My grandparents lived there until she passed and then an aunt and uncle moved in. I actually lived there until 1976. I remember the trees that lined the road as being much more dense so much so that you couldn't see the road through them and they were all very tall. I'm thinking that somewhere along the line they died off and were replaced. When looking to the right of the drive and behind the row of evergreens, Grandma had a huge vegetable garden that, according to my memory, had to have been about 400 sq ft. She also had a floral garden to the right of the house and had them strategically planted all around the house. She was such a creative woman, entering into floral shows and brandishing a few blue ribbons, I recall. The fencing is gone and a building or two are missing but it's still looking beautiful! Such fun memories for me. I'm sharing this with the remaining family so they might be able to fill in a few details as well.

Hi D Sheehy! Thank you for sharing your lovely memories of the property in Guthrie County, IA. It sounds like your grandparents and aunt and uncle created a beautiful and vibrant environment there. We're curious to know, during your time living there until 1976, what kind of farming did you or your family do on the property? We'd love to hear more details if you're able to share. It's amazing how places change over time, and we're glad the property still looks beautiful to you.

I spoke to an aunt and she filled in some blanks for me, some details I didn't even know. My Grandparents, her parents, moved into that house in 1955 and she moved with them. She was in the middle of 8th grade coming from Washington Township school while her older sister stayed to finish the school year there. Both aunts finished school in what was called at the time, Jamaica High School. The name was changed to YJB (Yale Jamaica Bagley) about 1961. This was the school I graduated from as well, in 1976. Grandma died peacefully in this home after she told Grandpa she wasn't feeling well and went to lay down in the bedroom. That must have happened in the late 60's since I was still very young and my Dad, another sibling, was still with us. Grandpa stayed on the farm for a few years and eventually moved into Perry, about 10 miles down the road to be closer to family as he grew older. As far as I remember, he had about 120 acres back then and was typically a rotation of corn, soybeans, hay. I don't remember them having any livestock. He died in 1975, at the age of 75, and his land sold for $1975 an acre. When all this happened, my aunt and uncle were able to buy a home just outside of Jamaica where she still lives today. I'm going through some of my old photos and there were more buildings on the property such as a utility building to the side of the barn for example. It was where the plows/discs/machinery was kept. The barn always provided a thrill as if we were on a treasure hunt. There's nothing more fun than exploring a barn! A farm is the only place to raise a family if you ask me! Near the house there had been a cold storage cave and somewhere I have a photo of the whole family sitting on top of the rounded hill that was it's roof. Grandparents, all their kids and all the grand kids at that time. By the time I was living in the house, no one was allowed to sit on it in fear it would cave. I can't tell by the photo if it's still there. I'm now on the hunt for the photo of the farm I grew up on just a few miles away. After my Dad died, someone did take an aerial photo but a lot of the trees and buildings and fences had been torn down so I’m looking for a photo taken in the 60's. Let me thank a magazine I believe called, FarmShow.com, for pointing me to vintageaerial.com, where I found some fantastic articles from a 2013 edition I found! I have many friends who also grew up on farms in Iowa who I'm sending links via facebook so they might be able to find their farm too. Thank you for your work!