Saline County Century Farm: Century Farm designation stirs fond memories for Carmean family descendants

Bertha Mae Carmean Van Dyke is pictured here with her grandparents, Millard Filmore Carmean and Ida Mae Carmean, the only grandchild on that side of the family. (Contributed photo) [Click to enlarge]

"She had just wonderful memories of growing up on the farm and all of her family members," said her daughter, Jane Van Dyke Huff. "All of her life she really, really loved everything associated with the farm. She loved to ride in the country and see the different stages of the crops. She was very, very interested in it -- and valued it immensely."

So it was a big day for Bertha Mae when the letter came last August, letting her know that her family's 120-acre farm near Elmwood, southwest of Marshall, would be honored as a Century Farm in 2008.

"When the letter came in August from Cynthia Crawford, oh, Mother was so happy," said Jane.

Jane Van Dyke Huff now owns this tiny hymnal that once belonged to Millard Filmore Carmean. He gave it to his granddaughter, Bertha Mae Carmean Van Dyke. About 20 years ago, she gave it to her daughter, Jane. It contains the words, but not the music, of the hymns. (Contributed photo) [Click to enlarge]

However, after a brief illness, Bertha Mae, 96, died on Sept. 25, before the ceremony in November. Jane and her brother, Bob Van Dyke, accepted the award for her that evening.

Bertha Mae's great-grandparents, John Carmean Jr. and Susannah DeHaven (the name was also sometimes spelled "DeHoven") Carmean, sold their farm in Ohio and came to Saline County in the spring of 1866 with their six children.

"They came by steamboat from Ross County, traveling down the Ohio River to the Missouri River and landed in Waverly in 1866," explained Jane.

The family settled on a farm in west-central Saline County named Pleasant Ridge.

Harry Carmean is pictured on a tractor -- the date of the photograph is unknown. (Contributed photo) [Click to enlarge]

According to a published article about Saline County's history, John Carmean Jr. was a "successful agriculturist and influential citizen" in the area.

"The owner of 550 acres, Mr. Carmean has brought his land to a good state of cultivation and in his work of general farming and stock-raising has met with more than normal success," the article continues.

One of his sons, Millard Filmore Carmean, who was apparently named after the 13th president of the United States, married Ida Mae Robison in 1874. In 1880, he purchased a nearby farm, and in 1881, he added more acres.

According to Jane, Millard Filmore had a total of 240 acres, and each of his six children was given a portion of the land. The deed, dated 1919, to his son, Harry Bertis Carmean, says, "sold for $1 and love and affection."

On Dec. 7, 1910, Harry Bertis married Nora Heyenbrock, who lived on a farm between Elmwood and Concordia. Her grandparents had immigrated to America from Germany.

Several Carmeans are attending a picnic in this photo, which was probably taken at Elmwood Methodist Church. Bertha Mae Carmean Van Dyke is at right, sitting in the lap of her grandmother, Ida Mae Carmean. In the middle of the picture is Harry Carmean and in front of him is his wife, Nora Carmean. (Contributed photo) [Click to enlarge]

Bertha Mae, their only child, was named after her grandmother, Ida Mae, and her father, Harry. She was born on Jan. 15, 1912, in the home of her grandparents, the Heyenbrocks.

"Her parents always told her it was 15 below zero the day she was born," said Jane.

The young couple and Bertha Mae lived with Harry's parents, Millard Filmore and Ida Mae, until 1918, when Harry had a house built, which is still standing today on the farm about one-half mile south of Elmwood. The house, which had indoor plumbing and running water, was built with lumber that Harry got from woods on the farm.

Jane's mother, who was almost 7 when they moved, was very used to living with her grandparents.

"She was the only grandchild. None of Harry's siblings had children, so Mother was the only grandchild and the only niece. They all adored her," said Jane.

The first day the family moved into the new house, Bertha Mae walked home from school in Elmwood.

"She was so used to living with her grandparents that when she walked home from school that first day, she threw her books down and lay down on the bed and just cried because she missed her grandparents so much."

After moving, she loved visiting her grandparents and often would stop by on the way home from school.

"Her mother would tell her not to stay too long, and to be home by supper," Jane said.

On the farm they raised corn, hogs and cows, along with clover for hay. Jane's grandmother raised several different breeds of chickens: Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock and White Rock. Her grandfather milked some of the cows, and Nora sold the cream. They butchered some cows and pigs and sold the meat. Jane said they also raised and sold collie puppies.

There was a vegetable garden, where Harry did most of the work, and Nora had a big flower garden.

Although Jane said she wished she knew more about the farm, she was able to get some information from Chester Nolte, who helped Harry on the farm through the years.

Near her grandparent's house, there was an icehouse, and in the winter the men would cut ice in the ponds with a saw and bury it in sawdust in the icehouse.

