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1931-2006 |
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Robert John Kazmer |
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Robert John Kazmer |
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God blessed them with more children Thomas was born in December of that year followed by Theodore, Karen, Joni, and Walter.
Mira and Robert decided to look for some land in Wisconsin for vacations. While doing their research, the schools started changing. Drugs were moving into the schools. They found a farm in Elkhorn and after much research and study, decided to go into farming {an Egg laying operation, to be exact} to get the children away form the bad influences of the time. They built the largest chicken house in the Mid-west at the time. The building was a Chicago block long, and housed 24,000 laying hens. As a matter of fact, all 24,000 chickens produced at 100 % for 6 days, something unheard of at that time. Egg companies sent experts to visit the farm to see how Robert did it.
Charley and Rita were born at this time. The farm was hard work, 18+ hr days for Robert and egg picking and grading for the older siblings. We loved the family gathering of cousins because they loved to pick eggs, which meant we could play. Mira had Aunt Clara, to help out with the children and Aunt Lottie would come down from Chicago to help out once in a while.
Robert sold eggs to distributors and he developed his own clientele ranging from local all the way to Chicago. He’d take one of the older kids with him to help make deliveries when he could and we’d always stop some place special to eat.
Life was good, one year he bought us skis, lessons, and season passes. We had a horse and a pony and great neighbors, there was hunting during pheasant season and skeet shooting. What could go wrong?
Just when life seemed so perfect, something happens to humble you. A slipped disk put Robert in the hospital for 5 weeks, the egg scare came along and crushed egg prices to the point where it cost more to feed the birds than the eggs were worth. He planned to diversify by having a veal calf operation. ¾ of the way through, with a veal buyer contracted, a hurricane wind ripped through the Midwest and destroyed the chicken house. Pieces of the building were blown hundreds of yards away. Walls and cages with chickens in them were crushed. Egg grading equipment and the refrigeration unit was destroyed. |