Mother with Steve on Smarty.
(January, 1955)
Dad bought King for me the summer I finished 8th grade. I had to ride him home from south of Rock Falls. He was very skittish about the bridge and stayed that way every time I had to ride him back to be shod. Later a horse shoer came to Sterling. For about a month we kept him at the Killian barn off Lefevre Road. Then we found a four-stall barn on Miller Road and Sixth Ave. Dad bought Smarty, a five-gaited horse, for Mother after she got over the illness that kept her bedfast for nearly a year. However, I don't remember Mother ever riding Smarty, so I often rode with Dad or Jeanette. Dad liked King better because he was a Tennessee Walker and had that wonderful easy gait. After Dad's heart attack in 1950 when he nearly passed away, he never rode again. When I went to college, Sue rode with her friends quite often. When Sue went to college, Dad gave King to the Ebersoles. At the time he told me about it, he mentioned that Mrs. Ebersole (Joyce) was Bob Van Horne's daughter. I had known her in high school, although she was a bit older than I. Bob Van Horne was one of the Hey Brothers Dairy route men. (recollections by Janna Hey Dean)
"Joyce was my mother and King was our horse. I spent many hours riding King. It was a sad day when King passed away. My father Russel Ebersole took his body to the woods to rest in peace, and I created a mini wood branch cross to mark the area." (recollection by Ken Ebersole)
Joyce's Cousin on King
My Mom's cousin is riding King, my sister and I are standing beside.
Notice this picture was taken in 1960 so I was only 6 years old.
(photo from Ken Ebersole)
Dad with Steve on Smarty
Dad with Steve on Smarty
