Mary MacDonald, of Devils Lake, says she grew up on the family farm 20 miles Northeast of Devils Lake in Noonan Township. She went to school in Noonan Township, too, until she was 16 years old and they moved into Devils Lake. It was her grandparents who homesteaded and established the farm leaving it to Mary’s dad, John Eisele when they had passed. It is still in the family after all these years, owned by a cousin.
“My mother always planted a big garden. I have four sisters, so we helped plant the garden and take care of it; so we were busy in the summer and the fall.
“Some winters such as 1950, we were blocked in except to go by horse and sleigh to school and the neighbors. It lasted for four months. Some of the boys bullied us by teasing us, but I enjoyed being at home with my family. We played games and whist, a card game. We remained on the farm and it is still in the family, owned and farmed by a cousin.”
Editor: In the print edition of this story Noonan (township) and Eisele (Mary’s maiden name) were spelled incorrectly. They are corrected here. We apologize for our mistake. – Louise Oleson, editor DLJ
