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The Great Depression #6303657
08/16/18 09:15 PM
08/16/18 09:15 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
G
Gary Benson Offline OP
trapper
Gary Benson  Offline OP
trapper
G

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
Both of my parents were children in the Depression. My Dad is 92 today and his most vivid memory was 85 years ago..there was a bad drought in 1933. The cows had no water or grass to eat so they were shot and buried in trenches. Dad can still hear the cows bawling, 85 years later. Water wells were hand-dug then, so probly no deeper than 30' or so. Tough times. Mom was in high school before she made it 30 miles to the big town.


Life ain't supposed to be easy.
Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303660
08/16/18 09:23 PM
08/16/18 09:23 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,476
Philippines, s.e. asia,ohio
west river rogue Offline
trapper
west river rogue  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,476
Philippines, s.e. asia,ohio
Originally Posted By: Gary Benson
Both of my parents were children in the Depression. My Dad is 92 today and his most vivid memory was 85 years ago..there was a bad drought in 1933. The cows had no water or grass to eat so they were shot and buried in trenches. Dad can still hear the cows bawling, 85 years later. Water wells were hand-dug then, so probly no deeper than 30' or so. Tough times. Mom was in high school before she made it 30 miles to the big town.
heard that about cows before....awful thing!!

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303675
08/16/18 09:36 PM
08/16/18 09:36 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,005
Oregon
beaverpeeler Offline
trapper
beaverpeeler  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,005
Oregon
My dad rode the rails during the depression. Visited every state. Picked potatoes in Aroostook county Maine for a penny a barrel. I am lucky that I have a book that he wrote documenting his travels and adventures during those times. (Portions of the book were republished in a Reader's Digest article some years back).

Just before he died in 1998 (age of 88) I asked him what had been the best portion of his life. He answered that it was those years on the road where he didn't know where is next meal would come from but that he was living free and hadn't a care in the world.

Mom on the other hand had a bit more sorrowful story of those years. Her dad had just sold the herd and went down to the bank in Mitchell S.D. and deposited the check. Next day the bank didn't open and he lost the whole year's money. They held on for another two years with help from relatives but eventually the bank foreclosed on the farm, and it and everything on it was auctioned off...including my mom's Indian pony which she loved. The only thing they were allowed to keep was their model A which they used to relocate out west.

Many many stories have been told around the dinner table of those years!

Last edited by beaverpeeler; 08/16/18 09:39 PM.

My fear of moving stairs is escalating!
Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303682
08/16/18 09:39 PM
08/16/18 09:39 PM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,897
minnesota
M
mnsota Offline
trapper
mnsota  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,897
minnesota
Pops worked on several different farms during that time.
He told me of the time the farmer boss had told him to bring a rope to the barn,.he obliged,luckily nothing came of it.
Troubled times for many. A lot of siblings found themselves dispersed working to help out others and provide for their own.
Somewhere I have some pictures of those "modern" day campers that traversed throughout the country.
Something like a shanty town on wheels.

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303727
08/16/18 10:29 PM
08/16/18 10:29 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,269
West Central Illinois
I
il.trapper Offline
trapper
il.trapper  Offline
trapper
I

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,269
West Central Illinois
My Dad has told me several times he didn't realize how hard times was then simply because everyone was in the same boat. He was born in 32 so pretty young for most of it.
His oldest brother was 5-6 years older and recalled it very well. In this area of Illinois then all the farms were shared by all the families. Every two or three years they all moved to a "new" farm. The reason was each family raised a certain crop. or raised certain animals. My grandfather and family were the Dairy producers. Uncle Sol was driving team at ten years old doing most of the plowing in the area. I have been told by many of the older folks that he was one of the best with his horses.


My granddad was killed making one the annual moves. Hit by a drunk driving a truck. Uncle Sol had to help pick up the bodies of his father and friends. Three total. Then help pull a piece of lumber out of one of the mules pulling the wagon they were on when hit. He was twelve at the time.

