The hardest thing about moving to a new community is leaving the old one behind. There were things I didn’t like about Denver, Colorado, but in our thirty years there, we established connections in the community.
We all need connections. Being completely untethered can make one feel isolated and lonely.
Hobbies are a great way to get involved. When we moved to South Dakota four years ago, my husband and I joined the local running club. We meet other runners once a week to run together. We participate in races. My husband and I volunteer when we’re not running. I am now getting more involved, serving on the club’s board of directors.
When we moved, I immediately started looking for a new church home. Church isn’t just a place to worship God; it is a community of believers. I visited three churches and settled on the third one. It is much smaller than my suburban church, so I felt comfortable. It felt right.
When I expressed interest in being involved in my new church, it didn’t take long to get plugged in. I volunteer for the children’s ministry, helping teach kids in grade school. I joined a women’s Bible study group. I have found other opportunities, even something as simple as stuffing the weekly bulletin.
My church is involved in the larger community. Once a month, the church serves a meal at the local mission. A group of women volunteer at another charity. A few nights a week, the church provides a safe place for kids from the middle school across the street to go a couple of hours after school. My church also shows its love for these kids by serving hot dogs at the end of the school year.
The word untethered seems to be used more frequently than tethered. We like being free to do whatever we want to do. We think of being untethered as good, and being tethered is bad. A tether is a rope that binds an animal, restricting its movement.
I am not untethered. I am bound by common interests with other people. Having ties to other people is a good thing.
My cousin Dawna recently gave me and my siblings a couple of boxes of family momentos. One of the most precious items is Grandpa’s five-year diary for the years 1931-1934.
The diary has four lines for each year. Grandpa faithfully wrote in it the first few years. He had nice handwriting. In the third year, he switched to writing in pencil, which is not as legible as ink.
Grandpa was born in September 1908 in Sabetha, which is in northeast Kansas, close to the Nebraska border. The census for 1930 shows the population of Sabetha as 2,332. Grandpa grew up in Netawaka, which means “grand view” in the Potawatomi language. Netawaka had a population of only 239.
Farm living is the life for me…
My great grandfather, Elijah Cramer, was a farmer. In the early 1930s, Grandpa lived on the farm with Elijah and Great Grandma Agnes. They raised hogs and cattle and chickens. They planted wheat, corn, popcorn, oats, alfalfa, millet, soybeans, cane, sorgo, and clover. I don’t know how much land the Cramers had, but in 1931, they planted 30 acres of corn. In November of that year, Grandpa wrote that they reached the thousand bushel mark for corn. Alfalfa, clover, and soybeans were used to make hay.
Grandpa often commented about the weather. “Cloudy and kinda disagreeable.” Or “the weather sure is a fright.” In the first year, he noted the high and low temperatures every day. There was a blizzard in February 1933, and the temperature was 16 below zero. In 1934, there was a miserably hot streak of 100+ days that burned the corn.
Grandpa documented a variety of farm chores, some of which were unfamiliar to me, like listing corn. (A lister was a planter that dug a shallow trench, reducing erosion). Hauling fodder or manure. Plowing. Sowing. Planting. Discing. Harrowing. Cultivating. Threshing. Curling corn. Shucking corn. Rendering lard. Butchering hogs. Cutting wood.
Unless the weather was bad, there was always something to do on the farm, but the work could be monotonous. In the fall of 1932, Grandpa spent several weeks shucking corn every day. “More of the same old story.” Another day, he wrote, “All we do is chore.”
When Grandpa wasn’t working, which wasn’t often, he would say that he “loafed” or “tiddled” around. Sometimes, he helped his mom with washing.
As a hobby, Grandpa raised wild ducks. He rebuilt a duck house for them.
Friends and Family
Grandpa often mentioned a friend, Ivan Amon. Tucked in the back of the diary is Ivan’s graduation announcement with a note about their friendship. In January 1931, Grandpa went to see a 1930 picture show, Just Imagine, with Alva Amon, probably Ivan’s sister. Just Imagine was a science fiction comedy musical about what life would be like in 1980! Grandpa’s friend Ivan got married in January 1934. Several days later, Grandpa wrote that he chivareed Ivan in the evening.
Grandpa also mentioned the Garvin and Dachenhausen families frequently. The families helped each other out with farm chores. In 1934, Great Grandma went to see Little Women with Mrs. Garvin.
Great Grandma’s side of the family, the Nickels, must have been mischievous. In August 1931, the Cramers went to Uncle Charley’s for dinner. Grandpa wrote that Harry ran off with the car and went to Des Moines. In December, the family visited Uncle Charley again. Marvin Nickels was in jail for trying to wreck the train. In January 1932, Marvin was sentenced to 30 days in jail and given a $20 fine.
