A New Home

for the

Thiese Family

1951 - 1952

near 

Guttenberg, Iowa 

My Parents, Gertrude and Ferdinand (Ferdy) THIESE with a growing family and a House that was in bad shape decided to build a New Home.  The Lumber was from a Timber they owned a few miles away.  The Saw Mill scenes in this Post were taken in 1951, when Dad's High School Classmate Williard Tuecke who owned a Saw Mill and operated it produced the lumber to build the new Home in 1952.  I suspect that the pictures were taken by My Mom who had a Kodak Box Camera.  While the House was being constructed Our Family of Seven slept in the Wood Shed which was just East of the New Home by about 60 feet.  

This Saw Mill was set up just South of the Farm Buildings alongside of a Creek.  My Brother David and I often used slabs to dam up the creek and build a pond.  Then we would breach the Dam and watch the water run down the creek.  In addition to that we often carried the slabs away from the saw mill.  We were 11 and 9 years old.

Sister Angela, who was 2 years old also did her part in the building of the New Home. 

Our Parents did hire two Carpenters who supervised the building but the labor was done by Family Members and Neighbors.  I recall hauling the three-in-one shingles up a ladder so the roofers could nail them down.  Not a whole bundle, but a few shingles at a time.  During the Winter of 1952 - 1953 We Children were taught how to mud in the joints of the sheet rock so the Boys did their own bedroom and the Girls did there own bedroom.  

This New Home was a Family and Neighbors Project with was the way things were done in this era.  

The Youngest Sibling, John Paul was not around until December 1952 which was his Birth Month and Year.  He currently owns the Family Farm and lives in this House.  He like the rest of his Four Siblings are now retired and enjoying Life in our Golden Years. Our Brother David died in 2006. He rents the approximately 69 acres of the 80 acre farm to Our Nephews who grow Corn and/or Beans.