We traveled to Enid today to bury my Dad`s sister, Dorothy. She never had children so her brother Ernie, sister Ramonda, and about 15 others mostly neices and nephews gathered at a funeral home for a short service. Sister Margaret age 95 being in ill health sadly was not able to attend. Then off to pretty Bison cementery for burial. It is about 2-3 miles from the Balk homestead. We stopped at the original house built in about 1906 where nobody now lives so is too quickly running down. The original woodsiding is in places peeking out from behind layers of more modern coverings. It still bears the original yellow paint and is in remarkable condition. Beadboard covers front porch ceiling.
Eleven people lived there in 2 small bedrooms, kitchen, large room across front divided by sliding doors, and full not totally finished attic where the kids slept. Our next adventure is trying to visit inside the house to look for pictures and papers reportedly hid in a bedroom wall when Grandma feared Joseph might be deported at the beginning of WWII like Peter was in WWI. I did bring home a very old brick from a collapsed chimney.
The question came up why they settled there. An older cousin related the men traveled by train that ran within a mile of where the house stands. All related men jumped off and ran to stake claims and that is where they landed. Joseph Balk, a teenager, was one of them and his future in-laws settled across the road.
There are only 2 aunts and 1 uncle left. I mentioned we were running out of older people to gather for. Karen brought up the sobering fact-we are moving into the older group.
We finished the morning at Golden Corral toasting Dorothy`s 85 years with fudge-a secret treat of her youth.
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