Long Line of Farmers

Last week when I was looking up the prevalence of the Lynam surname, a couple more interesting facts came up. 1) The origin of the name from 'lin' flax + ham homestead or hamm enclosure hemmed in by water. 2) 35% of people named Lynam were farmers. My Dad was a farmer.

And, because my folks farmed and I grew up on a farm and in a farming neighborhood, I assumed, expected, to grow up and be a farm wife just like my Mom, even though I aspired to being a secretary.

After high school graduation, I did work in town in an office. When I married Kenny, even though he was also a farm kid, we lived in an apartment in town.

In addition to helping his Dad on the farm, Kenny also worked for area farmers. It was around the time this picture of Dad, Kenny and baby Douglas was taken that a farm near my folks came up for rent.
Dad had already spoken to the land owner about renting the place to us, but she wanted to meet us. I remember going to the farm house, one I was familiar with because as neighbors I had been in it many times, and thinking "this may be where we will be living" and already imagining/planning where our furniture would go and how great it would be to have so much space.
She questioned how young and inexperienced we were, our lack of farm machinery, etc. Dad assured her he would help out and we could use his machinery until we could buy our own.

But she decided to rent to a more established farmer. Kenny got a full-time job in town with Hy-Vee.

And I never joined that 35% family occupation.