Chapter 33 – Settling in…
“I would like to say that life was easier once we were settled,” said John, “but it would be a lie. Christmas allowed us all to bond a bit more on a positive note before the winter crashed down.”
*****
Jan felt like she spent the next month getting the kids sorted and settled into activities - scouts, hockey, Sunday School and Church Youth Groups.
First she got Martin and Heather down to Kalispell. Through one of the doctors at the clinic, she found an elderly lady who was willing to house the kids in exchange for house and yard work. It was ideal as it gave them both some structure and supervision and it allowed Mrs. Higgins to stay in her house. The kids came home on Friday nights and returned on Sunday with a box of food for the week. Heather always ensured that Mrs. Higgin’s Saturday night dinner was cooked and only need to be reheated. Martin found that he had more skills than he expected as he handled snow clearing and household repairs.
Under Dr. P’s supervision, Heather had written the exams for Medical Terminology and Basic Human Biology over the Christmas holidays and had passed with a 98% and a 96%. So the College awarded her the courses. Based on those marks they allowed her to take Math Applications for Allied Health Professionals, Transition to Paramedic Care, Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, and College Writing I as independent study courses with Dr. P. as her supervisor. So when she wrote her exams in May, she passed not only all the second term courses with no mark lower than 90% but she also passed the four additional courses with marks in the 90s. Jan was incredibly proud of her.
Heather sat down with her guidance counselor in April and explained that her deferral from the Army ended on December 31st, the counselor worked with the program administrators and they found a way for Jan to complete the entire program by the end of December. The only thing she would not be able to do was write her NREMT exam before boot camp started. When they spoke with the local recruiting officer, he noted her accomplishments in her file and sent it up the line. 86Ws with an EMT-P rating were desperately needed and Heather would write the first available exam after boot camp.
Martin was excelling as well. He had received a good grounding working for the Amish butcher in the CoKL. But now he was learning how to process on a larger scale, how to make sausages, how to smoke meats… He really enjoyed his work and his friendly personality made him popular both at the processor and with the customers. Wanting to further his studies, he took two on-line courses from Montana State University’s College of Agriculture. Their Department of Animal and Range Sciences offered two courses that he felt would stand him in good stead – Introduction to Meat Evaluation and Meat Science. Because he audited the courses he didn’t have to have the prerequisites and only had to pay $100/course.
With those two sorted out, Jan turned to look at the others. Jamie was going to help her manage the farm and take on-line courses from the College of Agriculture. At this point he would oversee the livestock operations. Helping him when they were not in school were Eggie, Kyle and Sama. Jan organized through the school and the 4-H program, that this work would be viewed as part of their required apprenticeship program. They were all taking on-line course in their areas of interest.
Eric and his younger brother Tyler were engine and machine mad. Jan went down to Frontier Repair, a company specializing in heavy equipment repair, and got them to take both boys. Both of them loved it. Jan watched as they spent hours tinkering with an old jalopy they had found. John and David would stand around and hand them tools and be thrilled at being included.
Tom took himself down to Stein’s Market in Eureka and asked to speak with the grocery manager. He talked his way into an unpaid internship. Jan marched him back down.
“Mr. Houston,” said Jan. “I need some clarification. As Tom’s guardian, I would like to hear from you what this internship entails.”
Mr. Houston withered under Jan’s glare. His dreams of unpaid stock boys vanished and to his own surprise he laid out a two afterschool sessions per week that would entail ordering, projections, client tracking and marketing. Mr. Houston also said that he wanted to arrange for Tom to work at Darigold Distribution to see the process from the other side. Jan nodded and thanked him.
With sixty cows, Sama and Andrea didn’t have a lot of extra time. But both spent time on the organic farm operation called Amalthia Organic Dairy**, which specialized in raising organic dairy goats. Andrea went because the Smith family made cheese from their 280 strong goat herd. The dairy also had whey-fed pigs and Kyle spent time there too, although it might have been the farmer’s daughter who caught his eye.
“Are you taking Allison Smith to the dance?” Jan asked him. Kyle blushed and nodded.
“Good. Now time for the dating/sex talk… Call all the others in… second though just make it the high school crowd.” Jan directed.
Kyle went and found everyone. They slowly trickled into the living room and found seats around the kitchen table. As usual, Jamie sat with his arm around Sarah.
“Okay everyone,” said Jan. “Here’s the talk we all hate but need to have. We need to have it for a couple of reasons in part because we are new to each other and new to this community. You have all told me that you have goals and future plans and to get there we need to get you through the next couple of years without two things – one a criminal record, and two an illegitimate child.”
