Velda Hiebert

Velda Klein Hiebert began compiling notes and stories for her funeral and obituary as early as 2006. The following is largely in her own words.

My parents were Ephraim J. Klein and Agnes Hein Foth Klein. I grew up on a farm in the Ebenfeld community and I went to the Ebenfeld Church. There was a school right across the road, Ebenfeld School, and that’s where I went for eight years. I was baptized by G.W. Lohrenz and joined the Ebenfeld Church. I grew up bilingual, English and low German. After regular school, we had two weeks of German school and, one year, folks let me go and I learned to count and do the ABC’s in German, but otherwise I didn’t learn any high German.

We had about forty kids in school, and it went for eight months. I remember we had spelling bees, and we had the Marion County Music Festival.

Our school Christmas program was about two days before; the older boys went across the road to the church and they cut down small trees (or big branches) and they brought them into the school – and, boy, did they ever smell good! We made ropes with red and green crepe paper to hang across the classrooms (red and green are still my favorite colors) and we set the tree in a big sandbox, and it was filled with presents the night of our program.

And we would put on school programs but I always got the reading part – or we would have dramas. I would usually be Mary in the nativity play. It took me a while to catch on why I always got the speaking parts – the teacher would always walk up and down and she would listen to us singing. And I found out I couldn’t carry a tune! One year, we went to Abilene and our group sang over the radio and, guess what?, I got to read!

And, the last day of the school year was always a picnic; and we had all kinds of races: foot races, three-legged races and just running races – and prizes would be candy bars.

When we had my family Christmas we had a meal, gift exchange and before we left for home we would sing, “Nun Ist Sie Erschienen.” That became our theme song and now it isn’t Christmas until I hear that song. We still sang it when there were only 2 or 3 left.

Growing up on a farm we had a lot of fruit trees. We would save the apricot pits, wash them and dry them on a window screen. Also with the mulberries we would wash them and dry the seeds. When we had enough we would take the seeds and pits to Vogt’s grocery store; they would buy them and send them to a seed company. That would be my spending money. I also had to pick potato bugs off of the plants and drop them into a can of kerosene. Maybe I’d get a nickel for doing that. Big money in those days. You could buy an ice cream cone for that.

We were poor, only we didn’t know it; we had a big garden; we had fruit trees; we canned; we had chickens and milk and eggs, but we were too poor for the folks to send us to high school or college, or whatever, so I worked as a hired girl helping women clean in the spring because we always heated with coal or wood and that made smoke – so we would have to wash everything, including the curtains and windows. Then I got a job as a nanny for about two years: I lived with the people and all I did was take care of the little baby; she was a few months old when I started.

After graduating from school, Mom put up a quilt to teach me how to quilt.

At age 17 I moved to Hillsboro with my parents. Soon after the move I went to Albuquerque, New Mexico to help my sister Linda and husband Ezra Eitzen doing housework, taking care of 2 small boys and working in the motel. I would sometimes bake pies for the restaurant next door. While I was working for my sister, I got a letter from a dentist here in town that there was a job opening and, if I wanted it, I should reply. I was about ready to come back to Hillsboro anyway, so I worked for Dr. Herbert Eitzen as a dental assistant for four years – and that’s where I met Melvin because he came in to have some work done on his teeth.

In 1946 Melvin and his brother Leroy bought a filling station in Manitou Springs, Colorado. I joined them in 1947. Melvin and I were married by Rev. L.C. Miller in Colorado City, Colorado during that time. I worked as a cashier in a restaurant next door and also pumped gas for customers. We moved back to Hillsboro 1948 where our 2 sons Jack and Edward were born. I was a stay-at-home mom until they reached high school, when I started my career working in the hospital, working in various departments and shifts 30 years. I worked as a central supply technician until I retired. Then I started my career as a full time quilter. My customers ranged from the East Coast to the West Coast North and South and in between. I won prizes in county fairs and state fairs. I never advertised. It was all word of mouth. I enjoyed traveling to the West Coast, to the East Coast. We took vacations with the children. Canada and Hawaii. I did volunteering at the Senior Center, Et Cetera Shop and Camp Mennosca.

I had 14 half-brothers and sisters all of whom preceded me in death. Lots of nieces and nephews.

Now old age has finally caught up with me. I love you all. Bye for now until we meet again, Velda.