Stanley and the Chicken

We have offered pictures of Lloyd Anderson and Ella Lundberg as children along with pictures of Jaeme, Rachel, and myself in or about the fourth grade.

We talked about Stanley. But we didn't offered a picture.

Here is the picture of him with the chicken. Now, for those of you who would not know, his father, Benhard was big on poultry. He was part of the Rosewood Poultry Association and possibly even had some hybrids. It is stated in the Rosewood News that.....

January 1922
Rosewood News Mr. and Mrs. Benhard Ranum entertained 18 guests at a whist party. First prize went to Bennie Ranum which was a cockerel. Cards were played at four tables and lunch was served at midnight.

April 1922

Rosewood News Benhard Ranum is building a new poultry house for Hellerud. He is going to raise Plymouth Rocks. Plymouth Rocks are the size of Rhode Island Reds. Plymouth's are white and Rhode Islands are rust.

September 1922

Rosewood News Poultry Expert coming to speak. He will lecture on all the different breeds.

November 1923

100,000 pounds of poultry shipped daily through TRF

December 1925

Rosewood News Benhard Ranum left Tuesday for TRF to attend the Poultry Association meeting.

1926

Rosewood News Benhard Ranum is building a 14 x 40 poultry shed for Emil Mellem

September 1931
9 10 Gust and Olof Opseth are employed erecting a new poultry building

February 1932

Gust Opseth took fifteen of his poultry birds to TRF for disposal on Saturday and also did business at the Rural Credits office.

December 1936

Benhard and Julia Ranum spend time in TRF at the poultry show

The photo I am sharing is of Stanley and what looks to be a Rhode Island Red breed. There was an long standing argument about just who's chicken this was. Harry, Stanley's brother and Stanley both claimed it as there own. Most likely it was Benhards! But wait! Am I seeing two chickens? Do you see two chickens? Tom was looking for three!

Now, you need to know that Stanley made a pet out of everything. He was truly the animal lover in the Benhard Ranum family. As an adult, he remained the same. In later years, when his heart was bad, he used to take his jeep to the pasture to check his Hereford cattle. The bull's name was Sancho. When Sancho saw the jeep coming he would come over so Stanley would scratch is back.

When I looked at the picture closely, I saw, what we referred to as a bowl hair cut. I also noted he was sitting on a poplar log, a tree which grew in swamp areas. He is wearing bib overalls and does not appear to be wearing shoes. And what about that over sized shirt?

Is it for the birds?

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