Bennett Mountain, our North

When it came to turning the desert into irrigated and productive farmland in Indian Cove, Idaho, the Mennonites were a perfect choice, to my way of thinking, bringing with them the necessary support system for pioneer farmers to make a go of it, where others had failed before them. It can be seen that where pioneer farmers had families, and families had each other and a common faith, the basics of life were held together, mostly, for most of them, and a community became established. Snake River water plus community, was the key.

How do families ‘make it work,’ today? How is your family a support to you, and you for them, to do what is needed, for what is important in life?

Dad was moved into the “Gene House” on the southwest corner of Indian Cove so others of us can take a turn at being with him, to provide care he needs at this time in his life. It happens to be ‘my turn’ and so I flew in from the state of Washington, and Dad and I began our settling in on January 1^st.

Dad can see his top eighty acres stretch out from the little house, and Bennett Mountain is looking mighty white and lovely above the line of the rimrocks to the north, making them his current orientation point. Our family farm sits lower in the valley, with no view of the mountains, so this is a surprise! On our first day here, when Dad was working hard to get his bearings and then spotted this ‘true north’ from the living room window, I picked up my book and read aloud the story, “Going to the Fourth of July.” Dad listened with his eyes closed, and then smiled and said, “That’s the way it was. Very good.” This was the Bennett Mountain I had known as a child.

Dad is the reader I want to please the most with my stories of growing up in the Cove! I want him to know how much I respect him and Mom, and the families who all worked together — Mennonite and not Mennonite– to make it such a good community, back then, and today. It’s good to be back!

Do you have any Cove event snapshots? I would love to see some of the community Fourth of July picnics up at Bennett Mountain.