Dubuque Symphony Orchestra’s
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The most frightening experience I can remember was on a buggy trip to Dubuque.
Dad, Mom, and I rode in the double-seated buggy with egg cases, cans of cream and proper clothing to protect us from the sun or rain. Many trains passed through Rockdale whose path we had to cross to get to town. There were no tractors in the field so we listened for sounds of trains in the distance. Before we were in sight of the train rails, we heard a train engine two hills away. We didn’t have time to cross before it. My father got out of the buggy, ordering us to get out and stand some distance from the buggy. The horses stood on their hind feet, neighed and tried to plunge foreword, as my dad held their bridles secure to keep them from running away. Pa talked to the horses to calm them down. They continued this neighing and rearing up until the train with one hundred boxcars disappeared out of sight. We got back into the buggy as my dad continued talking to and petting the team. The three miles left to go were tense as we feared there might be an afternoon train to taunt us on the way home. The team shied and reared when we met a car on the road until they became used to them. The driver had to have quick action to keep the team from running away. These adventures brings me to the time I was able to drive a Model-T Ford — no drivers licenses, no insurance, no windshields wipers, no turning signals, no starters, tires guaranteed to give trouble, no alcohol for the radiator. The pleasure of riding in a car only lasted from May until the first frost in the fall. Our winter traveling was done with a buggy, wagon or sleigh. We rode horses and walked to visit neighbors. We lived in a happy, helpful community. We shared work and play, which helped us prepare for a choice in the vocation we chose. I was guided by the directions given to me during my four years of boarding school. I still attend the yearly reunion held for all the pupils who attended our alma mater. I have missed only two reunions in 73 years. A good reward. Do you agree? My best memories are the friendly families that attended our school and the fun we had preparing our yearly programs for the community. I attended high school as a boarder at the Immaculate Conception in Dubuque. I studied to become a teacher and taught the home school in 1928. Then I taught in one-room schools until 1940, when all married teachers were not allowed to teach. In 1949, a scarcity of teachers allowed married teachers to teach, as many teachers got more money in government jobs. I taught sixth grade at Sageville for three years. I then taught Special Education in Western Dubuque for twelve years. This life’s review brings me up to 1940. A special day, November 28, 1940, I became Elizabeth Lynch. 
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