Margie and Milly

Margie and Milly

"Margie and Milly" Start of Chapter One

Butterscoptcha and Sauerkraut 

Margaret (Margie) and her twin sister, Mildred (Milly), were born on a wheat farm near the town of Stanford, Montana on December 6, 1912. Their parents, Herman and Elizabeth Haker were immigrants from Hamburg, Germany. This chapter of Margie and Milly's history is in part based on a poem written by her youngest sister, Renie: "To Mildred and Margaret on Their 65th Birthday." December 6, 1977. 

There were 8 children born to Herman and Elizabeth (Denzein) Haker:

Cora was the oldest child and then came a double bundle, the twins, Margaret and Mildred. The Haker throng grew as the next came sister, Loretta, followed by brothers, Vernon and Marlen; and then Lorene (Renie) and Myron who was the baby of the family. Herman built a big barn on the farm and for a while, that is where they all lived while the farmhouse was being built. Herman and Elizabeth worked very hard. Fields and fields of wheat were planted and harvested, both spring wheat and winter wheat to sell to the market. Herman/s brother, Edward, and his wife Minnie lived on a nearby wheat ranch and they helped each other plant and harvest. Elizabeth planted a big vegetable garden and she made sure lots of cabbage was planted as she made Sauerkraut and stored it in crocks during the winter. That family loved sauerkraut. And, of course, the cows had to be milked, and butter and buttermilk were made. Margie loved buttermilk. Sometimes she would treat herself to a full cup of buttermilk. They had lots of chickens and eggs had to be gathered from the chicken coop. Their big family had to be fed and the children knew they better do their chores.

When Cora was 6 years old, she started school, and she only spoke German, as did Herman and Elizabeth, although they understood English. There was only one teacher to teach all the children, grades 1 through 8. That was quite a job. The teacher told Herman that Cora had to speak English or she could not attend school. Herman understood that they now were Americans and he told Elizabeth that from then on only English would be spoken in their home. It must have been hard for Cora but that was the rule, and she learned her lessons in English quickly. The twins, being younger, learned to speak English but they spoke with a bit of a German accent - such as their favorite candy, butterscotch, was always called butterscoptcha. Soon the twins turned six years old and it was time for them to walk the miles to the old Stuckey School (named after Stuckey hill). It was cold on those Montana prairies and so they had to be bundled up warmly wearing long underwear. They were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, and "The Golden Rule," meaning you treated your teacher and friends kindly, just as you would want to be treated. 

It was not just all work and no play. In the winter they would coast down Stuckey Hill on wooden sleds and in Spring they would pick flowers called shooting stars and yellow bells and put them in jars to decorate their school. When the weather was warm they played games such as Pump Pump Pull Away, Drop the Handkerchief, Dare Me, and such. And there was always a Christmas program with a big tree on which real candles burned brightly. 

After 8th grade graduation, it was time for the twins to attend high school which was in the nearby town of Stanford. But those two stubborn girls decided they had had enough of school. So every day was quite a struggle and they would cry. Their mom would shove them into the car and their dad would drive them to town and drop them off at Stanford High School. After Herman was out of sight they would hurry to catch a ride back with their closest neighbor, and they would get home before their dad. Eventually, their parents gave up. In those days there was no rule that after 8th-grade children had to attend high school. However, the rest of the children in the Haker family did attend high school. 

"Margie and Milly" Start of Chapter Two

 The Sweet 16 Party

Since the girls would not go to school, their parents told them that they had to earn their way. So they did housekeeping for what they called the rich ladies. But those two were so musically talented and they formed a dance band called The Blue Chasers and they played their way to fame. They earned some money entertaining at dances around the countryside with Margie on the piano and Milly on the fiddle. Some of the other band members played saxophone, clarinet, and guitar. 

Saturday was always the "clean the house" day, and all the girls were expected to polish, scrub and make everything a shine. Saturday was also "town day" for Herman. He would meet with his farmer friends to play cards. Somehow those twins were always able to outsmart their sisters and they would jump in the back of the old car and be off to town with Herman.

One Saturday their sisters were glad Margie and Milly were gone as they were planning a surprise birthday party for their 16th birthday. They had that house spic and span and smelling like a rose. Neighbors and their families were invited from all around for this event. Pretty soon Herman and the twins came home and those girls said, "we are so hungry. We want some sauerkraut." Nothing would convince them otherwise and as they ate their sauerkraut the house began to stink.

As Renie said, they had to spray perfume everywhere and it was quite a chore to get rid of the smell before the guests arrived. Never the less it was a good party with lots of food, birthday cakes, and of course, music and singing.

The End

Ellie