Thursday, November 16, 2017

John Coffer

     One afternoon in early fall John and I were playing in the sandbox when the phone rang. Mom came hurrying outside to the "phone shanty" to answer it. It was Grandpa saying they had just witnessed a strange sight. A small covered wagon drawn by a team of oxen, an old fashioned "different" buggy hitched to a big slow horse, a cow, and two people that looked as if they had stepped right out of the pages of a "Little House on the Prairie" book had just passed their farm along 14 A and turned up Crawford Road and if we watch we should be able to see them soon.
      We all sat on the swing under our cedar trees and looked down the road to where Crawford Rd crossed our road. It wasn't long before a team of oxen appeared with a tall man and his wife and a black dog walking beside them. We could hardly believe our eyes. A covered wagon with a yellow chicken perched on the back, a cow and a horse and buggy that looked different from any buggy we had ever seen. Walking slowly along the road.
      They soon disappeared out of sight and we went back to the house, wondering who they were and where they were going.
      That evening when Daddy came home we told him all about it. Daddy said he saw smoke that appears as if someone would have a campfire and that they're probably camping along the road. So right after supper he asked Mom to wrap up some fresh homemade bread and we would all walk over to meet them.
      They were camped in a field beside the road cooking supper in a cast iron pot they had dangling above the fire. When they saw us coming they came to welcome us and introduced themselves as John and Sue Coffer. They had spent years travelling across America in this fashion and finally decided to settle down somewhere and had just purchased a piece of land that had a lot of timber and also a few meadows but no buildings or a well. They were hoping to build a cabin and dig a well yet before winter.
      Daddy offered to help, but Mr. Coffer turned it down wanting to do it all by themselves with a crosscut saw and an axe.
      It wasn't long before the sound of an axe filled the days and their little cabin progressed nicely. After they had moved in the next thing to do was get a well dug. Mr. Coffer did accept help for this as someone needed to be on the ground to pull up full buckets of dirt and then let the empty bucket back down to be filled up again. It took quite a long time but once he struck water it was worth it!
      John was intrigued with the whole pioneer thing and Mr. Coffer on one of their many visits to our house whittled a tiny yoke for him to play with his toy cows.
       The Amish settlement in Dundee eventually failed, but Mr. Coffer still lives there, still living the pioneer lifestyle.

John Coffer sitting in front of his cabin.


The side of his cabin also works as a place to hang the harnesses for his horses.


The cabin.
John Coffer with one of his beloved oxen.

27 comments:

  1. What an interesting story. Tradition dies hard, it seems.

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  2. That was fascinating. What a hardworking, industrious person Mr. Coffer is. Thanks for sharing with us.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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    1. Mr. Coffer was/is a very interesting man. We were honored to call him a friend and neighbor.

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  3. I enjoyed reading your story of Mr. Coffer and his cabin. That most have been a lot of work, but what an accomplishment once it was finished. Thank you for visiting my blog. Wishing you a nice day.

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    1. The cabin turned out lovely, and cozy.

      Hope your day was a pleasant one.

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    1. I'm sure he would be happy to know his story has inspired others.

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  5. What an interesting story about an unusual couple. I wonder what motivated them to live in that manner and if they had children. It was nice of your father to help them dig their well.

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    1. They never had any children. I'm not exactly sure what the motivation was behind their lifestyle other than to not get caught up in the rat race so many Americans find themselves caught up in.

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  6. I'm glad that John Coffer still lives as he wishes..but it is a pity that the settlement did not thrive

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    1. It was sad when the Dundee settlement failed. There are lots of Old Order (horse & buggy) Mennonites living in that area now.

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  7. What an interesting account! They sound like fascinating people.

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  8. Oh my goodness, I think I may have read about John Coffer some time ago, a man who did old style tintype photographs and kept to old time ways. And your family knew him. What a story you shared!

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    1. Yes! As far as I know he still does tintype photography. Not sure if he still does workshops for it or not. It's been a number of years since we went back to visit him again. He was a great friend and neighbor.

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  9. I remember reading their story titled "Horse Hair in My Soup". I googled it and it is on the Internet as an eBook.

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    1. My parents have their books ... I should see if I can find the ebook. I hadn't realized it's available.

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  10. I thoroughly enjoyed this post, Mary Ann! It reminded me of many self-sufficient people I've known in rural or isolated parts of Canada. The photo of John with his oxen brought back the sounds of bells on a neighbor's team of oxen in my mother's village in Nova Scotia. I miss the spontaneous hospitality and helping neighbors of my youth.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I'm so glad you enjoyed this post, and that it evoked pleasant memories of your own.

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  11. Sounds like something from my past and how my grandparents settled into this wilderness. The were refugees from Russia and had to build their homestead just like you described! You have a gift with words. I can really "see" what you described, without the pictures.

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  12. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. I would enjoy hearing more about Mrs. Coffer sometime.

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  13. I could see myself doing that. :)

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  14. I occasionally see John in town. This reminds me that it is time to stop by and say 'hi'. I need to purchase one of his tin types to hang in my home as a reminder of our friendship. Thanks for the picture you painted of John and Sue moving into their little cabin.

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  15. I found a book by John and sue coffer called phographic van 1983

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  16. I found a book by John and sue coffer called phographic van 1983

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.