisted on attending church every Sunday. She attended both Sunday school and the eleven o'clock sermon as long as she could remember. These people were like family to her. There was a bit of a problem; actually a really big problem, that she hoped to solve as soon as she could. Her new husband was not a church going man. Since he was new to the family he made an exception for this Sunday, but she knew that this was not going to continue without pleading with him. 

Her father and mother had invited them to dinner after church, but her husband had insisted on going home to check on the animals. She had put a chunk of beef in the stoked cook stove so it should be about ready when they got home.

When they got home they both changed out of their Sunday clothes. Her husband went outside and she quickly checked on the roast beef. She added a few more corn cobs and started the potatoes to boil. She had put some carrots in the pot with the beef so their dinner should be good. She set the table with her new wedding china even though they weren't expecting company. It was so very pretty.

She went to the bedroom and removed the newspaper from her hope chest. Oh it had been such a fun day; their wedding day. Her dress was just beautiful. She loved the way the reporter had described everything. She chuckled and tucked the paper under her wedding dress. There was work to be done. Later on she would clip the article from the paper and add it to her Hayes family bible.

"Married in this city at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan H. Hayes, on Thursday evening, February 25, 1897 Mr. George Dwight Banister and Miss Lulu E. Hayes, Rev. C.J. Hunt officiating, Mr. Chas. A. Banister, brother of the groom was groomsman and Miss Etta L. Fox, bridesmaid. The bride was richly dressed in priestly goods. The spacious parlors were copiously decorated for the occasion. Mrs. John Hogan played the wedding march. About fifty relatives and friends witnessed the ceremony. After the sumptuous supper was served, the evening was spent in games and other amusements. The presents were numerous and valuable. The groom is a stirring, trusted affable young man of whom Cherokee feels justly proud. He is a son of Mr. G.W. Banister, a leading merchant of this city. The bride is a charming young woman, amiable, affectionate, and accomplished. A host of friends join the Democrat in wishing this worthy couple a long and prosperous journey in life."

After the dishes were done and put away she sat down at the piano that her father had given her so many years ago. The article in the newspaper said she was accomplished. She smiled. They only thing that she was accomplished with was the piano. She loved it. She got out the worn hymnal and played softly while her husband napped. It was ever so cold outside and he was tired from getting up so early then going to town. The trips to town would probably not be happening very often. The old timers were talking after church that they were expecting bad weather. If that was so they would be staying on the farm caring for the animals and making sure that they had water and food. She remembered past winters that seemed like they would never end. She looked forward to the day when she would have children to play with. The winters wouldn't seem so long then.

When she finished playing the piano she went to the bedroom and opened up her hope chest. There were still things in it that she needed to put away. She smiled when she looked at the papers in the bottom. There were Primers that she had studied when she was a child. She would teach her children from them someday if they needed extra help. She loved teaching young children. Now she was a wife; a farmer's wife. Her old life of luxury was over. She was ready to start her new life of wife and mother.

One Week After The Wedding

 It had been a week after her wedding. A week of hard work and disappointment. A week of living with someone other than her parents. The man she had married was nothing like the handsome young man that delivered groceries to her parents' home. She looked at her broken fingernails and shook her head. There certainly was no time to repair them. There were chickens to feed and bread to bake before it was time to fix his dinner. She had worked alongside her mother and her half sister many times, but this was different. Her father always told her what a good job she had done on her baking. Thee embroidered handkerchief she had made for him was his favorite and often wore it in his suit coat. He would pat it and wink at her. Oh how she missed him. She was his only child and was a bit spoiled. She grinned to herself as she clucked to the chickens to come get their food. "Here chick, here chick chick."

"Make sure you hurry up and get those chickens nice and fat. I'd like one for Sunday dinner, if you don't mind."

"Not one of these chickens, you won't. These are my laying chickens. They will lay eggs to hatch out so that we will have eggs this winter from the new batch of hens."

