Squire’s Mink Road Farm
On the front porch in circa 1917
Squire and Mary Fishburn.
My Mother would tell me stories about growing up on the farm. These are a few.
Spitting Cotton
When my mother was little, it was her job to take her father Squire’s lunch out to him in the field. On really hot days she would also take him water or some other liquid to drink. As she was leaving the house her mother would tell her, “Now hurry Mary or your father will be spitten Cotton” My Mother never got to see him do that.
chores Mary did on the farm.
Squire’s Model T In front of his Barn.
Sometime around the late 1910’s, Squire had saved up enough money to go into town to buy a “new fangled” Ford Model T motor car. Of course there were no driving schools back then, but the dealer showed Squire how to start, drive and stop his new car. Squire managed to drive it all the way back to the Mink road farm, but forgot how to stop the car. The only way was to crash into the barn. The Model T suffered a badly dented fender and Squire wounded pride.
Squire’s new car as told by my Mother. Just hit the back arrow on YouTube to return here.
Simpy the Lamb
My mother received one of the Spring lambs as a pet one year. She named him Simpy. I have no idea what that means. The lamb would follow my Mother everywhere (no not to school). Mary would run across the farm house porch and Simpy would bound right after her making a terrible racket. This same lamb would later be sold at market with Squire admonishing Mary not to call him by name because “Pet lambs don’t fetch as good a price”. Don’t know if that is true or not.
Simpy’s story in Mary’s own words. YouTube video. Just hit the back arrow to return here.
In 1990, Mary Fishburn Mintier moved from Mount Vernon, Ohio to Novi, Michigan to be nearer her Daughter, Pamela Brown. During the final move, Pamela taped various places in Mount Vernon and Brandon with Mary Fishburn Mintier. These are some clips from that video. The link will take you to YouTube and to return back here, just hit the back arrow on your browser.
Brandon Church and the Graveyard containing the Fishburn Family
Squire Fishburn’s farm as it looked in 1990
Squire Fishburn’s House on Columbus Road in 1990
One of Mary Fishburn Mintier’s favorite songs was “Let Me Call You Sweet Heart” which she could play on the piano and sing it. Though this rendition is not her singing, It reminds me of how she would sing it very much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwiIOPzvTkk