Howard Royer

Howard Kenneth Royer

And when were you born?

I was born in 29 of third day of October. I was born at Silvermines, Missouri. My parents is Audrey Jewel Means. My father's is Harmon Howard Royer.

And what do you remember of your early childhood? What are some of your earliest memories?

I remember the depression part of it and how hard it was. And I remember about my dad and mother how they started out on the farm.

Now you said you were born in Silvermines. Is that the one where they have the river rafting?

That's the one and only Silvermines?

Yes.

Okay.

And your parents owned a farm?

Well my parents didn't own the farm at the time but my grandfather did.

Okay.

He bought the farm and my dad and mother married and moved on the farm.

Was it a large farm?

Yeah it was.

Now I can't give you the exact acreage but I think it was a little over 300 acres.

What kind of things did they grow or raise?

Well dad growed, he growed corn. He growed wheat and he growed oats and barley. He had a team of horses that he used to farm the farm with. And the cattle, the best I know was herfford cattle. They were good cattle.

Now how he got them and were I don't know but I think that my grandparents set him up in cattle.

Now I believe that.

I think that's right because I heard my grandfather he said he come along at the neighbors during the Depression and this man had 30 cows to sell and he gave him ten dollars apiece for them.

Big cow.

They were good cows. I remember them, I can remember them.

And he drove my grandfather, I heard him say he drove him up the road by the farm there and he told my dad he said you can have the cattle if you'll give me a third of the profit and that's the way they did it.

Did you have many siblings?

Oh yeah I'm the oldest one. Roy is the second one. Shirley's the third one. Charles is the fourth one. And then I guess my dad and mother quit all for a while. But they started in again and there was Lee Gale, we called him Buck but his name was Paul Dean. And Lewis, Arthur Lewis, his name after my grandfather. My grandfather was A.L. Royer. And then the last one was sis Linda and that was it.

You said you were born well right in the Depression as it was beginning.

Yeah the beginning of the Depression in October I was born.

What memories do you have of how it affected Missouri?

How it affected?

You mean what we didn't have or you know?

Well I remember, now I don't know, at that time my dad and mother never even had a car.

And I remember that.

And I remember my dad he had bees out in the yard and when I and I mean I remember this that I got some sticks and was poking them in the beehive and they stung me.

Now I remember that.

And oh I don't know when I remember I wasn't very big but every time well my uncle and dad formed together.

And when they went to field work ever since I can remember I wanted to go with them and I did go with them.

They took me to the field.

I wonder if how did your life change after the Depression ended?

What things did you were you able to afford then?

Well you know after about 35, 36, well I remember I was ready for a grade school you know.

And so I we lived a mile from the school and I remember the first day I went to school.

I went across the field and I had to go through the neighbors.

They live close there and went through their yard and up to the school barefoot.

Did a lot of the kids go barefoot?

Was that a pretty common thing?

Oh yeah you know back then my shoe wasn't too easy got.

Right.

You know I don't know.

Really I never did like to go barefoot.

It stubbles hurt my feet you know and the rocks.

And when I got big enough to work you know out in the field I wore shoes.

What kind of things when you started working with with everyone out in the fields what what were you doing?

Well the first thing that I remember my uncle well this was in 35 and 36.

My uncle and aunt they married.

They got married.

Well dad was putting in corn and Uncle James he went to Colorado, him and her, and dad needed somebody to drive Uncle James's mules.

I don't know exactly how old it was but it wasn't very big.

And I drove them old mules and he had a big drag and rode the drag and him old mules were smart and they know they had a dummy behind them.

And so they got down at the end of the field they just turned right around right sharp and flipped the drag over on top of me and was dragging me up through the field.

And my dad he he was watching me and so he got him stopped, turned the drag over, and handed me back the lines.

So you were learning right?

That's what I you know and I just practically put my life into doing such as that on the farm.

That's all I ever did do and and I worked in the timber some you know.

Them farms my dad and granddad had they had some good timber and dad cut timber in the winter time you know and I helped split stables but I was I was about 13, 14, 15 something like that when I was swinging the hammer.

I didn't swing hammer back when I was big enough.

Did everybody, I imagine your brothers, sisters, everybody helped out as they worked?

Oh yeah they my brothers you know we worked with dad and helped him with the cattle and stuff like that.

My dad had a job brush over there and what you know he wasn't mean to us or anything but he had a job for us.

Sure.

And I always I was always willing to do that.

Well I'm not bragging but if you want me to do something I done and the rest of boys the same way.

Now the girl I think we all kind of pet her a little bit but she was a good worker Linda and she helped mom.

Did you go through like grade school and did you stay with stay in school the whole time?

School?

Yeah.

Well I'm gonna be truthful about it.

My mother had drive me across the field with a hickory.

I didn't want to go to school.

There was a girl I lived right above us her name was Eloise, Eloise Allen.

She's five years older than I was and she'd get me by the hand and mom would get our mother would get behind me and if I pulled back she wore me one.

You believe me sis?

Yeah I believe you.

Grandma she meant to go to drive.

And I always say I never I always wanted to go to the field of work.

I never I never read that at all.

I don't know why I can't tell you why.

I didn't want to go.

Right.

So that was it.

Yeah.

How many years did you go?

Oh I went well I went through grade school eight years and I went a year and a half to high school and so I didn't like that too good either.

Right.

We lived in silver mines a bus comes to Oak Grove that's six miles and me and Roy we walked out and caught the bus of the morning and early and and so I don't know I messed around and I'm gonna tell you I made a mistake.

I made a bad mistake but I go going but I quit.

During that time when you quit school what did you do?

I worked for dad.

He put me to work and he said I remember what he said to me he said you don't go to school and I don't want to hear you are grumbling and going on afterwards.

Now he said that to me and I never did forget it.

Did you farm your whole life?

Oh yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

And did you farm there for many years or did you move off and get your own?

Well my grandfather where I live now he bought it's down here on Little River if you folks know where the United Baptist camp is down there I live a quarter of a mile up the river and my grandfather bought that farm and so I kind of talked to him you know that I like to have a farm you know and so when he bought it dad that was my grandpa's boy my dad was and he he run the farm he run us boys too and the farmers growed up blackberries copperheads and my dad put us over there and we cleaned that thing up and put out the first year we put out a hundred acres of corn and I was getting up there 16, 17 years old I driving truck but then you know and I trucked the corn in over to silver mines and we would go and well it's just there's a lot of work there but we didn't.

Were you using a team?

You didn't have a tractor yet or what did you have?

Yeah we had a tractor.

Okay.

I tell you about the tractor.

Dad and Uncle James and my grandpa bought a new Ford tractor. Dad and Uncle James thought he wasn't doing us boys quite right and he went to his cell well. That was on the grandpa's farm and we just had the one tractor and three teams. Dad had a team, grandpa had a team, and Uncle James had a team. Dad used Uncle James's team, you know, and they would let him use it, you know.

That tractor, that Ford tractor, when one of us boys would get on it, it doesn't get on it, it doesn't we do, you know. And we run it day and night. And I, you know, there was a man over in Arcadia. He was selling tractors and they had a new M farm all over there in 1949. Boy, I really want like that and wanted that. And grandpa said, "You just keep the tractor you got to keep it busy, you know." He didn't want to put out money to buy that. That's it. I just said he didn't want to use that way.

So you were growing corn and what else did you grow on that farm? What else did you grow besides corn on that farm? Well, hay, you know, grass. And when I was, you know, after I took it over, I grew some wheat and oats and barley on it. It's river bottom land. It is really a good farm. And I wound up with it. My dad gave it to me.

Did you ever marry? And did you ever? Yeah, yeah. Well, I tell you, I tell you a little story. And I don't think you ever heard me tell that. I didn't tell everything. I try not to tell everything, you know. But I went with this girl over to Silvermine. Her name was William. And you know, I liked her. She was good. And we decided to get married. So we went on a little walk. And one day, we were walking along, she handed me a note. And she wanted to rent a game ring back. I bought her a ring. And by doggy, I was just stung. I walked her home and she gave me stuff that I'd bought her. Things. Gave it all back to me. And on my way back home, something hit me. And I thought, well, if she'll do that once, she'll do it again. And so I said, "I'll never go back." And I didn't go back. But the funny thing was, it wasn't about two weeks, she wrote me and wanted to get back together again. And you know, I said nothing to it. And so I thought, well, now I ain't having nothing to do with the women anymore. That come over me.

So I took a load of 4-H club kids to Farmington to skating rink. My dad had a truck and I drove the truck. And my aunt was the leader. And Irma. And she got me to take the kids up there. I was about 17, 18 years old, you know. And so we got in there and got skating. And this girl, my wife today, she got to talking to me. And I don't know. I fell for it, right, you know. And I didn't take her home that night or nothing. I went to the revival meeting who was at Silvermine. And so she came over there and was leading the singing. And I got to talking to her. And you know, the first thing I know, I was taking her out. And about the time that I guess, well, Norma had one year in high school. And she was. I know she wanted to finish school. And I wanted her to. And so back out there one day, I went to the post office. And I got a card. Said report for examination, you know. When the Korean War started.

So I did. Oh, I went in. I took in the army and I went to Germany. And I stayed over there six or 17 months in Germany. I came back and she was waiting for me. And so we decided that we'd wait another year to get married. And the 26th day of March in 1954, we got married. Rodney, he's the oldest. This girl, 17 months younger. So there's two more boys in the family. Okay, Michael, who was after me. And then about nine years later, my youngest brother came along.

Okay, so like Silver Mines, was it? Was there a post office there? Yeah, stores, school, and church. And the church was built in 1949. And my dad was a deacon there. And there's a guy named Orville Johnson. He was the pastor. And they worked pretty good together. And before they built the church, they had held the school of the church in the school. And so the people got together in the community and donated their labor. And they built the church. It's still standing. They made a quilt. The ladies sold it. Each family paid so much money to have your name embroidered on the quilt. And that was one of their fundraisers that they did. And we still have the quilt that we hang up sometimes at the homecoming things there. But that's how they made some of the money.

Yeah, how many people was it? A big town?

No. Well, now this was way before my time. And they was a man here in town. His name was Bob Mirror. You might have heard of him. I don't know. He's gone now. But he was our neighbor. And he said, I can't recall, but the town was down there where the mines is now. You know, there's no mines down there. And as they operated it then. And I really don't know too much about it. And you know, that's the time they built that dam in there, across the river. You might know what's out there, above the bridge. There's a dam they built in there. And all I know is just what I heard people say, you know.

That, as for my time, I think it was okay. Now, I ain't for sure. I don't know. But I do know they're doing the Second World War. They were some people or fellow prospectors and they dug some constant and some of that down there. And a few people worked down there. But you know, it didn't last very long. I remember that. But on back. But I've heard people say, the older people are gone now, about working in the mines down there. You know, in the mines. But you know, I really don't know much about it. But the town was down there then. And I don't know how many people they was. And then I heard that they moved the town further west. You know, where the church and school is. That's what I heard, you know. I can't prove it. I don't know.

Was there enough going on in that area as you were growing up that that was sort of where you've got things? Did you have a store and that sort of thing? Did you come to Fredericktown?

They, they had a store. They've had a store. Now, I don't remember down there. Is the mines. When the mines run, they were store there. And I heard a hotel. Now, I know Ward Sass. And I know you lived there afterwards. A man named John Allen. He lived there. But over at Old Grove, Ray Pinkley had a store there. And he, he had a good deal of merchandise. And people traded with him. Every time my folks went to town, they'd always stop there. Now, grandma, she would take milk and eggs into town to sell. Oh, yeah. And grandma, they took their cream and eggs into the Sunnermans. Was one place that bought cream and eggs. They traded there with Sunnermans quite a bit. Now, is that in Frederick town?

Okay, so, so when you guys went to town, you were really coming into Fredericktown.

Oh, yeah. Okay, yeah. We come in town. But once in a while, you would go to Ironton. Or yeah. Now, about, or in the 20s, my granddad and grandmother, they lived in Born Hall. And they lived about 10 miles to Orton from there. And they trade up there, you know. Was there a train that went through Silver Mines? No, no train there. No train. The closest train was Frederick town in Orton. You could hear them go through Rio, you know. But it just bypassed Silver Mines, right. Yeah, but you could still hear it. Oh, yeah. Boy, made a terrible noise. And then over by Orton and Arcadian, there was the old rifle range, you know. During the First World War. And and they'd done some practice and up there at Second World War. And you could hear them far from Silver Mine. It's on D Highway there where the where the blacktop and then it turns in kind of back. It'd be kind of back behind Lake Killarney up here, you know. So was there were military people there? Yeah, the military. And they come from the Jefferson barracks up here down here. There was several little communities on top. Just silver mines, I mean. Then there was bear. What they call most. I'm called barn holler. But it's barren hollow. And that was a whole nother community. Where his great grandparents, you know. That's where they started. That's where they started here in Madison County. And it was just a whole nother community there.

I don't think there were any stores or anything. There was one store down there, up from the Methodist camp. You know, it's about a half a mile up there. It was a Reveille store. And I think, now I ain't sure, but I think that's where the post office was. And then it moved down to Uncle James, where Uncle James and Aunt Arma lived. Yeah, Mr. Mayor, he was postmaster for years, you know. And that's just right across from where we were raised, about a half a mile, you know. That's on the Brian, where Brian all got those. Now, they had a school there. Yeah, they had. My dad, he went to school there. And I had a couple of aunts and an uncle, and they, that's where they went to school till they moved to Silvermines.

When they moved to Silvermines, and I heard this, I don't know whether it's so or not, but when grandpa, he liked the teacher at Born Holler, he sent the kids there. When he didn't like the school teacher down in Silvermines, well, I got it backwards. When he didn't like the teacher at Silvermines, he sent the kids to Born Holler. And when he didn't like him at Born Holler, he sent them to Silvermines. I got it, I got it. But I don't know how he got away with it, you know. He owned land where he lived in Silvermines, and he owned quite a bit of land in Born Holler, you know. I don't know, you know. But I've heard that that land sold for nothing, and he bought it. He didn't sell it. And he was no man.

So you were married, but you had gone off to Europe for the army before, before. And so you got married after. Yeah, it's over a year. Okay, I got married. I mean, me and my wife got married. Okay, were you done with the army at that point? Yeah, well, I was done with it. I wanted to come back to the farm, but I did, you know. I kind of liked the army, as you know what the army life is. And you can't get into a lot of bad things, you know. But I was kind of lucky, I didn't. Did you like traveling, did you, over in Europe? I did, yeah. I was out a lot of the time on maneuvers and things like that. And I got along pretty good, yeah. But when my time was up, I was ready to come on.

So you came home, got married, and then started the family. Yeah, so at that point, were you back on the farm? Yeah, okay, you're back on the farm. Okay, you started having kids. And I'm just, so that would have been what, the 1950s? Yeah, okay. And then early 60s. What could you tell us about Frederictown during it? Well, in the 50s and 60s, late 50s, I was still, you know, working on the farm. But I was, you know, when we put out the crop, I'd swap with my dad and uncle. And they helped me, we helped each other, you know. When we got in a pinch, you know, like putting up the hay, you know. Maybe I'd help them, and they'd help me. That's the way we were. So you didn't hire people, huh? You never hired. Oh, yeah, the schoolboys, there, you know. I'd be baling hay, you know. And I'd need somebody to haul that and put it in the barn. And them boys, back then, they wanted to work. Now you can't, you can't get the boys to do that down there. And sometimes I don't blame them. But that's the way it was done, you know. I did more. I mowed the hay down and baled it up. A lot of times, I baled it up, and they'd be two or three boys come over and help me haul it in.