Grandpa mentioned several other aunts and uncles – Uncles Phillip, Henry, Adam, and Walter; Aunts Kit, Reba, and Emma. He also mentioned Grandma’s father Otto and her younger brothers Floyd and Oscar, “the boys.”
The Great Depression
Grandpa documented the economy in his diary. In February 1931, eggs were 11 cents a dozen. Butter fat was 17 cents a pound. That summer, wheat was 25 cents a bushel. Corn was 10 cents a bushel in November 1932.
After attending a tax meeting in September 1931, Grandpa wrote, “The courthouse was packed. People sure are restless.” The next month, the Netawaka bank went broke. In March of 1932, the bank paid 25% (on a dollar deposited, I guess). In April 1932, Grandpa put in a claim for $11 at the bank. In March of 1933, Grandpa wrote, “Banks still closed. Can’t cash a check.”
National News
Grandpa occasionally wrote about national news. In March 1932, he wrote that the Lindberg baby was stolen. In April, he wrote that the family paid $50,000 in ransom but didn’t get the child.
On March 4, 1933, Grandpa wrote that President Roosevelt took the oath of office. He noted that banks were closed all over the country now, and you couldn’t get a check cashed.
Local Politics
Grandpa went to a school meeting in April 1931, and a $550 annual budget was approved, $250 less than the previous year. A couple of days later, Grandpa wrote that Fred Dachenhausen signed a teacher’s contract for $75 a month after saying he wouldn’t. (This would have blown the budget, me thinks). The next day, Grandpa went to a meeting to discuss filing a lawsuit. Great Grandpa Elijah went to Holton, the county seat, to see about hiring a lawyer. In August, they attended the trial and “were defeated unjustly.”
In May of 1932, Grandpa went to the Republican caucus. In July, he went to hear Dr. Brinkley, an independent candidate for governor. On election day, he wrote that he was a poll watcher for Dr. Brinkley. I was curious about this doctor. I learned that Brinkley was described as the goat gland doctor and as a quintessential American quack. That’s what I get for being curious!
Small Town Social Life
Every week or so, the Cramers would dine with friends or family, including Great Aunt Ruby and her family. They often went to Holton or Sabetha or another small town after dinner.
In searching for my Grandpa’s obituary, I found a social column for Netawaka, published several years before the diary was written. Under Senior News, Aunt Ruby and her future husband Elverdo were Holton callers on Saturday. Under General News, “Mr. and Mrs. Cramer and daughters Fern and Ruby and Elverdo Bareiss took Easter dinner at the Dachenhausen’s.” Grandpa’s absence was explained in the next paragraph. “Fred Cramer entertained Fred Ellis, Ernest and Percy Bareiss, and Merle Beam at an egg and weinie roast on Sunday. They had lots of other good things to eat also. It takes boys to cook eggs and weinies that makes ones mouth water.”
Based on the diary, Grandpa’s passion for weinie roasts continued into his 20s. One day, he wrote that he had a weiner roast with his niece Doris Jean (Ruby and Elverdo’s daughter).
Grandpa went to the Shell Bros. Circus in September 1931 and said it was “punk.”
Grandpa was a Methodist and went to Sunday School almost every week, presumably at the United Methodist Church in Netawaka. A few times, Grandpa wrote that his mama went to “aid.” This was likely a reference to the church’s Ladies Aid group. In April 1935, Grandma and Grandpa joined the Evangelical Church.
Vacation in Colorado
In August 1932, Grandpa had “a very delightful trip” to Colorado. He didn’t say who traveled with him. They visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Lookout Mountain Drive in Golden, and museums in Denver. They visited Glacier Park Basin, which may have been in Rocky Mountain National Park. They went over the continental divide and had their picture taken in the snow.
A Discreet Courtship
My brother David read Grandpa’s diary years ago, probably after Grandma died. I remember David remarking that in the midst of chronicling everyday activities, Grandpa wrote that he got married, as if it was just another ordinary day. There were some clues.
In January 1933, Grandpa called on his lady friend. This was the first mention of a girlfriend. In March of 1933, Grandpa went to dinner at the Hilgenfelds, Grandma’s family. The Hilgenfelds lived 32 miles away in Valley Falls, Kansas. From that point on, the families had dinner together every month or two, and they went to the fair together.
Grandpa’s diary entry on March 8, 1934: “Shelled sweet corn. Am engaged.” In April, Grandpa finally wrote Grandma’s given name, Inez. On May 5, the day after Grandma’s birthday, they went to the show David Harum, a comedy starring Will Rogers.
