Jacob and Clara Ramberger Farm Scene Painted by Leroy Drumheller
By Steve E. Troutman
Leroy N. Drumheller (1931-2010) lived with his grandmother, Clara [Williams] Ramberger (1874-1953) from the age of 10 or 11 through his school age years, about 1941-1949. [Some time during that time period he painted the above farm scene. His memories of of the farm are provided below]:
The big farm house is painted red in the autumn scene. Note the orange colored leaves of the trees. The garden on the left is enclosed by a clapboard fence. The outdoor bake oven is next to the garden. The summer house is nearby with its large stone chimney. Gramma Clara and her cousin, Annie Erdman, lived in the summer house after Jacob Ramberger died in 1918. Annie worked as a maid and nanny to Clara. Two big kettles for butchering and cooking were in the fireplace of the summer house as well as a bake oven above the hearth. A coal shed is adjacent to the summer house. A spring house was located off the garden (off the picture) which was fed by spring water from the source above the spring house. Water flowed from a dome built of natural rock to the spring house water trough. Here the milk, butter and other perishable foods were kept cool. A quince tree was located near the spring. Quince is often used to make jelly or jam. The apple orchard was behind the summer house and the big farm house. Pig stables and a corn crib are between the house and barn. Coal sheds are south of the house. A wagon shed is shown south of the barn. Note the fence which has a gate of two rails south of the house.
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Contributed by Steve E. Troutman. First published as a blog post on May 18, 2012, on “Mahantongo Heritage,” sponsored by PAHistorian.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.