Thursday, February 3, 2011

Farm Friend Friday - My Farm Family

Now that we are living on our farm, I can always depend upon clearing my mind while caring for the horses and being outside.  Cleaning two stalls is a snap, tidying up the barn, washing water buckets, feeding and caring for the horses, barn cats and deer are treasured tasks that I love completing.  All are easy for me to do and I enjoy doing them. But my farm work is not hard, my life doesn't depend upon the outcome of my labors.  And my mind, well, I find my thoughts wander back in the day....to the days where real farm work was done.  To the times where your body ached from non stop activity that lasted easily into 10-16 hour long days no matter if you were a man or a woman.

Fred Neal walking in Elijah's hay field.  Fred would summer at Elijah's farm and that is how my Grampy and Grammy met....they knew eachother since they were babies.


Young Floyd Fuller tending to his cows in Warren, VT
I am blessed to share the blood of real farmers.  Vermont farmers to be specific. Dairy cows, draft horses, driving horses, chickens, etc.  Those were the days when horses were the machines.  Big beautiful powerful cold blooded horses.  My grandfathers (maternal and great) were excellent horse trainers though Elijah was the special one, the human who's gifts exceeded the norm.
The Elijah and Harriet Fuller family





What a sense of humor!
I love to gaze at their photos. I love to wonder about all of their accomplishments. Oh, how I wish I could talk with all of them.  Hattie, how many pies did you have to make each day when hay harvest time came and you had to single handily feed your husband, your four boys plus the working men for noon dinner?   Elijah, how did you learn about medicinal plants, and cures for the horses and cows. How did you get to be sought out by your community when the local vet was unsuccessful?  And that horse's leg that was broken, where in the world did you get the idea to hoist him in a sling to keep weight off his healing bone? It didn't matter how hard my great grandparents worked on their farm, they found time for others.  They both were sought out in the community for helping the sick horses (Elijah) and sick humans (Hattie).  Hattie would have been considered a nurse in today's world.  Off she would go in her horse and buggy down the long winding Fuller hill and into the town of Warren to help those in need.
Hattie wrote on the back of this pic that 'she looked mean but the sun was shining so brightly'.

My great Aunt Anna, Gena Davis Neal's sister.  Anna loved her chicken babies and her french bull dogs.
Thankfully my grandfather was still alive as I reached adulthood and his descriptions of life as a farm boy have been recorded by the Vermont Cultural Center.  One such story I do remember were the dances he so loved to attend.  He was a talented fiddle player and was part of the instrumental group providing the music which allowed him a tiny bit of spending money.  One evening he played until the dances ended at 3:30 in the wee hours! He never made it to bed and went directly to the barn to begin the long process of hand milking since he had a change of clothes.  I think I remember him saying he didn't dare go into the house for fear of waking his parents and catching hell.  He always laughed and said he would never pull that trick again!  
Baby Floyd Fuller who played the violin all his life with brother Claron who didn't play...funny.


Grammy and Grampy Fuller
My sister and I love to reminisce of our childhood days spent visiting our grandparents while vacationing in Randolph, Vermont. Grammy always had beautiful flower and vegetable gardens.  She baked donuts for us in the mornings and delicious hot meals at noon.  We thought it was very strange to eat dinner during the day and lunch in the evenings.   I remember her working on her braided rugs. Thankfully I have a couple and a part of her lives with me in our home.  She was so talented at decorating for Christmas and to this day we wonder where all those lovely treasures have disappeared to...sigh...those were the days!
Elijah Fuller family with Fred Neal family.  Young Floyd Fuller and young Gertrude Neal sitting down.  Wonder what they would have thought at that time had someone told them they would be marry as adults?

Neal family during harvest time.
These are my some of my favorite images. I see pride in their eyes, strength in their bodies, and a love and zest for their lives.  I am very proud to be a part of my farm family and thinking of them and how hard they worked is a wonderful way to clear my mind and set things straight.  Not that things are so crooked and clogged up there, but you know what I mean!  ;~)


Grammy with Lady in 1951. Grampie had just purchased the mare from the Hewitts.
Now its time to blog hop and join Farm Friend Friday, click on the button and find some new friends!

