Grandma Jenny's Story

This is a true story that I have included in my book "Gibbon's Secrets" that I wanted to share with you today.

From the book "Gibbon's Secrets"

Bud’s favorite story from Grandma Jenny was when she told about coming out to Nebraska from Pennsylvania. Grandma Jenny always told the story with a far-away look in her eyes, and always began her

story the same way:

     “My mother had died in childbirth and I was living with my grandparents just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My dad had moved to Nebraska, and wanted my brother and me to join him at his homestead.

Dad asked my Granddad Mills to bring us out on a train, all the way from Pennsylvania. 

     The year of our journey to Nebraska was in 1878, and I was four years old. I know I was just a little girl when we made the trip, but just think about it - Gibbon was only seven years old in 1878. We were

prepared for this long journey: each of us had our own tin cups for the water stops along the way. Grandmother Mills had also packed a big picnic basket, full of food for the long trip. 

     We arrived at Missouri Valley, Iowa; which was the end of the rail line at that time. Then we took a ferry across the Missouri River to Nebraska. When we landed on the Nebraska side, our dad and uncle met us with a wagon pulled by a team of oxen. I was kind-of scared of my uncle, because he had this big mustache and a pair of guns strapped around his middle. My dad looked like he always did, except he also had a beard and mustache.

      Buck and Berry, the oxen team, had no trouble pulling the covered wagon along the trail. We arrived at our cabin situated along a creek.  It was occupied by my aunt, uncle, dad - and now my brother and I.  One day, not long after we got there, my aunt had been baking pies. She put the pies on the window sill to cool, and the wonderful smell of fresh-baked pies attracted a pair of Indians. The two Indians very quietly came up to our cabin begging for food; they appeared harmless and carried no weapons. I could tell they were really hungry, and felt sorry for them. I encouraged my aunt to give them something to eat.

      Even though this was in the early Frontier times, we lived comfortably in our cabin, and never went hungry. Also, we never faced serious problems with the Indians.  Our homestead was not too far from Petersburg, Nebraska. I married your Grandpa Erskine, and while living in Petersburg gave birth to your mother, Addie.”

Bud could have his Grandma Jenny re-tell that same story a hundred times and never get tired of it. The two parts he always liked best were the two oxen, Buck and Berry, and the two Indians coming up to the cabin.