National 4-H Leaders Forum- IFYE Alumni Assn.- 72 World IFYE Conference- Patrick & The Tornado- Barbwire & Model Trains- Hideout- Move to Argonia

Part of KS. delegation with Senator Bob Dole
Mary & I are at the left front of the picture

NATIONAL 4-H LEADERS FORUM----In April 1975’, we had been married less than a year,  Mary & I attended a National Leaders Forum in Washington D.C. along with 71 other 4-H leaders from Ks.  We met leaders from N.Y., Conn, Ind, Vermont & W. Va. We quickly developed the reputation as 'Love Birds'.   Our 
73-member Kansas delegation descended on a D.C. Restaurant, late at night just after our plane had landed, they were totally unprepared for such a crowd.  Mary & I took a table towards the back & were holding  hands & talking while the waitresses rushed  around serving all the others, finally someone noticed us & ask if we had been waited on, we said “No, but it’s ok”.  They apologized for missing us but we didn’t mind.  We had crackers because they had run out of bread, they had ran out vegetables but had some kind meat and potatoes so we got a little food.

    We had 4-H Sessions & met several Kansas Senators & Representatives, one being Bob Dole who was a Kansas U.S. Senator for many years.  Our Kansas group met with him & after he had visited for a while he ask us to wait, as he wanted to bring someone to meet us.  Every one was more than surprised when he walked in with Billy Graham the Evangelist.  Billy Graham ask a few question about our reason for being in D.C. & about the Forum we were attending.  We also visited the National 4-H Center where Larry had attended sessions before going to India.  Some of those involved were still at the Center so I was glad to be able to introduce Mary to them.

  

         KANSAS IFYE ALUMNI ASSN.--I had been active in the Ks. IFYE Assn. since returning from India.   Before we were married I was elected it's Vice President & served several years.   It was a natural progression to go from V. P. to President & I’m sure that would have happened, but, I wasn't sure how much time that might mean away from Mary & Patrick, or how difficult it would be for them to travel with me across the U.S. & perhaps abroad.  I know there were those who were disappointed when I started to make it known I didn’t intend to step into the office of President.  Mary & I did continue to attend the Feast of Nations each year in which returning Ks. IFYE reported on their countries & send offs were held for the outgoing IFYE's.  Mary & I always wore our India Clothing.  These ‘Feast of Nations’ were held at Rock Springs Ranch 4-H Center.  It was a custom wear National clothing & bring food dishes from your IFYE Country.  Which for me was Briyani.  A mixture of rice, goat meat, a variety of vegetables & spices.  As years went by fewer people wore the clothing & bringing food eventually ceased & meals were catered.  For several years we  attended the Food Sales at the Ks. State Fair where  food entries were sold & the proceeds went to the IFYE Assn. for  expenses of outgoing IFYE's.  One year I was on the committee for selecting outgoing Ks. IFYE's for the coming year.  I was a on the Committee that made the decision for Ks. to join the LABO Exchange Program from Japan.  The State 4-H Office felt they couldn’t undertake it without the IFYE Assn.’s help.

   
1972 WORLD IFYE CONFERENCE--  was in Fort Collins, Colo.  The Ks. IFYE’s took hand crank ice cream freezers.  I got 6 of 14.  Most just brought l or 2.  We took all the ingredients too.  One afternoon was scheduled for freezing ice cream.  Each freezer was used 3-4 times,making over 50 freezers of homemade ice cream.  Only 3 were cranked backwards. There were 4-5 of us explaining to each group of 5-6 people how to mix & the ingredients & freeze it.   One group would fix a freezer & while they were eating theirs another group would freeze one.  Only a few IFYE’s who had been to the U.S. had eaten homemade Ice Cream & none had ever made it.  This was true for many U.S. IFYE’s  as well. 

      

Mary & my combine at Folks tornado

 PATRICK & THE TORNADO--  ‘’A twister came and stripped them clean.’’  Patrick was born 8 days early.  We kinda expected him to be after the due date as we kept hearing the first baby is often late.  So we had started out to see Mary's mom who was in the hospital in Wichita.  Between Mayfield and Wellington Mary mentioned she  wasn't feeling well, maybe she was coming down with something.  So I said we're stopping in Wellington at the Dr.'s office, I don't want you getting sick just when Patrick is due.   I explained to  the Doctor what had been planned.  He checked Mary over  & he said, “I don't think your going anywhere. We are going to be having a baby.”  Patrick came quickly. I often thought if we had gone on to Wichita he would have been born on the way to Wichita.  He was born at 11:57 a.m. June 12th.