Did you do the same with your kids, as far as having them help you work out in the field? And they, they, they helped me in the hay. I don't know where it says you ever helped me in the hay or not. I never did, I never did have you to help me in the hay. I kind of depended. I worked at home, in the house. Yeah, I helped with, yeah, my mother and her grandmother, she helped her. And we were just one big bunch, to help each other, you know. It worked out pretty good.

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Did you guys have TV? Did you watch the news and stay up with what was happening in the world?

Yeah, our first television, when we lived up there at Opel place, we rented that place. We got a television like 1962, yeah, something around that time. I remember watching President Kennedy's funeral, black and white TV. And the kids, you intended to 4-H club. I did too, when I was a kid. I was, I think, 11 years. I was in 4-H club, you know. And dad gave me a cow or hog, something for a project, you know. And I even took cooking one year. And my aunt, she was Aunt Irma, she's schoolteacher. She kept the 4-H club going. And I think they've got a 4-H club there yet. Now I think they have. Well, there's some here in the Louds. Some of them are involved with it. Yeah, you've heard of the Louds. Yeah, they're fine people. Well, Mrs. Lout, Pat Lout, took over and Irma died in 68, yeah. And then Mrs. Lout took over for us. But the 4-H clubs and the church activities was the center of the activities for you know. That's what the kids growing up evolved all of their life evolved around that. I mean, they would meet on Sunday afternoons and Yenza played ball. Oh yeah, we did too, until you know, we were older. But you know, it was, that was the hub of the activity for the kids, was the church and the 4-H club.

If we could, one thing I wanted to go back to, we didn't really talk about the kids, like where did you guys go to school? In my older brother and I, we went to Silver Mines. And then they consolidated the country schools. And in, I guess it was 62 and 3, we came to Fredericktown to school, around that time. And then, because we were coming to school, I can relate it to when President Kennedy was shot. We were in the school in town, okay. And then, but you still lived in, so well, no, we lived, we lived on the farm that dad has now, which is between Oak Grove and Silver Mines. It's kind of in, in between there. But we, we still went, you know, like we still went to the 4-H and to the church over in Silver Mines and stuff. We were raised with that. But yes, kind of a transition going on there. It was a, yeah, there was a transitioning of, you know, we got bus into town, you know. Where, when we were going over to Silver Mines, we had a lady in the community that drove a station wagon. And the kids on, well, there's a, there was a low water bridge across the Silver Mines River. We call that, that's the big St. Francis River. And on that side, you know, part of us went to Silver Mines, part of them went to Oak Grove. Well, we, the ones that went Silver Mine, she would come into her station wagon and pick us up and take us over there. That was our first school bus. And I mean, if we, but I can even remember her bringing us into town. I think for a vaccinations or something like that, at one time. And then we, she stopped and gave us an ice cream cone. They had a community store at that time. And she stopped and bought us all ice cream cones. That was the first grade class. I just went first grade there. Now my brother went to second grade.

So the 4-H and the church were the center of the community, you say. That still exists today? No, it's pretty well. I mean, we still have the church. We reopened that in 1999. It closed down for a few years, but it was reopened. And I mean, we have activities there and stuff. But as far as the 4-H, we're not involved with that. And I'm not real sure, you know, anything about that right now. But no, that's kind of gone to the wayside. I mean, that's where we all went for our activities, a lot. So who farms your farm today? The Allgar brothers, you heard of them? Yes, and I'm a, I'm a cousin to, right. Yeah, well, your, your dad, oh, Grandpa Howard's sister was married and Allgar. Joe Allgar. And so that's how we're all peasants. And one thing about the farmers, you know, they just get fewer and fewer all the time. And they don't have too much to say about passing the bills and stuff like that. The city people's the ones that puts it over, you know. And I don't know.

Well, thank you for coming in.

Well I know I'm a poor hand to give the information but my next birthday I'll be 90. People say you don't look 90 but oh I, I get by, I don't know.