Sunday afternoon in the Sand Hills

Television has arrived in the Sand Hills! People were buying the fascinating black boxes.

Tall antennas were popping up all around Merriman, Nebraska. That fall of 1958 a new kind of party was happening. Antenna Raising! Just like the barn raising parties, people gathered at a friend’s house with tool kits and food. Men dug a hole close to the house while others bolted the poles and framework together on the ground; everything was ready for the big event.

About noon the work would give way to food. A long table was set up for another famous Sand Hills Pot Luck Dinner. Women from far and wide brought their specialties – Pot roast, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, potato salad, coleslaw, corn on the cob, bacon seasoned green beans, baked beans, a variety of pickles and relishes, homemade rolls with fresh churned butter jams, jellies and honey. All this was followed by desserts that would satisfy any sweet tooth. People gathered for the feast. After a prayer was said, everyone gathered around the table to fill their plates with as much as they could, then found a place to eat. There was much chatter and laughter as friends caught up with the latest news of ranch or town life.

On this particular Labor Day week-end the gathering was at the home of Everette and Lola Leeper. This antenna raising was also an opportunity for the community to meet the new primary teacher who would be living there. All this was very new to Joan who had arrived earlier in the week and was just settling into her tiny room in the back of the house and getting her classroom across town ready for students in the morning.

Their son, Wendell, a high school sophomore, made sure all his friends were there to help raise that giant spire of metal and wire up into the sky and braced into the holes with guide wires and concrete. Among these young men, one stood out – tall and blond with amazing blue eyes wearing a white wool bomber jacket with matching scarf monogrammed LAD just above the fringe. His white buck shoes definitely were noticed among all the other booted feet (Joan’s favorite singer was Pat Boone who always wore white buck shoes). He arrived in a lavender and white mercury low to the ground and magnificently detailed. Yes, he was a college boy, headed back to Chadron State College in the morning.

Joan was impressed. “Who is this guy?”

“That’s Lad. He lives out at the lake. We graduated together couple of years ago,” Wendell’s older sister replied. “His Dad owns the gas station.”

By late afternoon the antenna was solidly in place and hooked to the TV. Now all they had to do was eat more food and wait for the station to start broadcasting in the evening. Soon card tables were set up for a card game “pitch” tournament to start. But the young people were thinking about the carnival at the County Fair in Gordon thirty miles away. Lad offered to drive a car. Jack Waddell if he and Joan could catch a ride with him. He said, “Fine, but I need to go pick up Tootie Jensen.” Wendall rode with a group of guys and the caravan went off to Gordon. Everyone had a good time and didn’t stay out too late since we all had school or work on Monday.

One of the first things Joan did the next day was to go the school office and check out the records to find out what the initial LAD stood for. What a surprise, that really is his name.