Roy Keith Barkdoll

I was born at home on the Warrenhurst stock station on Halloween, October 31, 1910. I weighed 9 1/2 pounds. The Doctor in attendance was JW. Dreyer and the nurses were Mrs. N. Spare (my grandmother) and Mrs. J. Brockwell. Grandma Spare bought me a baby buggy. Other presents were a coat from Uncle John, a bonnet and jacket from Aunt Florence, a dress, and a book and comb set from Aunt Kathryn. (Yes, they dressed little boy babies in dresses back then). My first Christmas presents were a bank from Grandma Spare, a blue robe from Grandma Barkdoll, two little sacks from Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Reed, and a white dress from Aunt Carrie. Grandma Spare discovered my first tooth on February 23rd, 1911 and my second one on February 26th. (I hope I didn't bite her).

I was the oldest of 4 boys. My brothers are Maynard, Nathan, and Robert. Nathan and Maynard always stuck together and I was pretty much the lone ranger. My mother was such a jolly person and a great cook. I loved her fried rabbit and chicken. My mother and grandmother used to make quilts and they even made one for each of my girls. My dad drank alot and when he drank he'd fight with my mother and I could hear them all the time scrappin. When my dad was good he was real good but not when he drank.

We went to church every Sunday after we did our chores and sometimes went to relatives for a big Sunday dinner. We could never go too far though cause the milkin always had to be done. Growing up on a farm, there was always lots of work to do. Every morning I milked the cows and fed the chickens, rabbits, and pigs. When I was little I liked to play marbles and ball. I had a doll I liked to play with too. I also liked to play checkers.

I attended Ellsworth and Washington School in Naperville. I took the milk wagon to school. It was pulled by a horse. I went to school for 8 years. No kindergarten back then. I never liked school but I knew I had to go so I went.

As I got older I did all the work and ran the farm by myself plus I took any job I could to make money. Farming didn't pay much. I worked the farm from the time I was 14 right up until I got married at 24. I worked other farms too for extra money (Barker's farm was one of them). I used to work in the fields till the Kroehler whistle blew then I'd come in. I sometimes butchered 20 chickens a day and sold them. You grab them by their feet, lay em down on the chopping block and chop their heads off. Then you had to pluck all their feathers off and you had to know the different body parts because you had to know what parts could be eaten and what couldn't. Never felt bad about killing them - I was brought up to believe they were put on earth for us to eat.

I first met Louise when I was just 10. If it wasn't for her Grandma Louise, I never would have met her. She and my Grandma were friends. Yep, I took her for a buggy ride and then before long we were married. We were officially engaged on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1935. We got married in River Grove on September 14, 1935. Louise always liked my smile and my dimples.

My first car was a cream colored Studabaker and when Louise and I got married I had a 1934 black 2 door Ford Erskin V8.

After we were married I did many different jobs, factory work, carpentry, etc.

Louise and I were lucky to have nine healthy children, 7 girls and two boys. That kept us pretty busy taking the babies for buggy rides and driving everyone where they needed to go. We were proud of all of our children.

When I look back over my life I am so amazed at all the things that have come to be - jet air planes, a man on the moon, television, computers, medical advancements (heart transplants, brain surgery, etc.). I can't even begin to imagine what wonders the future will hold.