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Show children, who were sustained by her high degree of spirituality- She often called upon her father in heaven for special blessings and direction in nursing her children to health by using simple home remedies. AT HOME I.N THE BOTTOMS Digging drains and ditches through clay soil to gain and use a water right required persistent effort. Plowing with oxen and planting grain in the poor acreage was slow and laborious. Even the wild hay harvests were not plentiful, but they helped provide a meager living. Frank, but two years younger than John K, soon grew into a fair share of work as the two boys labored toward the accomplishment of all necessary tasks. Since the child next to Frank was a girl, and the other boys younger than she, they were all too small to give assistance until the time when the oldest left home in his turn. The girls were a great help to Wilhelmina in the home as they learned from her whatever skills that period of time afforded in home-making. John K and Frank were much together in everything they did, and through shared experiences that made their tasks lighter they became very close to each other. They helped build a willow fence around a small vegetable garden for Wilhelmina. Later, she added currant bushes, hollyhocks, marigolds, and bachelor buttons. A few trees were also planted, but every live plant struggled to survive, for 38 |
