The Schneider’s loaded their belongings, fowl along with the cattle.
Wes’ parents and the children rode the passenger train. Pete (the younger) and the cat accompanied crated chickens, the tame pigeons, cattle and machinery on another train on the long ride to northern North Dakota. Trains did not run directly north and south so it took some time getting to the final destination.

Upon the fall arrival to the Dunseith area the family stayed with old friends from Kansas, the Kraft family. They moved to a farm 5 miles east of Dunseith, a house was on the place and school house moved on to the end to make a larger kitchen. A barn was built for the cattle and chickens. And the pigeons were provided cages fashioned from apple boxes which were attached to the outside on the east of the barn

Pete (the younger) at one time also ventured in greyhounds. Wes said his brother had hopes of earning “big”money selling coyote pelts. Pete would drive the team and wagon accompanied by the greyhounds and a gun. Unfortunately, he found the dogs couldn’t run on the gravel roads lest they became lame so they ran across fields and whenever a coyote was shot the grey hounds would have it torn to pieces.

Wes and his younger brother, Warren as children living in the foothills of the Turtle Mountains west of Dunseith, explored their surroundings as young boys do. They wandered up and down coulees. Coulee’s where they found and collected old weathered buffalo bones. One particular coulee seemed to have many, many bones at the bottom of a steep drop point.

Their father (Peter the Elder) and about four other gentlemen, including a Mr. Schimetz left for a time. These men all had stomach ailments, and someone told them about a “healing hot springs water” in South Dakota.

Upon their father’s return about two weeks later, Wes and Warren were sent with 10 gallon jugs to collect water from Mineral Springs. They would cross the creek with a buggy Wes said, “They kind of cheated the horse flies” which were bad in that area biting up the horses, they had to borrow nose bags. Many times the boys would have to stopŠ.they kind of “get side tracked” catching minnows!

“Mineral Springs was no bigger than this kitchen, where we found a few bones there too.” said Wes. The young enterprising Schneider boys,were using their fathers buggy to collect bones. The bones were taken to Dunseith, sold to Mr. Richard who bought animal bones of all kinds to be shipped elsewhere, then ground and re-sold as bonemeal or fertilizer. The boys had also found many intact old buffalo skulls which were purchased by Mr. Richard who placed them around his gas station south of town.

After a time in the thirties, new neighbors, the Kotchevar’s arrived moved onto land which was owned by relatives. They lived west of the Willow Lake Road about three quarters of a mile from his dad’s farm. At five or six o’clock on most Sunday nights, Mr. and Mrs. Kotchevar would come to the Schneider farm picking up their weekly supply of milk, cream and butter.

While growing up, mostly during oft seasons of their farm work
Wes and his younger brother Warren often helped Mr. and Mrs. Kotchevar. Wes descrbed Mr Kotchevar “He was a pretty good guy, he didn’t drink or smoke.” Mrs. Kotchevar was neat and polite.

There were the times, when carrying an ax, Wes accompanied Mr. Kotchevar through the woods. Mr. Kotchevar would point out a tree. Wes said, “He was very particular about the height and shape of the trees.” Wes obligingly chopped the trees down. Then, would haul them back to the yard where Mr. Kotchevar would varnish the wood until it was highly glossed. Wes and Warren hand drilled holes into the poplar tree poles and Mr. Kotchevar wired for electricity.

One day, she told Wes she wanted to taxidermy a pheasant. She said, “It needs to be a big pheasant.” Although out of season, Wes obliged her, “When, a big, wild pheasant just happened to come into the yard and fought with the Schneider turkey gobbler.” “It was large!”

During the summer season, the Kotchevar’s lived in their little “summer shack’. The bigger log house(“lodge”) was the special viewing place for the stuffed animals set in various poises and scenes. One would enter that lodge, and find their imagination pulling them on a journey to magical places cleverly created by Mr. and Mrs. Kotchevar.

I (Vickie) told Wes, Do I remember correctly? “There were frogs sitting up in little chairs around a table playing cards, mice dancingŠŠ?”

And outside, the yard was a showplace of gardens. Stuffed gophers placed along paths under light poles fashioned from the poplar trees.
Local people came. Then, returning, brought visitors from various places near and far to see Deer Heart Lodge. Word traveled and families out for a summers drive enjoyed this attraction on Sundays. The Kotchevars, also sold glossy varnished walking canes, table lamps, lamps and little chairs all in different sizes.

A crude sign on the driveway read “Deer Heart Lodge”. Cars would be parked all over. Adults would pay about 10 cents in admission fees.
“Ah, But Wes and Warren always got in free!”

With the change of season, summer to fall and the scarcity of visitors, Deer Heart Lodge would close to visitors for the winter months. Mr. and Mrs. Kotchevar vacated the “summer shack” to move back into the warmer lodge and resume their wood work and crafts.

Wes does not recall any Kotchevar children. But a dog might have made it’s home with them. After reading,his nephew, Duanes’ story about “Adam and the Lang bull,” Wes said, “He did not recall any tulips. But, he did remember Mr.Kochevar asking him to come and plow a place for that strawberry bed. Wes used the Schneider horse and plow. He was directed to a patch of ground east their house. Mt. Kotchevar showed him how much he wanted plowed. The rocks were then dug out and hauled away.