"Figure it out. I want chicken for dinner on Sunday. You'd better get your clothes changed. I'm going into town. If you want to go along be ready in about fifteen minutes. I have to pick up some feed for the animals."

She quickly finished feeding the chickens and changed into her second best dress. She moved the bread to a cooler place to slow the raising process until she got home. "He could have told me at breakfast," she thought. She put her bonnet on and saw her new husband pull up in front of the house. It would be so good to see her family.

As they pulled up in front of the feed store there stood her father! Oh it was so good to see him. She missed him so much. She felt some tears in the corner of her eyes. She quickly brushed them away. She was a married lady nowadays. She was acting like a child.

 She saw him shake hands with her husband and they talked a bit. Then he walked over to her and smiled. "Hello there, my girl. Climb on down and ride home with me for a visit. I told your new husband I was going to kidnap you while he did his shopping. Is there anything I can get for you? A new scarf? I thought you had many scarves. Oh, one for doing outside chores. Alright, let's go on over to Mrs. Peterson's store and get you one. Then we are going home. I have something to show you."

She quickly picked out a warm. but not very pretty scarf and eagerly walked home with her father.

When they pulled up in front of the carriage house, the homesickness returned. How she missed her home. What was wrong with her? She should not be feeling this way. Maybe her mother was right. Her father had spoiled her and now she was paying the price.

Her father told her to sit by the fire and he would tell her mother that she was there to visit. Soon he and her mother returned with a tea service and a newspaper. Her mother handed her the paper and said, "The newspaper reporter did a very good job of covering your wedding. Makes you sound like some kind of princess. Read where it says you wore priestly goods. Your father paid a fortune for the seamstress to make that dress. Did you even say a proper thank you?" Just look at your fingernails! Do you care nothing for your looks? Have you forgotten everything that I taught you?"

Her father gave her mother a frown and said, "That's enough. Let's drink our tea and talk about your new life on the farm. Oh and make sure you tell your man that you folks are invited here for Sunday dinner after church."

She looked at her father and said, "Pa, could we have fried chicken?"

Before The Wedding On The Farm

 It was two days before her wedding. She looked out over the prairie and thought about how different her life was going to be living back on the farm. She had been living in their town home for about two years. It was a very large house with a staff of two. Her home in town was very beautiful with two open stairways. One led to the servant's quarters and one to the six bedrooms; one of which was hers. She had helped her mother and the cook, but she had never been in charge of a home before. She would be on her own with no staff to help her. She had been taught in all of the necessities of being a woman in charge of her own home. Her hope chest was full of linens, and doilies, dishtowels, pillow cases that she had embroidered, and crocheted. She remembered with a frown the tatting that she had edged some of the doilies with. She wondered what her new husband would think of her as a wife. They had known each other for over a year, but only as a boy that delivered groceries to her home. His father owned the local grocery store and he delivered them. She had not held his hand or had a kiss from him, just a proposal. It was so very different of the wedding she had imagined in her teenaged years.

Some of her half brothers and her mother were waiting for her to help get some of her things settled into her new home. There would be more to put away after the wedding. Her wedding would be in the big home in town. There would be games and lots of expensive food. The cook and her mother along with her help had been cooking for days.

 Her dress had been at the dressmaker's forever it seemed. It had hundreds of seed pearls and tiny embroidered flowers on the bodice. The skirt had an overlay of sheer white with the tiniest embroidered roses to match the bodice. She supposed she would have a good time because she was told that she would. 

Her father had given her the farm as a wedding gift along with ten thousand dollars and a set of china. They would start out their lives without debt. They were very fortunate to say the least.

She heard her mother call her to come into the house and help. She took one long look at the prairie and said a silent prayer asking for courage and strength to carry on what her parents wanted.

As she walked back to the house that she probably would spend the rest of her life in she thought, "I am going to plant flowers. They will make me happy. I will plant some lilac bushes.

"Yes, Mother. I am coming."

The year was 1897. She was twenty years old and her new husband to be was twenty-six years old.