Category Archives: Farming

The Country I Grew Up In

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Myrna Folkert

I miss the country I grew up in. I went to elementary school in a tiny Midwest town called Hamilton. Mrs. Ferris sat down on the piano bench after lunch and taught us every word of the Star Spangled Banner … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, faith, faithful members of our community, Family, Farming, God bless the USA, God our Father, God's faithfulness, Hymns, listening prayer, Mrs. Marguerite Miller, music, Patriotism, piano playing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A Tribute To My Dad

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Myrna Folkert

I’ve been thinking about my dad this week, because he died just before Thanksgiving, seventeen years ago. My old-fashioned Dutch dad was a stoic, hard-working farmer. I can’t remember my dad ever telling me in words that he loved me. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dad, Death, Family, Farming, Father loss, Grief and loss | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Myrna Folkert

Gerrit Kleinheksel and his wife Bertha set their minds to building a big sturdy farmhouse in 1905. The deep dark pine was abundant and the fresh scent of sawdust filled the air as the handsaws sliced back and forth. The … Continue reading →

Posted in ancestors, Ancestry, Childhood, Dad, faith, Family, Farming, Father loss, God's faithfulness, Grief and loss, Memories, mother loss, piano playing, trust in God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Happy Birthday Dad

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Myrna Folkert

Dear Dad, Happy Birthday Dad! It would be your 95th birthday today and I am thinking about your past life, and what it would possibly be today. If you wouldn’t have had to begin suffering strokes and then finally die … Continue reading →

Posted in ancestors, Ancestry, Childhood, Dad, Death, faith, Family, Farming, Father loss, Grief and loss, listen, Marriage Commitment, Memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The Pretty Place

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Myrna Folkert

 The overgrown trail was dotted with purple, white and yellow in the spring. The whole area was called the “gullies.” Grabbing unto tree branches along the way, my senses filled  deeply with the grassy muddy smell. In the famous movie “Chronicles … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Farming, God our Father, God's faithfulness, God's protection, Grief and loss, Memories, mother loss, prayer, sister loss, Springtime | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Her Hands On Those Keys

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Myrna Folkert

It’s a symbol of a life well lived. As I sit down I can imagine my mom sitting on the exact same bench. I lay my hands on the keys and close my eyes. It’s soothing to touch the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Family, Farming, Grief and loss, Hope, Mom, mother loss, Mother's Day, Motherless Daughters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A Harvest Night

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Myrna Folkert

That fall feeling was in the air. The smell of corn husks and leaves. The chill that makes you pull your coat closed. Maybe I was 8 or 9 years old. Often I’d sit on top of the warm pile … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Farming, Siblings | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments