The Rainford Family Timeline - In Process
1942
The Second World War began on Dec 7, 1941 and Donnie Labrie enlisted in Navy on June 16, 1942, right after high school graduation. In fall of 1942, the Rainford family moved from the West Farm in section 17 of Prairie Center Township to East Farm in section 13 of Prairie Center Township. This East Farm was larger with one square mile [640 acres] of land and it had a larger house and barn. Plus, there was a barn for sheep and hogs and cattle barn for shelter when weather was severe, so we were able to increase the herd to 50 head of stock cows.
Our perfect pony was born about this time and we named him Pronto. His mother was a purebred bay Hambeltonian trotter named Mabel that we acquired from a breeder in Huron S.D. The pony's father was a purebred Shetland owned by Chet Seaman of Doland S.D. Pronto was a very intelligent horse with a lot of gentle common sense; white with brown and black spots. Pronto was taught many tricks: to kneel so little kids could get on; to rear up on hind legs at a tug on reins; to come to you when you whistled.
He was spirited when older kids rode him for sorting livestock but with young unsure riders he was so careful and gentle. If the rider began to slip or fall off, he would just stop. We believe he lived until 1954 so even the youngest child [Delaine] got to ride him.
1943
In 1943, Clyde Rainford went to Mayo Clinic and was diagnosed with cancer on his left hand. They removed the lesion and some lymph nodes but research and treatment for cancer was very limited.
1944
Duane enlisted in the navy in 1944. It seemed everyone had gone to war; they even drafted 42-year old men who did not have a family. At threshing time, 14-year old Darrel hired out on threshing crew to haul bundles was paid $1.00 an hour. WOW!!! Darrel thought he was rich. The school schedule was a problem for Darrel since he did not join his high school class until about November 1. Then in spring, he would leave school early to help plant the crop and spring plow. By Christmas of sophomore year he just stayed home year around to help the folks farm as Clyde's health was deteriorating.
We were fortunate to be able to purchase a second tractor, a new Alice Chalmers [B]. Getting that tractor was pure luck or pure need, since all metal was tied up for war effort.
1945
The Second World War ended and rationing was letting up although farmers were better off than townspeople. We were fortunate to have several more siblings in our family getting old enough to keep the farm humming.
1946
Clyde and Darrel and siblings kept the farm going from 1944 to 1948. Clyde reminisced about the earlier years since Darrel was only 5 to 8 years old in the dirty thirties. Darrel was allowed to keep and care for one brood sow as his own, so in the fall when pigs were sold Clyde and Darrel purchased a Willy's Jeep which we used on the farm for many years. Donnie was discharged from the Navy.
The price of grain stayed up even after the war because America had a 'LEND-LEASE' program and the Marshall plan to rebuild war-torn countries. We were able to rent 160 acres across highway 37 to bring our acreage to 800 acres.
1947
We purchased a new Massey Harris self-propelled combine and sold our International Harvester #12 combine which had been in use since 1932. Duane was discharged from the Navy.
We rented 80 acres of hay land on Section #16 of Prairie Center Township which was 2 to 3 miles west of the farm. In every township, sections #16 and #36 were reserved school sections that were not sold to farmers but were rented as income to the school system.
1948
In March 1948, our youngest sister Delaine was born at Huron Hospital, the only one of our family to be born at a hospital.
In April and May of 1948, we helped Dolly's brother (Lawrence LaBrie) put in his crop as his health was poor. Lawrence died in May.
On June 24, 1948 Clyde Rainford died. After the funeral Dolly informed the kids Duane Rainford would be coming back home to run the farm. It was obvious there was not enough income on a 640-acre farm to support two families. This became apparent, for there was a consumption of capital between 1948 and 1957 when mom had a farm auction sale. The family on the farm scattered. Dona Jeanne went to Omaha, Nebraska with Marguerite Galbreath to work in a restaurant. Later she worked at West Side Café and Jim Lovelace café in Doland SD. In fall of 1948, Darrel took a contract with Lawrence's widow (Evelyn "Mac" LaChance) to farm her 480 acres. Darrel could rent 160 acres and use her machinery to plant and harvest the rented acreage. We were acquainted with the LaBrie land since we had helped plant the crop that spring.
In the fall of 1948 Duane did come back to the farm. However, he stayed only 2 or 3 weeks; decided he was not really a farmer at heart and went back to Pennsylvania.
Donny was able to rent the 320 acres across the road just west of Dolly's farm and he was able to park his tractor in Mom's yard instead of leaving it out in the field.
1949
Dona Jeanne was working at café in Doland when Dolly went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Jeanne came home to care for the kids and keep farm humming.
1949
In fall of 1949, Darrel's wheat crop failed because of a bad weed; that ended his farming career. In December married Bonnie La Chance of Turton and then worked for big farmer at Northville SD in 1950 and 1951.
1950
Dwight graduated from Doland High School and stayed at home until he enlisted in the Army Airborne in 1954.
1951
Dona Jeanne married Everett Felderman and Dolly lost a fast cow milker, as Dona Jeanne could beat the boys. Fortunately about this time a new milking machine was installed and the cream separator was moved from the house to a room on the end of milking parlor.
This was a wise move that saved effort. We did not have to haul buckets of milk uphill to house to separate it and then haul it back to barn to feed calves and pigs. The Rural Electrification Act (R.E.A.) brought electricity to farms in 1949. There may have been an electric motor installed on the separator by then so they did not have to hand-crank it. Dee-Dee always claimed she milked all the cows all the time but never disclosed the fact she did it with a milking machine!
In the fall of 1951 Darrel got a draft notice to go to the army. Bonnie's brother Dennis told him to enlist in Air Force for four years rather than army for 2 years. His reasoning was in the army you sleep in the mud and they shoot at you and do not teach you anything. So Darrel signed up for the Air Force and got a career from the training.
Right after Dardy finished eighth grade, she and Jean Kraus took the job of cleaning the school house for $50. She put a chair on the teacher's desk to reach the ceiling and of course slopped water, then slipped and fell. She put her left elbow through the window and cut it up pretty good. She drove home that 2 blocks and Dwight took her to Redfield to get stitches.
Dardy went to Billings, Montana, that summer for a month with her Uncle Cal and Gail. She came home on the train to Aberdeen.
1952
Need more stories from siblings
1953
On Nov. 2 1953, Darlene married Roger Kahle so Dolly lost a good farm hand who always pitched in to tie the loose ends together. Dwight and Delmar could do the farming although Delroy was 14 and Dee-Dee was only 12.
1954
South Dakota had never required a drivers' license until 1953. Now a 15 year old who had 50 cents and could sign his name could acquire a driver's license (no test needed.) Occasionally during harvest time there would be a back-up at the elevator and a farmer may have to wait an hour to unload. The boys did not want to lose harvest time when weather and grain were ready. By 1954, Dee-Dee was 13 yrs old. The boys talked Dee-Dee into getting a special permit so she could drive the ton-and-a-half farm truck with 150 bushels of wheat to the elevator in Doland. So little Dee- Dee got to be a straight pipe, manual tranny, double clutching trucker babe.
Donny decided he could utilize her talent when she was not busy at home. Donny claimed she had lots of excuses to put him off; the main one being that Donny would be very upset if she banged up the combine or pickup. She finally did it with no trouble and was a little chesty after that.
One time Dee-Dee was supposed to drive Donny's pickup down the field to unload the grain hopper on the combine when he waved. She got the pickup started all right but the shift pattern was different than the other truck and she panicked when she could not get it into reverse. With some quick experimentation she got it in reverse and backed away from obstacle, down the field and under the combine grain hopper so Donny could finish combining his field.
1954
Dwight went into the Army in January 1954, so Delmar had to run the farm with less help since Delroy and Dee-Dee were still in school.
1955
Dolly was able to get Dwight a little early release from the Army Paratroopers to help with the farm, but not until November 1955. Darrel was in French Morocco, near Casablanca with his squadron on alert to see how our B-36S would perform in a wartime situation. The operation was a success. Darrel was discharged shortly afterward.
1956
Dwight was home from the Army to run the farm. Unfortunately there was conflict on proper procedure to operate the farm. So in March of 1956, Delmar went to St. Paul, MN and got a job with Braniff Airlines Delmar also teamed up with his brother Darrel, who was also in St. Paul, on a landscaping project. Just about this time, Dwight met Janice Mowery in Doland and dated till they married in 1957.
1957
In January 1957, Delmar was drafted into Army and sent to Germany where he married a German bride. The same month, Delroy volunteered for the draft for a two-year commitment.
Every one of Dolly's six sons served in the military.
Dwight married Janice Mowery Feb 7, 1957. They lived at the farm and farmed it until that fall when Dolly had a farm auction. The farm auction in November concluded 30 years in farming for Dolly. Dolly did well to keep farm going until children were fairly well raised as she was not an outdoors person.
After the auction Dolly went to Aberdeen and purchased a new trailer home for $4000 and had it moved to Doland. Dwight and Janice moved to a farm south of Doland.
1958
Dolly moved her trailer home to Turton and parked on lot where Turton Apartments were later built so could help care for her mother, Frances La Brie. Delaine was attending school in Turton.
Diane (Dee-Dee) married Caryl "Skip" Bull on Sept 13, 1958
1962
Dolly moved the trailer home back to Doland where she could work in East Side Café and Doland Hotel. She continued to live in Doland until 1977.
Dee-Dee's twins were born in 1962. Dolly rode a bus to San Francisco to help with twins for 6 weeks
1963
Dolly, Darlene, and Delaine drove to El Sobrante, California to visit Skip and Dee-Dee. Darlene learned some new words from California drivers about lane change procedure. Dwight and Janice moved their family from Doland to a farm northwest of Redfield, where they lived for 14 years.
1966
July 30 1966 Delaine married Donald Heer at Doland, SD, officially ending Dolly's 40+ child raising years,
1975
During all the years of farming, none of us recall a vacation or trip taken by our parents. In 1975, Dolly was in New York City. She saw the Statue of Liberty with the World Trade Center Twin Towers in the back ground. She also saw China Town.
1977
Dolly sold trailer home in Doland and moved into Redfield Village Apartments at 72 years old. She lived there for rest of her years. Dwight and Janice started working for the Redfield State Hospital and School. Dwight's health failed in 1980 and he moved to a nursing home for care.
1978
April 1, 1978, Dolly began volunteering with the Foster Grandparent Program for handicapped children at State School. She continued until June 22, 1993.
Although many times Dolly's health did not measure up to the task, she was committed to helping. Dolly would say "if I do not go, my little ones will have to stay in their rooms and not get to go outside or to the gymnasium."
Dolly attended a reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada at Roland and Bev's.