Gene Lutz writes:

The house where we lived in 1945 (photograph above) has long since been taken down and there is a module home there now. Our family lived in an apartment in back of the Post Office located on Main Street (to me anyway) on the west side of the street. This would have been in 1937.

My mother, Veva (Coverdell) Lutz, played the piano at the Christian Church (photograph at right) in Kellerton.

My uncles and and family names Strode lived in what was called 'String town.' My older brother Ed was born in the Teale House in 1930. Ed passed away in 2011 in Cedar Rapids. My sisters Georgia Lee and Naomi graduated from Kellerton HS. Georgia Lee (Porge as we called her) in 1941 and Naomi in '42 or '43 maybe. My dad worked for a man named Cap Meadows
and Cap was the man who hauled our furniture
to Colorado in 1945.

  House across the street (photograph at right) from where we last lived. Family named Allen lived there. The sons name was Tommy, about the same age as my sister Mable, who was born 1934, now deceased.

The Bulletin Board in downtown Kellerton with all the names of Ringgold County men serving in World War Two. It was between the two buildings in the colored picture (below) with my brother Bill. I had two uncles listed on the board, Scott Lutz and Benny Lutz. I remember this board from my youth.

Thomas Lutz boys: Leroy (Roy); Boyd; Raymond (Jim); Ben; John Scott: Sons of Thomas C. and Hattie Lutz, one time Kellerton, Iowa residents.

My brother Bill Lutz standing in front of the old Post Office Building where our family live in 1937 when I was born. Kellerton, Iowa. I was actually born in Iowa City, long story.

We're moving! To Colorado! Is that far? Where is Colorado anyway? We've lived everywhere else in Mt. Ayr and Kellerton, four different places in Kellerton alone. Colorado is way West of here, wow.

Now wait a minute - if we move that means we will be leaving our friends. What will it mean moving so far away? I'll miss my friends Larry Brown, Jock Higdy, Auntie Mossie, Saul and Eugene. We'll have to leave our pigeons, no more bluegrass stripping, no more catching fire flies. We'll leave our garden and no more mulberries. No more making snow ice-cream and no more home made sour kraut. Doesn’t sound good to me.

We'll be leaving all our school friends, our house and all. What about Judy - -

Well that is the way it started on day in August, 1945. The whole Lutz family was moving to Colorado. Uprooting and everything is to be moved. That will be a ten percent reduction in the population of Kellerton.

But, what about mom's friends. She'll miss them more than we kids will miss our friends. After all, Mom has lived here or near here, all her life, all 37 plus years. She will be leaving two children here, Georgia Lee and Naomi. In addition she will be leaving behind Tommy who died Christmas Eve 1936. That must be real hard on Mom.

But, Mom says Colorado will be better for us all. Dad has work there. No more WPA*, and being away from home. So we are Colorado bound. August 13, 1945; my Mom, Veva, six kids in tow (Shirley 13, Mable 11, Gene 7, Bob 5, Bill 3, and Jim 2) leave our little town of Kellerton, Iowa for the city of Las Animas, Colorado.

My Dad, Boyd, and my oldest brother Ed, 16, have left for Colorado with all our furniture loaded on a borrowed truck of my dad's friend Cap Meadows. Dad had worked for Cap during some good times and Cap was a great family friend. He has helped our family on many occasions. This, however, would probably be the last time.

So, loaded with two or three boxes of fried chicken, sandwiches, cookies and other goodies, we boarded the Greyhound Bus for our journey west. What an experience awaited us!

We boarded the bus and it was loaded with soldiers. Most of them had casts on arms, legs; bandages on their arms and legs and were aided by canes, crutches or other service men that were able to walk. What a sight to behold by this seven year old.

As we boarded the bus, the soldiers counted us - Wow! They remarked, if we'd had all these we'd have won the war in no time. One of them spoke to my Mom, and found out we were ALL MOVING TO Colorado. They cleared the whole back seat of the bus for us to have. They dubbed us "Mom Lutz' Army." There was a lot of excited talking and lots of laughter. The soldiers then "adopted" we kids, one by one. I rode with one who had a cast on his leg. He let me lean against him and sleep. This continued all the way west and gave my Mom some much needed rest, plus giving the soldiers some pleasure, I'm sure, from the war thay had been in. It was great.

Not far down the road from Lamoni, Iowa, where we had boarded the bus, we had a flat tire. Remember that this was in August 1945. The war was still on and gas and tires were still rationed. Anyway, we waited along the side of the road until a new, at least a different, tire arrived, and we were on our way again.

It was a three day bus trip as I remember. The most impressive things about the trip are etched in my memory like my name. Kansas City, Missouri! Wow! What a sight for a kid. We got off the bus upstairs and got back on downstairs. How'd they do that?

Most impressive memory - It was VJ Day (Victory in Japan Day) August 14, 1945. I don't think I really knew what it meant. I do recall some time before when everyone was sad and crying as they were all saddened by the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, our President.

But this time it was tears of joy and glee. The WAR was over - we had won. Everybody was hugging, kissing, and dancing. Paper streamers filled the air. Lights were flashing, horns were honking on the buses, people were really happy. Cheering, shaking hands, laughing and crying all at the same time. I'll never forget that night as long as I live - even though I did not know the ramifications of that day and wouldn't understand for some time to come.

But, wow, what an experience. Boy, am I glad we are, moving to Colorado. Never dreamed it would be anything like this. My Mom was happy too.

* WPA: Workers Progressive Administration. A Government program which employed able bodied men to work on public projects during the Depression and Second World War (WWII). Projects such as dams, roads, streets, and other worthwhile projects.

Submission and photographs by Gene Lutz, April of 2013