o/t J Heitkemper

J Heitkemper
That is a great narrative about "The Barn"
In the Your Stories section!
Thank You for sharing with Us.
Steve A W

I saw it on this site I thoughtit was great too.

Glad you liked it /Straight from My Heart ...LOL... If you want to know what kind of Dad I had ... over on Your Stories Scroll down about 42 stories to "Eulogy for DAD "... that one Also flowed out faster than i could type ....

J H
A beautiful story about the barns. I live on the outskirts of Houston, and frequently drive through areas that are still untouched by the mushrooming growth of the city. I see quite a few old abandoned farmhouses & barns; many tumbled down, or in a state of disrepair. I often think of the stories old these buildings could tell, if only they could talk. Just think about the barn you are describing. When barns like that were built, it was known as a "barn raising". It was many time a community affair. A dozen families or more might gather on the big day and the men went to work building the barn, assisted by the older boys. All the men were capable of handling any task, but most had somewhat of a specialty. The tools they used were handsaws, hammers, a brace & bit, folding ruler,a level and a square. That's all they needed. Beams, framing & rafters were notched and fitted, many times pegger or pinned, or bolted, rather than nailed. There was no boss or foreman; usually the more experienced led, and everyone fell together to accomplish a particular task, many times without a word of direction being spoken. The women fixed the meal, kept plenty of water available for the men, while the younger children played. The next time a neighbor needed a barn, the same thing occured. No one kept score, but each felt obligated to repay his neighbors in kind whenver the opportunity arose. I'm sure that events like that occur today, but with less frequency. I enjoyed your post.

I also read the one on your dad. It brought tearts to my eyes. Thank you for your dad's service and thank you for your story. I lost my dad when I was in high school and the older I get, the more I miss him.

I JUST READ YOUR EULOGY TO DAD VERY NICE , SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT MAN WISH I COULD HAVE MET HIM.