     At wheat harvest Mary & I started a few days before Dad at Argonia or vice versa, one  would go help the other start & then  whoever got done first would help the other finish.  Dad's wheat was ready at Argonia so I moved the combine & truck to Argonia. We had cut a few acres of wheat by the time for Mary and Patrick to come home from the hospital.

     Lots of people would come to my folks on the first days before the straw would get dry and we could cut all day.  We’d stop late in the afternoon & have a wiener roast & perhaps homemade ice cream.   Dad's sister Juanita & Husband Maurice would come down from Wichita & sometimes other Paxson relatives.  Cheryl's Mom and Dad would come out from Argonia.  Some of Cheryl's brothers and their family would often come out.  We figured about 30 had planned to come the day Mary & Patrick came home from the hospital but all canceled saying my folks should go see the new grandson.  I went to get Mary & Patrick & my folks came over later, stayed awhile & then went home.  It turned out to be a rainy, stormy evening & about the time Mom Dad turned North of Argonia to go home their farm was hit by a tornado.  A neighbor to the south, Charley Parker, had watched & said it was hit twice.  He saw a funnel hit the farm, cross the road & pick up at the creek & seconds later another was back on the ground at the farmstead.  Either the tail had swung around or another funnel had dropped out of the sky.  Afterwards we counted 14 building & the house had been destroyed.  From an old outhouse to a big steel round top.

     We often thought Patrick's coming home might have saved someone’s life or injury.  We figured  at the time about 30 people would have been playing cards & making lots of noise at the time the tornado. It would have taken some time to get 30 people into mom & dads cellar outside or perhaps we might not have heard it coming.

       The impact of the tornado on my folks was tremendous.  They really missed everything that was blown away & every summer thereafter when a rain would come up you could see concern & nervousness arise.  I never missed the buildings or place after the tornado, it didn't look like any place  I had  seen.  It looked like a huge giant had come in & wrapped his hand around tree trunks & stripped off all the branches.  Nothing looked familiar.  Mary & my combine was sitting in the exact spot it was parked only upside down, like a giant had put his hand under it, picked it up & slammed it upside down.

    ‘’But he found a family Bible, Faith as solid as a stone’’---- In days following the tornado people from all over would drive by.  They would walk neighboring fields & pastures bringing in small items like silverware & pictures.  A skillet with the handle gone was the biggest thing found.  What amazed me was the number of Bibles that were found, one that I received in Sunday school that I hadn't seen in probably 20 years.  The folks had bought a set of encyclopedias that included an adult & childrens set with research books as well, over 30 books in all I figured,  3 were brought in.  There was close to a dozen  Bibles brought in.  We kids had gotten several given to us at church plus those we'd bought.  Back then Gideons would give out pocket Bibles in Schools.   I often thought it was God's way of saying even though you have been through a disaster I am with you.    

    What I missed was intangible things.  Like after going fishing in the creek in McDaniel’s pasture & thinking I would go clean fish in Mom's back sink only to remember it's wasn’t there anymore, or after helping Dad cut wheat for a day & thinking how good it would feel to take a shower in their garage only to remember it was gone.  It was little things I'd think of doing and then realize I couldn't do that anymore were the things I really missed.

          

