El Reno, county seat of Canadian county. The population of El Reno, in 1944, was approximately 11,000. This seemed a far cry from the country living and a small town. Mildred had left the farm and Calumet, after high school, moving to Roswell, New Mexico. Agnes and Marie were there first. Josephine followed and Grandma and Grandpa Schaefer were there also. Their move was for Aunt Agnes, who needed a dryer climate, because of tuberculosis.
My dad must have had mixed emotions, since he had invested 44 years of his life, at Calumet. He was 4 years old when they first moved there. He was involved in the development of the farm and the community. He had established many friendships and was a benefactor and advisor to many of the Indians, at the 12 mile point. They consulted him about many problems. He had been in the boom at Tulsa, participated in World War one had served on Jury duty in El Reno. Farming alone can make you intelligent, because of many dealings. He was well prepared for change. He was familiar with the El Reno area and his family had been buried there. He had wanted to work for the railroad, before he went to Tulsa.
The house at 1002 South Reno was in good shape. It was too small for our large family, but we made do. It had electricity and natural gas which was wonderful. We still had an Ice box, but no refrigerator. Ice was cheap, so we made do with what we had. Dad bought a circulator heater and cook stove from Booth-Reiter furniture. The house had a screened back porch, which we used for sleeping, during the summer months. We still had cows and chickens and raised a vegetable garden. We sold milk, eggs and vegetables. A few town people liked the idea of fresh milk. They brought their own bottles, which we filled with raw milk. We planted the 10 acres to wheat and grazed the cattle on it. In the summer we rented pasture, from Bill Ross, who adjoined us to the west. We had a feed trough, in his pasture, and milked the cows out in the open pasture. The chicken house, was just south of the house. A storm blew out the red tiles, of this chicken house, one spring. The chickens were still roosting, but the wall was gone. The barn sat on top of the hill south west of the house. At this time, El Reno city limits ended at our place. There were 4 houses on the east side of Reno. Hillcrest addition ended about four blocks south of Elm Street. Mr. Brown had an asparagus field, where the present Hillcrest school is now.
To the north of Elm street was the Bill Donnely home. Further north was Legion park, tennis courts, swimming pool, baseball and football fields and a fairly new Lincoln Grade school. The old Lincoln school, on Watts, served as the industrial arts building. Just east of there were two grocery stores, McGoffin and Stevensons. They adjoined the railroad and the Depot. To the east of the Depot was the Southern Hotel. It served as the depot for the interurban. Sacred Heart church and school was northeast of the hotel and just west of downtown El Reno. We were in the semester change, of school, and had to enroll right away. Robert went to El Reno high school since his credits wouldn’t transfer to Sacred Heart. Charlie, Lois, Jim and I enrolled in the Catholic school. The teachers were the sister of Devine Providence. Their mother house was in San Antonio, Texas. They were much better teachers than those at Calumet public schools. We would attend daily Mass prior to school. We also had a religion and Church History class as well.
A number of students, attending Sacred Heart, lived close to us. We soon made new friends. I was timid and took a while to adjust to my new lifestyle. My greatest fear was passing a steam engine at the Rock Island Depot. My fear of the pressure cooker paled, compared to the 5000 class passenger engines. With the war on, trains we widely used for transportation, because of gas rationing. There was a petrified tree, near the platform. We would climb up it, which was a challenge. Once we were on top we would watch the activity at the depot. Soldiers, home on leave, left many in tears when departing. The same was true of Legion Park. Couples were talking, walking and kissing sharing a few precious hours before their spouse would leave for the war.
Dad had gone to work on the Rock Island railroad shops, as a laborer. I think the pay was $.50 cents per hour. They were required to work seven days a week, plus some overtime. There was a shortage of manpower and many boys, age 15, entered the work force. Charlie tried working, but quit because he didn’t like pushing a broom. Robert went to work, in the Store Department, establishing seniority prior to his military service. The first six months was a readjustment period, to the new environment. Robert graduated high school and one week later was drafted into the Army. He reported to Camp Robertson.
Mother was not happy about him leaving. Dad was more positive about it. He had been in World War I, and thought it was a duty to serve, during a time of war. Completing basic training, Robert was assigned to the Pacific theater. He went to New Guinea first. His second assignment was Layete and Manila, in the Philippines. He made sergeant and was involved with transportation of Japanese prisoners. If you had a person in the military, a blue star, on a banner was displayed in the front window. If you family member was killed a gold star banner replaced the blue one. A stray collie dog showed up at our house. We answered a newspaper add and a lady came to reclaim the dog. Her son, in the military, was coming home and she wanted to have the dog, when he arrived.
Rationing was an everyday event. Gas, tires, beefsteak and sugar were hard to find. No one minded because the war effort belonged to every person. We saved cooking grease and turned it in at the grocery store. Honey was used to sweeten pancakes and coffee. Mom made cookies and placed them in a 1 gallon tin can. She had it welded shut and sent it overseas to Robert.
We continued to develop friendships and played war, with our friends. There was an old trainer plane at Brown’s airport. We pretended to be pilots, sitting in the cockpit. The property (the present Lake El Reno) west on Elm street, was called Rock Garden. The Kegleman farm, across the road, had a fresh water spring. We spent Saturday, playing Army, for the whole day. Sundays were for church. After church we would spend the day, in Legion Park, fishing or playing on the park equipment. This routine went on for some time. Finally the war was over in Europe. The USA attained the Atomic bomb. It was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese surrendered. The newsreel showed the signing of the peace treaty and the awesome power of the Atom bomb. Great jubilation and celebration followed the end of the war. A bonfire at Bickford and Russell streets, in downtown El Reno, was one of many events. The troops would be coming home.
The end of the war saw the return of men to reclaim their jobs on the railroad and other places. Mom and dad, thinking things would become slow, decided to move back to the farm. They rented a farm, 10 miles south west of El Reno, from Bill Bretz. The rent, with house and 160 acres, was $400.00 a year.