36 comments:

Verde Farm said...

This is my FAVORITE post so far from Farm Tails. These pictures and the history are just beautiful and so full of life. I bet you are so proud of your history and you are a farm girl to the core. I love that sleigh photo--right out of Norman Rockwell. Beautiful post and thanks for linking up with us for Farm Friend Friday.
Amy :)

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

These are some of the coolest old black and whites I've ever seen. Awesome.

Country Gal said...

WOW! Awesome post and photos love the history ! Have a great day !

Louise said...

It is so wonderful that you have all of those lovely pictures, and the knowledge of who they are to go along with it. I love your strong sense of family and the feeling of connection that I can feel through your words. Thanks you so much for sharing your marvelous family with us.

Marguerite (Tina) Smith Hart said...

Great family stories and photos!
I have long wanted to share a few old family photos myself on my blog and maybe after seeing how nice yours was I will give it a try.
I hope you have more stories to share this year!
Tina xo

JC said...

Loved seeing the old farm photos.

luckybunny said...

What a fantastic post! I loved, loved, the photos, amazing you have so many wonderful photos and such a great rich family farming history, I really enjoyed this post!

Jill said...

Beautiful post! Gorgeous horses. Thanks for sharing!

Old Hen with a Pen said...

I love your post...the pictures, the history behind the pictures, all of it. It kinda reminds me of the Judds song "Guardian Angels"

Thanks for sharing on this cold and snowy day in Oklahoma. :)

thecrazysheeplady said...

BRAVO!!! This is wonderful! Thanks for sharing!

"GB" said...

I love the photos, how nice that you have part of your family.

Nancy said...

Well, my goodness, your family certainly has a rich farm history! I love these old photographs. And you are right -- it must have been so difficult back in those days, but also very rewarding.

Thank you for sharing with us. I enjoyed it so much. :)

(Visiting from Verde Farm.)

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

What wonderful old photos. They look in great condition too. I love the picture of all the ladies in long white dresses. Nice post!

Anonymous said...

This is just the best family history. I love genealogy, and I have ancestors from Randolph, VT. How amazing! Love the pictures of the draft horses. They are so big.

Buttons Thoughts said...

I love this post so much. The photos make it so real old time farming I mean. It was a very hard life yet everyone looks happy. I love farming and the hours of work but we are so lucky we are not farming like our ancestors. Thank B Thanks for joining my blog.
This post is a great tribute to your family.

Rural Rambler said...

What wonderful family history with pictures Kritter Keeper. What a fun and lovely read this cold snowy morning. The horses are awesome.

Julie Marie said...

Hi there, what absolutely wonderful family photos and I love the most precious memories that go with them... life was so much simpler back then, I should have been born 100 years before I was... how lucky you are to share in that heritage... thanks for posting these and taking me back to yesteryear... xoxo Julie Marie PS Thanks for visiting my farm post today too... by the way, my pie was actually in a glass piedish, not cast iron... I have never tried one in cast iron either...

Rose H (UK) said...

What a wonderful post. Your treasured family photos and stories are beautiful. Thank you for sharing them.

~ Janis said...

Teamsters and Oxen, well made barns, raised home made donutes dipped in maple syrup, fine Morgans, fertile fields, glorious mountains and one horse open sleighs in winter.
These are the photos of the past and...... these are the things we STILL do here in the Green Mountain State. Especially the sleigh riding and the donuts!! Thank you for sharing these photos of your historical family.
Thanks for visiting the herd
www.tailgait.blogspot.com

Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said...

Hello!
I just popped on over from Amy's Farm Friend Friday and I'm glad I did. What a wonderful post. I love family history and you certainly have an interesting family to be proud of. What a wonderful thing to know so much about your ancestors...to have learned the stories first hand and then to be able to look at the pictures and know who they all are. How many of us can say that! I'm with Amy..that photo of your Grandparents(?) looks like something Norman Rockwell would have painted. We moved to our little farm here in Kansas about a year and a half ago...we don't have a horse yet but hubby has been talking about it. Looking at your photo's makes me think I'd like to do it again as I used to have horses years ago. Thanks for the wonderful post...I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Maura :)

Willard said...

