THE TURKEY GOBBLER IS THE DEVIL!

{Dow Ostlund--official bank portrait}

When our Grandad--Dow Ostlund--was ill with Parkinson’s Disease--but before he was no longer able to speak, I  sat down with him to try and capture some of his earliest memories.   We only had one night to be able to do this--it was at Mom and Dad's house in Newbury Park on November 29th, 1985.  Grammie and Grandad were visiting there for Thanksgiving.

{series of portraits of Dow--about 1917}

It was such a gift for me to see his beautiful, clear blue eyes begin to sparkle like a little boy’s as he began to remember…and the words—not many were spoken at this time in his life—began to come more quickly and easily as happy memories came to the forefront of his mind--and I quickly and carefully wrote down every precious word. 

{included in this photo are Theodore--far left--and young Dow, sitting in front with long shorts on}

Dow was born in the quiet little Alberta town of Stirling, surrounded by a loving family, lots of cousins and friends, and his grandfather Theodore’s farm--which included the billy goat we see here… 

{Dow and the billy goat cart}

He said that his grandfather “bought an express wagon and a billy goat for (his) Uncle Noel, which they would all take out and enjoy around the farm.  

{Johann Theodore Brandley}

One afternoon, when they had the billy goat hooked up to the express wagon and Grandfather was bending down to talk to a child, the billy goat butted him in the rear end.  I saw it.  He got up and brushed himself off….He swore in German a lot!"

{Dow, front & center, with Brandley aunts and cousins}

I still chuckle whenever I think of this little story, and I remember Grandad's deep, wonderful chuckle as he related it to me.

Then telling another story about his grandfather Theodore, he related:

"They had an outside outhouse, and it was a hundred feet from the main house--it was a three-holer.  Many times I would read the 'Simpson's Catalogue' in the sanctuary of that outhouse.

{Grandfather Theodore in the center--Dow in front in white shirt, and the "big boys" around them!}

"The big boys (my Uncles Bus and Noel), would wait until my grandfather got in there, and then they would tip it over!  He'd come out storming and swearing!  (In German, of course!)"

{Dow with two of his smiling cousins!}

The cousins in front sit with the “turkey gobbler”, as my grandfather called him.  This feathered critter scared little Dow to death when he was a little boy!  He told me:

{Young Dow pushing his cousin Delight on the swing--the turkey gobbler front & center!}

"One summer, they had a turkey gobbler who was mad at me, and I would stand at the door of the outside vestibule (a little hallway coming off of the kitchen)--which had a washstand in it and a screened door in the summertime with steps up to the main house.

"I would stand at the screen door and yell--'The turkey gobbler is a devil!  The turkey gobbler is a devil!'  And when I would go out and not see him, he would run up to me, get me down and peck at my eyes until someone came along and rescued me!  I was 7 or 8 then.

He laughed so hard as he related this to me--his eyes were just lit up so brightly and he was so happy!  And to me, just for a moment, he looked like the little boy he was so fondly remembering--himself.

He smilingly spoke of a time when he was quite little, when he had fallen on some sharp little things and cut his legs up a bit.   He said he sat on the steps going up to the vestibule and cried out--"My 'egs is beedin'!  My 'egs is beedin'!"  Just waiting for some kind soul to come and take care of him.

What a beautiful extended family time they must have had during those beautiful Canadian summers of so long ago!  I know how dearly Grandad remembered them, and how they must have helped to form him into the good and loving family he became.