Memories of Home by John Hafen, 1890, Thoughts on home by Ramona Porter

The Hafen home was a religious Evangelist home, where a blessing was asked at each meal, and regular reading was done from the prayerbook.  John did not drink wine or other intoxicants nor use tabacco or profane language.  He attended school until he was about 16 years old, arithmetic was his favorite subject.

The first 23 years of John's life were spent in Scherzingen, a village of about fifty families, where most of the villagers were farmers raising hay, grain, potatoes, and fruits.  The Hafen farm comprised 12 to 15 acres cultivated intensively where they raised the family's food needs and a little surplus for sale besides the chief product, wine,  which was marketed locally.

The Hafen family were able to sell their farm for a fair price and the Hafen's paid their own passage and were able to help others less fortunate move to America.

As a child John swam in the Bodensee but, not being accustomed to the swift currents, nearly drowned when he first went swimming in the Missouri River in America.

Info from Jacob Hafen about Thurgau area.

Jacob Hafen was born February 16, 1836 in Canter Thurgau, Northeast Switzerland.  Because of old and absolute laws the people in this fertile and productive country suffered much.  The poor people were so limited in their opportunity to make a living, and their schooling was limited accordingly.  However their working hours were not limited as they are today.  Jacob learned the trade of shoemaking but he had no money to pay for his learning.  After his apprenticeship, he was required to work at the shoemaking bench a year or more without compensation.  From 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., summer and winter Jacob sat at his bench tapping and trimming.  Thrilled with the thought he could soon be master of a trade and then could assist his good parents in the maintaining their humble home.

 Thurgau, his birthplace was known for its fine fruits, therefore the place was nicknamed Ciderindia.  The plentiful production and use of cider gave rise to this name.  The custom was to serve the workmen in the fields a piece of bread and a cup of cider.  The work would then continue til dusk.  Then the evening bell "Angelus" would call the tired workers home to evening chores and supper.   At mid-day the town clock located in the belfry of the village church would announce with twelve strokes the hour of dinner.  Recreations were few indeed for these humble farm folk.  A dance usually started in the afternoon and a recess was called for chores and supper; then back to the dance until midnight, this procedure was really a rare occasion.

Their main recreation was singing.  There were many small singing organizations who would hold joint festivals much like the Welch Eistefodds.  God had given Jacob a wonderful singing voice.  When he sang we heard not only his voice but his heart sang as well.  Jacob was a jocular, good natured fellow.  He made friends easily and held them all through life.  Thus the Mormon Missionaries found our twenty-four year old Jacob in Thurgau.  He and his two sisters accepted the gospel.  The rest of the family couldn't understand the "Spirit of Gathering" that was calling these three away from their family and friends.

Western America was an almost unknown country to these humble swiss farm folk.  In 1861 they embarked on a sailing boat with other immigrants and Mormon converts.  They were tossed to and fro on the ocean for many weeks.  For Jacob, this long journey was an eventful one.  On the boat was a very attractive young woman named Annie Catherine Naef.  She, too had a wonderful singing voice.  So through the gift of song they soon became sweethearts.  The weeks on the ocean were almost too short for these two young adventurers, whose hearts were bursting with songs of love.