Herbert Jordan Keil

Herbert's daughter, Kay, said,

(1) My Dad was particularly fond of telling me the story about a near mishap that almost ended his life. He was riding a mule to the pasture with only a rope around its neck. The mule startled, my Dad fell off- and the rope somehow wrapped itself around his ankle, dragging him - for what he said seemed like miles- until his foot caught on a fence post and released the rope. His telling of it was so vivid. He knew exactly which fence post it was- and, of course, by the time I was a little girl, the post was very old. One day we drove by - I was in high school, I believe - and all the fence posts along the fence line had been replaced. He was devastated! His life-saving old fence post was gone!

2) When Boop ( Otto, Jr.) began “courting,” he had a girlfriend in Flatonia, and periodically was allowed to hitch up the mules and take the wagon into Flatonia on a Saturday night to see his girlfriend. Unbeknownst to Boop, my Dad and his brother Henry ( Edgar - who was known as “ Son” to the family) was too young ) hid in the back of the wagon and put a tarpaulin on top of them. After Boop picked up his girlfriend, they were sitting there on the wagon seat, enraptured in each other’s company- when all of a sudden, my Dad and Henry threw back the tarpaulin and laughed uproariously at their prank. Needless to say, Boop was NOT amused! 3) On another occasion, all four brothers ( Boop, Henry, Herb and Edgar)were allowed to go into town to have a fun Saturday - “night- on the- town.” One Saturday night, they overdid it and forgot about the time. It was a long way back home in the mule drawn wagon, and one of them recalled with angst that they had to get up at 5:00 am to “ cut tops,” and they would barely get any sleep. Then another brother came up with the great idea that since it was a moonlit night, they should just “ cut tops” when they got home and get it over with- so that’s exactly what they did! When their Dad- known to his grandchildren as Grandpa Otto- woke them in the early morning with the words, “ Boys, you’ve got to get up and cut those tops,” Henry roused himself and said with as much glee as he could muster, “ We’ve already done it!” With that, he fell back into a collective sound sleep with the rest of his brothers! ( My Dad particularly loved this story!) He said the look on his Dad’s face was priceless!

3) Henry somehow procured an old motorcycle ( which my Dad pronounced motorSICKLE.) Henry would “ drive” while my Dad balanced precariously on the back as Henry wobbled along at an unsafe speed. In a very short period of time, Henry’s inexpert driving skills failed to maneuver them across a little bridge that crossed a rushing creek. The motorSICKLE and both boys wound up in the water. The boys thankfully, were unhurt- but the motorcycle would not live to ride another day- much yo the relief of Grandpa Otto and Grandma Mary! Btw- years later, Edgar bought his own motorcycle, but would never allow Henry near it!

4) I have a violin inherited from my Dad with some interesting family history... Grandpa Otto bought it from his brother, Theodore- better known as “ Teddy,” for $2.00. Grandpa and his sons were on their way home from Flatonia and decided to pay Teddy a visit. When they arrived, Teddy was sitting outside under a tree, playing the old family violin, which Grandpa Otto proceeded to try to talk him out of... but nothing doing, until Grandpa offered to pay him 50 cents for it. ( which was not a paltry sum in those days!) But Teddy drove a hard bargain, and insisted he would not take less than $2.00! Grandpa was horrified, but his desire to own the violin won out. This violin is sitting in perfect condition ( I had it refurbished years ago,) in my book shelves- pride of place! All of the Keil brothers and their Dad played musical instruments, though none of them had ever had a music lesson in his life. Grandpa played the violin ( of course,) Henry and Edgar played the accordion and my Dad played the harmonica. Boop, I believe, was a Jack of all trades- and did a little of everything!

4) One of my personal favorites as told to me by Hache: the Keil’s were getting ready to have a family picture made. ( My Dad has two that I now have framed in my house in Hallettsville where my parents lived.) On one of these occasions, the family had all gathered in the back bedroom at the family home where they were putting on their finery. This required they wear their Sunday best. According to Hache, this was a testimonial to what a fun- loving family the Keils were! There was much laughing and cutting up as the boys goosed each other, undid each other’s ties, mussed their brother’s and sister’s carefully combed hair, and frolicked around jabbing each other playfully amidst the unheeded admonitions of their parents! ( I can so graphically visualize these mischievous boys!) What a loving, hardworking, family! Hache and I always loved to make Chuck playfully roll his eyes when talking about the extraordinary Keil family- we’d really lay it on thick! But as I think back- they were EXTRAORDINARY indeed- and I am so proud to be a member of that REMARKABLE family!