Fred's first experience with traveling was sickening. His folks had an open top car when they lived near White River and Wood. Exhaust fumes probably contributed to motion sickness. His Mom was ready with Fred and a handkerchief on her lap. Sometimes the car traveled only a few miles and Fred was vomiting.

When the family motorized conveyance was a Model T Ford sometimes human power was needed over the steep inclines. One example was the hill south of the old Wheeler Bridge and the Missouri River. With luck the Model T would putt-putt to the top, but not always. If not, every person but the driver got out and pushed. Later some Ford observers said the Model T would do better going in reverse up an incline. Often when the crest of the hill was reached the radiator heated up and water boiled over.

Gradually the change was made from a Model T to a Chevrolet. Yet during the early World War II years anti-freeze for car radiators was not plentiful or not affordable. Batteries didn't seem to stay strong under cold weather conditions. Joe often restored to pulling the car with a team of horses to get it started. He filled the radiator with water after the car started and drained it when use of the car was finished. By modern standards, a heating system to warm passengers didn't exist.

In winter on Sundays, Joe would hook the team to a buggy or sleigh and the Masek boys and the Petrik relatives would go rabbit hunting with their .22-caliber rifles.

Very early in his life, possibly at six years of age, Fred recalled the unforgettable experience which was also touching. It involved securing a Christmas tree from the Badlands. It occurred during the depression when little money was available for Christmas. Joe loaded the sons into a wagon and their Mom packed a lunch. The Badlands were on route leading to the community of White River.

They spent much of the day traveling to the Badlands, chopping the tree down, eating lunch, and returning home with their Christmas prize. It decidedly was a moving experience which often had been recalled by Fred during the holidays. It also was an example of Dad doing his special best for three sons.

Joe and Rose were never flush with money and it was difficult for them to keep a suitable car running. At least twice Fred turned over cars to them at bottom dollar as he bought newer cars for himself.

When Fred made weekend visits from Sioux Falls to their Lake Andes home he frequently brought along a couple sacks of groceries. Joe was receiving only a minimum allowance from Social Security and Rose had frequent medical bills. Their pride was at stake in accepting the food and they told Fred not to do it. However, they really needed the goods and the cupboards were usually close to bare when Fred arrived for his next visit.

At one time, Fred's car broke down at Tyndall on a return trip to USD at Vermillion. He didn't have enough money to cover the bill and offered to leave his coat as balance of the payment. The garage owner was considerate and allowed Fred to make payment a couple of weeks later.

Fred had an episode in Sioux Falls with a car that was getting old and worn. The trunk lid which was being held tight by a rope broke loose. The lid was shooting sparks as it was being dragged down the street. A Boy Scout friend was in the car together with Fred, Dick, and Brian. The Scout couldn't contain his laughter which Fred didn't appreciate. Really, the Scout was getting a free ride that day and a lot of other days. Fred was his scoutmaster and had done favors for him, like giving him spending money because he had so little. But to the lad the incident was funny at the time.

At one time Fred had the impression that the road near Tripp was a part of the Bermuda Triangle. On one trip a water hose broke. A drive into a farm yard found no one at home, but Fred got an idea. He had an overshoe and a putty knife in the trunk. He sent Dick and Brian to comb the yard for wire. They found a piece. Fred patched the break and filled the radiator with water. It got them to Tripp where the broken hose was replaced.

On another trip, a water pump gave out and it made a hissing noise. Dick ran into a ditch and took cover. He said he feared the car was going to blow up. To reach Sioux Falls every watering trough on the route was used to refill the radiator.

One Christmas, Fred reached the outskirts of Menno in trouble. A red light ignited on his dash indicating that the car was out of oil. It was hard to understand because the oil had been changed in Sioux Falls the day before. Fred located a filling station operator at his residence. He reopened the service station on the holiday, placed the car on the hoist and found the problem. The Sioux Falls service attendant had shoved a new oil filter over the old filter rather than removing it. It left an opening for the oil to gradually run out overnight. The Menno operator resupplied the car with oil. Luckily, the motor wasn't damaged.

Many years previous, a Rapid City roommate in college talked Fred into driving his 1938 Chevrolet to Rapid City for the Thanksgiving break. It was 76 degrees upon departure from Vermillion. The Rapid City friend and Fred also picked up two Augustana students at Stanley Corner west of Sioux Falls. Passing Chamberlain cold weather set in and it started to snow. The temperature dropped to 10 below and the gas line froze. The motor refused to run. The two Augustana students in the rear seat were shaking like two leaves in the wind. Fortunately, a good samaritan appeared in the dim obscurity of the snow storm. A trucker stopped to give aid. He attached a chain or rope from his truck to the car and towed it seven miles to a gas station in Wall, SD. We didn't have much money but the kind trucker refused to take anything, Fred said.

