A little family history

30.IV.07 - MoM

I am enjoying spring this year more than anytime I can remember. I think part of it is having so many jonquils and daffodils blooming all around. I really must learn which are which. Which ever they are, this year they are all spectacular. I picked some more today, and have an even prettier arrangements with the pussy willows.

In the early '90s, I bought my first bread maker. It was the popular one at that time (sorry I can't remember which one) and it was wonderful. We didn't buy bread for quite a few years. I must admit that I only made white bread (favorite of DoD). We had an electric slicer for meat and bread. It was so easy to turn out perfect bread with so little effort every time. However, it finally wore out and gave up. It was no longer available, so I bought one almost like it, but I could not count on a good loaf every time. Gradually we went to back to store bought bread. I gave that one to Marty for a garage sale. I replaced the broken down slicer that took 2 people to hold it together, with a good one. As I think I have mentioned before, it was easier to have it at Sandy and Charlie's, as it is a drag to clean so they slice what I need.

While Sandy was "doing" a school in Hammond today she picked up some of the grocery-type stuff that I was running low on. I didn't do any last week and we will shop Friday this week. While she was there, she saw a large tomato plant in a hanging pot that was almost ready to bloom. She was particularly intrigued with its name, "Tumbling Tom." She called to check to see if I wanted it. I was delighted to have it to add to my front deck.

I have my net connection shut off do the thunder and lightning and now some rain. There are watches around us and I have my weather radio beside me.

I am continuing sorting my magazine mess. I have stacks of mostly cooking mags that I have never even opened. When I first subscribed I did peruse them, but from the unopened ones, I think I got behind when I started the German and French classes. It doesn't make sense to keep them when I do so little cooking now. I also turned up a lot more Bon Apetit that my Jehovah Witness friends are so fond of. From the earlier batch that a gave them, a group of them had some dinner parties preparing recipes from them. I still get the annuals for such as "Cooks Illustrated," "Taste of Home," etc., so no need to keep the mags.

If the storms finally pass on through, I don't expect to have any problems sleeping tonight, as I was too busy working to take time out for naps today. The sleeping temps have been excellent lately.

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I came across this in a file folder yesterday and thought you might enjoy it. I got it off of the computer. Ir was written by the daughter of one of my oldest Workman cousins. She also did a magnificent job of the "Frederick Christian Bauman" autobiography. Chris discovered these. He also discovered the pictures of the Niesen graves in the Marysville cemetery.

Hardy Pioneers, by Sharon Workman

The following is taken from an article written in August, 1961 by Mabel Bauman, sister of Samuel Henry Bauman (my great grandfather). In this account Mabel describes herself as "the one survivor of the Bauman family." Mabel was the daughter of Elizabeth Cort and Frederick Christian Bauman. She was born in 1879 and died June 24, 1963.

"In the year of 1846, Daniel and Sarah Cort decided to leave Adamsburg, PA and "go west." To many, this slogan meant gold, but this was not their impelling motive. Theirs was to seek a home in the new territory. Government lands that were being offered at a low purchase price, and that gave promise of opportunity for the welfare of this family. So, with a team of horses and a wagon loaded with all their possessions, they boarded a riverboat at Pittsburg, and via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, they finally landed at Rock Island, Illinois. While waiting to have the horses shod, Daniel noticed a young lad shaking violently. The blacksmith noticed and said, "Oh, that's nothing. Lots of people around here have the 'agee.'" This made clear to Daniel Cort that a malarial infested region was not the place for him or his family.

Then he said, "I was told there were fresh water springs somewhere in this territory." "Oh" was his answer. "You will find plenty of springs on the other side of the river and a little farther north." So, with horses and wagon, they came at last to Dubuque County, Iowa and settled where they lived until his death in 1895 (Sarah Cort having died in 1894). The springs which lured them to this place furnished an abundance of clear, cold refreshing water, - no ice cubes needed. The "springhouse," which he constructed with stone platforms holding crocks of sweet milk and butter, with cold water flowing all around was a marvel of efficiency.

(To be continued.)