This month’s story is about my “ little brother”, Grant Rogers, even though he is 6 feet tall and I’m 5 feet 2-3/4 inches, but I was born first.  We have always been close, from the time we were small. It was just the two of us. We didn’t mind we didn’t have more brothers or sisters because we had a lot of fun together. We still keep in touch and enjoy our visits together when we can.

In Wally’s World article, Wally DuChateau tells about the hard work some people have done restoring, even improving the Neuwaukum Grange. It is located a short distance from the Wabash Church. The Neuwaukum Grange has been the place for celebrating 50 years of marriage to family reunions and more. It is nice to see places getting fixed up instead of being torn down and replaced. Once they are gone there goes history plus memories of that place.

My brother had a nice 1957 Ford, two tone brown and a cream color. It once was a police car. I thought that car was so nice. OK I thought that car was so cute. He took good care of that car.

The year was around the summer of 1960. Grant heard they were going to have a dance at the Neuwaukum Grange. He called his friend Dennis Petetola, that lived down the street and the two of them left for the dance. The dance was put on by the firemen and one of the firemen had a stack of records, so he acted like the DJ.

Somebody came in from outside and said that someone’s car was on fire! Grant said “Let’s go out and see what poor bugger’s car is on fire.”  They went out and IT WAS GRANT’S CAR! Unknown to Grant and Dennis, when Dennis threw his cigarette out the window, the wind carried the cigarette in the open window in the back.  The cigarette landed on the seat and then caught fire. Lucky for Grant the firemen helped put out the fire. No matter what Grant did he could not get the smell of the smoke out of the car.

He ended up selling the car. His next car was a ‘57 Chevy.  To me the ‘57 Ford was still special.