When I listen to stories from the men of that era, I realize they really were/are the 'Greatest Generation'

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303737
08/16/18 10:56 PM
08/16/18 10:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 453
ky
R
Redsleeves Offline
trapper
Redsleeves  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 453
ky
My great granddad was born in 09 he said around here it didn't effect them too bad, he said nobody couldn't afford nothing before that the only difference was there was less stuff to worry about afording, He made and bootlegged whiskey, they lived on groundhogs rabbit squrril fish and possum raised big gardens and did the best they new how! He always told me this country was so poor before the depression they didn't really notice said they'd have missed the whole thang if people hadn't told um how bad it was!
Colt

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303749
08/16/18 11:11 PM
08/16/18 11:11 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 8,294
Louisiana
Aix sponsa Offline
trapper
Aix sponsa  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 8,294
Louisiana
Can’t help but think of The Grapes of Wrath when I hear such stories. Man, they had it rough.


Imo, that plays a part in them being the “greatest” generation. The depression and the Second World War. What a time to live! They knew what it was like to appreciate EVERYTHING, and kids today often times don’t appreciate what hard work means. Times sure have changed. Now so many things are handed out, even though they weren’t earned, and there are “safe places”. Can you imagine what someone from the “Greatest Generation” would have said about a “safe space” back in the 30s and 40s?

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303750
08/16/18 11:13 PM
08/16/18 11:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
T
traprjohn Offline
trapper
traprjohn  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
The Greatest Generation!
Dad was born in 1920.
On Sunday, they had Jello for dessert and it was the bomb. His Dad was a coal miner in PA....died of black lung when Dad, the oldest child, was 19.
Dad trapped from 1926-37 when he graduated HS as Salutatorian, beaten only by the neighbor girl he grew up with. Had an Aunt in Ravenna Ohio who offered him free room and board, so he could attend college at Kent State. He cleaned the rat cages of the Biology Dept and mowed lawns to pay his tuition. He was drafted in early '42 for WW2, but they let him finish and graduate before going in the Army.
In homage to our German heritage, he had just learned German, so they sent him to Europe's Signal Corps to translate intercepted radio transmissions so we'd have an idea what the enemy was going to do before they did it.
Stayed in, becoming an Industrial Liason, and when Korean War started so they had Dad learn Korean, sent him over to...…..you guessed it, intercept enemy radio transmissions...…...LOL......stayed in.....until Vietnam started, yep, they taught him Vietnamese, kept him on a ship mostly, since technology had advanced, did the same thing translating enemy radio transmissions. Retired in '76 when I was in 11th grade!!!!

So much for skipping class and going to Johns house...lol.

Dad was stationed in Arlington, VA. He was in Army Security Agency. ASA is only based there, so we did not move every few yrs like most military families. ASA's motto is In God We Trust, All Others, We Monitor.

Lost Dad in '03 to Myeloproliferative Disorder...the year I started trapping.

He was my best friend. Miss him so much.

Here's his flag and WW2 and Korea service medals but not the Vietnam medals, he would be 97 now.

It is because of him that I buy a soldiers' meal every chance I get.....its in my sig below!










www.sevenoakstrappingsupplies.com for trap mods and gear
The 10 Commandments are not suggestions.
Buy a soldiers meal EVERY chance you can.

Re: The Great Depression [Re: traprjohn] #6303760
08/16/18 11:26 PM
08/16/18 11:26 PM
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 163
Central California
R
Rimrock1 Offline
trapper
Rimrock1  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 163
Central California
My father was born in Oklahoma in 1908. Grew up through the depression in Oklahoma, Texas and N. Mexico. He wrote of this time in longhand. (4th grade education) Three notebooks full in one paragraph. I typed it, only correcting grammer and spelling enough to make it readable. Over 140 pages of heartbreaks and laughs. I have to go back and reread it every once in a while in order to keep my feet on the ground.

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303776
08/16/18 11:44 PM
08/16/18 11:44 PM
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,580
N. Carolina
S
Scout1 Offline
trapper
Scout1  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,580
N. Carolina
My grandparents grew up during the depression. And you ever notice most elderly people that went through it never threw away nothing.


-------------------------------------
DJT & MTG in 2024!
Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303779
08/16/18 11:49 PM
08/16/18 11:49 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,214
NE
M
Marty B Offline
"arbitrary noob"
Marty B  Offline
"arbitrary noob"
M

Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,214
NE
As youth staying at great grandma's house, one of the ways we could stay up later was to get Grandma started on stories about her growing up.