The Augustana students left us at this point and we never saw them again, Fred explained. A gas station attendant thawed out the gas line, put in Heet and gas. The trip was continued to Rapid City in clearing weather without further problems.

The return trip was another story. The Rapid City chum was driving Fred's car at 70 miles per hour. Fred thought it was a little fast for the old car but said nothing. The friend remarked that "We are making good time."

Suddenly, there was a rattle and a boom under the hood and the car came to a halt. A rod was knocked out. One of the lads caught a ride to Murdo 10 miles away and found a garage owner who towed the car there. The disabled car had to remain there until it could be repaired and picked up during the next school break which was for Christmas. Meanwhile, Fred and his friend had to hitchhike another 200 miles back to Vermillion. Fortunately, the weather had improved.

Dick had the experience of returning to Mankato State University in November during a white-out condition on Interstate 90. The Highway Patrol ordered all travelers off the highway at Sherbourne, MN during the storm. Dick was forced to remain there for seven hours. He left Sioux Falls at noon on the 165-mile trip and finally reached his destination at 10:30 p.m.

The 1975 Ford which Fred bought for Dick stalled with a motor problem in a stormy weather during another college-bound trip. One plug proved to be the faulty although a garage was ordered to replace all plugs soon after the car was purchased. A kind motorist picked Dick up and delivered him to his doorstep 30 miles away.

Dick was a passenger in a three-car caravan attempting to maneuver through a winter storm to reach Mankato. The caravan halted in a small town and one member of the party went to the largest house in town to seek refuge for 13 to 15 people. The building was a former mortuary which had been remodeled and occupied by a young, sweet couple. Dick explained that the lady cooked food for everyone and the husband brought out board games to keep everyone occupied. Enough sleeping bags and blankets were eventually found for everyone to bed down.

At this writing in May 1997, Brian is the owner of a late model pickup and also leases a late model Mitsubishi. Before being more financially stable Brian had his share of difficulties with old cars which he kept running with the help of an automotive manual.

His first problem involved age and air but it was a situation with a remedy. Brian was taking flying lessons at the Sioux Falls airport when he was 12 years old. A problem arose in that he didn't have a permit to drive a car. If he couldn't catch a ride to the airport, Brian had to ride his bicycle in order to be there for a flying lesson.

Fred gave Brian $400 toward buying a Dodge Charger at high school graduation time. The car looked good but in no time the front end caved in. It was too expensive to repair. A repairman traded his stripped down motorcycle for the disabled Charger. Brian operated the motorcycle until a little more money was accumulated to buy another used car.

There was the California to South Dakota saga in a late 1970s Pinto when Brian finished guitar school. A starter, heater and rear end went out on the car at different times. He had to be resupplied with money twice from Sioux Falls.

He left California with a strep throat. Inspite of taking a penicillin shot (later a bill arrived for $250 covering the exam and shot), the shot didn't help. By the time he reached the Black Hills of South Dakota he was very sick and his car was disabled again. The swelling in his throat had to be lanced. Brian spent 48 hours in the Rapid City hospital. During this time the Edgemont police chief took steps to have Brian's car overhauled. The chief also picked up Brian at the Rapid City hospital and returned him to Edgemont, some 60 miles away.

A member of Brian's original band driving their bus didn't know it was time to stop when a red light on the dash went on. The motor was ruined while on a trip to a Minnesota band job. They had to transfer band instruments and sound equipment to a U-Haul truck. A garage was able to install a used motor into the bus during the weekend. The garage owners allowed them to leave with the bus inspite of still owing $450. The garage did get its money soon thereafter.

Sioux Falls to Florida and return... another car report. Brian and a friend drove to Florida during a spring break from high school. Brian was examining the possibility of entering an aviation school. His Dad was on edge as the old car left town. When Orlando was reached tires had started to wear through due to poor alignment. Brian bought four used tires but then had trouble finding a filling station willing to put them on. By the time they returned to Sioux Falls the front tires had gone through the core again. Brian quickly put this car up to sale and there was an out-of-town buyer.

A Florida to California trip this time. When Brian finished recording engineering school in Florida he was enroute to a job in California driving his car and pulling a trailer (which he built) with possessions. This car began taking huge amounts of oil during the early hours of his trip. Finally, he drove the car as far as a salvage yard and waited for it to open on Monday morning. He was able to get a used motor installed into the car. The mechanic, sort of a kind-hearted hillbilly, felt sorry for Brian and let him sleep at his house. But Brian had the company of the largest roaches ever seen. Brian said the roaches seemed to disappear as he left the light on all night.