Copy of a letter written by Myrtle about her life:
"Down on the farm in Huntington, IN. We lived in town on High Street
where I was born. When I was 9 months old, dad Fahl moved his wife and
family of three girls to the country 2 miles east on Union Township
Center Road. We had two farms, a dairy and Percherons imported horses
for breeding purposes, also racing stock, and a private race track for
showing the horses.
On Sunday p.m. we always had a large crown of
people after church. Like a Rodeo! Picnic. We had 12 children while
on the farm; 6 boys and 6 girls - 1 pair of twins.
We walked 2 miles to grade school, 6 miles to
high school. 5 girls were born, then 4 boys, then 1 girl and 2 boys.
Parents of Dad Fahl were across the road from
us, also on a farm. Parents of mother were 4 miles up the road (Union
Center). We all had to milk the cows, before and after school, cut and
carry big and little wood for the stoves. Bake all bread, cakes,
cookies, etc. No bakeries stuff in those days. Made butter to sell,
eggs, cheese, etc. on the dairy wagon. Butchered 4 hogs and a beef each
fall. Cured all the meat and smoked it. Fried down bacon and sausage
in large crocks. Made apple and peach jam in large iron kettles. Also
made our own soap (lye). Washed clothes by hand power. Had 2 washers
going at once. Had a large garden. Canned all we didn't use, no
freezers then. In fact, we grew everything we used but flour and sugar
and coffee. Had corn ground for corn meal. 14 around the table took a
lot of food. Mother baked bread every other day with starter yeast. I
can smell it yet! Pies by the dozen and ginger bread by the yard!
A big old 3 level farm house with a basement.
We had kitchen 1st floor and ate there. Living room and parlor 2nd
floor. Kids all slept upstairs 'together'. Mother's bedroom 2nd
floor. What a life we had, lots of fun and of course lots of work. No
time for mischief! We were so tired, we were in bed early and up early.
The house is still there, like, as good as
ever. I was back home in 1969 (Nov.). Big red barn burned down and
replaced with same, on the same foundation.
I finished grade and high school and as a girl
15 met a College man at a neighborhood affair, Wm S. Brown, I was 15
yrs. He was from Majenica, 10 miles away, going to U.B. College in
Huntington, IN. Didn't come out much, had to ride a bicycle, but we
were attracted to each other and went steady for several years.
I moved to Marion with an M.E. Minister family
for 4 years. Wm. Brown would visit me there weekends. Rev. Thomas
Guild was the minister. I had other company. He went to Colo. for 2
years 1907-1909, but we corresponded. He had relatives in Colorado
Springs where he located. He did carpentry and did very well. 1909 he
came back and we were married July 7, 1909. We had a large wedding, on
the farm. 100 were there. We fed all of them a sit down dinner, fried
chicken and all the trimmings. At 4:00 p.m. Rev. Thomas M. Guild
performed the ceremony in our parlor. Was the last funtion of the
farm. We honey mooned in Majenica, IN. He helped build a large barn at
Majenica and we lived there 3 months. In Oct. 1909 he left for Colo.
Springs, where he had a job waiting - Carpenter forman. We had an
enjoyable life 3 years before I became pregnent for our first child.
Well my mother became ill with cancer in 1911,
and I left for Indiana in Jan. Stayed with her one month. All the
family were there. My parents had retired from farming and bought 9
acres in Huntington. Dad also had his horses. He built an octagonal
barn on the place for his prize breeding stock. 'Commodore' was the
stud horse. I'll never forget that wonderful horse! A large red brick,
3 level house was on the beautiful acres, 1 mile west of town.
Mother progressively became more ill, her 6
daughters each took turns nursing her in our home. She wanted it that
way. No hospital, she just asked for her girls. I came back (to
Colo.), but returned in June, to be with her. Also, I was pregnant, but
didn't want her to know it. I took my turn tho. I stayed through July
and returned to Colo., all the while expecting to be called back. She
was worse in Aug. I went back and she died Aug. 20 of abdominal cancer,
leaving 11 children and a husband. One of the twins, Floyd, died of
blood poisoning Oct. 1911. 12 years old.
Dad remaried 1912, a widow we had known most
of our lives. He became ill of cancer, died June 1916. They sold and
broke up the home, and all the family married eventually.
Mabel and Emma came to Colo. in 1912, July, to
be with us. Emma stayed and worked and married in Colo. Springs. 1917,
at our house. Mabel returned to Ind. and married in 1913, remaining in
Ind.
