My Father

Lewis George Honomichl My father was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. The family had come from Czechoslovakia. Looking for better living, they moved to Wilson, Kansas. However, that was the time when the Dust Bowl attacked and the Depression came on. Somehow after he served time in France during World War I, he ended up in Iowa working on the Milwaukee Railroad as a freight conductor. My father and mother were married when they were in their early thirties. My father was a very precise and neat man. He only had an 8th grade education. His handwriting was beautiful and spelling always correct. He kept his Mileage Book up to date. His pocket watch was taken to the jewelers monthly to keep correct time. He was proud of his Hamilton pocket watch on its beautiful gold chain. Once Mom had left the ironing board up, so he took his “folding money” and pressed it. We teased him about it for a long time. He also had an Indian Head Penny collection which he kept in his smoking box. I’ll never forget when he showed me a hundred dollar bill!! I didn’t know we were so rich!! More Thoughts On My Father We always had a nice car. My father kept it very clean, putting on seat covers when it was new. The oil was always changed on time. He wanted me to learn to drive so handed me the keys after a few days of practice and told me to drive up and down the driveway until I was ready to take the driver’s test. When I passed my test at age 13, he taught me how to change a tire and to read a map. I think he was a frustrated doctor. He always took care of our scrapes and bumps. He would rock us in his big chair smoking his pipe then blowing the warm air in our ears that ached! He would paint our sore throats with iodine using a chicken feather to apply the medication - ugh!! He had been raised on a farm. He would plant many vegetables on our half acre. Again everything was neatly organized in rows and no weeds were allowed. Dad was a kind gentle man who would have time for each of us. We were fortunate to be raised in a happy family atmosphere!!