Book 2 - Nathan, Amy, Madison and Ethan Berga

Verna & Nettie Ellison
Circa 1913
Alma Johnson, Verna Ellison & Nettie Ellison
1911
hand, he was trembling so badly, he couldn’t reload
– he shot Tornow through the neck and wrote the end
to the legend.” 77 Such are the stories of early life in
Kamilche.
There was hardly time on the Kamilche farm to breathe
a sigh of relief after hearing of Tornow’s death; since
with spring came added chores. Nettie had a toddler
to watch over; so Alma did extra chores after school. 63
That summer, Nettie found out she was pregnant with
twins. The family doctor was called to their home to
help deliver, Anton Edgar and Angus Cummings, February
14, 1914, in their home. Nettie was 41. 70
Alma went to school in McCleary and graduated from
high school before her siblings even entered school.
All three Ellison children walked to the Callow school,
which was a one room school house heated by a wood
stove. A man, by the name of Hall, was hired to teach
at a salary of $40 a month. Mr. Hall and Mr. Campbell
built the desks and seats. School started April 1 st ,
but the weather was so cold, they closed the school
when all the kids came down with colds. School resumed
May 1 st . Mr. Campbell bought an extra length
of pipe, and brought in good, dry wood; a fire was
built and the students were kept warm. School closed
July 23 rd , so that the children could help out on their
father’s farms. In those days money was scarce, but
the Forbes School District had the sum of $47. 90 in
the school fund. The treasurer, E.L. Willey loaned to
each family with need, to be paid back with interest.
It was in this way that the pioneer families kept one
another. 78
Anton was left handed. This was looked on as something
that needed to be corrected; and, his teacher
made sure that Anton would only use his right hand
in class. As a result, his penmanship, with either hand,
was forced and under developed. Even as an adult,
Anton did not like to write. 70
75