I love historical posts and the old b&w photos. Vermont has more rugged terrain than Fulton County, Pennsylvania (the mountains are higher),but other than that the photos are much like our old time family photos.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting on the Camera Critters post and the Deer Management one. I remember reading the post about your deer chasing the turkeys and was pleased to find it was not a localized thing, but was likely the behavior that deer everywhere show toward turkeys. Those who view wildlife only as something to hunt, seldom if ever get to see this type of thing.

♥I am Holly♥ said...

That is the most wonderful and beautiful post!! The pictures are just awesome. I really enjoyed reading it so much and looking at the pictures back in time. Thanks for sharing that with us! Lots of love, Debbie and Holly

Pondside said...

What a beautiful tribute to your farm heritage. I look forward to reading more.

flowerweaver said...

Thanks for 'visiting' my farm! We've just been looking through my husband's ancestors farm photos, so it was really nice to see and read about your farm heritage. Like you I gave up city life and have never looked back!

Dar said...

I'm in heaven. Finding you has been pure bliss. You write so heartwarmingly of farming and sharing the past. I love your entries. Your kitties, the gorgeous dogs, and horses. My daughter has had Arabs since she was 15, and now has her own successful Equestrian Photography business. What a wonderful life you and she have, following your dream to 'belong' in your field.
BlessYourHeart

Vickie said...

I LOVED this post. I love the history, the black and white pictures, the old stories, the old ways of doing things. I come from a long line of farmers on my daddy's side, too. I feel such a kinship with all those folks long gone and wish I could have known them better. I did get to spend some time with my grandmother & grandfather on their farm and learned alot that way. I guess that's what's drawing me back to the farm these days. I've always longed for it, and I'm getting back there as fast as I can!

acorn hollow said...

My grandparents had a small farm and raised all their 7 children there. when I was young I spent my summers with them. I churned butter, made bread, tramped hay,fed the chickens and many more things. I cherish those times and feel very lucky that I was part of that. Your post brought it all back. and farm life has a ebb and flow that makes sense to the world.
you are blessed to have that experience daily
Cathy

baystatebrumby said...

Where did you get all these AWSUM photos?! they are so cool, such a fantastic and clear peek into the past. All those animals, all those people. This is so fascinating and these are not even my won family emembers!!! I kept hoping this post would never end.

Unknown said...

Hi Kritten Kreeper =)
If you want, now you can view on my web site, the pictures of my new saddle on my mare.
give me your advice!
see you :)

Bobbie said...

This is great! I just love these old pictures...

Linda said...

Those are amazing pictures--you're so lucky to have such a wonderful record of your farm family. I have farm family roots, from Tennessee, but most everyone left and ran as fast as they could to the cities.

Rachel said...

I just found your blog and love it! I think we are kindred souls. :) Stop in and visit me sometime.

Anne Marie said...

so true...simpler times, but much harder for sure....I strive to be more simpler every day....

I loved looking at all those pictures - I have only a few of my dear grandparents working the fields...they are treasured...

xo+blessings,
anne marie

Anonymous said...

You really do have some remarkable photographs and thankfully your family or someone kept them and now you have them.

My mom was from Summers County WVA and her family was so poor that grandpa made some money making moonshine and selling it in quart jars. I think mom said she was told to charge $1.00 for each jar of shine.

I looked for a place to click to follow you but couldn't find one.

Mary Ann said...

This is absolutely one of the best posts I have ever read in a blog. You know that I love old pictures, and you are so lucky to have so many of your family. I have so few of mine. Your pictures are wonderful, and the people look vibrant and engaging. I loved the family pictures, and who could imagine that the little boy and girl in the pictures turned out to produce YOU!

Leslie @ Farm Fresh Fun said...

Wonderful, wonderful post!!! I love old farm photos. I have some of my relatives and some of the folks who lived on our farm... Both sets mysteriously became misplaced soon after I started my blog! :-( Now where o where could I have put them for "safe keeping"?!
THANKS for sharing yours!
hugs,
Leslie