The first recollection of John Hafeman was that he met his wife Augusta on his way to town for supplies. She worked at the Bellis Hotel and he met her on Franklin St. according to their son George. After they married at Zion Lutheran in Wausau, WI, the Hafemans bought the Kennedy farm at 52 and Z north of Nutterville. John built on to the farmhouse so it had three bedrooms, a pantry, large dining room and kitchen. There were many chores to be done, but if they had free time, they might play Sheepshead or go fishing down by the river. In 1920, John bought a car. The township had a debate that winter over whether to continue to ice the roads for sleighs and cutters or to plow for the new automobiles. John used his new car to visit his ailing brother Bill the winter he came down with pneumonia and consumption. John stayed for days on end until Bill died.
John had a logging camp near Watersmeet, MI.. In early winter, they loaded up the sleighs and headed to the UP. His wife and daughter Olga cooked and men from all over the area came up to work. They met and stayed friends with the Cooks and the Eisermanns of Bruces Crossing all their lives.
John was remembered generally as a patient and pious man. The only work permitted on Sundays were the essential jobs like milking the cows. When his grand-daughter was born out of wedlock, he did not hesitate to take her in. She was allowed to put ribbons in his hair while he sat patiently in the kitchen chair.
John was temperate soul, but did use a "klappheitsch" to keep order with that many kids. Olga Hafeman recalled clinging underneath the bed from the springs to avoid its sting. There was a bull in the field which Joyce his grand-daughter was scared of. Sharon her sister sneaked in the pen once and grandpa John caught her. She got the switch.
John loved horses who were his pride and joy. He would get scared when his daughter Linda took the plow horses out riding. The children would not supposed to play by the horses.
On one occasion, Joyce wanted to try to milk a cow. When the cow got startled by her and kicked over the bucket, grandpa ended the lesson. Milk was too valuable to waste. There was a frog pond with pollywogs that interested the kids. Uncle Leonard, the youngest Hafeman, was a devil and would chase the little kids with frogs. There was also a large orchard and a large potato field. They would load up the truck and fill cellar with potatoes in fall. There was a big tree out front of the house. The kids were warned not to play on it or the limb would break. When the limb broke, Sharon got a her one and only spanking from her mother for not listening to Grandma Hafeman.
The Hafemans loved music. Grandpa knew how to clog and grandma played the accordion. She taught Uncle Leonard how to play. Weddings were held in their huge dining room. Dancing went on til 2 or 3 in the morning. One wedding was supposed to be held when the lilacs were blooming the first couple days of June, but they bloomed early that year.
Gusta and John's kids came back to the farm and brought their kids along. Many of the cousins played together and stayed in contact over the years inviting each other to their polka weddings. An open bar was always praised. A good polka band was appreciated. (Hafemans loved to dance the night away!) Old-timers played Sheepshead at card tables in the corner. The kids got rare fizzy drinks, ran around the edges of the dance floor, improvised quick, ungainly dances before chasing each other outside. Their descendants are now reading this and wondering, could life have been so idyllic? No, there were plenty of skeletons, unhappy marriages, hard times as in every era. I will not go into what I know here. The dead can not say they are sorry nor explain, so I will just let them rest in peace.
Sources for this short bio: His children, George Hafeman, Linda Zank, Olga Hafeman; His grand-children, Joyce Wilde, Sharon Olson and Jo Fruechtl.