Vern's Story

    More of Vern's life story written in 2007.  I wasn't going to add anything today but I want to use today's date, 10/11/12.

                                                     The Bader's
      A few years before we moved, Aunt Mamie and Uncle Paul Bader had the opportunity to sell their property on 34th Street in Kansas City, Kansas and they bought a farm about 2 miles northwest of Marshfield.  So the Bader's were well established when we moved down.  Again the Bader's and Mall's lived close to each other.  I remember that when Dad got his one week of vacation, we would go to their farm and stay with them.  Mary Lorene and Elmer also stayed with them so they could start high school in September on schedule. 

                                                            Jameason Grade School
      Two miles south east of our farm was Jameason School.  This was a 2 room country school.  There was a cook shed behind the school and a large wood pile.  Parents and neighbors donated the wood used for cooking and heating the school.  Parents took turns cooking.  We did have good meals as everything came from somebody's house.  No store bought stuff.  7th and 8th grade boys, split and carried the wood into the cook shed and the school house.  The boys also kept the heating stove in the school stoked with wood.  I think that is called 'child labor' now a days.  It was called practical and physical education then.  Mrs. Mathews was my teacher for 6th, 7th and 8th grades.  Ruth Greer, Talton Greer and Helen Greer, (all cousins), and me all walked to and from school each day.  Oh did I mention the school house had electricity!  Used for lighting only!  We had a 'path' across the road to the 'out house'.  It was a two roomer also.  One for the girls and one for the boys.  The water supply was a well with a hand pump on it.  This was located just outside the front door of the school.  Graduation from grade school was a Webster County affair.  All of the small grade school (Mostly 1 or 2 room schools) kids got an invitation from the County Superintendent of Schools to come to the court house in Marshfield for the ceremony.  This next picture is from left to right, Elmer Mall, Mary Lorene Mall and Vernon Mall.  We were sitting on the railing of the steps leading up to the court house main entrance, which is on the West side of the building.  Take a good look because this is one of the few times you will see me in a suit!