It is from Anton Jr. that we today have the early stories of the Reichart family. He lived the longest of his family-he almost reached his 89th birthday. By this time someone (Laura Reichart Hefty-Mrs. Ed) became interested enough in preserving the story. One day she went to his house with the sole purpose of having him tell what he had remembered, so it is through him that we have first hand information.
The sad part is that no one could give very much information about Anton Jr.’s early married life and the rearing of his family.
George, their oldest son was approached one day for help with this, but he didn’t have much to offer. He thought that their life was very ordinary and not much worthy of putting on paper.
He did offer that his father was a very easy going person. He tried to farm with not enough horse power and not enough tools. George felt that his family could not have existed had it not been for Uncle Frederick and Aunt Margaret, and their two older boys.
The brave deed that Anton Jr. did for his brother, Frederick, in the civil War can be read in this history under “Civil War Days”.
This is probably a good place to tell of the Reicharts’ experiences in the tornado which swept through the area. On Saturday, May 20, 1905, around 5:00 in the evening this area was struck by a destructive tornado. It began about 12 miles north of Topeka, and extended to within three miles of Atchison.
Anton Jr. had gone to the pasture a little over one mile north of the farm on which they lived. He went there to drive home the cows for milking. He saw that the cloud had al the making of a tornado. He knew he would not have time to go back home, so he went to Kaspar Rufibach’s for shelter.
When his wife Anna and the others at home saw the angry clouds, they though of running across the field to the fine arch cave on Frederick’s place, about a half mile distance away.
The fields were muddy. The people frightened and when they reached the cave they were exhausted. Anna was so utterly exhausted that she had to give up just before she reached the cave.
Willie Fisher yelled, “Come on Aunt Anna” then he and others helped drag her into the cave.
Upstairs in this stone house was Clara, Alex’s wife, with her first baby, Edith, who was born March 16 of that year. Clara wasn’t about to take such a little baby into that cold damp cave and have it catch its death of cold. She doesn’t remember who, but someone took the baby and she followed.
The Reicharts did not have any buildings destroyed. It uprooted the fine orchard, tore down the picket fences and other minor damages.
However, just a few miles to the northeast the Coal Creek church was completely destroyed. At Holbrooks just south of the church it took the barn off the foundation and left the cows unharmed in the basement. To the north and east from the church the Freeland home was lifted from its foundation, spun it around and then set it down not very badly damaged with Mrs. Freeland and her daughter in it unharmed.
When World War I came along, people of close German background were held in suspicion. As a boy having seen in Germany the rigorous training of the army, Anton remarked that the United States would not have an easy task in defeating Germany. Had the Reicharts not come to America to escape militarism! He did not have naturalization papers to show that he was an American citizen; I don’t think that any of the early settlers did.
He had served his country in the Civil War; he was discharged with honor, and he was receiving a pension from the government for his service. Yet, he had to be fingerprinted and his picture taken which was then displayed in the Post Office in Valley Falls, and perhaps other places too. He was furious for being treated thusly and every bit of his anger shows on his face in the photograph.
Anton and Anna spent their retirement days in the village of Halfmound. He visited with the shoppers at the country store and she in keeping house and piecing quilts one of the early arts. She made mostly the log cabin pattern. They had a long life together-58 years.
They too, were generous in sharing their home with others. Andy Ratz was one of these. He was Anna’s half sister’s son. There were others at various times. In the later years almost every one in the community called them Aunt Anna and Uncle Anton...relative or not.