The Geese Story

Sheila was an orphan at age 12. She was living with sister Lucille and her step children when she ran away. She wanted to help, but her sister’s step sons made that seem impossible. They teased her, and said she was a burden on the family. It was the late 1920’s. She was only 13 years old.

She hopped on a freight train with a hobo, and made it to Grey Eagle, Minnesota, where her cousins lived. Her cousins came down with diphtheria and she was quarantined with the family in her cousin Addie’s house. It was a small house with big yard and a flock of geese. There weren’t any books, no radio even. TV had not been invented. Sheila spent her time getting to know the geese. They humored her, and she trained them to pull a cart. As she told the story she said, “I have no idea how I did that.” Usually Geese at not friendly. Years later she made numerous paintings of geese capturing their motion.

Here is the original version of the geese in color:

To read Sheila Buchanan’s full story in her own words please download the book click for link to Barnes and Noble also available on Amazon.