Harold George SCHMERSE

6. Harold George Schmerse born 1 Apr 1911, Orangeville, Illinois, Farmer, married 28 Feb 1934, in Orangeville, Illinois, Pauline Peck, born 9 Dec 1912. Harold was born on the old homestead, he arrived just in time to help with the spring works. His brown eyes and brown hair, he went to Brush Creek Grade School with the rest of us. As a kid he was never as strong as the rest of us, so the folks decided to send him to high school. He rode horse back for 3 ½ miles each way. After the second year he discovered he was smelling horsey and the girls didn't take to it, so he quit high school shortly after Mother passed away, and Harold was made chief cook, and he held that position until Dad married Martha. It wasn't too long until he left home, and for 4 years he worked for W.R.Angle, and he discovered a cute gal, and hang it all they were married and moved on Dad's farm. This was in the heart of the great depression and the dollar was about the size of the moon. We all went thru these years. They farmed 2 years and bought a blacksmith shop and sold Massey Harris machinery. Later they moved to a farm at Durand, Illinois, which they had made into a super farm and show place. Their son and Betty bought the home place (in 1981), that hard work, sweat, and bitter tears as well as much joy and happiness built as their heritage to their family. Harold and his grandson Tim started "Schmerse Lawn & Garden", a small store and shop, where they sell lawn and garden equipment, chainsaws and trimmers and do all kind of repair works. As a hobby, Harold has a collection of over forty old gasoline engines, ranging from one horsepower to six horsepower. Some of them are quite old, the oldest is a 1903. 307 W Main Street, Durand, IL 610249581, USA

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