Lyle's Storytelling

With little exception, the stories created by Leo, Dean and myself dealt with what we conceived to be humorous embarrassments which centered around poverty. Leo would begin the story telling and continue to compose until he had exhausted his imagination. I would take over, and then Dean would finish. The following winter, while storytelling, we nearly lost "Polly", the horse that so faithfully plodded through the snow to take us to school. When the rig suddenly came to a stop, we opened the buggy door and discovered a frozen drift of snow several feet high across the red scoria road and felt it would support Polly's weight, but the light buggy harness acted as a hanging rope, and cut off her supply of air as the buggy became hung up in the snow drift. I handed Leo a dull jack knife and he cut the harness and saved her life. This happened near the Presbyterian church, not far from the Harris farm."

In 1923, Leo's mother and father, Raphael and Rose established a farming and ranching operation just south of the Chalky Buttes in Mineral Springs Township. After twelve years at this location the Kofflers decided to make their new home twelve miles north of Rhame at the Sumpter homestead in Mound Township. The distance from Mineral Springs was more than 28 miles. Early in the spring of 1935 about 60 head of cattle were being restrained until the light of day appeared. Leo, who was then eleven years old, was placed in charge of a trail drive (along with me). Our father, Raphael, drew a map for Leo with the understanding that they should overtake him with the herd at Deep Creek about noon. The rendevous at Deep Creek failed, and the herd was not overtaken until nearly dark. Plans to establish camp and wait for another day had to be abandoned as the hungry cattle voluntarily followed the rack loaded with prairie hay. It was long after dark before the squeaking, grease-hungry wagon wheels silenced their protests. A couple of youngsters, not even teenagers yet, had managed the extremely difficult task of moving a herd under harsh conditions to their new homesite.