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Note: --Source of information: Betty Stander (whome@@sprynet.com);
Joseph Harvey GODSHALK died age 84 on a Friday at 11 P.M. at home, eight miles southwest of Milford, Indiana. He was 23 when he married.
--Source of information: Henry GODSHALK (Bristol, Indiana [Stories told to me by my Grand Uncle Henry GODSHALK on 22 JUL 1997]);
MY NOTE: "These stories were told to me by Uncle Henry in his home; with Aunt Marjorie (his wife of 64 years), my Dad, Tiffany, & Amber listening too. He was 89 years old when he told us these stories, quiet when he wasn't telling me family stories and very clear headed. His stories were facinating because they told me things of my ancestors that I never knew. Stories that were filled with history and life styles that are hard for me to comprehend when I live in an age of E-Mail, men walking on the moon, in a time when I take electricity, cars, airplanes, and stores on every corner for granted. If I didn't know his age, I would have thought he was 10-20 years younger (not someone I'd think of when I think of 90). He'd tell the stories with a soft smile on his face and chuckle ... a chuckle that reminded me of (and brought back memories of) my own Gpa GODSHALK (Ted)." Many of these stories were told in their kitchen, around the 2 burner wood burning stove, that held a large kettle.
My Dad (Joseph GODSHALK) spoke fluent German & had a friend (DeFRIECE) who spoke fluent Holland Dutch, but they could talk and understand each other in German/Dutch. They used to talk all the time. One day Dad bought a new player piano, that played music from a roll of paper. Their German didn't have a word for the type piano that Dad had bought, so he finally had to tell his friend to come over and listen to his new piano.
Dad and Mom used to come over to my (Henry GODSHALK's) house every Thursday. There was a bakery near our house and Dad loved fresh bread. The bakery made fresh bread on Thursdays and Dad always came up with Mom, bought himself a loaf of bread and always brought one along for us too.
Dad bought a 5 tube radio and needed a 6 volt battery to operate it. They could hook up 2 sets of headphones to the radio. Then they would break each headset apart so that 4 people could sit around and listen to the radio. They loved to listen to radio programs of prize fights.
Most of the family would come by Dad & Mom's house for Sunday Dinner. No matter how many people came by, Mom always had enough food to eat. One time so many people came and spent the night, that some of the people had to sleep in the BARN!! They slept in the hay that was kept in the loft. Some of the families were John SWANSON's, and Charles MacMILLIN.
Dad and Uncle Frank STARNER went to the World Fair in California, in 1915.
We rode around in a Model T, the tires were about 2 1/2" wide. Because of this the car couldn't handle much of a load. I remember my Gma (Mary STARNER) was quite heavy and caused a great strain on the old car whenever she went for a ride.
Dad played baseball with me and my brother's. If we played bad, he'd make us stop playing and we'd have to clean the barn!! Dad wasn't any slouch in baseball. We all grew up playing baseball & basketball.
Dad's farm was 157 acres (Henry thinks). There was a lake on the edge of the property called Dewart Lake. Dad kept 2-8 cows at a time, depending on how many kids were around to milk the cows. He could keep up to 8 cows, but usually only kept 2 or 3. He'd borrow a bull from another farmer to have calves.
He kept 10 sows (female pigs) and one bore (male pig) all year long. He raised around 80 piglets a year to sell to the butcher. Dad loved his pigs more than the cows we raised. We also raised 100 chickens on the farm.
Dad also had at least 4 horses and sometimes up to 6 when we had colts. He used to plow the field with a team of two (2) horses and used a wagon to heard the pigs to market.
Dad & Mom's garden was about 1/2 acre and they grew everything. Dad grew strawberries up until the first freeze. He'd put saw dust between the plants to help hold moisture & to help keep the weeds away. He'd put the big head cabbage that was pulled from the garden over near the trees and cover the pile with dirt and leaves. This would help keep the cabbage fresh throughout the winter. By spring time, the color would change to make the cabbage look more like celery.
Dad & Mom didn't have electricity until the 1920's, along with Uncle Frank (STARNER). Then it was only battery powered with a generator. We'd squirt fuel in the carburator, light the fuel with a match, start the engine and let it run until the fuel ran out.
Many of times Dad would hitch up a team of 2 horses and take up places. Leaving the Model T sitting in the barn.
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