| Airplanes Judy says: "My first recollection of airplanes was in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. We lived on Ellis Street during the war in 1942." I remember my Dad was block captain during blackouts. We would have blackouts to practise everyone being dark in case a bomber flew over our town they couldn't see us there. Everytime
a small airplane was heard flying over our town, I was
frightened because I thought it might drop a bomb and
kill or hurt us. For
people to be passengers on an airplane like we have today
was unheard of. Buses, trains, and ships were the main
ways that people traveled on public transportation. Very few people owned
their own automobiles. Del says: His memories of
airplanes were for War protection. 1955 I was elected to the National Board for the Luther League. My expenses for meeting were always paid and I flew to meetings in Ohio, Pa, Chicago. Later I was on the State Board of Officers and flew from Omaho to Des Moines for meetings. In 1958, I flew to Eau Claire, Wisconsin from Omaha, Nebraska (living in Fremont). Wendy
was in my arms and didn't have to pay for her. I don't
recall the price of the ticket but it had been a long
time since visiting my parents and that way we had a
special visit. The entire family was waiting at the
airport when we got off the plane. It was great and so
easy. I loved this new form of transportation. Del and I flew several times when living in Swedesburg, Iowa from 1966-1981. To Eau Claire when I was sick and needed care. They took me in a wheelchair. One
appointment we had in Kansas for an Interview for another
church, we missed the My
parents moved to Arizona 1977
so that started years of memories on airplanes and
getting full meals while we travelled. I even had to take
a shuttle from Mesa to the Phoenix Airport one year. It
was flooding all over, and we couldn't get to the airport
without spending 8 hours in traffic. That time I had a
great look at all of the Orange Groves from the sky.
Miles of beautiful trees Since then Del & I have flown to Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, California (Minh's), Texas, Puerto Rico, from Costa Rica, Hawaii... Flying is a faster and less costly way to travel. Now they serve soft drinks and peanuts or pretzels. No meals! (2003) All this for we children who thought Airplanes were only for use in the WAR. What changes we have seen! |
Automobiles Another Luxury we didn't have as young children. Judy's
parents did not have a car "until I was nine years
old". "Dad started a new job and needed an
automobile for his work. Our first family car was a Studebaker. Arther Godfrey, on the radio show, would take about this new designed automobile. He said when you looked at it "you can't tell which direction it is going." The car went forward and backward in a bullet shape. When
we went down the road to Gma's house on the other side of
Eau Claire, I remember noticing that every one turned and
looked and even pointed at us in our car. We were so
thrilled to feel so important Many of my classmates didn't have a car in their family. We all rode the school bus to school every day. It was about 8-10 miles as I recall. Much futher coming home as we had to ride the bus all through the route, and we were last to get home. A City bus came our direction too so the parents were able to get to work and home. That was in 1946. In 1954 my father was able to get his dream car. A white Buick Convertible. Oh, how exciting for him! I never cared to ride in it because it would blow my hair. Del and I were married in 1956. Just before we were married we purchased a black 1951 Pontiac, 2 door. Paid $700. Made payments of $35 a month for a year after we were married until it was paid off. Gas was 15-29¢ a gallon. Prior to that car Del had a 1931 Model A coupe, 1948 Buick Fastback green, (It was totaled in an accident in Virginia while in Quantico in USMC, & later a 1949 black Chiefton Pontiac 4 door. That is what we courted in and had many interesting drives around Sioux City and Western Iowa. Now in 2003, we are driving a 1983 Lincoln Towncar that we purchased from Dad in 1997. When he stopped driving he asked if we wanted it and that was the beginning of life in this nice big car. Everything new in this day and age is soooo small that we were never comfortable with having a small vehicle for transportation in the Valley of the Sun. Our first new car was a 1961 Buick Special Station Wagon. We purchased that the last year in Seminary in Fremont, Ne. Our purchase was made in Omaha. Used this car for many years for many trips to Sioux City, Iowa and Eau Claire, Wisconsin from Cozad, Nebraska where we were serving our first parish. 1968 we purchased our second new car which was a Oldsmobile Visa Cruiser Station Wagon. We
