Dear Maxene and all,

You asked me to write about the early life of Arch (Shreve) and I don't really know  that much myself. I remember that he was born in the township of Greenwood in a small house off the road from the Old Jordan place owned by Elsie and Tony  Nunes. The Jancousek (?) and Novy (?) families lived near there. I think the direction would be south of where the Nunes now live.

I remember that we had a dug well, no way of getting around except by walking and occasionally by horse and buggy.

I remember when Arch was in his cradle and ma was unable to work and they had a hired girl and she evidently was too  dilitary (sic) to even wash Arch's and he threw them a sailing. They were sour and he didn't like it. I suppose I was around 4 1/2 years old but I can still see him plain as day.

I think we moved from there to the Charlie Jordan place, which my father bought.  It was north of the Debello school. The house was small and my father built an upright and that summer Arch got brain fever. It was so hot that ma put him in a bed in the new part that was just being built. It was shingled, sided and (had) a rough floor, but more comfortable. He was very sick, but finally pulled through. Later my father bought the the John Roth farm just down the hill north from where we lived.

We still went to Debello school. In the winter we took our sleds and on the way home from school we started at the top of the hill by Fred  Slamas and could ride nearly home. One night we hit a rough spot and both fell off. Arch had struck a sharp piece of ice and (it) cut him right above the eye. It scared me about out of my hide and and I put my hand over it  -mitten and all-  and helped him get home. Ma dressed the cut and the next day the eye was about swollen shut.

The John Roth place pa bought had a log house and frame lean to kitchen. Later pa built a new house and it seemed like heaven to us to each have our own separate rooms. The upstairs was one room and our rooms were curtained off. (There were) no closets. Nails (were) driven into 2 x 4s to hang our clothes on.

For recreation we rode horseback quite a bit. Arch loved to break colts to ride. Arch and Arthur Liska were bosom friends. About the only entertainment was neighborhood parties or dances and it was either go by horse and buggy or walk. Ice cream socials were quite popular then.

I was married from this farm and a year or so later the folks sold their farm and moved to a farm on Pierce Ridge west of Viroqua. A year or so later we sold our farm  and bought my father's so we moved to V(iroqua) too.

Arch was with us for a while and while there he and Eddie ( Edson Roach, Irene's husband) decided to tear down an old tobacco shed one nasty rainy or misty day. When Arch struck a timber the old thing collapsed. It was put together with old fashioned nails that broke easily. He was too scared to move and and the timber fell all around him. If Eddie could have made one more jump he could have cleared it, but but a falling timber caught him and his leg was broken. I can see that mess yet. Arch was in a pen but not a timber struck him. (That was) just pure luck.

It was not long after that -maybe a year- until Arch and your mother were married and they lived on Belgium Ridge. I was there the day you were born, Maxene. You sure were a live wire. You were put in a basket and covered up and the next thing we knew you had kicked the covers off. I had to tell you about this for it was really funny.

I don't recall any good jokes on Arch. He was really a good all around guy. He and the folks always got along good to my knowledge.

You see I wasn't home too long at a time after 14 and went to Evansville to school. Then after Uncle Pole died, ( Napoleon B. Shreve died Dec. 6, 1903) I was home for a year, then went back to the seminary at Evanston. In the  spring I was nearly 18 and I went into a school three miles from Evansville and walked back and forth each day and worked for my board at Aunt May's.  

I went back to school there the next year. Then (I) came and taught in Vernon County. I was only home on weekends, except for part of one year that I taught at Peterson School. It was almost impossible to get a place to board so we had a team of ponies and Arch drove me back and forth and he went to school there. 

I did not teach the spring term, because my mother was  pregnant and I felt that I could be of help to her. I was 20 years old and Arch (was) 16. We were so happy to think we would have a brother or sister, but the baby was born dead and we were so disappointed. It was a boy and is buried at Debello Cemetery.  I have a picture of him that Ott Jordan took. 

I know this won't be of any use, but I got off rambling. I think you can go on from where you were born, because you know where you lived....