Often we forget what life was like for our ancestors. To make a living was hard work, especially in agriculture. Often a family did not have money for a camera. It is easy to not understand or even know what agriculture was like 70 years, or even 50 years ago. Thankfully there are a few pictures to remind us of what life was like.
Henry Gabel (Leroy's grandfather) with a team of white mules. It looks like he is hauling hay or straw. Since he was born in 1901, I would guess the time frame of this picture to be in the 30's.
Henry Gabel, Leroy's grandfather with a team cultivating a row crop. Probably sugar beets Notice the iron wheels on the cultivator. Think it would rough riding? Imagine spending a day cultivating.
And don't forget that the team had to be harnessed, usually before breakfast. Often the team was unharnessed at lunch and feed and watered. All before the teamster ate.
Henry Gabel with a pen of Hereford cattle. Since there were no feed trucks, all the feed was
shoveled onto a truck and shoveled off into a bunk.
Henry Gabel with a load of beets. He is holding a beet fork which was used to load the truck. Notice the piles of beets. They were forked onto the truck. It is hard to tell the type of truck, but we think the picture is in the late 1930's or early 1940's. The beet puller lifted the beets up out of the ground. Then a worker came along, lifted the beets, cut the tops off and put the beets into a windrow or a pile. Wonder how many acres they dug per day?
