Three Saturdays ago I went to an auction sale. The daughter and son-in-law of Carl and Nola Steward used this method to disperse the years of accumulation after they had taken what they wanted. Carl died and Nola is in the nursing home. It was a gorgeous late spring day and recent rains had settled the dust so I decided to ride my electric scooter down there as it is only a short mile from my house. I did learn that the scooter doesn't like gravel roads-the solid tires bang pretty hard over the larger gravel/rocks-but I made it OK. Many will realize that this place is where Wayne Woodruff completed his run to home after basketball practice since that family owned the place when Wayne's father died.
In reading the sale bill I saw that Army uniforms from WWII were to be sold and also a genuine Nazi flag. I think Carl was a top Sergeant with Patten as they dashed across Europe in WWII. This piqued my interest and I determined that I would not let these items go for a pittance as I would buy them for the museum in that case. I also figured I would buy some small item which would recall the family when I saw it.
A good crowd was assembled with buyers and collectors from out of town and I had a good morning visiting with local friends. I had recently put the piece about the Veteran's Park Project in the local paper so several wanted to discuss that. Well I stayed around for an hour and a half on my comfy, mobile chair and did speak with Don and Beth (Steward) Land. They didn't know when or how Carl got the Nazi flag. I also pocked around trying to identify the chicken house and milking barn that Wayne has told us about so eloquently. I did get my keepsake, a book from Carl and Nola's library titled KANSAS PEOPLE by Larry Hatteberg. He is an author from Wichita who is also a radio broadcaster. I haven't studied it yet, but it's there when I'm ready. It cost me 3 dollars. I saw the war memorabilia wasn't going to sell for awhile so I told a friend not to let it go too cheap and I went home to rest.
Later in the afternoon I went up to the Hilltop for coffee and company. I was talking with locals about the Nazi flag and someone told me it sold for around
$100. Pretty cheap if it was genuine. While on this topic I noticed a gentleman at the next table with his wife who I recognized as one of the out of town buyers at the auction. We were opining about the flag and we all petty much agreed that Carl wasn't the type who would want a Nazi flag for any other reason than it's being a war souvenir. The gent who was a buyer said he examined the flag and felt the stitching was too white and the colors too fresh to be a flag from 68 years ago. The flag was wrapped and in a storage box so I still feel it came from Nazi Germany all those years ago. Do any of you know anything about it?? What is your opinion??
During the conversation the gent's wife asked me if I was the guy who wrote on the Cedar Vale Memories Blog. I admitted it and it seems she was/is Sillyciel--Cecelia Metcalf--Gary's older sister. She has blogged with us also.
All this trivia may be very boring to most, but for me it was a most interesting and nostalgic day. GLAD TO BE ALIVE ! DFCox
9 comments:
Not boring at all, Don. At least, not to me. The Stewards and the old home place always meant a lot to me, as did the whole town and the folks who lived(live) there.
I would be interested in knowing who buys the place.
Thanks again for more good memories.
Thanks, Don. I enjoyed your post. CV memories is mostly trivia, but all of us old CV residents eat it up!
Great, Don!
Larry Hatteberg was originally from Winfield. He is related to Richard Beuoy and (if I remember correctly) their mothers were sisters. The Hattebergs ran a large bakery which was located (I believe) at the north end of Main Street.
Nola Steward was the sister of L. Doran Wesbrook. They had a sister that I believe suffered from an eating disorder which possibly was anorexia.
Don,
Very interesting. Larry Hatteberg and I worked together in Wichita at KAKE-TV, channel 10 at the time, in 1964-66. We were both news photographers using 16 mm black & white movie cameras. Part of the job was giving quick on-the-spot radio news reports also.
He was indeed from Winfield. I was surprised to see him on TV when I was back in Ark City for the 45th anniversary of the CV class of '59 in 2004.
We exchanged e-mails and he was still enjoying reporting and being on TV after all these years. A great person, reporter and a super photographer.
Still kicking and working on finishing my new home in Panama.
Yes Phil you had it right, Jesse Bouey (Mrs. Howard) was a sister to Hatteberg's mother and to Dave Early. The family was from the Irish Flats. All fine people! THEIR mother was a Pack, daughter of Rufus, the patriarch. Another daughter of Rufus married the patriarch of the Dale family from out in Lookout Valley. When you take in the Packs and the Dales you are getting a lot of relatives and pioneers of Cedar Vale. I knew many of them personally and most of you did also. I can only give this info because Tom Randall did the investigation and sent me emails with the results. Thanks Tom, next time put'er right up here in a comment. A lot of bloggers are interested.
Sorry I already made a boo boo. The Pack patriarch was Archie, not Rufus. Rufus was a sibling of Mrs. Early and Mrs. Dale
...Don, I notice in a Pack obituary that Aaron Pack (who was in my class) is a minister perhaps in Missouri.
Concerning Richard Beuoy: Dick was a star athlete at CV and as I grew to know him through the years it is difficult to imagine a better person. Sadly, he developed a shaking disease similar to Parkinson's that robbed him of much of his normal mobility. This did not deter a wonderfully wry sense of humor and a person with strong viewpoints.
His mother (who was a great lady) suffered a similar medical malady.
The "Palsy" that Jesse, Dave, Richard, and I understand Richard's sister Geraldine all had is a family genetic trait. Dave shook so bad that he couldn't sign his checks before he went to live in the Nursing home in Winfield.
I am sorry to hear of Carl's passing. I've heard a lot of stories of his time in the service. I believe Mom and Carl were cousins. I don't believe I ever met him. I have several letters he wrote Mom....James
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