The kids all blushed and tried to avoid each other but giggled and blushed when they caught each other’s eyes.
“So here are the basic ground rules. No dating until you are sixteen or in Grade 11. Never go on dates alone, always with another couple. I’d like to say no premarital sex but I am going to leave that to each of you and if decide you are, then condoms all the way, and I want you to tell me because I don’t want any of you guys accused of rape… which is really the reason for the no dates on your own.
“Girls, I expect you all to dress modestly. If you look like you have something for sale, someone will try and grab.
“Okay all of you, I expect you to help each other. If anyone gets targeted by bullies, I expect you to support your family. I also expect that you will tell me and the teachers.
“Questions?”
“Are there curfews?” asked Jamie.
“Good question,” said Jan. “Let’s start out with 9pm on a weekday and midnight on a weekend. We can reassess on an individual basis and again in a couple of months. Anyone else?”
“Can we have sleep-overs?” asked Gail.
“While we are here in the restaurant, I’m going to say no,” said Jan. “We really don’t have the space and we are not well enough known in the community. If you want to go somewhere else, then we’ll discuss and I’ll talk to the parents.
“Now you all have apprenticeships and I would like you to each report to me weekly about what you are learning and any issues you are having. I will speak to your mentors about the same. We are new here and I don’t want any of you to become the whipping boys or slave labour.
“On a final note, I expect homework, school work, projects, ect. to be done. We’ll put a giant calendar on the wall and put the due dates up there. Also note your tests, events, parties. Put your stuff up there so that we can make sure everything is done. Anyone else?”
“Yeah,” said Sama. “Can we make a rule about no boys in the girls’ room and vice versa?”
“Well that is sensible,” said Jan.
“How about no cursing?” asked Lydie. “My grandparents had that rule so it shouldn’t be so hard to do.”
“This is a crock!” exploded Connor. “Why are you treating us like such babies!?!”
The other kids started to get annoyed. As far the they were concerned the rules were pretty sensible.
“Which part of the rules are you objecting to?” asked Jan, keeping her tone level.
“Curfews… dating ages… reporting our work to you…” Connor ticked them off on his hand.
“Why do you think that they are unreasonable?” asked Jan again, wanting to know what he was thinking.
“Well 9:00pm is just so early! And what if the dance goes until midnight... Why do I have to leave early?” he demanded.
“Well during the week, you are picked up by the bus at 7:30am, then in school until 3:30pm, and then you are at the auto shop four days a week until 8pm. So if you still have homework or a test, does 9:00pm not give you enough time to get home and get that done?” asked Jan.
“Yeah… well I guess that makes sense…” Connor muttered.
“And you are quite right, if the dance ends at midnight, then of course you stay to the end and then drop off your date if you have one, but then you come home,” said Jan.
“But what if there are after parties?” demanded Connor.
“What happens at after parties?” asked Jan.
“Well people sit around and…” he stopped.
“That’s when the drinking, the drugs and the trouble starts to happen, right?” said Jan.
“Yeah,” said Connor, his tone still sulky but the point obviously starting to sink in.
“At this point, the reason for the curfew is to ensure that as you settle into the community you don’t end up in the type of trouble that can have a long lasting impact. I ask about your apprenticeships for the same reason. I ask about your school work because if you are struggling in something we need to deal with it before it becomes a major issue. Connor, I promised the other kids that I would guide them through their teens and help them reach their goals. By joining us, I offer you the same. But I am not your mother…”
“Well that’s a good thing!” interjected Connor with heavy sarcasm.
“Be that as it may, what I mean is that I am here to be on your side and help you. The rules are to make sure that you don’t get sidelined on stuff that will forever take away your ability to do what you want,” said Jan. Connor just nodded that time. The other kids got up and wandered off.
Jan checked her book. She had Lydie all set-up with an apprenticeship at the Sunflower Bakery & Coffee House once a week and three afternoons a week baking with Mrs. Amos Yodder. Gail would be working in the nursery and garden center owned by the Stewart family. Erin Cody would be apprenticing with Mrs. Issac Yodder learning tailoring and sewing skills. Despite her best efforts, she had been unable to place the kids with any of the West Kootenai Amish Community.
*****
“Being tucked away on the far side of the Koocanusa Bridge, they were just too far away,” John told the Committee. “The CoKL Colony had all settled on the east side of the Kootenai River and the feeling that they had been sold defective goods remained for some time. As the war progressed and the need for soldiers increased, the CoKL Colony used their pacifism to show their support by selling produce to the Army. The West Kootenai Colony felt that that was a violation of their principles. The one spring day the Army recruiters arrived in the West Kootenai and CoKL Colonies and asked who was on Rumspringa. All the unbaptized young men were drafted. They became known as the Wehrpflichtiger, the conscripted. It was a crisis moment for both Colonies and the later reintegration of the young men took a lot of work.
