The early years in the List family were spent on the farm on Tater Ridge. My mother loved her life on the farm and told of playing in the cliffs and walking down Bunker Hill to school. I believe the home place acreage is still owned by Bill List (Mark’s son) and I have often wanted to go to that site. Perhaps I can do that this summer.
The Lists moved to town (Lawshe) in 1920 into a large house, which used to
be a hotel, on Main Street, Lawshe. My memories of the street: First, on the
corner was Alva Elliott’s store and next his house. I was often
given a penny to purchase a piece of candy at Elliott’s store. All
I can remember about the store was that it was dark and there was a potbellied
stove in the middle of the room. There was a bench near the stove and I can
remember men sitting there discussing politics.
Next to that was an alley then an old building that used to house a pool room (owned by Granddad) and a barbershop. Next was a large barn with Granddad’s blacksmith shop in front and cow and horse stalls in the back. Also a couple of pigs were kept in the barn.
Beside the barn was a large yard with the village well at the front. Everyone drank from this cup and if they was water left in the cup when they finished they just poured it back into the well. At the back of the yard was a three holer outhouse complete with a catalogue whose pages became our toilet paper.
Beside the yard was the big List house with a porch clear across the front
and a large porch swing on one end.
There was a smaller yard on the other side of the house and then a street.
As we journeyed on down the street we pass a large metal building which was vacant but used to house a general store and I can’t remember beyond that except to cross the street to Miss Cook’s garden with its little paths and gold fish pond, where I loved to wander and dream of the fairies and elves who lived there.
Beyond that was the old school house (now a nursing home) and the Church with its little red chairs in the nursery.
Across the street from the List house was either one house or two but then the big railroad yard with its large water tank and scales.
I remember going to a church that was located between the house across the street and the Railroad depot. The only time I remember being there it was very hot. Everyone had cardboard fans on a wooden stick. But I was still uncomfortable. Beyond that was the depot and across the railroad tracks was the Edwards’ house (now owned by Kitty Born and the site of several List reunions) and the large field where Grandmother kept her milk cows.
We (Kitty, Earl, Dolores and Diane) went to our grandparent’s house just about every Sunday. Mother usually took some food but most of the preparation for dinner took place in the Lawshe kitchen.
As you walked into the front door of the List house you faced the big staircase to the upstairs rooms which I believe numbered either 6 or 7. On the left of the stairs was the parlor. This was usually off limits to children and only opened to preachers, guests and on special occasions such as Christmas.
On the right of the stairs was the living room with its black fainting couch, pot bellied stove and the site of many a poker or Euchre game after Sunday dinner.
Going on down the hall we had a large dining room on the left. Only the grownups ate there and the children ate in the kitchen. On the right was Granddad’s bedroom.
At the back of the house was the large kitchen, sink with hand pump at one end and a long table with benches at the other end. If there was a pump there, it didn't have drinking water during my childhood, as I had to go to the town pump in the side yard and fill a white enamel bucket with drinking water. It was crystal clear and cold. Seemed especially cold when drunk from a "tin cup" [maybe aluminum?] In the middle was the big iron cook stove - I remember it was wood burning. I used to bring in kindling, which was stored in a compartment under the left end of the stove as you enter the kitchen. Hot water was supplied from a large oval copper kettle kept on the back of the stove. On the stove, Grandma prepared fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cooked several fruit pies in the big oven. The big cook stove had a water well at one end where water was heated for washing the dishes. I imagine for large gatherings they had to bring out the extra hot water tank.
Off to the right of the kitchen [as you face the rear of the house] was a big porch area with a fruit cellar underneath. On the porch Grandmother kept her cream separator and as a child, I loved to turn the big wheel and watch the milk divided into cream (for butter) and blue milk usually fed to the hogs. The churn was also kept on this porch. Grandmother sometimes let me churn to make butter but I usually tired before the job was finished. I also remember the making of cottage cheese, which grandpa called "Schmierkase", and the source of it was "clabber" that congealed as the milk soured, and the whey was poured off.