Charles

“In 1934, I moved into the area.  I am the oldest of 8 brothers and sisters and I have in the neighborhood of 90 first cousins.  

I got my private pilots license in 1945.  In 1946, I went into the army and was over in Korea. While I was there, my grandma died.  When I came back to the farm, I didn’t have a car, because I bought an airplane instead.  My dad and I built a hangar on the farm to keep my plane in. Our farm was in between Buffalo and Monticello on Highway 25. 

In the summer of 1951, a friend of mine drove up into our yard and picked me up. I hopped into the car and in the backseat was the woman who would be my wife.  We drove up to the Granite City Coliseum to a dance.  While we were at the dance, she laughed and mentioned that every other person we talked to was one of my cousins.  That was how I met my wife.  At the time, she was teaching at the local country school.  

We got married in 1952 and moved into this house right away.  My dad put these new windows and doors in for us.  My dad died when he was 96. The night before he died, he was so ill that I shaved his face for him while he was in bed. My mother lived to be a couple months over 100.  She sat in her rocking chair and died with her hands on a rosary while she was praying.   

After my wife and I had a few kids, my priorities changed and I decided to sell the plane.  I had no regrets whatsoever about married life and the like. We were married for just shy of 65 years.  We traveled and had our excitements.  

We would usually sell out of our sweet corn…right around 160 dozen in a few hours.  I guess people like it.  It is kind of funny because nowadays they have all the fancy equipment.  Back then, I had a six foot pull combine that would cut two rows of grain.  I’d turn downwind and all the dirt would come and cover me… Anyway, I have all good memories of working on the farm.  I don’t have any bad memories.  We have 11 children and they are all alive and they really treat me like a king.   

When I think of Monticello, I think of growth.  Way back in the 50s, it was considered a pauper’s township. During some of those years we had dry times and we got hailed out a few times.   Now the city is growing.  With the growth comes a few differences.  It does seem that people are more out for themselves these days and it maybe isn’t such a close-knit community.  I can’t say whether its good or bad but everyone seems more for themselves…maybe its bad.  There could be more togetherness. “

-Special Thanks to Crystal Sanders Nutt and Erica Erica Ostreim Witzmann (Photography)