Kelly
Kelly was more than a wonderful German Shepherd. She had the perfect personality for the breed – very healthy and to top if off, beautiful! What more could a person ask for. Still to this day, many memories of Kelly are brought to conversation. When Kelly was about 5 years of age my Mom gave her to her mother (Cora) who lived on a farm in Cushing, WI. At many times on the farm, Cora would get very lonesome. Grandpa Johnny was always gone someplace, and Kelly became Cora’s perfect company. Cora taught Kelly to stay out of her large garden while she worked in it or not. Kelly would lie at the edge of the garden and wait for Cora to finish her work. Also, Kelly was excellent with the other animals on their farm. Cora would always say, “I’ve had many great dogs in my life time, but, Kelly is one I will never forget.” She was a Magnificent shepherd in so many ways. …But, Mom and Dad were moving to a different place where they couldn’t have a dog. Stories as this you always hear, but in this case Kelly was meant to be with my Grandma Cora to the end.
Steven, Kelly, Gary & Terry Sater
(Photo by Muriel Sater)Cora always had countless stories to tell about Kelly. They were enjoyable/funny stories that would make my Grandma laugh with sheer joy! The one story that’s so amusing to this day was of Kelly and the neighbors’ chickens. Kelly would go to the neighbors not that far away…possibly sometime in the evening and bring 1 chicken home with her. She would never hurt it. She would keep it in her doghouse that was right next to Cora’s back door. This was so comical! When Cora would greet Kelly in the morning, there again, would be a chicken in her doghouse with her. What was odd – the chickens would never come out of her doghouse. It was as if Kelly ordered them to stay inside -- and they would!
Feeling quite guilty – Cora would take the chickens back to her neighbor. But after a while, those people did not find this at all amusing and became furious over time with Kelly’s sport. They continued to tell Cora that they didn’t want Kelly over at their place anymore. So, there was no other alternative for Cora. In the evenings, Cora would tie Kelly up to her doghouse. Back then, in the ‘old farm days’…people hardly tied their dogs. They were allowed to roam free so they could protect the family and the other animals on the farm. This was just another great aspect of Kelly’s goodness.
Cora couldn’t take it anymore. After 3 days or so had passed she never tied Kelly up again. As the following morning of freedom arrived – yes, there was Kelly with another unharmed chicken in her doghouse. It was almost as if Kelly was lonesome or showing her maternal instincts. Maybe the chickens were like company for Kelly. Cora just didn’t know what to do anymore. She wanted to stay friends with her neighbors and didn’t want them angry at her dog either. Clever as Kelly was, she never had been seen taking the chickens. So, Cora finally came up with a solution. As Kelly brought more chickens home with her…Cora and Johnny ate them!
Grandma Cora would laugh and then continue to tell more stories about the wonderful shepherd named Kelly.
I miss my Grandma and Grandpa so much. There are many good memories on the farm in Cushing, WI.
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Artwork - Writing - Photographs Created by
Kathy Sater-Partch, Cottonwood, AZ |