sold that car in 1992 to Pieter DuPlessis Other
cars driven daily were used cars as Del was able to
repair and keep them up thus saving us many dollars
through the years. We purchased Uncle John Wampole's We did drive Volksvagens in 1964-1978. Also had a new Toyota 85 Celica. (Not my favorite! Not enough room for my big feet. Definitely made for Japanese small feet.) We've had many cars in our family through the years and are just now reducing the numbers in our garages. Del is still able to repair, but we don't need the transportation any more like we once did. |
| Bus Fun
Times I Recall: 1941 Later in 1946 our family moved back to Eau Claire from Stevens Point, Wi. All of the children in our family took the school bus to school every day. That was quite special for us to go alone on a bus every day for about 10 miles. I could never sit in the back because the fumes made me sick to my stomach and gave me a headache. We could stand in the aisle and hold on the a loop above our heads to steady us as the bus moved, started and stopped. It was much like the city bus that served us then. There was a string we could pull over our heads that told the driver we wanted to get out at the next stop. Del tells about his bus rides every week to pay for his papers from his paper route. My
brothers, Jon and Gene and I rode the school bus about 6
miles everyday in Eau Claire. It wasn't like the buses of
today, just an old city bus. In the
60's & 70's our children rode the school bus every
day. Sometimes 2 miles and others about 10 miles. The
look changed and we lived near the Blue Bird Plant where
most all school buses were manufactured.
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1939-42
Judy says, Dad always rode the trolly (street car) to work at J.C.Penny Company. Del remembers:"Every Saturday morning I rode the street car downtown to Sioux City where all the paper boys would go into this very old building which was the Sioux City Journal & Tribune Printing Building." Read more about my paperroute experiences. Click Paperroute |
Bicycles Later in 1951, I purchased a New Wards Hawthorne Victory Model with skinny tires, yellow painted rims with red fenders with frame and black handlebars and black pedal armsprockets. It had no chrome because it was during the war. I Was So Proud!" |
Cruise |
| Horse & Wagon 1912-1920's It was a long 7 miles with very rutted roads. The ride was not smooth as it might be today. Lived in and near Pickrell, Nebraska and Beatrice. It was a long trip. Judy's Great Grandparents, Bucholtz lived in the country of
Eau Claire County, Washington Township.
Most shopping
was done in Fall Creek or Brackett. Gottlieb
Bucholtz would sell his sour cream
every week to make butter. It was very good we
understand. There wasn't any way to keep the cream cold
so it was sold sour for butter. This was his only cash
resource. Later: 1910-...Uncle Warner talks about a train ride he often took with Aunt Alma. |
These were Del's special modes of transportation. In 1948, I bought an Indian (military model) for $125. It was a 1944 model. In 1948 I also purchased a Harley "125" for $500 in Lincoln, Neb. I had these until I returned home from Korea in 1953. We
never wore helmets and drove very fast. Could drive to
Beatrice, Nebraska from Sioux City, Iowa in a short time
with very little cash. Only cost a couple dollars to fill
it up and it gave me many miles to a gallon. Gas was
15-20¢ a gallon. Often I would put a quarters worth on
gas into the tank. |
| Hitchhiking A common form of travel in the 30's thru 50's. I someone had their thumbs up for a free ride; they would soon get a good ride and people who were Christians or who just wanted to do good deeds would never pass up the opportunity. Truck drivers and other traveling workers often would pass the time faster if they accepted the company. When my father,
"Buck" Haag, was young, this was a way of
getting around. He often hitchhiked home from school. He
also hitched a ride on the cargo train when it would stop
and go to Cadott from Eau Claire,Wisconsin about 35 miles
away. Del was in the Marines from 1952-1954. Stationed in Pendleton, California MCRD. When given a 3 day pass he and his buddies would hitch hike to LA where they would spend a night and enjoy the free time away from Basic Training camp. While traveling
to Wisconsin from Iowa on our honeymoon (1956), Del
picked up a sailor who was hitch hiking. He was going
home on leave I don't think people passed up those in the services during the war in 1940's or 50's. Since 1980's, we have seen signs, "DO NOT PICK up HITCH HIKERS". Most of the
characters we see we wouldn't want to pick up either. I
think they might not have had a bath or shave in a month.
