|
(Giese) Biba, Beverly "Bevie" |
Greenfield, WI 53220 Street Address: Contact WebMaster Phone: Contact WebMaster email: Contact WebMaster |
Works part-time Married 1 son Farming Family for 150 years |
June 1954 was graduation day from Greendale High School. My summer was spent helping my father with the farm work. At that time Dad was running 100 acres as a truck farm taking produce to the Mitchell Street Market every Saturday. Early morning was spent watching cows on S 51st St or picking fruits and vegetables. Driving the tractor , baling hay thrashing grain and helping with the corn were all part of the farm chores. I drove a Massey Ferguson tractor and a larger Oliver tractor. I weighed 108 lbs and had to stand up to put the clutch in. It was difficult to back the huge Bell City thrashing machine into our barn, it weighed 1000's of lbs and was very wide. I also took care of the chickens and ducks and the acre of yard work around the house and helped my mother. Fridays were very busy days getting the load ready for the Mitchell Street Farmers Market on 13th and Mitchell where we rented a stall. In preparation we picked, cleaned, sorted and bunched vegetables and picked/packaged fruit, We also sold live chickens and ducks in cages. Many Polish customers preferred live poultry, they wanted to save the blood for a special soup they made called czarmina. Saturdays were very busy we went to the market early to set up the stall and then I helped sell the farm products. I was also junior leader for the Riverside 4-H Club and in my final year I entered many projects and and won several district awards. In September, when most of the farm work for the season was done, I was free to apply for a job. After taking rigorous math and English tests, I was hired for the second job for which I applied but I had to promise not to quit when the spring work began again on the farm. My home room teacher was very disappointed with my decision, she wanted me to apply for a scholarship and go on to college. But economics prevailed. I worked full time for a company called Sacony-Vacuum Oil co. they had lots of overtime. After several name changes Sacony-Vacuum Oil became Evans Oil Company. I worked for them from 1954 to 1974 when they moved to Dallas, Texas. I worked in the Corporation Accounting Ctr and While there I received many promotions and raises. They even sent me to an off premises school to learn some of the jobs to which they assigned me.. While working at Sacony-Vacuum I met people from all over the world. I belonged to the Mobile Club and attended Christmas and formal parties at all the hotels and country clubs in the area. Personal Life: After one year of working and getting my drivers license I got my first car . . . A white Chevy Bel Aire 2 door. I took dance lessons at Author Murray's dance studio and went ballroom dancing 3 times a week. Some of the places were Bert Phillips in Menominee Falls, Muskego Beach, and The Eagles in Milwaukee. I took my first vacation out of state with a neighbor girl friend. We went to Manitou Springs Colorado. While there I met a Texas cowboy roller skating. Later he had me paged at my hotel and asked me to go out with him and find a friend for his friend. They treated us to a lot of sights in the area. One night my date drove us up to Pikes Peak and took out his guitar and serenaded me on the mountainside. The young man had to go back to work and my friend and I had to return to Franklin as our vacation ended. In 1958 after dating 3 different Jims I got engaged to Jim III. In the spring of 1959 Jim and I put our pooled savings down on a brand new house. Jim moved into the house in June as he was renting in Milwaukee, I remained living in the family homestead. We were married on August 8,1959 and then I moved in with him. Until our marriage I lived on the farm and helped out there when I could. Our marriage was a story book event. It was an all day wedding and my dress was made by Eva's from a drawing inspired by my favorite movie "Gone With The Wind". It began with a 11am wedding, lunch for the relatives, pictures at Whitnall Park, a garden reception, dinner at Breezeys Hall in Oak Creek and an evening dance with another late lunch at 11pm. Our honey moon consisted of a trip to The Dells and then to Iowa and Granite county to meet more of Jim's relatives. After a little more than ten years of marriage on May 23 1970 our son Jeff was born . I took a short leave from my job for the birth as my boss at the time did not want me to leave the company permanently. In 1974 the company decided to move the accounting department to Dallas and I had to decide if I wanted to move, the company offered a new job, moving expenses a week house hunting trip and all expenses paid. So after much consideration and many sleepless nights, cajoling from friends and relatives I decided to stay in Wisconsin. At 37 years of age and 20 years of seniority I elected to freeze my retirement. When I turned 65 I got my retirement plus all the stock and I got 1.5 years at full pay. With all the free time I really relished the time off to spend with our son. In the Fall of 1975 I was offered a good job with Wayne Engineering as head bookkeeper and did all the accounting. In 1979 they moved to Madison and again I was looking for a new job. I found work in the engineering department of Miller Brewing Company. I checked contracts for the four new out of state breweries they were building at the time. I worked with 4 sets of accountants in different states. When the new breweries were completed, all of our jobs ended at Miller. Then in 1990 I got a job in the sales and accounting department of Security Link for an Australian man. The company was owned by Ameritech, I worked full time there until I was 65 and took retirement. For ten years during my employment at Ameritech I also worked part time (20 hours a week night and Saturdays) for the Kirby Co. I was retired for six months when a former boss opened up his own company, the Midwest Security and I worked part time for him until January 2008. During our sons growing up I was Den leader for Boy Scouts ran floats in parades, I was Betsy Ross in one fourth of July parade and rode in the Greendale, Franklin, Hales Corners parades and took First prize in all of them. I was the fund raising chairman on various committees, drives to Scout camps, district meetings during this time,, I wore many hats. I also got many scouting honors. In 1988 our son Jeff was the only one from our district that went to the world jamboree in Australia. We stayed with a family in New Zealand. I sewed shirts for all National an World Jamborees. His crowning achievement came on 10-15-88 when our mayor named the day after him in honor of his receiving his Eagle Scout Rating. He attended Platteville College and graduated from there. Since retiring I've taken many trips, One trip was to Branson Missouri to see the Donnie Osmond Show and I was asked to go on stage, I feared I would have to sing but he sang to me and I had my picture taken with him. I took auto trips doing all the driving with my family and took 3 cruises with friends from the Foresters Insurance company which we joined when our son was born. I went first to Alaska then Hawaii and then the east coast. I also like trips now with bus groups. I sing in the church choir. I recently sold the family farm and purchased a rental home in Greendale and a bank building in Wauwatosa. My sister and I also were presented an award at the Wisconsin State Fair for our farm being in the family for over 150 years. I also collected all pictures and material for our family story that is published in the "Franklin book" Which has a section on my mothers side of the family, "the Tretows". |