Grandma and Grandpa were married on November 11, 1934, and drove to Chilhowie, Virginia, afterward. They arrived at Grandma’s sister’s home the next day.
After they got married, Grandma and Grandpa rented the “Lattimer place.” They wallpapered the kitchen and dining room. They went to Topeka and bought a dining room set and a davenport. They moved the “brooder house” to their new home. In April, Grandpa wrote that Inez got 309 chicks from 360 eggs.
Shortly after marrying, Grandpa stopped writing in the diary. My grandparents had their first two children in Netawaka, my dad in 1936, and Aunt Bonnie in 1939. My Aunt Mary was born in Valley Falls in 1942.
In 1945, Grandpa and Grandpa moved to Holton, Kansas. Behind their house was a small building they called the brooder house. Was it the same one they moved to the Lattimer place?
90 Years Later
One of my regrets in life is not asking my grandparents about their lives. I didn’t even know that Grandpa was a farmer. I recall that he worked in construction, but he also worked at a local mill and for the Holton electric plant. I never knew my great grandparents. Elijah was 62 in 1931.
Grandpa’s diary gave me a wonderful glimpse at his early life and personality.
Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
Change is a natural and necessary part of life. Sometimes, I resist change because of uncertainty about the future. About eight years ago, I was absolutely miserable at my job. I was afraid to quit because I didn’t have another job lined up. Despite my fears, I made a leap of faith, a step into an unknown future.
Thank God I did.
Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Like a rock thrown into the water, change has a ripple effect. One change leads to another and then another.
A couple of months after quitting my job, I landed the most satisfying job of my career. And yet, I still wasn’t satisfied with my life. We lived in a suburb of Denver, and it had become too crowded. I started searching for a home closer to the hiking/biking trails.
Then, my company let a new employee keep her job after she moved to Mexico. Why couldn’t I move somewhere else and keep my job? So my husband and I decided to move to South Dakota, a state we visited on vacation, and my employer agreed to let me work remotely.
I took one step when I couldn’t see the whole staircase. I couldn’t even see the next step! All I had was faith that God would work things out for my good. He did.
What’s happening to Christianity in America? I’ve been trying to figure this out for years. My first clue that something was wrong was hearing the leader of my Bible study claim that Barack Obama was an antichrist because he is a liberal. As she and other members of the group fretted about impending socialism, I concluded that they were being discipled by right-wing media. I dropped out of the group.
The next group was no different. At times, listening to my sisters in Christ was like listening to Fox News. I tried my best to keep my mouth shut when one of them brought up hot-button issues like immigration and homosexuality. When one member said, “They say he [Trump] is a Christian,” I had to speak up. Trump’s words and conduct prove otherwise.
Pew Research Center reports that “[t]he percentage of American adults who identify as Christian has been declining each year.” Evangelical Christians see the increasingly secular culture as a reason to use government to force religion on the “nones” (people with no religious affililiation). In contrast, I believe that Christianity has become unattractive to non-believers because so many Christians have abandoned Christ’s teaching in exchange for political power.
God has not changed. The Bible has not changed. Unfortunately, the meanings of the words “Christian” and “evangelical” have been damaged, which in turn damages Christian witness. I am still Christ’s disciple. I still believe in evangelism, but today, Evangelical Christians are not evangelizing, i.e., spreading the Good News.
The best antidote to bad religion is good religion.
Tim Alberta quoting Miroslav Volf, the head of Yale University’s Center for Faith and Culture)
These are troubling times for faithful followers of Christ. We see a man of lawlessness who clearly has no interest in the word of God, hawking ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles for $59.99. Too many Evangelicals see nothing wrong with this.
The best cure for bad religion is good religion, religion that is based on the morality of Christ.
What does it mean when someone says, ‘I am blessed?’ It may be an expression of gratitude for the good things in life, e.g. for a home, family, and friends. It may also be a way of boasting about what you have while pretending to be humble.
The Greek word for ‘blessed’ is makarios, which also means happy, fortunate, or privileged. Biblically speaking, to be blessed is to be the privileged recipient of God’s favor. It is to be spiritually prosperous.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus turned the world’s meaning of ‘blessed’ upside down. Being blessed isn’t about what you have or what you’ve accomplished. To be blessed is to have the character of a righteous person, a person who is right with God.
The Beatitudes
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
I found additional scripture references to makarios on an Ezra Project post:
“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” Matthew 13:16
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Revelation 16:15
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35.
If I am to boast, may I boast only about the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus, forshowing me what it means to be blessed.I hunger and thirst for your righteousness.
Innermost Being 