Independence Day

As we were growing up in Ekalaka, Independence Day was a lot of fun and very important to us. We always went out to the Grandparents farm to celebrate. Our cousins, Hans, Gale, Ronald and Doris would always come out with their parents, Joe and Sylvia Christiansen, who lived in Miles City. Sylvia was my mother’s sister.

They couldn’t leave Miles City until after Uncle Joe got off work and they always stopped in Ekalaka as they went. We were usually asleep when they came and they would gather around our beds and yell real loud to scare us. They scared us, but we loved it. Uncle Joe had a machine shop in Miles City.

The next day we would also go to the ranch. The men were as big a fan of fireworks as we kids were. I probably couldn’t describe all the things we would do with firecrackers, but I will try. There was a kind of short lean-to at the back of the icehouse across from the barn. We would put empty cartridges on this and ignite a firecracker in it so they would hit the side of the barn. People at that time were very aware of fireworks safety. We were told, never hold a firecracker. Despite that, Grandpa would hold one with his great gnarled fingers as it blew up. He never suffered any ill effects. Of course, we did sparklers and rockets also. That was lots of fun. I would pack a firecracker into a big ball of mud and then light it and throw it. The mud would splatter everywhere. Once this went off right by my ear and filled my ear with mud.

Of course, fireworks were not the only thing we did. Grandma and the other ladies would fix a great big wonderful feast. There was usually fried chicken. Sometimes there were too many at the table and we kids would have to sit at a small table. The goal was to sit next to Grandpa because of all the tricks he loved to play on us like steal something from our plate until we called him on it and we got it back. One thing he did was to reach over under the table and pinch our leg. One time I didn’t get to sit by Grandpa and a guest, Mrs. Gross, sat next to him. I said to her, “Watch out, Mrs. Gross, Grandpa might pinch your leg.” Everybody thought that was real funny and I got teased about it for years.

We always made a great big batch of homemade ice cream after dinner. We would have several ice cream makers going and got ice from the ice house for it. The men and the bigger boys cranked them. They would trade off as someone got tired. We all loved homemade ice cream, but I usually loved it a little too much. If I ate too much, which I usually did, I would get sick and throw up in bed that night. My mother, a very stern woman, would very kindly clean me up, put on new covers and tuck me back in bed. I always said that was what earned her the fact of me and my wife taking care of her for the last nine months of her life.

I will say a little something about the ice house. In the winter, men would cut ice from Boxelder Creek or a reservoir and store it in the ice house. There were tarps and sawdust between layers. Then as needed a block of ice was brought in for the ice box or other uses. It was wonderful to play in the ice house on a hot day. Sometimes we would reach down and bring out a little piece of ice to suck on.

Now, of course we have electric or gas refrigerators and power homemade ice cream makers. All in all, I think it is better today but sometimes I miss those days.