We lived in Colo. Springs 10 years, 4 boys
were born there. Robert Fahl, Richard Sears, John Samual, and William
Sears, Jr. in 1918. It was difficult to get year around work, to
support a family of 6. Mr. Brown studied for forestry, passed the
examination, and was appointed in Jan. 1919 to the Sheephorn Ranger
Station near Radium, CO, on the Moffatt R.R. as Forest Ranger in that
District. We had a log house and log barn. Had to rustle wood for
both, from deep snowdrifts, 15 ft. Saw and cut all of it. We had govt.
telephone. Neighbors 2 miles down the trail to Sheephorn creek, where
the two older boys went to summer school, April to Oct., rode horseback
double with sack lunch, on old Monte (the Bay gelding). Robert 8 years,
Richard 6 years, John and Billy 4 years and 2 years respectively. The
first winter wasn't too bad, but after that one, I had had it, and
wanted to go to Ind. for vacation. So I started in Oct. with 4 boys, by
train, via Chicago. My sister Betty met me there. We entered Robert
and Richard there in school, expecting Ranger Brown there for Xmas. He
came, but children were all sick. Had chickenpox, colds, pneumonia for
Billy, measles later, and we were quarantined for Xmas time. As in
those days, 1920, we didn't have shots for children's diseases. It was
all too much for Billy, he's only 2 years 3 mos. old. He lost weight
from 36 lbs. to 10 lbs. and by Feb. 21st, he died of convulsions from
whooping cough. All the boys were sick, but too much for Billy. We
buried him there and returned to Colo. by Pullman Car. Stopped for
three weeks with Brown's relatives in Colo. Springs, until they were
able to continue to Sheephorn Station. Well Ranger Brown got
transferred to Eagle, Colo. in the meantime, so we settled there. No
place to live there. We were in a hotel. A bachelor, Al Fulford, had a
house, but he had broken his leg, fell from a telephone pole. He
offered his house for us if Mrs. Brown would board him. I agreed. We
moved in! Delighted to get it.
By the time Eagle schools were dismissed, we
moved to Yeoman Park Ranger station, Forest Service summer quarters.
Had a good life. The last 7 miles to station was by horseback or by
wagon. 17 miles from Eagle, 9300 feet altitude. Trout was so plentiful
we couldn't eat it all the time so I fried fish for our dog and cat. We
had a milk cow, a few chickens. We could not go to town very often. I
had a setting hen when we moved up, so Mr. Brown put her and all her
eggs in the saddle bag and moved them up. They all hatched out! Those
were the days!
1922 we had another boy, Max Eugene, born in
Glenwood Springs, Colo. I had another boy Wayne Sterling born in
Salida, Colo. in 1924. I had trouble carrying Wayne to full term. We
went to Salida to forest service convention, got sick, and saw Dr. and
was hospitalized for 3 months, Mar. 18 - June 17 1924. Had a 10 lbs
boy. Didn't get back to Eagle till in July. Had a high school girl
help out with the children. Then 1930, Robert graduated from Eagle High
School with scholarship to any Colo. University. We decided to send him
to Boulder, Colo. Univ., but was less expensive to bring them all over
and eliminate tuition and dormitory costs for one. So in two weeks we
all moved over Oct. 1, 1930, and left Mr. Brown to board and room at
Eagle. He would drive over weekends. A bad situation, but no other way
to solve it, as we had outgrown Eagle schools. Richard married 5 years
later, 1935. Robert 1938. John 1940. Max 1946 after he had hitch with
Marines and the Iwo Jima Battle. Wayne and Max were called up in 1942.
Wayne Army. Wayne was killed in Italy, up the Po River Valley 1945 Feb.
24. Buried there in National Cemetary. Was a terrible thing to lose 2
sons out of six. Max had a close call at Iwo Jima. Max returned at
Christmas time 1945. War ended after Iwo Jima and Sarabachi [sic] April
1945. Max was in Calif. Hospital for 6 weeks with a vertabrae injury
done in service. He married 1946 June 14th.
Robert with 3 sons and 1 girl
Richard 5 sons
John 2 girls and 1 son
Max 1 girl 1 boy. Making 14 grandchildren.
We lost Robert's Douglas 1966 in Littleton Colo.
24 years old
Mr. Brown failed in health after he retired in
1946. He did cabinet work for 7 years while in Boulder at a cabinet
shop. He died here at home we bought in 1948, 3212 9 St., Boulder
Colo. Very thankful I can keep it at 84 years old. We had a wonderful
life, 25 years in Forest Service and all of us have loved Boulder Colo.
for 40 years now. 1930-1970 Oct. 10th.
We learned to live off the land (so to speak)
at Sheephorn Station. Had a good garden, gathered wild fruit and
fished, ate venison and elk. Wild currants, gooseberries. I made jam,
and I even roasted a porcupine for meat."