“Lydie and Erin both converted and married Wehrpflichtiger. Lydie ran a bakery and had seven children. She died in childbirth with the eighth, who did not survive. Her husband Samuel married again and he brought the children to see mother regularly. Erin was not quite so lucky. Her husband had been badly scarred by his experiences on the front lines and in the end hanged himself in their barn. Erin had found him when she went out to milk. She continued on their farm and raised their six children. She put food on the table with the skill of her needle. Her prayer caps were particularly sought after.
“Gail married Alex Stewart, son of the nursery owner, and they took the garden center into its third generation. They had two children. The nursery is now owned by a grandson and is in its fifth generation.
“Heather made the Army her career,” John said. “Once she had finished basic, she was sent to Fort Sam Houston where her skills were reviewed. From there she was assigned to a MASH unit and sent to the front lines. After the war, she applied and was accept to the Inter-service Physician Assistant Program (IPAP). She was a tough woman but very good at what she did. She left the service at the end of her 20. She had married another vet and they settled on 50 acres outside of Kalispell, where she worked in the hospital and taught at the college.
"Her husband was a retired Staff Sergeant named J.A. Ferguson from Havre, Montana. He always claimed he fell in love with her when he cleared her family’s farm for Relocation west. The story was the only thing that would make her blush. He ran their small farm and stayed home to raise their two biological children and five adopted children. Heather and Jay both lived into their nineties.
"The October after he started his apprenticeship, Martin was called up to serve Uncle Sam three days after his 18th birthday. After the nightmare that was called basic training, he was dispatched to the kitchens, here he found that his period of service was not to be on the front lines, rather it was to be feeding grunts. He chaffed at what he saw as an easy assignment and got himself reassigned to a mobile kitchen. He served through until the end of the war. He came back a hardened 26-year old. He took his pay, that he had sent home to Mom to be banked, and opened a butcher shop in Rexford.
"Uncle Sam came call for Eric too and in due course Jamie, Eggie and Kyle. As the years and the war dragged on Connor, Tom and Tyler were called in turn. For so long we were lucky. We had lost Mary but we knew she didn’t want to come back. She was on a mission of revenge and as they say, she who seeks revenge starts by digging two graves*. Tom lost a leg. He was in supply and making a run between Reno and Nevada City, CA, when his truck was hit. He was lost to us for a while but he finally came home. He spent years medicating himself with a bottle. His wife left him and she left their small three children with my mother. He did finally dry out and took his kids home. He married again and they were a good team until their deaths about twenty years ago.
“Connor came home but joined up again with a mercenary group doing the things he was trained to do. He still sent his pay home to our mother. He was gone for years with only the odd call or postcard. One day he appeared at my mother’s door with two small children in hand, and behind him stood a woman of Asian ancestry. He introduced her as his wife Pakpao and their daughter Pen-chan (age 4) and son David (age 2). Young David was named for Connor’s father. They settled in a small house in Rexford, near Martin and his family. Pakpao began to run a greenhouse nursery, which soon developed into a thriving business.
“Eggie never came home. He was listed as MIA, believed KIA, at the Battle of St. Louis. In her heart of hearts, my mother died believing that one day he would come home. His name is on the cenotaph but only after a long argument with the Legion and my mother. She felt that putting it there would be an admission that he was gone. We just wanted his commitment celebrated. The Legion just wanted direction.
“For Sama all of the war and its continued destruction was too much. She retreated more and more to the Amish community and began to walk out with Jonas Yodder. Amos and his wife were pleased with the match and my mother sat proudly in the Yodder’s drive shed on the day that Sama was baptized. The next year, Andrea married Martin Yodder, a cousin of Jonas’, and the two young couples settled down next door to each other. Andrea’s daughters and granddaughters have long since taken over the cheese making business and they too have been very successful at it.
So for the older ones, the war years were defining. I was coming up to seventeen and ready for my turn when the war ended. So for me there was no war, but I know the sacrifices that were made.
For my mother life after the war was one of increased happiness. With my father gone, she was able to lift her head and look. To her surprise someone was waiting for her.”
======
Notes:
*Confucius “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
**Amalthia Organic Dairy – this is a real organic dairy goat operation but it is located in Bozeman. I hope that the owners will forgive my moving their operation over to Eureka. Everything I could read indicates that the Brown’s run a really first class operation. For more information:
http://amaltheiadairy.com/AD2/
