Dorothy Van Duzer (b. 1924), Ranch wife, Mother, Grandmother
Blue Lake
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"When I first got married in 1946, I never cooked for two people. I Cooked for three or four – had to feed the hired hands. I started out with a wood cook stove until our son Louie come along. Then I had an electric stove.
One time, an encyclopedia man walked all the way up Liscom Hill – three miles up that hill – to sell encyclopedias. I was out choppin' wood and kindlin' and I was pregnant with Louie and I had the two little girls with me. So I was choppin' away and here this fella comes over and wanted to sell me these encyclopedias and he wouldn't stop talkin'. Just stood there a talkin', talkin', talkin'! And I kept a sayin', 'No, no, I can't afford 'em'. Finally, I turned and I says, 'How much are they, these encyclopedias?' He says '$300.' And I says, '$300! You know sir, if I had $300, I sure as hell wouldn't be out here choppin' kindlin' and wood to start my supper tonight!' He turned around and left." Dorothy Van Duzer (b. 1924), Ranch wife, Mother, Grandmother Blue Lake |
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| "I'll tell you what. Most people involved in agriculture are really good at snuffing out agricultural interest in their kids, because they tell 'em that they can't make money at it. They tell 'em that it’s really hard. They complain about the environmental regulations. They complain about how things were so much better before. The problem is, there’s no hope for the future of agriculture except the imagination of the youth. The imagination of our great grandparents, to come around the horn or across the plains, to come over here and find some ground and figure out how to make a livin' on it - that took imagination. That took courage. The future generation needs to have that same imagination and courage, except … it's an entirely different looking realm. … The really sad part about agriculture, is that people aren’t instilling in kids a hope for a future, because they can’t imagine a future that looks like their past. So, if you could encourage your kids to believe in a future, and take some principles with 'em, but recognize and warn 'em that that future's going to look different, then agriculture has some serious hope!" Jack Rice (b. 1975), Attorney, Rancher Larabee PREVIOUS PAGE [3] | FIRST PAGE |
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