Not Your Typical Farm/Ranch Wife

When my granddaughter asked me if I would like to write a post for her blog about ranch wives, I thought of all the years that I had no desire to live on a farm or ranch. I was born and raised a city gal. Well, actually I was a small-town girl in the city of Athol, SD. Population probably at that time around 100! But there were probably about 6 or 7 girls and 1 boy around the same age that lived right in the town of Athol. The town was small, but did we have the good times and I keep in touch and am still good friends with them all. We were together all the time. We would swim in Goose Lake right out of town. While my dad washed the car, we would swim along with the cows nearby. We came out many times with leaches attached to our feet! We spent many nights playing” Kick the Can” under the street lights. There was also an old store that we were allowed to take our record player (what kids today know about record players) to dance. That went on about every night during our teen years! We would get on our bikes and ride to a local farm and pick rock for free with just a slumber party as our reward. Can you imagine kids today doing that for free?? We put blankets over clotheslines and made tents to sleep in overnight. Never failed that during the night the wind blew the blankets off and we were exposed to anyone going by! We would meet at one of our friend’s house and play canasta and pull taffy weekend nights. Afterwards I would have to walk home which was about a whole block away, but I would run like crazy in case there was a bum coming down the railroad track! I walked that same block to school every day, another block to the church, and a few more blocks and I could be at my great grandma’s. All my friends and I would go there after school many nights, and she would give us a treat of bread with Carnation Milk and sugar on it! Yum, yum! I could walk a few more blocks, or ride my bike, and I was to Grandpa and Grandma Fischer’s. My Grandma and Grandpa Weideman lived right across the street. I could walk uptown to get a treat after school so why would I want to live on a farm? I was perfectly content with “city” life.

Well, in my senior year, I started dating a farm boy and he knew that I never wanted to live on a farm. We married in 1966 and lived in town for a couple years, but then my husband was given the chance to take over the family farm. So, I became a farm wife! I still am not a typical farm/ ranch wife. I have never even driven a tractor! I don’t do chores, and never been called upon to pull a calf! So glad that our grandson in law lives across the street now so I’m not called upon to move cattle. That never ended well when I was involved! Guess my husband just thought he was lucky to get me out here! I am my husband’s listening post, have been called upon many times to run for parts, do lots of gardening and canning, provide many snacks and meals for many days when they work cows etc. I taught school for 28 years and provided a second income which is always nice on a farm. I was lucky enough though when the girls were small that I was able to stay home with them, with most of my teaching coming after they were in high school.

Do I wish I lived in town? Some days, especially after my close neighbor and friend died a couple years ago. But I enjoy the quietness, the beauty of farm life, the variety of farm life, guys stopping in for lunch, coffee, etc. Now with my granddaughter, her husband, and my two great-granddaughters living across the road that is especially nice! So yes, I have adapted to being a farm/rancher’s wife.

-Deann-