The Farm Parcels

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None of the buildings that were on my grandfather’s farm when he moved to Gowrie in retirement still exist on site. The corn crib became too dilapidated and was torn down probably sometime in the 1960s. The house was replaced by a house built in the early 1960s. It was moved to Gowrie, renovated, and now sits on the SW corner of the intersection of the main street in Gowrie and the road leading south to the farm. The barn was damaged in a storm in 1984 or thereabouts (the roof was partly blown off and one side had collapsed) and was torn down.

When my father died, he left the farm, and I suppose the little brown house (though I am not sure about that) to his six children, stipulating that my mother would have the use and income during her lifetime. The little brown house may already have been owned by my mother — I think it had been transferred to her alone during the Depression.

After my father died and before my mother’s death she was given grandmother Peterson’s house by Aunt Esther and Uncle Carl as a sort of payment for caring for them when they were not able to do this for themselves. At my mother’s death all the property was divided [among] the six children. My share was somewhat less than 1/4 of the farm and we paid off the balance. We also acquired the 1/4 of the farm that Marold inherited by purchase from him (we paid him off over a period of years as I recall). Vincent acquired by inheritance and purchase the south half of the farm.