This old farm bell belonged to my husband's paternal grandfather.
This grandfather purchased what became known as the family farm in approximately 1915. My father-in-law was born there, and he lived there until he passed away five years ago.
My husband's grandfather was quite prolific. He fathered six children by his first wife who died when the sixth child was born.
He was left with quite a few very young children to provide for, and a very young infant that needed to be fed. He inquired through the community searching for a wet nurse, and found a woman who was nearby and had just given birth herself. She took the baby in to nurse, but since she was so busy she had her own fourteen year old daughter take care of the baby.
My husband's grandfather spent time with this very young girl, asked her to marry him, and she accepted his proposal. He was thirty-five at the time they married, and she had just turned fifteen.
The two of them raised the six children, and had thirteen of their own. Almost all of the children were born on the farm, and they were all raised there.
My husband was only three years old when his grandfather died, and he only remembers him as a very old and sickly man. His children remember him as a very strict disciplinarian, and a man that worked each of them very hard on the farm.
My husband lived on the farm from the age of six until he moved away to go to college. Our family kept the farm a few years after my father-in-law passed away, but we have since sold it. But, it does remain in the family because one of my husband's cousins purchased the land from us. Sadly, the old farmhouse fell into bad shape, and has since been burned to the ground. It is a beautiful farm with rolling fields and an eight acre pond. Several of the farm buildings still remain.
This bell was used every day to wake the family, call them to the fields to work, call them to meals and any time there was a need to gather everyone together. I would say the bell spent many busy years on the farm, and I dare say it could tell us many stories. It must seem like retirement now that it lives here with us. We only ring it a few times a year, but we look at it and recall years of family history.
