The Gettmans, dairy farm life in the 1940s and 1950s. Dairy farm life the year around.
In the winter of 1949 Rover stands guard in the driveway of the Harry and Pearl Gettman dairy farm located 2 1/2 miles north of Clayton on Highway 395.
Harry and Pearl with little Shirley in 1947. The farm consisted of their 420 acres and a leased 420 acres. A huge amount of land for a dairy farm.
In the year after the photo above, Shirley's older sister Phyllis was crowned Princess of the Clayton Grange and rode Dad's 1938 DeSoto in the 1948 Old Settlers Parade.
During the 1940s hay was put up in any number of ways. Loose as pictured here and put into the haymow with slings. Here Harry pitches hay onto the load and Rolan places and tamps it down and little Shirley supervises from the running board. With Rolan, you have now met the entire family.
As the fields green up and late June rolls around it is back into the hay field.
Hay choppers came into use as an alternative to baling. First a stationary machine, then the tractor drawn machine which eliminated a couple of labor intensive steps. No shocking and hand pitching the hay onto a wagon or truck and then unloading with slings or pitching the hay into a stationary chopper. The chopped hay was stored in the silo.
Back the dump truck up to the chopper's hopper, gravity feeds the hopper, and redirect the blower spout while having a cool lemonade. This haying is a breeze!
Rolan got a brand new 1955 Thunderbird for his work.
In addition to putting up hay, the Gettmans grew sunflowers for silage. The silo is visible in the above photo. Standing in the sunflowers neighbor Mr. Fred Higgins hoisting Shirley with brother Rolan standing by in this 1949 photo.
A few 49er Classmates celebreting our 50th Deer Park Stag reunion. L - R the Late Phyllis Combs, Lillie Mae Lowry, Herman Ziebel, Phyllis Sloan and Robert Clouse. I was a big man yesterday but boy you otta see me now.
Two more 49ers. Laura Hand and Minnie Westby.
In the 1940s there were three terrific Resorts on Loon Lake. Cedar Beau Bay, Morgan Park & Granit Point. All that remains today is Granite Point resort with Phyllis as a fond visitor.
Minnie betwenn two phillies
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The Gettman dairy barn is of sufficient size to handle 70 or 80 milk cows including a milking parlor, a milk house plus at least one horse stall for Cleo, Shirley's Palomino pony shown in the foreground.
During its hay day the Gettman farm was a showplace including a huge pond for irrigation and to water their livestock. When the E. & E. Mercantile caught fire in 1957 the fire trucks drew 50 truckloads of water from the pond in an all out effort to contain the fire, thus sparing the rest of the business district.
Not to be out done, Shirley followed in her big sister's footsteps as princess of the Clayton Grange. She also reigned as Queen of the Old Settlers Parade in 1962.
There were a good many inventions designed to make life easier for a dairy rancher. It is fairly safe to say, the most successful was the milking machine. Harry Gettman milking cows the easy way.
Mom (Pearl) Gettman gets the privilege of carrying the two 2 1/2 or 3 gallon milk buckets from the milking parlor to the milk house. Then the milk was put onto the cooler and finally poured into 10 gallon sterilized milk cans. These cans were then picked up early every morning 7 days a week 52 weeks a year for as many years as the kids stick around to lend a hand.
Some of the Guernsey herd taking advantage of the early spring grass.
Times change. Shirley grows up and so does hay baling. Round bales were new. David McBeth is standing by the tractor.
As the snow piles up the farming cycle begins all over again.
Minnie Westby. Direct descendant of the Westby clan that migrated from Trysil, Norway, and pioneered in the Clayton vicinity.
Phyllis is the oldest daughter of Pearl and Harry Gettman. Phyllis and Minnie were classmates and graduated from Clayton Grade School together in 1945. They both graduated from Deer Park High in 1949 and were inseparable friends. AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY!
Once upon a time two young ladies became fast friends and during their grade school and high school years they managed to capture many hearts in the entire Clayton community. Then the inevitable happened, they both fell in love and left Clayton to be with their new husbands. Minnie and Phyllis return for certain celebrations such as Clayton day, Old Settlers Picnic and class reunions. The above picture is from their 55th class reunion. The 60th reunion of the 49'ers is in the summer of 2009. Time has been so very kind to these two ladies.
This is the Gettman barn in 2000. Some 30 years after Harry and Pearl sold the farm. This photograph was taken by Marilyn Reilly. Even then the old barn retained a certain amount of charm but don't they all?
This is as current as humanly possible. July 25th 2009 at the 49ers 60th Class reunion
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