BOYER, KATHLEEN IONE (PEARMAN)

Kathleen I. (Pearman) Boyer the 6th of seven children born to W.C. (Prunes) Pear-man and Lean (Kerns) Pearman was born

1924 in Cherry County, Nebraska. Dr. Roth with the assistance of Mrs. Bill Shears helped bring “Kat'' into this world.

Her childhood was spent on what was called the Murrey Place, about 5 miles NorthEast of the Fay James homestead. She went to school at the Virginia School through the 8th Grade then went to the Mullen Public School through High School. Sometime during her High School years they moved NorthWest of Seneca which now belongs to Hanna. Their neighbors at the Murrey place were Haskel Boyer, Faye James, Loy James, Ellie and Helen Long, Fred Downings, Ed Bullingtons, Giles and Phillips.

Kat worked outside more than inside. She milked around 5 to 6 cows before school and always after school. She did most of the riding after cattle. They also had chickens, Turkeys, hogs and a real good dog which was excep-tionally smart. They never went to town only about twice a year and that was by team and wagon. Most of their pasttime was spent at Ellis and Helen Longs. On Saturday nights they would play cards till around daylight. The kids crawled under hay and big quilts to stay warm on the way home. When they arrived her mother would heat the wood burning stove to get the house warm again.

On Sundays when there was church ser-vices at Virginia School house we would walk to church. Lee Boyer was the minister which we really enjoyed his sermons. Mom made Pauline and I a white pique suit with a green dotted swiss blouse to wear to church. She sewed all our dresses and clothes and did a very good job. I remember her getting a catalogue out and looking at pictures of dresses and start cutting away. When it was finished it was just like the picture.

Many Sundays during the summer we would go down on the river by Kelso and pick berries all day. Ellis Long and family would go with us and Dad would get bologna, bananas, and cheese for our lunch. We always gathered many tubs full of berries. On Monday we would begin to work the berries and plums into jelly and jam. We did the cooking on a wood burning stove.

Also on Mondays we usually washed on a wash board and a moon shaped washer which we turned by hand. On Tuesdays we ironed with hot irons which would take many hours. We always cleaned house on Saturdays.

Mother always planted a garden and canned many fruits and vegetables. We had a barrel in the milk house where running water from a windmill kept our butter and cream cool for the summer.

We used to attend many barn dances in the neighborhood. On Sundays Mom wouldn't know how many to expect for breakfast, as men would come out of haystack where they had slept overnight. She always managed to stir up some biscuits and gravy for all that was there.

My childhood was a happy time with a loving Mother and Father. My dad loved nicknames, so each of us had one. Since I worked more outside he used to call me Sam, but my real name is Kathleen better known as Kat to everyone. In June 1941, I was married to Stanley N. (Buck) Boyer.