Title
HENRY AND MARY (KUBAS) FICEK
Creator
Mary Ficek
Coverage
TOWNSHIP 140N RANGE 96W
Text
HENRY AND MARY (KUBAS) FICEK
The web of our lives is a mingled yarn of good and bad together.
We were married at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in New Hradec by Father Joseph Vytisk on Oct. 3, 1933. We lived on Henry's dad's homestead for two years, trying to make a living for two families. It was a hard struggle in the dry ‘30's. What crops didn't dry up, the grasshoppers got. One year it was so dry, nothing grew except thistles. In order to keep some livestock, we had to cut that for feed. We cut it down, while it still was green, with a team ot horses pulling a mower. Stacked it by hand with pitchforks, stomped it by foot to keep it in a stack. It was so bad, we had to sell most of the cattle to the government for $20 a head. Wheat prices were 29 cents a bushel, eggs nine cents a dozen, hogs $6 for a 150 to 200 lb. hog.
For fuel in our cooking stove, we used dry cow chips, corn cobs and dry branches from the Green River, to bake our own bread and cook our meals. We had a pot bellied stove to keep us warm in the winter.
Henry's dad's place still stands; the stone house took Dad three years to build from rock, which came off the Camels Hump Butte in that area.
From there we moved to our own place, about a mile and a half southeast of Dad's farm. We built that place from old lumber, wherever we could get it. The problem now was we didn't have a car. So on Sundays, to get to church, we walked, each one carrying a youngster in our arms, hoping to catch a ride with his folks or his brother, Joe. In those days we didn't have a telephone, so whenever we needed a doctor, Henry walked three miles to the nearest neighbor with a telephone, to call for Dr. Gumper. One time Doc arrived too late, Edith was orn before he came.
We have a lot to be thankful for in our lives. Our family of six boys and three girls are all married by now, all have families of their own.
Five of our boys served their country in various places. Gilbert was in the navy, from 1956 to 1960. He was stationed in the Philippines, and is now working for Sweetheart Bakery in Billings, Mont., as an engineer. Irene, the oldest lives on a farm south of Dickinson. Edith works for Pierce Parking Co. in Billings, Mont., Don was a member of the National Guard in the early 1960's, and is now employed at Letvins John Deere Co. in Dickinson, Raymond joined the air force, and served from 1965 to 1969 mostly in Frankfurt, Germany. He is also employed at the John Deere Co. as a mechanic and welder. Clarence lives in Tampa, Florida, works in a post office, and he served his country in Thailand, from 1965 to 1968. Alice lives in Colombus, Mont., and she molds western belt buckles. Alvin is working as an architect here in Dickinson, and he served his country in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971, and Kenneth presently works for the Dickinson Police Dept.
As a hobby, Henry makes miniature windmills with pump to match. I keep busy with my flower garden, sewing and quiltmaking.
In 1947, we moved from the Green River area to a farm three miles northeast of Dickinson. We lived there until 1976, and now we live at 417-E. 1st St. in Dickinson, thanking the Lord for all our blessings.
By Mary Ficek
The web of our lives is a mingled yarn of good and bad together.
We were married at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in New Hradec by Father Joseph Vytisk on Oct. 3, 1933. We lived on Henry's dad's homestead for two years, trying to make a living for two families. It was a hard struggle in the dry ‘30's. What crops didn't dry up, the grasshoppers got. One year it was so dry, nothing grew except thistles. In order to keep some livestock, we had to cut that for feed. We cut it down, while it still was green, with a team ot horses pulling a mower. Stacked it by hand with pitchforks, stomped it by foot to keep it in a stack. It was so bad, we had to sell most of the cattle to the government for $20 a head. Wheat prices were 29 cents a bushel, eggs nine cents a dozen, hogs $6 for a 150 to 200 lb. hog.
For fuel in our cooking stove, we used dry cow chips, corn cobs and dry branches from the Green River, to bake our own bread and cook our meals. We had a pot bellied stove to keep us warm in the winter.
Henry's dad's place still stands; the stone house took Dad three years to build from rock, which came off the Camels Hump Butte in that area.
From there we moved to our own place, about a mile and a half southeast of Dad's farm. We built that place from old lumber, wherever we could get it. The problem now was we didn't have a car. So on Sundays, to get to church, we walked, each one carrying a youngster in our arms, hoping to catch a ride with his folks or his brother, Joe. In those days we didn't have a telephone, so whenever we needed a doctor, Henry walked three miles to the nearest neighbor with a telephone, to call for Dr. Gumper. One time Doc arrived too late, Edith was orn before he came.
We have a lot to be thankful for in our lives. Our family of six boys and three girls are all married by now, all have families of their own.
Five of our boys served their country in various places. Gilbert was in the navy, from 1956 to 1960. He was stationed in the Philippines, and is now working for Sweetheart Bakery in Billings, Mont., as an engineer. Irene, the oldest lives on a farm south of Dickinson. Edith works for Pierce Parking Co. in Billings, Mont., Don was a member of the National Guard in the early 1960's, and is now employed at Letvins John Deere Co. in Dickinson, Raymond joined the air force, and served from 1965 to 1969 mostly in Frankfurt, Germany. He is also employed at the John Deere Co. as a mechanic and welder. Clarence lives in Tampa, Florida, works in a post office, and he served his country in Thailand, from 1965 to 1968. Alice lives in Colombus, Mont., and she molds western belt buckles. Alvin is working as an architect here in Dickinson, and he served his country in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971, and Kenneth presently works for the Dickinson Police Dept.
As a hobby, Henry makes miniature windmills with pump to match. I keep busy with my flower garden, sewing and quiltmaking.
In 1947, we moved from the Green River area to a farm three miles northeast of Dickinson. We lived there until 1976, and now we live at 417-E. 1st St. in Dickinson, thanking the Lord for all our blessings.
By Mary Ficek