GOLDEN WEDDING OF BILL AND BERTHA BASTMAN
This Golden Day at last come,
We’ve waited for, so long,
and now, We’re here to celebrate
With speeches, verse and song.
Sometimes the way was rugged
And filled with doubts and fears,
But rainbows always bridged the clouds
These fifty wedded years.
Let’s start at the beginning
And take a backward look---
We’ll read some early history
In this Golden Wedding book.
Nineteen thirteen was the year,
Bill’s age was just sixteen,
He landed here from Germany—
Young and strong and lean.
He was one of fourteen children
But he left his native land:
America was calling—and
He joined the growing band.
He worked for Emil Wunder
And was stronger than the rest,
When they performed on bars of iron,
Bill Bastman was the best.
They’d leap for "holds" and "chin themselves",
And Emil tried the feat,
But when he missed the bar, he said,
Bill Bastman had him beat!
He was Courting Bertia Dwinger—
His "circle-two-step" queen,
But still kept learning farming
In all the time between.
And while at Emil Wunders,
Came time to put up hay:
He out-worked all the neighbors
On every threshing day.
So fast at pitching bundles,
The guys would stop and stare,
For Bill could swing a pitchfork
Like it was made of air!
A shepherd dog named Fannie,
Made friends with Bill one day,
And followed him to Wunders
And settled down to stay.
The dog would bring the cattle,
When they would give the word,
and sort the milking cows all out
From running with the herd.
And Emil was a grateful man,
For Fannie AND for Bill—
He said, "There’s two good workers—
A regular powder- mill!"
Bill had a single buggy
And a sorrel horse named Joe,
That took the loving couple
Where e’re they wished to go.
Barn dance and house parties—
Square dances they would do,
They sang ":The little red wagon—
The one that’s"painted blue".
And "Skip to my Lou, my darling,"
And "Buffalo Gals tonight"---
Whatever the "caller" said to do,
They did---with all their might!
In June, just fifty years ago,
Bill said, "I’ll draw some pay—
For we plan to go to Jackson,
It will be our wedding day."
"I’ll take the horse and buggy—
Altho it’s kind of far...."
But Emil said, "We’ll take you
In our nice new Overland car."
"We’ll put the top UP if it rains,
Top DOWN if it is nice,
My wife and I will stand with you---
We’d like to throw some rice."
A Reverend Keeler tied the knot,
In a Jackson court house room,
John Wiese and his good wife served lunch
To the happy bride and groom.
They look back on their farming years,
The hard times, fun and folly—
And they recall some favorite teams:
Among them—Daisy and Dolly.
Sam and Kate were horses, too,
And Nell was quite a pacer,
He matched her with the neighbors nags,
She was a champion racer.
Five children came to bless their home:
Three girls and two fine boys,
They grew and shared with Mom and Dad
Life’s sorrows and life’s joys.
There’s Ellen, Edna, Anna,
And also John and Dale,
They had a pony -"Curley"—
Which they rode o’er hill and dale.
They lived in good old Iowa,
Then Minnesota state,
They learned the art of farming:
Plant and harvest—watch and wait.
They came to town on Saturdays,
They had a model T,
The kids grew up and met their mates
As it is plain to see!
For grand-kids number fifteen,
Some think they’re lots of trouble,
But Bill and Bertha love ‘em all—
Two sets of them came DOUBLE!
Four GREAT-grandchildren bless this pair,
To count them all specific,
And when they get together---
The noise is just terrific!
Bertha works in Ladies’ clubs,
The one of Diamond Lake’s,
The Amvets, Royal neighbors—
(You should see the things she makes!)
To Silver lake activities,
She’s given in good measure,
The one that’s closest to her heart
Is known as "Practical Pleasure!"
The Cemetery society—
And also Ladies Aid,
A neighborhood "500" club---
She always makes the grade.
Bill is a Modern Woodman,
And an all-around good guy,
He keeps the lawn and garden
As neat as apple pie.
He’ll do a little fishing,
Likes to visit—likes to work,
Whenever there is need of him
He’s never known to shirk.
We could go on about this pair—
Their trials, their tests, their tears,
But JOY now reigns---they’ve MADE IT----
Through FIFTY GOLDEN YEARS.
And neighbors, friends and loved ones
Pause a bit along the way---
To wish them health and happiness
This GOLDEN WEDDING DAY!
June--1967
Grace McFarland
Lake Park, IA
Read by Anna Mae BASTMAN WIEDOW