SEGMENT: CHILDHOOD ACTIVITIES, CHILDHOOD WORK, & FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Howard Lanan>NIU Collection>NIU Collection, Segment 12
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- CHILDHOOD ACTIVITIES
- Howard tells a story about doing some trapping on the way to school, once caught a skunk! "Where did that skunk smell come from?" Could skin and cure the animals they trapped.
- FAMILY
- One older sister, who is a retired teacher & lives in Sycamore.
- CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
- Went to Sycamore High School because aunt and uncle lived there. Would drive (a Chevrolet) to school at 14 years old.
- COLLEGE EDUCATION
- Talks about agriculture courses at Iowa State University which was easier to get to than University of Illinois. Graduated in 1938.
- CHILDHOOD WORK
- Grew up learning to farm. Plowing with horses & 2 wheel cultivator. Sometimes too hot to plow during day, so plowed at night by moonlight. Summertime, extra light allowed extra time to work. Ran a rake to rake hay & carried wood into house for kitchen stove when he was just 7 or 8 years old.
- AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
- Mentions livestock. Belonged to 4-H .Farm fair in Aurora, IL. Recalls seeing sheep hauled in the back of a Model A Ford.
- REFLECTIONS
- Always knew he'd be a farmer & wouldn't choose to do otherwise - describes why. "Farming has been good to me."
- ACTIVITIES
- Church (Congregational Church) on Sunday. Family dinner on Sunday & mom didn't like kids playing baseball on Sunday. Visiting nearby relatives. Played cards with neighbors. Neighbors played cards together. Didn't dance, not a big thing around there. Recalls first memory of listening to the radio was hearing about Lindbergh's crossing. Remembers Red Grange playing football and University of Illinois. Mentions favorite radio programs.