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Life Lessons<br />
tradition a bit.<br />
Joan and Gene have<br />
nine children – seven<br />
boys and two girls (one<br />
deceased). With all those<br />
boys, Joan needed some<br />
help around the house.<br />
“I taught all seven boys<br />
to sew, and they can all<br />
put zippers in clothes if<br />
they need to,” said Joan,<br />
proud of her sons’ self-sufficiency.<br />
“They all learned<br />
to cook and clean and do<br />
their own laundry.”<br />
Another lesson learned<br />
through the generations?<br />
Neighborhood gatherings.<br />
“You couldn’t get some<br />
things done without your<br />
neighbors and friends,”<br />
Joan said. “That something<br />
our parents passed on to us<br />
and we tried to teach our<br />
kids. Help people.”<br />
It’s part and parcel of<br />
living in the country.<br />
For instance, everyone<br />
got together to butcher 100<br />
chickens for a neighbor’s<br />
wedding. Joan was in<br />
charge of cutting off the<br />
heads.<br />
Neighbors had threshing<br />
parties, taking turns going<br />
from one farm to the next<br />
to bring in the crop.<br />
Or, they butchered 23<br />
hogs in a day. Again, the<br />
neighbors toted their hogs<br />
to one central location so<br />
many hands could make<br />
light work to prepare the<br />
meat, clean the casings (intestines)<br />
for sausage, etc.<br />
“One of the things we<br />
carried in from the farm<br />
and down through the<br />
generations – we’re even<br />
more dependent on God for<br />
rain for our gardens, for our<br />
health, you name it,” Gene<br />
said. n<br />
— Kelly gerlach,<br />
eastern iowa farmer<br />
Rich Gerardy<br />
unloads ear<br />
corn circa<br />
1987. Rich is<br />
the youngest<br />
of nine in the<br />
Gerardy family.<br />
eastern iowa<br />
farmer photo<br />
/ contributed<br />
Let me make your<br />
land dreams come true<br />
Whether you’re buying farm ground or selling it, Chuck Schwager<br />
can help you assess your options and maximize your value.<br />
Chuck Schwager, Broker<br />
563-599-4277<br />
eastiowaland.com<br />
For all of your real estate needs,<br />
East <strong>Iowa</strong> Realty has you covered.<br />
Call one of our agents today!<br />
563.652.0000<br />
Lesley<br />
Caven<br />
Linda<br />
Bailey<br />
Elizabeth<br />
Hayward<br />
Joe<br />
Veach<br />
Katie<br />
Yaddof<br />
125 S. 2nd St. Maquoketa, IA<br />
East<strong>Iowa</strong>Realty@gmail.com<br />
20 <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> | spring <strong>2017</strong>
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