Seldom do you see women at all today either. Many women
hitch hiked in those earlier years, and it was safe. A
very inexpensive way to travel! |
My grandmother, Dora Johnson, and Maude Haag both told me they always walked to school. That was the main mode of transportation in their day in the late 1800's and early 1900's. A horse might be another way to go with a wagon but that was saved for taking cream to sell . Feet were meant for walking. Judy says, "My mother always said you have two feet. Be thankful and use them. I always had to walk to school. It was 3-4 miles every day. It didn't hurt me, and it won't hurt you. So, in the middle of the winter when it was very cold and blizzarding in Iowa. I always walked. Many times my legs would be so raw from my boots rubbing on my legs that they would be red and chapped for days. Sometimes I would get frostbit on my legs, cheeks and hands. When we first moved to Iowa, we had a big snow storm. The roads were piled high with drifts. Mother gave me a dime so I could walk only 2 blocks to the bus stop and then go to school where I was only a block away from the bus stop. When I arrived at school the janitors were scooping snow and asked why I was there?" I said to go to school. They said no school this morning and I wondered why? Too much snow but go home and listen to the radio, maybe there will be school this afternoon. So I went back home the same way by bus. Plowed through snowbanks to get home where I was found to have badly frostbitten my legs, and cheeks. There was school in the afternoon, but I couldn't go because I had to get my legs well again and sat with them wrapped to warm them the rest of the day. We were from Wisconsin where we never had a snow day like in Iowa. We learned to listen for school closings after that when we would have a storm. |
| Railroad 2003 Uncle Warner Johnson now of Aloha, Oregon told me of a trips he made with his Aunt Alma who lived in Fall Creek about 1910. Aunt Alma stayed with his mother, her sister,(my grandmother) so she could attend Normal School to become a rural school teacher. When she would go home to Fall Creek on the weekend she often took Warner along on the train. (15 miles from Eau Claire) When the train pulled into the depot all the family members were waiting for them. 1951 : Judy's family
lived in Sioux City, Iowa. We planned to go
"home" to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. The
weather turned so bad with snowstorms and cold that Mom
and Dad decided we would take the train. Our first train
ride as a family. When we went through Mankato, Minnesota all the college kids got on going home for the holiday. They had to sit in the baggage car on their suitcases. St. Paul, Minnesota: We were interviewed by the local newspaper and they took our picture. We were so proud and felt so important. We were on the way to Eau Claire and Cadott, Wisconsin where we had Thanksgiving duck for dinner with Great Grandpa Jacob Rice. He was getting close to a hundred years old. |
Motorhome 1998 We purchased our First RV A Tioga 24' We traveled to Oregon, Washington and across country to Lake Michigan where we crossed on a Ferry to Michigan and visited Judy's brother Jon. Back to Wisconsin & visited Bro Chuck and sister in law, Linda in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Hit 16 States and Three months on the Road. 2000 Purchased Winnebago 2000 Motor Home 35'. Repeated travels to NW and Midwest. Enjoyed every minute on the Road in this Home away from home. Five months at a time for a few years and short trips in between.
Crater Lake
Resort Ft.Klamath, Oregon
Delightful
lady. |
Hobo Train Hopping |
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Autos Car Pools |
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Travel Camping Through The Years Did
you know that there are more than 500 campgrounds located
We received this tent from Grandma Maude Rice Haag's Cousin, Grant Smith of Cadott, Wisconsin Prior to this one we used a tent from Del's parents which had no floor in it and only put together with a ridge pole and 2 upright poles. Little stakes held it in the ground like the one below.
We used this with 3 children for several summers. Used a Screen House outside in Wisconsin and Minnesota to keep away from bugs and mosquitoes. We stayed in a Tepee one night
at a Camp in Wisconsin. |
Camper Trailers, RV's, MH 1998 Tioga
Montaro 1994
October 2000 came Winnebago Adventurer 2000
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1970's
