This is a story to honor my grandparents and the way they always kept the music alive for all generations and the reason this music store exists today.
reduced price of $10.00 per copy. shipping is available....
I still have a few autographed copies of my book. soft back only.... I truly enjoyed writing about my childhood and the stories of my family's past. I feel it is important to pass on to our children and grandchildren the peace that can come even in hard times when we have God as our guide and love in our hearts.
Money is a blessing of course, but is will not buy happiness.. True peace comes from trusting and obeying the Lord. Faith that is seen is not faith..
Writing this book helped me to see that many things can be accomplished if we walk by FAITH .................
Again thank you to all those who have been so encouraging about my book.
About the Book Growing up with my grandparents, Harley and Laura Krigbaum(Pa and Ma) was more than just an experience. It was life altering. This book is an effort to keep those memoriesalive and make them beneficial to others, especially my own children and grandchildren.Their trials were many and their days were often hard; yet,they seldom complained about anything. If we thought things were not fair orshould be different, they reminded us to count our blessings and things wouldlook different. This book is based on the lives and stories they told us overthe years and much time spent with them. Pa could trace his family back as far as the Mayflower. His Great Grandfather William’s great, greatgrandfather, Conrad Krigbaum, had been an immigrant from Holland in the early1600s.Ma’s family had alwayslived in the south and had not only lived though the civil war, but horribleIndian wars, as well. Her parents had died when she was fifteen. Somehowthrough all the pain, she would only show love to everyone. The stories had been passed from generation togeneration. Ma and Pa were both born in1893, about twenty eight years after the Civil War. His family was from thenorth and hers from the south. Both families had suffered unbearably but tried to put itall behind them and move on. The pastwas in the past. Much of this book is based on actual events or stories. Thedates and family members are as accurate as I could find; although, some namesmay have been changed or left out. More of it is based on only sketches of whatI can remember. With memory limitations, I have added details for a betterstory.
Preface This story isbased on the life and stories of my grandparents, Harley and Laura Krigbaum,better known as Pa and Ma, by most everyone who knew them. Living most of theirlives in and around the backwoods of Logan County, near Paris, Arkansas, they marriedin 1911 and eventually lived on an eighty acre tract of land, originallyhomesteaded by Harley's grandfather, Phylander Storts, and where Harley, his brothers,aunts, uncles, and cousins had spent much of their childhood.Harley and Laura were born in 1893, about twentyeight years after the end of the Civil War. The south, especially, still feltthe effects of the war. His grandparents Phylander and Lucy Storts and hisfamily had come to Arkansas from Ohio. He was later forced to give up hishomestead because he met with hard times and had no money to pay the taxes.Phylander and his wife, Lucy knew they had to setan example and teach that life is what you make it. They must take the difficult times and makethe best of them. God would take care ofthem; good times would come again. Harley hoped to eventually buy back the homestead;meanwhile, they rented and share cropped for several years or lived where ever hecould find work, usually in the cotton fields or farm work, occasionally heworked at a factory, but he had to travel so far to and from work that it mademore sense to make less. Harley found that if there was a need or a jobopening, he could learn to do anything. He built a blacksmith shop on his farmthat proved to be essential. It brought the work to him, plus he could repairhis own machinery and harnesses. It made money and saved money. Lauraworked right along with him in the fields when she could; although, much of hertime was spent caring for their small children. Home was a special word and place. They neverseemed to venture very far away for any real length of time. Traveling tocotton fields in Oklahoma was oneof the few trips by covered wagon. After staying for a few weeks, they returnedhome to Logan County and tried to make the best life they could for their children, farming the land with, mules, or horses. Harleypreferred them to the oxen he had used as a boy. The oxen were strongbut not very smart. The horses seemed tounderstand what he wanted them to do. The mules were more stubborn but couldhandle the pull of a plow or wagon better. Ma and Pa raised a large family and did whateverit took to provide for them. The children learned early in life, that to worktogether made lighter work for everyone. No matter the tragedy or total devastation,Pa and Ma would never give up. I often heard the words, “Where there is a will,there is a way,” or “You haven’t failed until you quit trying.” One way they learned to cope with hard times wasto enjoy the good times and to depend on the Good Lord to supply what theycould not. An afternoon of music was the highlight of many days. Pa played hisfiddle as if it was his close companion. Others played guitars or whatever wasavailable. If they didn’t have an instrument to play, often they would make oneout of anything they could find.Ma didn’t play an instrument; but she listened tothe music and encouraged the children to learn to play or sing if they could. Between the songs there might be a story thatwas just as entertaining and funny or sad. Ma or Pa could keep all of usspellbound and wanting more just telling about their lives. Much of this book is about stories they toldus as a form of entertainment or education. They lived with the idea that itwas their responsibility to teach the young ones from an early age, to beproductive citizens. It was never noted that we need to make a lot of money. Everyonehad their place and should be the best they could be with whatever talents Godhad given them. He would provide as He saw the need. I could listen to them for hoursthinking how blessed we were to have a family so rich, yet without a lot ofmoney. An evening with Ma and Pa was better than a good movie, maybe because weknew that most of their stories were true, to the best of their knowledge, ormaybe because we didn’t have a television. Either way, I will always begrateful for the many hours and weeks that I spent with them.Much of this book is based on actual events. More of it is only based on only sketches ofwhat I can remember; because, I didn’t write them down as I was growing up,thinking I would never forget. Actually, I remember lots of stories; thedetails are a little iffy. Some names may be at least, slightly changed. Othersare totally changed or left out.Because of the times and the many changes in lifestyles, I would, at least want my children to know that life is sometimes whatyou make it. There is more to life than computers, TV, cell phones, and videogames. Our lives may change daily, but God is the same yesterday, today, andforever. Chapter1 After the Civil War
The Civil War was over; yet, those who hadsurvived the fighting found that life presented still more challenges. Many hadlittle or no money, nor the supplies they needed; especially in the south. Itwould take a long time to rebuild a country that had been so overwhelmed bysuch grief, pain, and destruction. Many hadfamily on both sides and were just glad it had come to an end. Others couldn’tseem to allow it to end. Some wondered if they could ever bridge the gapbetween the states. Phylander Storts, my Great, Great grandpa, and histwin brother Leander were born April 21, 1833 in Ohio, USA. Their parents John and Isabella Hall, Storts had come to the United States in the early 1800s, wherethey met and married.John Storts was born in Germany in 1791 and was 74years old at the end of the war; Isabella Hall, Storts was born in Ireland in1792. Her father was Moses Hall. John andIsabella had eight children; Emily born in 1816, Jane in 1817, David in 1819,Moses in 1826, Martha in 1827, Margaret in 1830, Leander and Phylander in 1833. My Great, Great Grandma, Lucy Place Storts was alsoborn in Ohio in 1834. Her parents were Joseph Place and Sarah Bridges Place,both lifetime residents of Ohio. Phylanderand Lucy married on July 7, 1851. About a year and a half later, their firstchild Elmira was born in 1852, and then Sara Jane in 1854; Jamie Temperance in1859; Joseph Phylander, 1860; and Emily, (Emiline) in 1863. Theirlives had been changed by a war between the states. Phylander didn’t want tofight in a war with his own countrymen, but registered for the draft. He wasdrafted into the army, 18th regiment on September 27, 1864, leaving Lucy alone to carry a heavy load raising their five children while expecting another. He hated to leave his family who needed him; but more than that hehated the thought of the war torn country, praying it would not be divided forever.
This is a story to honor my grandparents and the way they always kept the music alive for all generations and the reason this music store exists today.