Edwin Remmick
Son of Edward & Mary, nee Hoffer, Remick
According to my birth certificate, I was born ________ at Streeter, North Dakota. the eldest son of Edward and Mary, nee Hoffer, Remick [sic].
Edwin Remmick's parents, Edward and Mary, nee Hoffer, Remick and in the center his paternal grandmother Pauline, nee Pfaff, Remmick [Roemmich].
My recollection began when I was maybe 5 or 6 years of age. Then I spent summers on my Grandfather Jacob Remmick's* farm in Streeter and during the school year with my parents.
Grandpa [Jacob] Remmick [also spelled Roemmich) raised all kinds of grain, mainly wheat, also, many horses, cattle, and many sheep. Beautiful peacocks roamed freely and were a delightful sight.
Peacock raised by Ed and Lillian Remmick on their farm Peacock Acres.
Now, for my summer work. I received one pair of bid overall, a nickel (or was it a quarter), and enough hay to feed our cow [in town] all winter. Oh, yes, on the 4th of July, I'd probably got a nickel or a dime to help celebrate...
Youngsters today may think I spent all my days at play but is far from true. I worked hard and did a man's job. One of my jobs was to drive a large grain wagon to the grain elevators in Streeter where grain was bought, sold, an, or, stored. It was quite a job for a six year old to handle a team of horses. And, one day, I accidentally dropped one rein and the horses began to run out of control. Well, I climbed down on the wagon tongue in hopes to retrieve the fallen rein only to loose my balance and fall to the ground while desperately holding onto the one rein that was still in my hand. In front of me were the [running team of horse's] steel shod hooves [thundering up and down, up and down]...and behind me the wheels of the wagon. So, there I was hanging on for dear life and just being taken along. [Now and then I'd] pull on the rein I had in my hand which caused the horses to [start] to run in a circle which finally brought them to a stop. I retrieved the fallen rein, shook the grime from my clothes, climbed back onto the wagon and went on my way. I never told a soul, as I certainly had no intentions to receive more punishment for my carelessness.
My early years were lean years...in 1929 the Great Depression came upon us. Many people (some of our most prestigious people of today) became bootleggers in order to survive.
...I spent two years in the first grade and then my first grade teacher moved up to the second grade and kept me there two more years. Was it because she liked me so much and couldn't bare to loose me, or, was it because I couldn't speak English," [German was his first language and what was spoken at home], "when I started school. Anyway, when I moved to more advanced schools, I had a "B" grade or "A"...average so I must assume it wasn't a lack of intelligence. Schools in N. Dakota are considered the poorest in the nation [then]. Our teacher, especially in the country, often had only an eight grade education themselves. However, when I joined the Civil Service Conservation Corps (the 3 C's; CCC) and went to the state of Montana's school (which were rated first in the nation) I was still able to maintain my "B" average while attending high school classes.
Remmick Kids
Back row: Vi [left] and Edwin
Front row: Raymond and Elmer
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