"In the summer they would put a pitcher of iced tea on top of an ice block in the icehouse to chill it. They couldn't put the ice in the tea because it was pond water," Jane explained.

Growing up on the farm, Bertha Mae often rode her horse to school during nice weather.

"She also loved to ride at night. She said groups of kids would ride at night, and some of the kids' parents wouldn't let them do it," explained Jane. "But Mother said it was just a fun evening ride, there was never any romance or anything like that."

Her mother also liked to ride the tractor with her father.

"He wouldn't let her very often, but she really wanted to do that," said Jane, who interviewed both her parents before they died, using a special memory book, which asks specific questions about their youth. Bertha Mae always wanted to be out there with the men working.

"She wanted to punch baling wire, and she wanted to be with them all the time," said Jane "She loved to go with her father on farm errands, and that's probably why her mother said her middle name was 'Go.'"

Jane's mother also remembered when a lot of hands would come for harvest, or other farm events, and a cookshack would come.

"She liked to go down and visit with the people in the cookshack," said Jane, who described it as similar to trailers used today at fairs and festivals to serve and cook food. Even though she liked being outside on the farm, Bertha Mae also spent time in the kitchen, learning to cook from her mother.

"Mother was a great country cook, and she learned that from her mother, I'm sure," said Jane.

Another memory passed down was that a traveling seamstress would come and live in their home for several days to make clothes for Bertha Mae and her mother.

Nora also sewed and made some of the family's clothes.

"Mother and her mother made a quilt together, and that was the quilt we had on her bed when she died," said Jane, who said she also has a sampler quilt that her mother made as a child.

The Carmeans were very involved in the Elmwood Methodist Church, which was right next to the school. Millard Filmore served as a Sunday school superintendent for many years.

"She loved the homecoming dinners the church had. It was a big outdoor carry-in dinner, and people who had any association with that church at all would come."

Bertha Mae's grandparents also entertained "circuit riders," who would travel from town to town to preach.

"When a circuit rider was coming through to preach, he would often dine at their house and sometimes he would stay with them," Jane said.

Her mother also had fond memories of the church Christmas program and the Christmas tree that had candles on it, with clip-on candleholders.

"Mother has given each of us several of those, which we use on our Christmas tree," she said, adding that they don't light them. In the winter, the Carmeans would travel to the neighbors' homes in a horse-drawn sled that Harry had a local blacksmith make, Jane said.

"Mother also remembered just loving the neighborhood. There were so many good people living in the neighborhood and everyone helped the other ones when there was a need."

Another interesting detail is that when they went places in the winter, they used horsehide and cowhide robes with heavy wool linings to keep warm, even in the car.

Her mother's other memories about growing up on the farm included going to band concerts in Concordia, going to Blackburn or Sweet Springs on Saturday nights, attending traveling tent shows and going to the State Fair.

Bertha Mae attended high school in Blackburn and would stay with families in town during bad weather. She also talked about stores in Blackburn, including Brunkhorst's, the main store that sold groceries, vinegar, yard goods, hats and mirrors, among other things.

"She liked to go in after school and try hats on and then just laugh," said Jane. "Later she remembered going to Gottenstroetters in Blackburn."

Bertha Mae also said getting their first radio was a "great event."

"They called it a superheterodyne. They would pop popcorn and sit down and listen to it," said Jane. "When she was in high school, she liked to listen to 'Nighthawk Frolics,' dance music on the radio. Sometimes she got up late at night to listen, and her parents would tell her to go back to sleep."

She and Leonard Van Dyke met at a wedding reception and were married June 18, 1938, on the family farm. Even after moving to Marshall, Bertha Mae still spent a lot of time on the farm, especially after her mother, Nora, died of a stroke in 1948, when Jane was only a month old.

"After that, Harry was a widower on the farm, and mother went out once a week and cleaned the house and cooked a great big meal. Then she would have enough left over for him to get along a few days without having to cook," said Jane.

Jane remembered the weekly visits to the farm during her childhood, and one of the things she recalled was the cream separator in the basement.

"There was always a smell, not a bad smell, just a different smell of that milk and cream," she said. She also remembered that, like other people did at the time, her grandfather would bring "baby pigs in on cold nights to take care of them."

Another memory was of the concrete stock tank her grandfather, who died in 1966, had on the farm.

"Water was pumped there from the windmill, and that was for the stock," she said, adding that she remembered the tank was filled with big goldfish. Jane also remembered her great-grandparents' house, which was located on a nearby farm.

"It was a two-story home, and I was there as a child. I remember there was a landing and the window that looked out south had colored glass panes around the outside of it, and mother as a child loved those windows," she said.

Pete Melies now farms the land for the family, taking over the farming duties from his father.

Contact Marcia Gorrell at marshallag@socket.net