Written by: Doris Davis Harnisch

“My grandparents James and Rose Davis were past owners of a donation land claim. Other places were part of this. Walt and I bought part of the Harnisch Farm and built a house in 1948 about a block from Conner School. WE have one or two ancestors buried in the old cemetery on the Bond Farm.

“My earliest memory of Conner School was when I was in the 3rd grade. We had a horse and buggy for transportation for about 2 years. I remember my sister and I sitting on a box in front of my parents who were on the seat. How nice our old used car was when we got it.

“When we finished the 8th grade we did a county test at school to get our diploma. Conner School was one room for all grades. Later the old building was used for a gym. A two-room school was built. Our daughter Janice attended school there for 3 years. It was then that Conner District consolidated with Jefferson. The old building burnt down. The old building was finally sold and used as homes for families. The first years of our marriage we didn’t have electricity. We farmed with horses and finally bought a tractor. We raised a small acreage of sugar beets for seed. We cut them early in the morning so seed wouldn’t shatter. We had help picking up cut ones, laying them back before the mower came around again. Another crop was flax. That didn’t last long. We hired it pulled and had help around the field cutting out any weeds. It was in bundles.

“What a change in farming now! During the war years we raised lots of cannery crops: corn, squash, table beet, dill and mint for oil, sugar beet seed. WE hired help to get out weeds by hand weeding. We did not use any sprays in those days.

“One day we were working in our carrots when Walt called out, “Hit the dirt!” What a sight to see us all flat on the ground. We looked up and saw a large swarm of bees passing over. We had lots of laughs over this.

“I spent many days in the field with the help. We appreciated the good help of the Pisheck family.”