| Notes |
- From Round Robin (Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community) Volume 47, Summer Issue 1988
“I started farming near Fisher at the age of 21, and in 1923 Mabel Schertz and I were married. The first farm I rented was 180 acres of rough river bottom land. We had a dairy herd, so I had to get up at 3:00 a.m., milk by hand, put the milk in a water tank to cool it, and deliver it to Fisher before 7:00 a.m. where it was sold for 10 cents a quart. This was 5% milk from Jersey cows.
“In 1926 I bought my first tractor. I paid $525 for it and had it paid for in four years. We moved from Fisher to Mahomet where we farmed for twelve years. On this farm I planted my first hybrid seed corn, and we harvested 100 bushels to the acre. We were renting 160 acres so had to have a hired man. His pay was $20 a month plus board and room. A high wage at that time was a dollar a day, and sometimes I hired neighbor’s sons for $2.50 a day. I recall having a married hired man who lived near a timber and was hired for 75 cents a day plus a meal. He walked one and three-fourths miles to his job. This was perhaps in 1922 and 1934.
“While at Mahomet I had the experience of being a member of the school board. The schools were two miles apart, and each one-room country school had three directors who hired the teachers and made other decisions. The school near Mahomet was called the Lester School.
“We had to move from the farm near Mahomet because it was sold. We then went to a farm near Paxton in March, 1942, and left it in December of that same year. This move was a very unpleasant experience. The buildings were poor and so was the land. We next moved to a cattle and hog farm in the Arrowsmith area and farmed there for three years. Our fifth move was back to the Rantoul area where we farmed until 1950 at which time we were fortunate enough to buy a 160-acre farm near Ludlow. We found many good people everywhere we lived.
“We owned and operated the Birkey Poultry Farm for 20 years, 1953 to 1973. We sold eggs from 9,000 hens using the slogan “Birkey’s cackle fresh eggs.” Our busiest day was the day we sold 832 dozen. The price for the largest eggs was 40 cents a dozen, and our customers knew they were getting fresh graded eggs. We also raised 40 acres of lima beans in addition to other crops.
“I’ve had a variety of other experiences, too. As a teenager I raised pigeons for the squab market. Before our marriage I raised Newfoundland dogs for children’s pets and collies for cattle herding. I shipped dogs into 38 states and Canada. This was done with ten breeding female dogs and several males. I built my first rabbit trap when I was eight years old. I have a hobby of making maple furniture and toys. Many are right here in the Meadows Home where you may see my clocks, a cistern pump, animals, and a bank which “actively” accepts coins. Most recently I have learned to operate the rug loom.
“Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community has been our home since October 1984, first at Burt Village and now in Meadows Home.”
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1899 - 1994 (94 years)
