Senior Connections August 2018
Delano twins recall growing up in the 1930s
ALLISON SCHAUST
Correspondent
Fresh spring air blew in through an open nursery window of a little Delano farmhouse. Sleeping soundly side-by-side were newborn twins, George and Genevieve. It was a beautiful day March 3, 1930 when the twins joined the growing family of Anthony and Elizabeth Schaust.
The family would eventually have 10 children, all of whom remained very close into adulthood, yet there’ s no denying the special bond George and Genevieve“ Jean” shared as twins.
Their family was like any other Delano family growing up in the countryside. Anthony was a farmer who met his wife, Elizabeth, while she was working at the Delano newspaper at the time, The Delano Eagle. George recalls that Betty, as she was fondly known, was“ the best writer in the county.”
Anthony and Betty passed onto their children a strong work ethic and included them in all the farm work.“ Everyone milked cows by hand, girls too,” George added when he was asked what kind of chores they participated in.
Along with the family’ s 50 cows, they had Percheron workhorses, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, geese, and ducks. One time, George’ s older brother-in-law was having troubles with one of his workhorses. He lived just down the road, so he asked George to bring over one of their Percherons. These horses weren’ t for riding, yet George climbed on and road the gigantic horse several miles to his brother-in-law’ s farm.
When the kids finished their chores and studies, they played many games like“ Annie, Annie over,” tag, hopscotch, and horseshoes. The boys and girls played together, but Jean stated that“ Ma never let us play outside in the rain.”
Twins George and Genevieve“ Jean” Schaust have remained close through their 88 years.
PHOTO BY ALLISON SCHAUST
Their family was among the first in the Delano countryside to install electricity, and with that came the first radio in their neighborhood. George and Jean recall that whenever Joe Lewis’ boxing match came on the radio, the neighbors came over to listen together. While the parents gathered around the radio, the kids played tag outside.“ We were all close to each other,” Jean added with a smile.
All of the Schaust kids attended the country school, where they laid the foundation for their education.
For a time, the schoolteacher boarded with their family for $ 1 per day, which included three meals a day. Betty delivered a hot lunch to the schoolteacher every day since she had to stay with the children.
The schoolteacher paid George 15 cents a day( out of her own pocket) to go to the schoolhouse early in the morning during the winter to start the wood stove so that it would be warm when everyone else arrived. She also paid him an additional 15 cents at the end of the day to sweep, wash the blackboards, and empty the trash.
Every morning, George would wake up before the crack of dawn to help milk the cows before he ran to the schoolhouse to start the woodstove, then ran back home for breakfast. He also helped his mother with the dishes before he left with the other kids for school.
George said his favorite subject was physical education, while Jean mentioned that she loved English.
In those days, it was uncommon in a farming community like Delano for boys to graduate from high school. Jean explained that,“ Ma wanted us [ the twins ] to graduate together.”
At first, George was hesitant, because he had expected to begin working on the farm, but he said,“ I did it for Ma.”
George and Jean shared many classes together, and worked hard at their studies.
“ George sat behind me in most classes,” Jean recalled. Both George and Jean remember being one of three pairs of twins their age growing up.“ It was unusual for a pair of boy-girl twins in those days,” George explained.
In 1947, the twins were in their senior year of high school. It was also a momentous year in that it was the first year Delano had an 11-man football team. George was approached by the coach to play on the team as a running back, but he had to ask his parents’ permission to play, since football would take time away from the farm, not to mention the risk of being injured. With his parents’ blessing, George joined the team.
Although Jean didn’ t play in any after-school sports, she did participate in choir.“ We didn’ t live at school like nowadays,” Jean explained.
After graduation, George and Jean both married and started their own families. In spite of this, they remained very close with each other and their other siblings.
Jean married Ambrose Farniok, and together they had 14 children( none of which were twins). George and his wife, Joan Hance, had seven children( also, none of which were twins).
Ambrose worked at the Granite Works in Delano and as a mechanic out of his garage, while Jean kept busy at home.
Twins George and Genevieve“ Jean” Schaust are shown here in an early photo with their mother, Elizabeth Schaust.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
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Senior Connections August 2018
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