By: Jim Fitzpatrick

Local Farmer in Polkton Township writes for the Coopersville Observer.

Along Brandy Creek

By Jim Fitzpatrick

 

The Coopersville Observer  November, 2006- - No. 79

Down on Main Street a couple of days ago, there was this big tall fellow sitting there in the barber chair “getting his ears lowered.”  The farmer came in the back door of the shop with the same idea in mind.  He gave the usual nods, hellos, how’s everything and general run of the mill greetings that are expected in an establishment like that.   The barber and the man in the chair went on to explain how they had it figured as to the way the world ought to be run these days, what the rules should be, how the regulations could be put down in writing.  All the farmer wanted to do was sit down and read a magazine, wait his turn for a hair cut.  He wasn’t into any of that political and philosophical stuff so early in the morning.  Maybe he would excuse himself and come back when the place wasn’t “so busy.”  Then the big tall fellow said, “you don’t know who I am, do you?”  The farmer got a little fidgety and tried his best to come up with a name to pin on the guy, but couldn’t.

 

Without keeping the farmer on the spot too long, Don identified himself.  Turns out the two of them grew up together, went to the same one room school, lived down the road from one another back in those days.  Don’s dad, Harvey Veeneman, owned and ran the general store right their at the cross roads in Dennison.  The farmer and Don hadn’t laid eyes on each other for over forty some years.

 

Now, ya know, that was some meeting for those two fellows.  It brought smiles to both of their faces.  They started in reminiscing about old times as if it were only yesterday.  It didn’t take long to close that space of years gone by.  They planned to have breakfast some morning at the Country Café; fill in the blank spots, get a start on it anyway.  Don went on down the street, the farmer stayed and got his hair trimmed up.

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