Grandpa Pete often referred to the story of his father making a trip to Dickinson, with his team of horses and wagon. There were no bridges at this time and when he reached the crossing at the at the cannonball riverbank near New England, he found that it had rained and the river had risen considerably, in the process of trying to get across the river, one of his horses drowned, but he managed to get the other horse out safely. By this time Grandpa George was very wet, he led his horse to the nearest ranch, no one was home, he thought he would go in and stay for the night and put on some dry clothes. The person that lived there happen to be a man over 6 feet tall, Grandpa George was only a little over 5 feet tall, quite a fit I’d say. By this time, it was late in the day so he decided to turn in and get some sleep after one hard day. He just had gotten to sleep when he was awakened by man pointing a revolver at him. I wonder why the man didn’t call 911. The gun was the first line of defense way out there in no man’s land, the nearest neighbor being miles away since Grandpa George didn’t speak English very well there were a few anxious moments to say the least. Trying to explain why he was there., finally the man understood what it was all about he left him stay overnight. The next morning, he gave him another horse so he again had a team to pull his wagon home. We have nothing to complain about when we know what our forefathers went through! They had one hard time making living, at the least it was better than where they come from; the US gave them hope of bettering them selves. Hope is tied in with vision!
Pete Koffler was born July 17, 1901. I was just thinking of Grandpa Pete , it is strange what your memories pop into our minds. I was listening to the radio and apparently there was a thunderstorm somewhere in the area, because I kept hearing the static in the radio. Which reminded me of dad Koffler taking his rest time after lunch. I’m calling it lunch but in the days on farm it was the main dinner meal. Back to the radio he would always listen to the baseball game, “the Minnesota Twins” Everyday there would be so much static on the radio you could hardly hear the game. He was used to all the thunderstorms rolling over ND. When he got a TV, many years later, he could watch without any static, he loved his baseball. Today he would be amazed at the TV without all that snow. We have come along ways since 1950.
[if gte mso 9]>
This is a few highlights of Pete Koffler’s life, some of this
information is from the Slope county saga, of ND.
Peter Braun, was George Koffler’s brother-in law. He coaxed George
Koffler to leave the land of his fathers and seek a new life in America. 1900 George k. left Antwerp, Belgium His family consisted of three stepchildren Nick, Adam Kathy and his wife Anna Messer, also
George and Anna first child Josephine, the first of the Koffler
children.
George Koffler looked around the southwest, eventually moved southwest
of Amidon, during those days most settlers did ranching instead of farming. The first three years they lived in a Sod house., during this time Peter was born. Then He hired some stone masons to build a house they had to haul the stones from the chalky buttes which was about 17 miles away from their home stead. The house cost him 60 dollars to build, that is some difference from today. The stone house had walls about 2 feet thick I would call that a sturdy house, the only thing they might lose in windstorm was the roof.
His dreams were cut short, he died from the flu epidemic in 1918. This was a terrible epidemic, there was not hardly a family that did not lose some one, that is what you would call a plague.
After Grandpa Georges passing Peter had to take over the responsibilities of farming. He was only 17 years of age, this was quite a undertaking to be the bread winner for the family. Grandma Anna also lived on the for several years
Three years later Ray was born 1903 and then his baby sister Monica was born 1906.
Elenor or Elenora W. Koffler. We have not very much information about Grandma, I am going to have to glean from the Koffler family the information. All I have heard she had a stepmother, her mother died when she was young. Elenora never talked about her childhood, but Grandpa mentioned a few things. He said she had a hard life; her stepmother didn’t treat her very well.
We must go back to that time, living on the prairie of very harsh, plus having no conveniences, isolated extremely hot in summer and equally extremely cold in winter, and that Wind that never ceases to blow. Then the violent thunderstorms and hail. When we were back there visiting, we could hear the planes taking off to seed the clouds to keep it from hailing on the crops. There were always strong winds proceeding the storm, being from Washington it was always disconcerting to me.
