More about Henry and Phoebe
Henry and Phoebe on their Wedding Day.
A NOD TO THE PAST . . .
As we mentioned Henry and Phoebe, our (great) grandparents were our inspiration for this website.
How they met:
Henry and Phoebe met when Phoebe’s sister became ill and could not continue her role as a cook for a dairy farm in Trumbull County, Ohio. Phoebe took over the job for her, and that is where she met Henry.
Their first date was to a Lutheran Church where the services were in German. Unfortunately, Phoebe did not speak German. To make matters worse, women sat on one side of the church and men on the other. They even entered and exited through separate doors. Phoebe was unable to find Henry when she left the service. She asked several people if they had seen Henry, but they all said they did not know him. They did not know Henry because they all knew him as his nickname, Jake.
Despite the trauma of their first date, Phoebe married Henry in 1895. They chose to buy the farm that Henry’s father had purchased at a Sheriff’s Sale. It had an old house badly in need of repair. Before Henry even brought Phoebe to see the house, he spent much time cleaning, painting and fixing things. It is the house in which they eventually celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. It is the same house we are renovating now.
Henry and Phoebe were industrious:
They believed in the satisfaction of hard work, but did not forget the warm feelings of love and laughter. They raised 6 girls on a small farm, and it was not an easy life.
They grew wheat and oats, and always had a vegetable garden and fruit trees.
They grew flax to make linen, and they made clothes and sheets out of flour sacks
They had horses to pull the plow, cows, and chickens.
They made sauerkraut, pickles and bread and canned all they needed for the year.
They sold maple syrup, eggs, and butter.
Their girls went to school when many others did not. Beside her household duties, Phoebe raised strawberries to sell so they could buy their girls a pump organ, as being educated and cultured was important to them.
Henry would take care of the cows, plow the field, and harvest the grain. He would drive the “kiddie wagon” to take all the children in the neighborhood to school. He even worked at the quarry to make ends meet.
Henry with his plow, his horse, and his dog ready for a days work.
Share our stories . . .You share yours. . .
Their six daughters were all independent and resilient with unique personalities and talents. Our (Great) Aunt Dorothy would tell us stories of the old days, and we will enjoy sharing some of them with you.
You may not know the history of your family, but we welcome you to share ours. This will give you an idea of how things were back in those days. If you have stories of the past we love to hear them. Go to the Contact Section, subscribe to our website, and send us an email with the stories you know from the past.
Past generations sacrificed and risked a lot so that we can enjoy what we have today. You may not want to renovate an old farmhouse or learn how to make a rope bed or delicious heirloom foods, but we think you will find learning the traditions and values of past generations will make all our lives more meaningful.