Men's Work/Women's Work

My stepfather Jerry Snider grew up on a farm in Central Ohio. He was the eighth child of ten (nine surviving) children born to Oscar Snider and Nellie Butler. In birth order, these children were Charles Robert (called Dutch), Oscar, Jr. (who passed away as a small child), Mary Jean, Donald Richard (called Bud), Doyle Vern, Helen Lucille, Peggy Lou, Jerry Lee (ironically, the same first and middle name as me), Danny Ray and Barry Joe. While Jerry has no nieces or nephews older than he, he has two that are approximately the same age.

The farm had cash crops, of course, such as corn, wheat, alfalfa and oats. Several of these crops were also important in feeding and keeping the livestock. On the Snider farm, the animals included chickens, milk cows, hogs and steer. The family also maintained an extensive garden. Much of the food went to feed the family, and throughout the year, Nellie was responsible for preserving, canning and cooking all of the food the family needed throughout the year.

This was women’s work. On a farm, the duties were strictly divided.

Oscar was responsible for the fields, steer, hogs, cows and all facilities upkeep and repairs. He was also responsible for making sure that there was enough wood in the house to feed the stove, which provided all of the heat in the house and where all of their food was prepared. He also held a paid job. The boys assisted him on the farm, and were assigned various chores, particularly in the feeding and care of the livestock. While the butchering was performed as men’s work, the women were right there with them. The smoking and canning of the meat was the responsibility of Nellie with the assistance of the girls.

While she did not make all their clothes, Nellie made sure that they lasted as long as they could through mends and patches. She made their soap and bread, maintained the house (assisted by the girls), did all of the cooking and dishes, made the family’s large intake of bread (multiple loaves were consumed at every meal), was responsible for the large garden (with the assistance of all of the children in various ways) and milked the cows twice a day (early in the morning and in the early evening).

In fact, everyone had morning chores before breakfast. Oscar and Nellie rose early, and while he stoked the wood stove, Nellie milked the cows. Nellie was also responsible for the chickens—feeding, raising and gathering the eggs. Depending on the situation, either she or the boys would kill the chickens that the family ate. She made all the family’s bread, several dozen loaves per week, using yeast that they purchased in large cakes, and portioning out the required amount for the dough. She and the girls also made butter and used the leftover liquid buttermilk (combined with oats) to slop—feed—the hogs. The milk the family didn’t need was kept in large metal canisters as cool as they could until the collector from the dairy arrived, and these were emptied into his large truck. Butter, eggs and cream were taken into town and sold.

Doing laundry required boiling gallons of water and scrubbing each item on a wood and metal washboard. During fair weather, this all-day task took place outside, and the wash was hung to dry on clotheslines. During the winter months, the wash was still hung outside and freeze-dried.

They worked from sun-up to sundown. This was necessary for survival. It was hard, physical labor.

“Basically, she was a slave,” my stepfather remarked.