THE OSTHOFF FAMILY

(by EOB)

 

“George Franklin Osthoff and Daisy Belle (Forney) Osthoff moved to Lyons, CO, January 1, 1917, from Hoisington, KS, settling on what we know as the Harding Place, NE of the power plant, on the North St Vrain.  George was very [fond] of the mountains, fishing, and the thought that farming would [be] a good way to be outdoors, raise most of his food, and take care of his growing family.  However, because he had to rent, and the farms were small, he found it impossible to support his family and his landlord, too.  At that time, the children were Herbert, 7; Helen, almost 6; Janice, 4; and Ethel, 20 months.  In May, Daisy had to be rushed to the Longmont hospital where she gave birth to George, Jr., a big 10 pound baby, and Daisy was a very small person.

            In the winter of ‘17-’18, the family moved to Longmont, where George found work doing electric wiring.  Then they moved south of Lyons, to a place called The Meadow Park Fruit Farm.  There was a sign over the gate that lasted for years.  The company of booth and Allen owned this place for many years.  They worked out of Longmont.  The house we lived [in] was burned down about 1945, and a new one was built, or moved in, a little north of the old one.

            George studied the Country Gentleman magazine and worked with the County Agent to improve crops.  He received many prizes at the Boulder County Fair, in Longmont, showing superb corn, Sudan grass, hogs, and fruit.

            From this farm, we heard the train whistles, quarry whistle, and helped to make a racket on Armistice Day.  It was here that we all caught the dreaded Influenza in 1918.  George (Sr.) got it first, then got u too soon to help the rest of us.  I (Ethel) was only 3 ½, but I still remember it well.  In September, a new little boy was born (Robert).

            George was Sunday school Superintendent for several years, and made a beautiful cradle for the Cradle Roll in September.  Daisy was very active in the Ladies Aid and the PTA (which she helped found).  She canned, dried, and helped preserve everything she could.  George was appointed J.P. (Justice of the Peace?) for a while, too.

            Special friends of the family were the Spencer’s, O.J. Ramey’s, Gordon’s, Eatwell’s, Bohn’s, Kincaid’s, Sullivan’s, Harding’s, Clark’s, Kirk’s, Stevens’, and Hess’s.

            We moved to the Freeman place, east of the Power Plant, in 1921.  It was a big rambling place, with 13 rooms, of which we could use 11.  At this place, Helen caught the small pox, so all of us were vaccinated at once, but no one else caught it.  There was a small pond near the plant, where several local people were allowed to cut the ice in the dead of winter.  We had a large icehouse, and stored as much as it would hold every year.  It was stored in sawdust, and lasted through the summer.

            Finding that “sharecropping” would never support his family, we moved to town, south of Lyons, near the river, while George looked for work.  He was fortunate to be in Boulder when [the] Valmont Plant was built, and soon had a job as wireman (his first love, in Kansas).  He was hired at once, as he proved to be an excellent wireman. 

            There was one exciting incident that I have never read in any Lyons story.  One day, just after church, we had heard that an empty quarry car had broken loose, and had been switched to the dead end in Meadow Park.  Everyone jumped into cars and rushed to the park.  Several of us put our heads on the track to “hear” the car coming – and come it did, fast and furious, shuddering to a stop on the pile of dirt and sand at the end of the track.

            We moved to Boulder in June 1925, but as long as he lived, George always had a few acres to farm.  He died in 1940, much too young, and Daisy lived alone until 1975.  All of our family loved the mountains, and had so many trips into then, though the roads were so bad at that time.  We pushed the old Model “T” up many a hill, and once, taking the very steep hill out of Peaceful Valley, the radiator cap blew off, and Bob, Daisy, and George, Jr., got painful burns.  The windshield was the fold down kind, so those in front were very vulnerable.  We all loved that old car and George had quite a time keeping it in shape, though motors were very simple then.  Once when there was a squeak George just could not find, he finally removed the front seat, and finally found it!  A whole nest of mice!  They ran like crazy, but I doubt if many escaped the always-hungry family cat.

            Airplanes were a great sight in the ‘20’s, and Helen remembers seeing a plane which had crashed, near Estes Park.  One woman was badly injured, but souvenir hunters were all over it, cutting or tearing pieces off. 

            George’s crops were so good that during sweet corn season, he rose early every morning to pick corn to send to the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes.  The big trucks, full of passengers, would halt long [enough] to pick up the gunnysacks he had worked so long and hard to fill.  None of us ever got rich from it, but it was probably the best corn the Stanley ever had!”