Two cousins I had not seen in a long time....

One cousin I had not seen since I was 16.  We had our young faces still in each other's memories.....  The other it had been 12 years.  These two guys were the farm kids that let me attach the milkers and drive the tractor, gather eggs, and have all kinds of fun while I was there in the summer. 

We met for dinner in Knoxville Iowa, and ate at a little cafe on the square that had everything in the world on the menu.  When one cousin walked in after we had arrived (a surprise visit) he walked up to the table and I thought he was probably a friend of my cousin and his family (who have the sweetest kids!).  But he kept smiling at me, and after a few seconds of confusion, I realized it was Don.  Soooooo deep down good to see them again!  What good memories I have of them being so gracious to a city girl who wanted to be a farmgirl even then.

Amana Colonies Iowa

We are staying at very comfy Zuber's B&B in Homestead, Iowa.  The building you see is not it!!!!  tee-hee.  The history here is fascinating.  The group that settled this area were not Amish, not Mennonite, but a religious sect that really did pull together for a long time to work hard, keep everything equal, provide for all, and practice what Jesus taught.  Today, many orginal buildings still exist, and also many descendants of the original settlers are still here.  German folks.  We had beautiful weather, and very much enjoyed touring the colonies and learning about their beliefs and work ethic.  The building you see here is original.  They are not sure what it's original purpose was.....probably a small mill.       

Beaver Creek Lutheran Church - built 1890 in Worth County Iowa

Stood among the farmland near Fertile, Iowa until a few years ago when it was saved and moved to Forest City Iowa.  Services are still held there and weddings, too.  See the posts below for more about this piece of history that my Norwegian dairy farming ancestors worked hard to build and be a part of. 

The altar at Beaver Creek Lutheran Church in Iowa.....

I thought of my great-grandpaerents kneeling here, and offering their prayers to the Lord.  Their lives were a lot harder than mine....dairy farmers they were.    

Here is a bigger picture of the quilt, with the tacked sign, which I had to remove!

Signature quilt that I spoke of in the post below.  All of the charter members names were there.  Such a simple quilt, and that is what made it so appealing.

Family church from long ago....

In 1890, my Norwegian grandparents founded the Beaver Creek Lutheran church near Fertile, Iowa.  It stood amidst the farms, and the graveyard is home to their headstones.....Ole Dakken and his wife Signa and my grandparents, Lewis Dakin and his wife Millie.....the first baptism at the church was my grand-dad's sister in 1895.  Recently the church was moved to Heritage Park in Forest City Iowa, where it stands today among other saved buildings.  Yesterday, I visited it again.  I had been there when it was near the family farm, but had never gone inside.  In the narthex, an old, extremely simple signature quilt was hung on the wall, with this sign next to it.  And right above the sign is my great-grandfather's name stitched into the quilt.  I was really emotionally moved, and quite unexpectedly, too.  I was also concerned that this wonderful evidence of the beginning of the church was hanging there, open to the weather as folks opened the door to come and go, and there was even a church supper announcement tacked into it!!!!  I was a visitor from far away, but I had to remove those tacks!!!  And so I did.  I am such a busybody, but if I lived near to this church, I would have the quilt restored and put behind glass in acid free environment.....more photos on this subject will follow!          

Hannah under glass.....

She wanted to look as if she was in an aquarium, like a little fishie....... but something about it was a little creepy to me, and I said okay lift it off now....!  It was over 100 degrees, and they spent two hours filling that tub and playing in the water.  Kids.....they loved the pop-siscles afterwards too.