Comments by Pius Gross
Folks bought their first car, a used model T, in 1924. Remember, they were married in 1919.
In 1931 or 1932 they bought their second car, a 1925 Chevy.
When the car battery died they couldn't afford to purchase another.
To start the car, they parked it on a hill and pushed it to start it. At this time,
they were living in the Krassna area west from Strasburg, ND. Dad parked the model T in the small
garage and the only way it fit was maneuvering the wheels in the deep ruts for enough clearance for the canopy.
However, Dad was not the best driver, and soon had the canopy torn off when parking it in the small garage.
Pius said Dad never fixed it. When they drove to Hague to visit the grandparents they'd have to wrap up in blankets
in the back seat for warmth.
When Pius was 14 years of age he had an appendix operation. Dad wouldn't take him to the doctor.
A neighbor, Jake Buechler, took him to Linton. To get him to the doctor sooner, Jake took back roads.
He got a flat tire and fortunately had a spare. The roads in those days were simply dirt roads with worn ruts and
awfully rough. They finally made it to Linton after several hours.
Since Pius was in horrible pain and couldn't walk, Jake picked him up and carried him into the Linton Hospital.
It was approximately 7 AM and no one around. Jake hollered out for a doctor and finally one arrived in his night
clothes. The doctor checked him out and with only a couple of hours to spare proceeded to operate on him.
There was not enough time to get him to a hospital in Bismarck.
Pius was in the hospital for several weeks. He had not been expected to live.
He had two visitors who came to see him almost every day. A lady named Schmaltz and a man who worked in the court
house. The Schmaltz lady would bring him candy bars that he would safe up since he was not allowed to eat those
while in the hospital. When he left the hospital he took the candy bars home to share with the others.
The man who worked at the court house gave him a dollar. The Schmaltz lady told him that your parents can't
visit you since they live too far away.
After he left the hospital Dad was suppose to take him to the doctor to have his bandages removed and wound cleaned.
Dad didn't take him to the doctor on time and when he did the doctor gave Dad a good scolding.
Pius said he was in terrible pain with infection and could have died.
Pius said Dad hit him when he came home from the appendix operation and he fell.
He said that is when he believes he got a hernia.
A few years later Pius went to Yakima, WA with Edmund and Maggie (Heier) Heilman to work he had to have a
hernia operation. He said he was in a coma for three days and when he awoke a beautiful blond nurse was holding
his hand and said it's time you woke up. He said there were beautiful flowers by his bed and didn't know who
brought them. He was 19 years old at the time.
Pius worked in the apple orchard warehouses in Yakima, WA., and later in the shipyards in Portland, OR. Pius joined the US Army in 1948
with tours in Alaska and England.