The Drumms and the Jewells
The Drumm family lived down a very long lane that ran beside the Jewell farm. There were 14 Drumm children and 7 Jewell children.
The kids, together with their parents, visited back and forth. Evelyn Drumm and Sarah Jewell would help each other out, throughout the years, assisting each other through child-bearing and with the many children. The Drumm kids and the Jewell kids were around the same ages and played together.
After a hard day's work
During the warm summer months, the Drumm and Jewell boys would meet at the ‘old swimming hole’ (Louis Lee’s pond) of an evening to skinny dip. The older Drumm boys had to help out on the baler each day (Dad Drumm did custom baling) and a summer evening swim was great for all. However, girls were never allowed, naturally, although later on they were allowed to go once a year and the boys did wear a kind of swim trunk for that.
The hay in any barn was a great place for them all to make tunnels, especially if you did not want to be found. If anyone had an accident, it would have been bad as no one would know where you were.
Gloria Drumm, along with Ina and Nina Jewell had great times on one bicycle – riding three to a bike. They had a few spills riding that way. It has been said that whenever one of the girls had a stick of gum, it was offered to the other two to chew for awhile, taking turns. (You gotta remember times were tough then).
The families got together many times in the summer on Sunday nights to make ice cream. Everyone had to take a turn turning the crank. Once, Wilma Jewell got her small finger caught in the gears and off came the tip. She did get it sewed back on.
Some of the Drumms and Jewells went camping at Indian Lake to fish and swim in the summer.
The two families together, almost filled a school bus. During the winter, Sarah would invite the Drumm’s into the house to wait for the bus. They walked down the long lane to catch it; imagine the little ones were worn out by the time they got to the end.
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