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Notes for John Rutt Kraybill:
"I started courting Mother in the Spring of 1922. After teaching school at Wickersham at $85 a month, I bought my first car, a 1921 Model T Ford Coupe. This had no front wheel brakes, no turn signals, no stop lights, and no rear view mirror. I never courted Mother with horse and buggy. After Mother's father [Peter R. Nissley] died in 1921, she was the family chauffer. She drove a Model T Ford sedan with one wide front door opposite the driver's seat. In the Spring of 1923, we drove to Eastern Mennonite School [Harrisonburg, VA] commencement. That Winter 1922-23 she had spent 6 weeks at Bible term, while I was still single, at home, and teaching public school. We were married at the home of Bishop Isaac Brubaker. We took our honeymoon trip in my car. We first went to Niagara Falls, across New York State to the Finger Lakes and Watkins Glen, then returned south through eastern Pennsylvania. We were gone about a week, had only one flat tire, and spent about $80 on the trip. There were no motels or inter-state numbered highways. When we returned we set up housekeeping in the yellow tenant house at the mill. Mother was gracious in accepting me as her husband. I remember speaking to H. Raymond Charles at my brother Martin's funeral. Mother was a Bishop's daughter. Raymond thought I aimed rather high to ask a Bishop's daughter to be my wife. He was so right about that. I was not worthy of her. I was crippled and earning less than $1,000 a year, a poor risk to support a wife and probable family. However, I do not believe she was ever sorry and I certainly was not. As a family we had a good life together, thanks largely to Mother!" (Written by John R. Kraybill, March 1988.)
"JOHN R. KRAYBILL was born at Bainbridge, Lancaster County, August 27, 1898, into a family of 10 children. As he was considering his vocation, he thought he would probably be a farmer. But a farm accident in the spring of 1921 changed his outlook. While operating a fodder-shredder, the machine severely injured his right hand, which needed to be amputated. No ambulances were available, so his brother Martin took him to Lancaster Hospital in his Model T. On the way from Bainbridge to Lancaster they encountered a detour, and experienced a flat, on which they drove the remainder of the trip. John recalls it was very bumpy. He lost a lot of blood, and since blood transfusions were not available he was not given much hope to survive. Since the loss of his hand was a hindrance to farm work, John decided to teach school. He enrolled at Elizabethtown College summer school in May 1921, and received a temporary certificate to teach. He began teaching in the fall term of 1921-22. In February 1935, John was ordained Deacon at Bossler Mennonite Church to assist Harry Erb. He was a charter member of the Lancaster Mennonite High School Board, on which he served as Secretary for 20 years. In 1967 he retired from the Board at which time he and Esther moved to the Mennonite Home." (Written by Ralph Ginder, for the Mennonite Home Highlights newsletter.)
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