Father figures throughout life teach lessons, have lasting influence

This column will be published on Father's Day. With that in mind, I would like to tell how my dad and "dads" influenced me with gardening.

My biological dad was an avid gardener when I was growing up. I can remember watching him spade the garden, rake it and then plant rows of corn, beans, peas and tomatoes. He would show me how to turn the soil and then get it ready for planting. Planting had to be somewhat precise because each plant needed a certain amount of space to grow so it could extract the right amount of moisture and nutrients from the soil. If I spaced the seeds too far apart, then that would give space for weeds to grow.

Dad was also an avid rose grower. Our backyard in Marshall was lined with roses. Dad said it was to hide the backyard neighbor's property, but I really think he just loved growing roses and that was the best place on our property to do it.

My granddad Adolph had a huge garden next to his home. He also would show me how to turn the soil and plant the plants and seed. I also was involved in helping fertilize the garden and making sure the plants got the moisture they needed. Of course I would help pick the vegetables and take them to Grandma. They were sure tasty at mealtime.

My Grandpa Schnare also had a big garden in the side yard. I think the garden was Grandma's project more than his. He showed me how to milk a cow, "slop" the pigs and get away from chickens that were chasing me.

Coby Siebert mows the grass Tuesday in front of his grandfather's store, Sunny Hill Gardens & Florist.Laura Simon

I also had uncle "dads." Uncle Bill would hire his nephews in the summer to hoe the beans in the fields. This was before the wide use of herbicides in farming. My cousins would live with Uncle Bill during hoeing season. Then at the end of the summer he would pay them for their work.

One summer he also hired me for a week when I about 6 or 7. Of course, I wasn't as efficient as my brother or cousins. At the end of the hoeing season he paid each of us for "working the bean field." I even got a check for $5. That is when I learned that money comes from work.

Uncle Raymond gave me a good lesson on doing with what you had. I remember staying with my cousins at his house one summer. Quite often at lunchtime, our meal consisted of two slices of bread with a large slice of tomato in the middle. I now look back and really think they did not have a lot of money, so they would do with what they had. What a lesson for a youngster to learn.

One of my "neighbor dads" hired me to mow his lawn during the summer. I used his lawn mower and tools to do the trimming. He showed me how to keep the lawn even while mowing and how to trim along the edges to make the lawn look beautiful when done. He taught me to finish a job and do it to the best of my ability. He also taught me how to clean up the tools and keep them ready for the next mowing. I was paid $1.25 per mow, but most importantly I learned to take care of what you had.

There were several other "dads" who influenced my interest in forestry/agriculture/horticulture. They were teachers, coaches, Scout Masters, major professors and even a sergeant in the Army. To all of my "dads," I say "Thank you." I also pray I am a good granddad for my grandkids.