I will write my characterization of her, all though she never would talk about her childhood or her problems.
She was a wonderful mother and housewife, when we women of today complain we have no idea what it was like to raise a family of 11 children, that alone scares me to death. Just a midwife to assist her, but what a wonderful blessing all the children love the Lord today. What a heritage we have a mother that spent her life taking care of her family. No electricity, Wash day heating the water hanging out the clothes, and hours of ironing.
I remember her bake days, she would bake a batch of bread for all week that was about ten loaves, then she would bake dozens of cookies, a variety of different kinds. Pies and cakes, angel food cake, sponge cake so on, enough to last a week. Her bake goods I have never come up to her wonderful baking. Some of her daughter inherited her talent.
The farmhouse only had three rooms and a pantry’, It was the rock house Grandpa George built, when he homesteaded. It withstood all of the wind storms!!!
The kitchen was a big one, then the center room which the family called the big room. Mother and Dad slept in that room; the rest of the children slept in the other room. Each week she would thoroughly clean the house with the children that could help.
The garden she raised was large I mean large about equal to three or four city lots. Every vegetable to can or dry, So far, the children don’t remember how she dried the vegetables. They couldn’t raise fruit on their farm, so they picked choke cherries and buffalo berries then made jam and jelly. The buffalo berry they would put a blanket under the bush than shake the tree.
She would have to can hundreds of quarts of produce and meat for the winter months, it was all kept in a cellar under the house there was a trap door under the living room, this kept the food from freezing. Most of the jars were half gallon. She had clothes l boiler setting on the stove with water and jars in it. Vegetables took a long time to can, when they picked the corn they would load up a wagon full. All that husking to do than blanch the corn now it was ready to cut off the cob and put it into the jars, on to the hot stove for three hours or more for the canning of the corn, with no air conditioning!!!!No Fans!!! One hot job….
Dad always mentions how she would gave produce to people that had a need and that she would give the best. What wonderful gift of love.
Koffler family were very devout Catholics, Pete’s brother was asked to a church meeting at the schoolhouse, since he was classed as the black sheep in the family in other words doing his own thing. He heard the way of salvation by grace, Ray accepted the Lord as his personnel Savior. He was a fire brand for Jesus, which caused more concern for his family. Through his influence he invited his brother Pete and Elenor to go to the revival meeting, they too decided to except Jesus, and follow him regard less of the cost. The new converts met in homes unless a traveling evangelist came around than they met at the school house.
Brother Meyers would come as a evangelist, to the little school house. He would always go out after service to greet the people. This particular night he didn’t go out, for some reason he was detained, it was God protection. There were several men waiting outside with their horses and rope. They were going to rope him and drag him, it took to long for him to come out so they left. Once again, we see how God protects his own. So often we do not see the protection of God on our lives. A short time later one of the men died his life was taken from him only the Lord knows his heart. Maybe this a reminder for us Let God Be God.
Grandma Eleanor parents were very opposed to them changing their church, her parents disowned her ----removed her from their will. A few years later I guess they felt sorta wrong so they squeaked a little bit for her.
I often think of the blessings of the Lord on the Koffler family, raising all those children without doctors and a lot of medicine. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have crisis of sickness or accidents in their family. So often when people are not complaining people think you have not walked through the valleys, psalm 23 says though you walk through the valley of death you are with me. Sometimes it’s a long walk, some time not, but he takes us through to the other side. So why shouldn’t we go through life with a smile on our face.
George remembers the time his brother Dan had pneumonia he was extremely sick they prayed for him and it was a wonder to the children of the turn around so quickly, a miracle healing! He also remembers the time he was riding on the disk while his dad was disking. He was just a little fellow about 7 years old, Grandpa Pete said he hit a rock and George fell off under the disk, all these blades ran over him. Grandpa Pete packed him into the house, apparently George was unconscious, all he remembers is waking up in the house, I am sure some fervent pray went up at that time. He said he never got ride on the disk again, I wonder why????????