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Note: From Willie's Story, by William John Tregemba (published by Avis Blakeman) -- John Henry grew to manhood on his father's 80 acre farm near Carbondale, KS. As he followed a team of horses back and forth across the field, he could see the horse drawn wagons and buggies going to town. In one of the conveyances rode Clara Holden and her schoolmaster father, James Holden. In later years, Clara told her grandchildren that every time they saw Johnny working in the field as they passed, her father would say, "That Johnny Tregemba is a fine young man and one of the hardest working men in this part of the country." Johnny and Clara began seeing each other at church and community affairs and were married on Christmas day, 1889. They settled down on a farm a mile north of his parents' farm. The Overbrook Golf course is located on land that was part of this farm. In 1894 they bought another farm 3 miles S. of Overbrook and lived there until John passed away. Their son Willie (Bill) took over that farm. John was a gardener and raised produce to sell as well as for home use. He usually had a large strawberry patch. He raised one and a half acres of sweet potatoes each year. He stored them in a cave on the farm and sold them during the winter. He also raised Irish potatoes, squash, pumpkins, muskmelon, watermelon, corn, and various grain crops. When Willie was a small boy, John hauled coal form Carbondale to Overbrook in the winter time with team and wagon. It was a twenty-three mile round trip. When he arrived home in the evening there would be icicles hanging on his mustache. He received one dollar for the day's pay. During the winter of 1913, the roads were drifted full of snow. The snow remained late into the spring. The temperature dropped to 22 degrees below zero. To drive to town, they would drive across the fields, opening gates, and taking down the fences along the way. Sometimes, they would have to shovel the way through big snow drifts. John raised and sold vegetables and eggs. He had 1000 hens at one time. -------------- Avis Blakeman: The Christmas of 1936, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Tregemba's place. Grandpa bought each of his 19 grandchildren an orange as big as a grapefruit. Aunt Linnie and Aunt Hazel's mother, Mrs. Bray, sacked up treats for each grandchild. Grandma made each preschool girl a big stuffed dog. She used fuzzy old coats to make them. She also made her two daughters and two daughter-in-laws each an apron out of orange Purina feed sacks. She bound them with black and appliqu�d a flower on the bib. She never had any patterns but she was handy with making her own. Grandma and Grandpa would visit us each fall while we lived in and around Independence, MO. Grandpa would load his Model T Sedan or pick-up full of his home grown garden produce. There would be parsnips, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes, pumpkins, and watermelons. Grandpa was a fine gardener and he especially wanted to raise enough garden to help feed our big family. As of 1959, thanks to Harvey Talley and Linnie Tregemba, there is a Tregemba reunion every June. It originally was held for many years in the Overbrook City Park, on a spot where John had grazed cattle. ----------------------- Lloyd Laverle Moody: Grandpa Tregemba was an avid reader and read everything he could get his hands on, farm magazines, weekies, papers, and books. His greatest joy, I believe, was in reading. He was very expressive in sayings that I remember hearing him use to express an idea more emphatically. Some of these were: 1. There is a nigger here in a woodpile 2. He batted his eyes like a toad in a hail storm 3. There is something rotten in Denmark. 4. Bald as an egg. 5. Crooked as a dog's hind leg 6. He is as honest as the day is long. I never heard Grandfather utter a profane word. The most violent utterance I ever heard when he was real disgusted or mad was "O, Sugar!" He could say it in such a way that it almost sounded like a cuss word. There was never any profanity used by any member of my Mother's family. --------------------------------- Frances Pippenger: Grandpa always sat sideways with legs crossed and eating with his knife. They always had cornflakes and Postum for us. One time I went with Grandpa in the Model T truck to sell his produce in Burlingame, Carbondale, and Scranton. I always felt sorry for him when he couldn't sell it all. _________________ Alice Cox: I spent a week with Grandpa and Grandma when I was around four years old. Grandpa took me to Osage City in the spring wagon. He got me a big sack of candy and I remember sitting up on the seat behind the horses, eating that candy. When we got home I'd eaten so much, Grandma took the candy away and put it up and doled it out a piece at a time so I wouldn't get sick. _________________ Joy Christie: I remember going to Grandma and Grandpa Tregemba's house when I was very small. When we got there, Grandma would come out the back door so happy to see us. Grandpa would take Ethel and me by the hands to the pantry, just off the kitchen. He would then get the brown cookie jar down from the shelf and give each of us a lump of brown sugar. I can still remember how good that tasted. My mother and Grandpa always loved to read and one of Grandpa's favorite books was "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". _________________ Marjorie Tregemba Messenger: Grandpa would usually finish his meal the same way no matter what dessert Grandma had. He would lay a slice of bread on his plate, put some fruit on it and pour milk over it. Grandpa loved to read and especially liked poetry. He would come in from hoeing his garden, sit down in a kitchen chair, lean back against the wall and read. He usually ended up asleep. I always think of Grandpa and his garden. I like to go along to take produce in his old truck to Michigan Valley to sell. I would usually end up with a sack of candy. When he had a large strawberry patch, we kids would help pick the berries to sell. He would give us a little for each box we picked. --------------------------------- Overbrook Citizen, June 23, 1938, pg. 4. Overbrook, Osage Co., KS Deaths -- Tregemba John Henry Tregemba was born March 9, 1861 at Penzeance, Cornwall County, England. He departed this life June 20, 1938, at the age of 77 years, 3 months, and 11 days. He came with his parents to this country at the age of 5 years to Marquette, Michigan, remaining at that place for 4 years. He with his parents came to Carbondale, Kansas in 1880. Later they moved to a farm two miles west of Overbrook. He was married December 25, 1889 to Clara Holden. To this union were born five children: William J., Eugene J., both of Overbrook, Mrs. Myrtle Talley also of Overbrook, and Mrs. Ruth Moody of Baldwin. A daughter, Hattie Christina, died in infancy. He moved to the present farm in 1893 where he lived the remainder of his life. He was a devoted father and grandfather, as he enjoyed his family and took great pride in his grandchildren and their interests. He leaves to mourn his loss his wife, children, and one brother Obie Tregemba of Colorado Springs, Colo. He was a member of the Overbrook Methodist church, having joined while a young man. -------------------------------- For John Henry Tregemba; 1915 census KS, Osage Co., Elk twp., Agriculture census, person #29; includes farm products produced in the last year: #29... J.H. Tregemba .... 20 acres of corn; 1 acre Irish potatoes; 1 acre Sweet potatoes; 2 acres Sorghum forage or grain; 35 acres Kafir forage and grain; 50 bushels of corn on hand; 6 acres Alfalfa; 28 acres under fence for pasture; 3 tons of tame hay cut in 1914; 1 ton of prairie hay cut in 1914; 50 pounds of butter made; value of milk and cream sold during the years other than that sold to cheese factories, creameries was $75; 10 stands of bees; 150 pounds of honey; Value of poultry and eggs $400; Value of animals fattened and slaughtered or sold for slaughter $150; 13 pounds of wool clip; Value of wood marketed $8; 7 horses; 6 milk cows; 7 other cattle; one sheep; 80 acres under fence; total of 80 farm acres; 600 rods of wire fences; cost per rod of fence 25 cents (a rod is 5 1/2 yards)
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