Her mom died young and as the oldest, she had to raise 8 brothers, and sisters as a teenager during the depression.

Should have recorded all those stories.

To this day, she is the best cook I've ever known.

I still can't get chicken and dumplings to turn out like hers.


Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303842
08/17/18 06:59 AM
08/17/18 06:59 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
G
Gary Benson Offline OP
trapper
Gary Benson  Offline OP
trapper
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
Dad joined the Army in 1944. Did basic training in Camp Fannon TX then was sent to Hawaii to clean up after Pearl Harbor. He was on the Bunker Hill on the way over (5 days) when the Japanese surrendered. I think he got paid $50 per month. He kept a dollar a day and sent the rest home to the farm. Still talks about Hawaii today. That was before it was an American tourist fancy place. The young girls were called Waheeneys. If a girl wore flowers on the right side of her head, she was single and available. He was discharged after two years as the war was over. Came home and bought 2 airplanes and a farm!


Life ain't supposed to be easy.
Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303849
08/17/18 07:10 AM
08/17/18 07:10 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,738
Iowa
C
coydog2 Offline
trapper
coydog2  Offline
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,738
Iowa
During that time my farther's farther had went to Canada for work for how it was at the time and my dad at times went with him.Also the one I sold my furs to years ago told me how it was then also during the labor movement also and the unions had started.Also drove truck at 14 years old ,from MA to VT to the line of Canada to get alcohol for the speak eases. If there was a way to make some money he found that way. He told me also that he would get more for his rats then what his dad made at the factory working in a weeks time.


Life member of DAV,NTA,NRA,ITA.Also member of FTA,CBA
Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303855
08/17/18 07:23 AM
08/17/18 07:23 AM
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,190
Kansas
Pawnee Offline
trapper
Pawnee  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,190
Kansas
I had 9 great grandparents and grandparents alive until I was ten. I heard a lot of stories. Dust storms, grasshopper plagues, jackrabbit plagues, dust pneumonia, no money etc.. it and WWll had a profound impact on every aspect of their lives and the way they lived the rest of their lives. Tuff times for sure. Gramps my dads grandpa died in 1995 when I was 20. He still unplugged the microwave at night so the clock didn’t was electricity


Everything the left touches it destroys
Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303863
08/17/18 07:30 AM
08/17/18 07:30 AM
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,308
MT
S
snowy Offline
trapper
snowy  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,308
MT
My parents where born in 21 and 22 and they told of the hard times and very sad at that. Even though they the people suffered from those years they really never dwelled on those years. I grew up with people that lived those rough years like may here and I very heard any complain about it. The told their story and those years made those people the greatest generation that have lived.


Give me a fish, I will eat for a day. Teach me to fish, I will eat for a lifetime
Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303876
08/17/18 08:00 AM
08/17/18 08:00 AM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,009
ohio
T
tomahawker Offline
trapper
tomahawker  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,009
ohio
Great grandpa born in ‘98 remembered his best Christmas, he got a pair of wool socks and TWO oranges.

Re: The Great Depression [Re: tomahawker] #6303905
08/17/18 08:38 AM
08/17/18 08:38 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
Originally Posted By: tomahawker
Great grandpa born in ‘98 remembered his best Christmas, he got a pair of wool socks and TWO oranges.
Similar, my Grandma told me they got a scarf and an Apple.


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303939
08/17/18 09:16 AM
08/17/18 09:16 AM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,009
ohio
T
tomahawker Offline
trapper
tomahawker  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,009
ohio
Lol, wow! It’s the simple things

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303943
08/17/18 09:25 AM
08/17/18 09:25 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,384
kentucky
L
logger coffey Offline
trapper
logger coffey  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,384
kentucky
Have heard alot of story's , but one that made the most impression on me was when they would run out at dusk ,wrap sheets and blankets around fodder shocks , bet them till they got all the roosting songbirds killed so they would have meat for breakfast.i can remember them telling these story's of walking for days and not seeing a living animal because most were dun ate.

Re: The Great Depression [Re: Gary Benson] #6303947
08/17/18 09:36 AM
08/17/18 09:36 AM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,009
ohio
T
tomahawker Offline
trapper
tomahawker  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,009
ohio
I spent a week in Zimbabwe, one doesn’t see road kill there. Zero and that during a 7 hr drive.

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