Individual Details

Homesteaded 160 acres in Meade County SD for Caspar.

Grandma was one of the most stubborn, set in her ways people that ever probably walked the face of the earth. She graduated form Parkston High School and a year later had her teaching certificate. She taught school, homesteaded and worked the fields as hard as any man. During the flu epidemic of 1917/18 when other members of her family were so sick, she carried on the chores, picking, farming cooking and cleaning for the family that one night he father found her sitting at the head of the stairs where all the sick ones were in bed. He asked her why she was there and she replied that she was so tired of all the work that she figured if she got close enough, she would get the flu and get some rest for herself.

When she was younger, she and a couple of her brothers had been sent by Caspar to Meade County, South Dakota to homestead some land. Caspar sent teams of his children on these forays to accumulate land in the state under the Homestead Act and in the end he had quite a lot. The kids would go out, stake a claim, build sod houses and do what was required by law to improve the land. Caspar would then rent the farms out and did quite well on rent payments.

Grandma was a great one to cook. From growing up in a large family and then on her own farm she knew the value of hearty meals. Dad said often that she cooked the biggest breakfast she had ever seen. She was also a great one for "putting food up", i.e., canning. She had the most extensive cellar anyone could imagine. After Orville died, she moved into Parkston and bought a big house on the park. the lot took up a whole block and was covered in big beautiful elms and oaks. There was a farm right across the street so there were still fresh eggs and goods. Even when I went to college in South Dakota in the sixties, Grandma was still at it with the cooking, preserving and such. One of my first jobs whenever I went to visit was to get up early, go across the street and get the eggs for breakfast. She pushed the most ungodly stuff for breakfast sometimes you wouldn't believe it. Lunch meat, pickles, pork chops, eggs, "flapjacks" -- it was a four course meal. Had to go back to bed just to get rid of it. The most curious thing was that she stored her lunch meats and things in the oven of an old wood stove. Had a perfectly good refrigerator in the kitchen, but swore that the meat tasted better after it had "aged a bit". Somehow an angel must have watched over everyone who ever ate there cause I don't know of any cases of anyone getting sick!!!

For 41 years after Orville died, she lived in that house. She and a bunch of other farmers' wives who had moved into town were avid card players - canasta, whist, hearts - you name it! They were also avid quilters and made some intricate quilts and samplers. In her younger days she also painted a lot and her home had many of her paintings hung. But eventually her old buddies started dying off, until she was the last one left. She actually got a bit upset at them for leaving her alone.

Grandma shrunk as she got older. By the early 80's osteoporosis had shrunk her down to about 5 foot tall, if that, from almost 5'4". She was the most bowlegged little thing you'd ever want to see, but still as feisty and "lovable" as ever. She and I had a real special relationship while I was in college even though, we had lived in New York for nearly 18 years and I had only seen her a couple times since we moved east.

She continued working almost to the day she died. In October 19883, she was out raking the leaves and dead branches from the yard and got real tired. She went in to lay down for awhile and woke up in the hospital with heart failure. Cantankerous to the end, she told the Doctor that she wasn't going to die in any sterile old hospital room. She convinced him to let her go home, and if he wanted, he could have the nurse check on her at the house. On October 30, 1983, the nurse found Grandma curled peacefully on her couch, tucked under one of her quilts. She had gone exactly as she would have it with no interference from anyone. Just laid down and went to sleep in peace. She was something to behold.

She and Orville are side by side in the Parkston Cemetery.

Birth	February 22, 1894	Parkston, Hutchinson County, SD
Marriage	October 14, 1919	Parkston, Hutchinson County, SD - Orville Luther FURR
Death	October 23, 1983	Parkston, Hutchinson County, SD
Soc Sec No		503-26-2732

Spouse	Orville Luther FURR (1892 - 1943)
Child	Robert James "Bob" FURR (1922 - 1997)
Child	Dr. Allan Anthony "Doc" FURR (1925 - 2004)