Keith Tillotson
Saving the Farm (1938)
Around December '38, Kenneth got out of the Navy and went back to Iowa. That's when he wanted to sell the farm to my uncle Raymond. Before he got out, we got a notice from Uncle Leonard that there was gonna' be a sheriff's sale. They didn't pay the taxes. So, they were just gonna' have a sheriff's sale.
Uncle Leonard decided – figured us boys should have the first shot at it. So he contacted us, and we started saving – or I did, anyway. I think I paid for the whole thing. I think it was about 600 dollars. I borrowed money, borrowed some off of Ray Baldman. I can't remember whether Kenneth helped out on that or not. We got the taxes paid off, and it was in our name – Kenneth's and my name.
So, when he got out of the Navy, Kenneth went to Iowa and he wanted to sell it. And, 'course, I signed the paper – "Just go ahead and do it." I wish now I hadn't have done that. Fifty dollars an acre – 35 acres. I guess I got half the money. I got half of it, but I gave that back to my mother. Which was kinda' stupid, 'cause Perry probably just spent it all on liquor again, you know.
Then Kenneth sold the buildings separately – like he put that separate – would be 200, 250 dollars for the house and the barn. But he never told me that.
So anyway, it cost me money – I never got anything out of it. It just cost what I paid for the taxes. So I really ended up with nothing out of it, you know.