Luckenbill Stories From Way Back When....

WRITTEN BY BESSIE LEAH LUCKENBILL
GRANDAUGHTER OF BEN LUCKENBILL AND MARY HEDGES

For more information on this family, contact Birke

When Ben Luckenbill brought his family from Ohio to the Wisconsin Territory in
1841, he come overland in a covered wagon drawn by a pair of oxen. Since
Cass was only tow and a half and Mary Jane a tiny baby, a milk cow was tied to
the back of the wagon so that the girls would have milk.

There were tow plows fastened to the sides of the covered wagon. One was
called a breaking plow and the other a single shovel or middle-buster.

In later years, Grandma (Mary Myers Luckenbill) make apple butter in a brass
kettle which was said to come on the Ohio-Iowa trip in forty-one. And Aunt Vina
told how the folks had a barrel of cured meat and a barrel of cookies and bakery
goods in the covered wagon.

Dave's son Ben said that it was Grandma's money that built the house. Samuel
Clifton of Wapello was the head-carpenter on the Luckenbill house which was
completed in 1847. Eber was the last one to be born in the log-cabin home in
1846. David, the baby of the family was the only one born in the new house.

The barn was completed before the house and both building resembled those
seen in the Pa Dutch country (the front porch even had plastered walls) One
exception is that the pine-siding on the barn matched that of the house, running
parallel instead of the usual wide horizontal siding. It is said that Perking barn in
Burnlington had parallel siding and Grandpa considered that stylish.

In the pioneer days, there were men who owned mule-teams and specialized in
plowing the heavy sod for settlers called "breaking the farm". Grandpa hired his
fields done by Mr. Jarvis from Morning Sun instead of the slower way of using
oxen.

Bess tells about her father, Eber, recalling stories about one of the ox-teams
owned by her grandfather. Their names were Star and Bright and they weighed
two tons plus 200. They were each fed on half bushel of corn and the same
amount of oats, each meal. (In later years they were sold to the Chicago Market)

Eber used a stick which was called a gad to guide the on-team and the terms
sued in handling the oxen were haw and gee. (Jake Luckenbill, a great-
grandson, owned the Ben Luckenbill Cattle Brand).

Grandma had a carriage-house for her Top-Buggy (Bess thinks it was a surrey
with the fringe-on-top). Then later when Dave was a young man, his mother and
he owned a buggy 'in partnership' as he didn't marry until he was 32 years old.
He used to take his mother wherever she wanted to go.

Biole Sharar used to tell of riding along with her uncle, Dave, to Mount Pleasant
when he was courting Mary Hedges. He liked company on that long trip.

Grandmother was very proud and stylish. (It is said that she was a good
organizer and demanded much from her help). Grandma had three sisters,
Rachel, Leah, and Hannah. Eber remembered that his Aunts wore such heavily
quilted petticoats on their visits that it was a struggle to them into the buggy.
Grandpa had a brother, Fred, who came to visit too.

The Luckenbills attended the Methodist Church at Huron, Aunt Vina told Bess
how when they were young and walked, they carried their shoes until they got
almost to the church to save their shoes.

Bess remembered a fancy comb of her grandmother's which the children admired
and that Grandma called it her wedding comb. She also remembers that her
Grandmother kept the parlor door locked carrying the key in her apron pocket.
So that the youngsters were all eyes when ever Grandmother opened that door.
Bess don't remember anything that was in the pallor except a colored straw
ornament that hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room. She says the
children always called it a castle.

These straw objects were called "wind flappers" meaning they flapped in the
wind. They were hung from the ceilings and some believed that they kept evil
spirits away. Today they would be called straw mobiles. They were commonly
used in pioneer days and are now considered Pa Dutch Folk Art.

Bess says that Grandma "cooped" her chickens which she planned on eating and
fed them special foot to fatten them. And Aunt Vina old Bess that one of the Kid
Chores after school was to run the Quail Traps.

Quoting Bess, "They lived in times of game. There was great squirrel and down
East across Route 99 were Bradley and Rae Lakes and when small I remember
of Pa going duct hunting and prairie chicken which vanished long ago.."

Again Bess said," At grandpa's out on the south-east hillside were lovely chestnut
trees and in winter we roasted them in the coals and ashes in the stove hearth.
Now we could use electricity".

In Grandma's garden there were rows of parsley and sage and smell onions and I
remember her early stew of young beets stewed only with butter and sugar,
cooked very tender and she fried apple fritters served with maple syrup. There
was always honey, too.

"Ma used to tell about the holiday when the turkey was so big that grandma
cooked it in the wash boiler. No holiday meal was complete without noodles.
Uncle Frank's Mary cooked rich food and Uncle Frank always said that his sister,
Jane Bailey, made the best dressing that anyone could eat-it was bubbling with
good rich juice."

"In Grandmother's cellar there were jars of loaf sugar, or sugar caked, honey,
molasses, vinegar and lard. There were big bins of apples and potatoes and
barrels of meat in bring and also soft soap. "

"Ma always told about how Grandpa butchered twelve to fourteen hogs at one
time and Grandma only kept the choicest parts and gave the rest away."

"Grandpa had orchards and a cider mill (Ray Luckenbill has his great-
grandfather's original Apple Cider Vinegar Stencil of tin which was used on the
barrels of vinegar which were sold). there was a cistern by the mill were you
could pump yourself a cup of cider.

Dave's son Ben had the original Luckenbill Mincemeat recipe, which called for the
usual beef and suet, apples, dried fruit, seasonings and spices but with apple
cider and grape wine for the liquid, which vera always used.


Ben Luckenbill donated the bricks for the Hawkeye Country School which was at
the foot of the hill where Hawkeye Cemetery is located. When his sons were
ready for High School, he sent to Howe's Academy in Mr. Pleasant. Elvina was
disappointed because her father didn't think that girls needed to be educated like
the sons. So she didn't get to go to the Academy.

Bess said that her father used to tell how a wagon was loaded with all kinds of
supplies, food, clothing, etc, when the boys left for the Academy, in Mt. Pleasant
to attend the winter terms. It was quite a trip in those days.

Eber used to recall that when the boys had candy, his brother Dave and he would
eat theirs right away. But, Frank would save his and eat only a little at time and
his brothers were furious.

Eber also told of his folks taking young Dave with them on a trip back East to visit
relatives. Dave came home with a French Harp which he treasured and his
brothers envied him.

Cass being the oldest was said to be her father's favorite. So, when Robert Kerr
came courting Grandpa disapproved. And they decided to marry, Cass made
plans for eloping. The grafting house was often used as sleeping quarters by the
young members of the family and Cass knew that Eber and she could sleep there
without arousing any suspicion. So she laid her plans. After Ever want to sleep,
she slipped away and met Robert Kerr and one of his friends. She told
afterwards that she thought that Eber would never to sleep that night. And Eber
always recalls how angry the family was with him because he didn't awaken and
alert the family about cass's disappearance.

Grandpa never approved of Bob Kerr. He considered him lazy and worse still he
was a republican. Catherine Luckenbill Kerr is burried at Lockhart Cemetary with
his family.

Eber's son Tom, told how their family stayed at his grandparents home during
Grandmother's last illness so that Tom's mother Sally could nurse Eber's mother.
Tom remembered how painfully quiet the children were expected to be. And
Bess remembers that her Grandfather wore a shall over his shoulders at
Grandmother's funeral..


Back to the Luckenbill Page

Back to my Homepage

Let me know what you think about my page. Send mail by clicking here.

---