I’ve often said; I grew up at the best of times, with the best of conditions and opportunities.  I grew up in a small town, where we could go anywhere in town on our bicycles.  I walked three blocks to First Lutheran school, where Loree was a champion softball player and Ardith and I set a distance record sledding down the First Lutheran hill.  I made lifelong friends in high school.  Biked to Wallace Park to go swimming in the summer, and to ice skate at the lagoon in the winter.

While Merle and I were in 8th grade at First Lutheran, Uncle Norman hired us to help with his rural paper route.  We would roll and tie the papers and he would throw them.  Once in a while he would let us throw some.  I liked telling people I had a paper route that was 100 miles long.

Best of all I had three sets of Uncles & Aunts & Cousins in the country; two sets in the big city, and two others in Paola.

Many fond memories of the farms. Fishing at Aunt Stella’s, exploring and picnicking in Uncle Ed’s timber, and horseback riding at Aunt Edna’s.  We also built passageways and tunnels with hay bales in the hay loft.  Climbed the silo and jumped into the ensilage at Aunt Stella’s.

Many fun dinners in the city.  Played in the yard at Aunt Elsie’s.  Sometimes faked playing as we waited for the streetcar to come by and flatten a penny or a bottle cap.

While the grown-ups played cards at Uncle Joe’s we, kids, played upstairs; sometimes in the dark.  We also roller skated around the Catholic church.

I don’t think you could ever find a closer-knit family.  I dearly love each and every one of my cousins.

— Don Homrighausen — (Lillian)