Monday, February 3, 1941

A MAN CAME CALLING

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Beautiful day.

Washed and clothes dried

beautifully. Did most

of my ironing to-night.

Had a caller (Ralph

Meyers) of G.R. this PM who

is looking for a farm.

Wanted to see the house

(all over) and barn. He

is coming back again

and bring his wife.

Seems to be a prospective

buyer. Wanted to know

our price. We told him

$15,000. Started buzzing

wood this P.M.

---

Ralph Meyers of Grand Rapids came calling. He was interested in buying a farm. I think Edna may have been a bit irritated by just how much of the house Mr. Meyers wanted to see.

After looking at the farm and hearing the price, Meyers is interested enough to come back with his wife. According to an online inflation calculator, $15,000 in 1941 would equate to $277,000 today. That seems like a pretty good price for purchasing a farm.

I was curious if the farm was officially on the market so I inquired with my dad.

"I doubt very much that the farm was ever considered being put up for sale. Never until after Hank died. Then it was sold with a provision that Maxine could live there as long as she was able."

Mr. Meyers may have been interested in the farm at Bowne Center but that's where it ended.

The Johnson family retained ownership of Locust View Farm until after Hank's death in 2007.

Hank

Maxine

By the time I was born in 1966, Hank (Henry and Edna's youngest child) and his wife Maxine were running the farm. Maxine currently resides in an assisted living facility but she remained on the farm until 2014 or 2015.

I was curious about Mr. Meyers. Did he buy another farm? If so, was it near Bowne Center?

After a little sleuthing, I found a Ralph Meyers. While I can't be certain it is the same Ralph Meyers that came calling on February 3, 194, it does seem rather likely.

Ralph was born near Holland, Michigan in 1916 to George and Bertha. He married Hermina Dejonge in 1939. According to his WWII draft card, Ralph was employed by his father and himself. He would have been fairly newly married and just 24 years old when he visited the Johnson family farm in 1941.

Hermina's 2005 obituary indicates that she and her husband established Ralph Meyers Trucking in 1940. It's a business that is still in operation today.

Ralph Meyers' First Truck

According to the Ralph Meyers Trucking website, Ralph purchased his first truck in 1940.

So perhaps it was that in 1941 Ralph was considering establishing his business near Bowne Center. Instead, Allendale, Michigan became (and remains) the home of Ralph Meyers Trucking.

Edna and Henry and Hank and Ralph and Hermina are gone but Maxine (DeLaat) Johnson remains. Maxine resided on the farm longer than any other of the Johnson women. She, even more than Edna, is the heart and soul of the farm at Bowne Center.

Maxine (DeLaat) Johnson - 2020

Sunday, February 2, 1941

HE SAW HIS SHADOW

---

"Ground hog day." He saw

his shadow.

This is Orlo's 23rd birth-

day. I gave him a tie.

I went to church.

Henry arrived home at 2 PM.

We went to hospital to

see Jen, arrived there

at 3:30. Jen getting

along fine.

Kate + Bill here to-night.

---

Henry took his sister Jen to Blodgett Hospital on January 9. She was meant to stay "overnight" for a metabolism test. She has remained there for nearly a month, undergoing an operation and is now recovering.

On this day in 1941, Henry arrived home from NYC. He reluctantly made the trip knowing his sister was in the hospital. Jen's well being was obviously top of mind for Henry. He is at her bedside just 90 minutes after arriving home.

Groundhog Day has been a thing since 1887. In both 1941 and 2021, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather. Historic data suggests that Phil's predictions haven't been incredibly inaccurate. I am good with that if it means less than six more weeks of winter. If it means more than six weeks, I think Phil should start looking for another job.

Saturday, February 1, 1941

EDNA GOES DOWNTOWN AFTER 4 O'CLOCK

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This is Roger's 10th

birthday.

He came up early

this morning so I gave

him a spanking over

my knee. Gave him his

sweater for gift.

Alice and I went to

Hospital to see Jen. She

is improving a little

every day.

We went down town

after 4 o'clock.

I took the dress back that

I purchased at Wurzburgs

Thursday. Got my money

back $11.28. Didn't like the

material.

Had phone call from Henry

saying they were staying

at Fremont, Ohio all night.

Will be home tomorrow P.M.

---

If you have been following along, you have gotten to know Edna. If so, I hope you sensed the delight and love I imagined Edna felt upon taking Roger over her knee to give him a birthday spanking.

My father (Dick) and Roger, cousins, were born just six months apart. While Roger spent most of his youth growing up in Detroit, he would spend time on the farm in Bowne Center during the summer months. The house where my father grew up was adjacent to the family farm. He and Roger helped around the farm and, sometimes, got into mischief together. I recall reading a journal entry from another year in which Edna was not at all pleased with her grandsons. Left alone in the house for bit, they had made a terrible mess.

I love that Edna wrote that she and Alice went down town "after 4 o'clock." The fact that she noted that it was after four makes me believe there was something a bit adventurous about it. They were unaccompanied women. It would be getting dark soon. Traffic may be getting heavy. I am not sure why it was noteworthy but it was. It was and they still went downtown. Edna had business to take care of. She did not like the material of the dress she purchased earlier that week.

Henry has been in New York City on business and is headed home. He spent the evening in Fremont, Ohio before making the final leg of the trip back to Bowne Center.

When my daughter Maxine was in elementary school she was fascinated with Abraham Lincoln which led to an interest in all things presidential. By the time she was seven she could name all of the presidents in order. We took her to visit many historic sites related to American presidents. The place we visited most often was the home of Rutherford B. Hayes. Located in Fremont, Ohio, it was a short trip from our home in Milan, Michigan.

Several of Maxine's birthday cakes over the years had a presidential theme. One even featured President Hayes. It's true. I have the picture to prove it.

On January 2, 2010, Maxine wrote about one of her trips to the Hayes Home in Fremont in her blog Maxine Making History. It was a return trip for Maxine but a first time trip for her friend and fellow history lover Jacob.

In April of that same year, at the request of then eight year-old Maxine, we visited Fremont and the Rutherford B. Hayes home again.

It's been a few years now since we've made the trip but Max is coming home soon for midwinter break from Loyola University Chicago.

A day trip may be in order.

It will be a trip made more special knowing that my great grandfather once spent time in Fremont, Ohio as well.