Vegter-Tschetter Heritage

Dianna,
Our House on Lawn Ridge, Huron, SD

Family in South Dakota
Where we lived in 1963-1964

We moved from North Walworth back to South Dakota for a year, 1963-1964. We lived in Grandpa's house on the north end of his 4 houses. It was while living here that Dad, while working construction (pouring foundations for power line towers) in Montana, had an accident. He had a huge cast, and it was here that he recuperated. Dad occupied his time painting by numbers.

In South Dakota, Debbie and I were painting a room. Little sisters Kathy and Brenda showed up and became a nuisance. So I held Brenda down while Debbie painted a roller streak up Brenda's face. It looked so good that Debbie then held Kathy down while I painted Kathy a matching streak up her face. They tattled; moms were pretty mad. (Linda's recollection)

Dianna and Kathy
Our House on Lawn Ridge, Huron, SD

Linda
Grandma's Picket Fence as Background

Judy, Karen, Carol

Kathy, Carol, Susan
Grandma's Picket Fence as Background

Aunt Viola, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma
Karen, Judy

Grandpa Tschetter's Graduation Gift

The Studebaker

Afterwards

That car wreck was on the way home from our 1965 senior trip to the black hills. Our small graduating class fit into three vehicles. Grandfather allowed me to drive his Studebaker. On the way home and late at night, some fifty miles from Sturgis, S.D. we were in hilly countryside. At the bottom of one long hill there was a bridge over a dry gulch. I must have had my lights on dim. When I leveled out, at the entrance was a cow (or deer,) I hit the brakes too hard, the car careened off the embankment, and after being airborne we hit nose first, and the car flipped over on its top. When the other two vehicles finally stopped for a rare stop sign, we were missing. They backtracked and somehow found us at the bottom of the dry gulch. The front doors were open, I was half out on one side, Rick Fields was half out the other side, the three in the back were all in the front and on top of the girl between Rick and me. Rick and one of the gals in the back seat walked away with few injuries. I think that only two of us ended up in the hospital for several days.

When I was able to come back to Huron, Grandpa Tschetter said to me, "That Studebaker was going to be your graduation gift!"

Three weeks later we were all at graduation with crutches, wheelchairs, black eyes, bruises and stiches and very grateful to be alive. (recollections by Jerry)