Vernon Hindman
Eleonora and Vernon Hindman (in center) on their wedding day, June 5, 1952, in Rushville, Nebraska.
Joining them is Vernon's brother Ivan and Eleonora's maid of honor.
Vernon Hindman Family History
Vernon Hindman (my father), son of Claude Franklin Hindman, was adopted as a baby in the fall of 1924. Born in Des Moines, Iowa as Vernon Nelson Norman (the son of Josephine Norman), he was placed in the German Evangelical Lutheran Orphanage in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He was baptized August 1, 1924 while still in the orphanage. Mrs J. F. Gnuse (the wife of the Superintendent of the Lutheran Orphange And Children's Home Finding Society of Nebraska) arrived in Hay Springs by train on October 21, 1924 to deliver the 4 month-old baby to Claude and Elsa. He was taken home to the farm northeast of Hay Springs, Nebraska. Ivan was adopted later and is a couple years younger than dad.
(Left) Vernon Hindman as a small lad, just after arriving at the farm in Nebraska.
(Right) The Claude and Elsa Hindman farm. Taken in late 50s or early 60s.
Growing up on a farm at that time was a bit primative by today's standards. They had an outhouse (a two-hole privy) that was about 20-25 steps south of the back door. It must have been a bit cold in the winter to go out to use the bathroom! In the summer, they used a small wisk broom that hung in the privy to sweep around the inside of the hole to brush away any spiders that might have built a web since the last visit. (In later years, a "chemical toilet" was added to the basement. Must have seemed a big improvement over going outside. The basement, however, was cold, musty and a bit imposing when I had to use that bathroom when I was a little kid).
Claude and little Vernon binding wheat. Circa 1930.
Farming at the time was by team of horses. The horse barn was on the west end of the farm and is now gone. I have a picture of Claude and my dad (as a very small lad) pulling a binder through the field with a team of horses. My dad never told me too many stories about growing up as a kid, but from the pictures that I have seen, they were busy and always helping with the chores. Dad graduated from the 8th grade of country school and did not continue on. Ivan, on the other hand, did go to high school in Rushville.
Eleonora Rasmussen (my mom), daughter of Anton and Edna Rasmussen , was born 1934. She was the youngest child of Anton and Edna (Taggart) Rasmussen, with two older brothers, William and Brant. During those years, Grampa and Gramma farmed and ran a dairy. Times were hard in the thirties due to the depression and drought conditions. A wet towel was hung over her crib to help keep the dust out of her face. Considering that an indoor bathroom was not added to the house until the late 1950s, it was probably a bit primative living there in the 1930's.
Eleonora as a kid on the farm. ~1940
At the age of 10, mom contracted Rhematic Fever (1944). The next year was spent largely confined to bed and she missed a year of school. Once she was over the illness, she was able to return to school.
Try as they may, the post-depression years were too much for Anton and Edna and they lost the farm in January of 1946 back to the Holzbergers. The family moved to Prineville, Oregon near Redmond, for 6 months, but eventually moved back to Rushville in June 1946. They eventually purchased a farm just a mile northwest of Rushville.
Dad and Mom met during a Hay Springs/Rushville Lutheran Youth gathering in the 1951-52 timeframe and were married June 5, 1952, right after mom graduated from high school. Both Elin (born 1955) and I (born 1956) were born in the Rushville Community Hospital and came home to live in the small house at the end of the lane on Claude and Elsa Hindman's farm. Dad and his father built the little house before Mom and Dad was married. It had a basement and single story upstairs. Click here for more about their little house.
Eleonora and kids Elin (with chicken bone) and Evan (the cute baby).
When Ida Holzberger died (always referred to as Mrs Holzberger in our home), mom inherited the farm that was originally lost by her father (Anton) in the 1940's. Mom and Mrs Holzberger were always close friends. Mom and Dad moved onto the place in September of 1958 (I was just about to turn two at the time of moving).
When my Grandfather Claude Hindman died in 1962, Grandmother Elsa Hindman moved to Rushville, and dad began farming the land "up home". He obviously kept very busy doing all that work, but also worked outside the farm as well. In the late 60's, he became Paul Smith's substitute carrier for the rural mail route north of Rushville and Hay Springs. It was a perfect job, because he left at 6ish in the morning and was back a little after lunch. Good pay for a half day's work. Later, when Paul retired, dad took the route fulltime. Besides the mail route, he also worked at the Sheridan Livestock Auction (in Rushville).
Vernon Hindman family - Elin, Vernon, Eleonora and Evan. 1968.
Dad started showing the effects of Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD) in October of 1982. He was admitted to the hospital in Scottsbluff, NE where they were eventually able to diagnose the disease. JCD affects only about 1 case per million. Dad had a brain biopsy Thanksgiving week of '82 to confirm the diagnosis. He returned home to Rushville, but quickly was too much for Mom and Elin to care for. He was admitted to the Gordon Hospital and died there on Jan 10, 1983.
For the next ten years, Mom continued to live on the farm and raise a few cattle. In the summer of 1993, she went on a date with Dale Post (actually, they drove to Scottsbluff to pick up tractor parts - a great first date) and they hit it off pretty well. Dale's wife had died a 2-3 years prior to 1993. After just a couple of months, they decided to get married (afterall, they weren't getting any younger). Dale moved to Mom's place and continued to farm his place for the next 3 years until selling his farm in 1996 and retiring.
(c) All material on this website page is copyrighted. Please do not publish or reuse in any other websites without express written permission.