Santa Fe- Pax's Division

BARBWIRE FOR MODEL TRAINS-----I had quit the barbwire hobby because everyone wanted to sell & all the fun of trading, swapping & visiting was gone.  I had taken my collection to Mayfield & it was hanging  in the garage.  An elderly fellow from Mayfield stopped by & ask about buying it. I hesitated & told him why I had quit collecting, everyone wanting to sell instead of trading.  He said he was thinking of starting with his grandson & would  like to buy it.  I told him I would think about it.  Patrick was a couple years old & I  had started thinking about model railroading.  The Santa Fe rail line went through our fields so watching all the trains & keeping track of 40’ boxcar from different R.R. lines cut down on the monotony of  going around, & around, & around, & around....... the field.  I got to seriously thinking about buying model railroad stuff.  So I contacted the fellow in Mayfield.  He ask how much my barbwire collection was worth.  I said probably $450 minimum, but I wouldn't feel right asking that for it.  I figured  $200 would  get all the model railroad stuff needed, plywood, tracks, switches, power box, buildings, train engines & R.R. cars.  So I suggested $200 as a price.  He ask if he could pay $50 a month out of his retirement check.  I said sure, thinking I could spend the $50 and take  a month building on what that bought.  Mary got me a model steam engine for Christmas and I started painting R.R. cars for our made-up Colorado Springs & Osage Beach R.R. named after two of our favorite vacation spots.  I got stuff from a hobby shop in Wichita.  At Mayfield the layout was small, 4' x 8' since it was in a bedroom. When we moved to Argonia the R.R. moved to the backroom of the garage with a 4' x 8' piece on each end with a 3' x 10' piece connecting them.  Then it really grew.  We bought Santa Fe since it was what run through the fields, Burlington Northern for Patrick, eventually SOO Line for Jason and Rock Island for Jonathan,  It was a lot of work keeping everything  running.  The brass track had to be polished every time we ran the train & things were getting more expensive at the Hobby Shop.  With 3 young boys running trains there was also a lot of repairs.   

Our Santa Fe pass,  we exchanged over 900 in 5 yrs.

We had passes made for our model trains like the ones that were used on actual railroads in their heyday.  Passes that were given to important people so they could ride the trains free. Ours were:  Santa Fe, O.B. & C.S., Hallelujah Traih ,[family], Burlington Northern [Patrick] , SOO Line [Jason], Rock Island [Jonathan]  Each was given a Divisional title to connect it with our family.
We traded these by mail, Patrick, Jason & I.  We  exchanged passes with someone in every state in the U.S., every Canadian Province but one & 15 countries around the world.  By the time Paul was born we had quit running the trains, Train engines that cost  $30-35 in 1975 cost $125, track was starting to need replaced.   When we moved from the house at 518 S. Main to the one at 522 S. Main.  The R.R. trains became a collection display in the basement. 

Our V.W. Camper that followed the pickup camper
{lft-rht} Mom & Jonathan, Alan, Bev Littchum, Arlene & Jennifer, Dad

       

Doing dishes at the Hideout

Patrick, Larry, Mary and our slide in Camper we
had when we first went to the Hideout 

THE HIDEOUT-- Uncle Maurice & Aunt Juanita Littchum started the Paxsons going camping over at the Hideout on the Ninnescah River by Oxford, Ks  before we were married.   I had a folding trailer camper.  After our honeymoon with the slide in camper, Mary & I got an overhead camper for our pickup.   Mary & I and Maurice & Juanita had tents we would take so other Paxson relatives could stay all night if they wished.  We usually went over on a Friday night for a campfire.  Sat. & Sun. we cooked on the campfire & with Maurice & Juanita's camp stove & some in our camper.  There were things to do at the Hideout. There were children’s swings. A sack swing that hung from a huge cottonwood tree was a big thrill.  The platform you climbed to get on the swing was some 10-12 feet off the ground, for a few years they had  3-wheelers to ride,  there were other swings for kids.  They had all kinds of antique decorations around the campground, many with flowers in them. We did a little fishing.  We would play softball around the trees & pitch horseshoes.  Those that were usually there were Maurice, Juanita, Steve, Bev & Sandy Littchum, Mary, myself & later Patrick &  Jason, my folks, Arlene & Matt , Alan & Cheryl would  come sometimes.  Other cousins would included Carol Ann, Joyce, maybe once in awhile Jonnie, Jerry or Jim.  

     
THE MOVE TO ARGONIA--Mary & I had farmed at Mayfield 4 years when Mary's Mom remarried.  She married Walter Burkhart who lived at South Haven.  Walter had a son named Ernest who began to talk to Mary's mom, Marian about farming the farm at Mayfield, telling her he could do a better job of farming.  He kept bugging her so Mary & I released the contract we had so she could rent it to Ernest & we bought the house Mary & her mom had lived in at 518 S. Main, Argonia. I started working at Cessna Aircraft.  We talked of maybe farming my folks farm when they retired but we sold all our machinery to pay off some debts & the opportunity to farm my folks farm never arose.  The irony of it was Ernest only farmed a few more years before he went belly up.