Ernie Hammer was a long time Kiowa County Press contributor. This week, we continue a series looking back at Ernie and his wife, Judy's, adventures. Last week's installment can be found here. To see Ernie's previous series, click here.

Editor's note: Ernie Hammer passed away in the early morning hours of September 15, 2025. The Kiowa County Press was fortunate to have him as a frequent visitor, including his most recent just a few days before he died. This series was written in the months before his death, and will continue over the coming months as we remember and celebrate his extraordinary life.

Second Time Around

Our nearest neighbor lived about three miles west of us across the pasture. One day he was outriding his horse and one of Dad’s sows had wandered close to his headquarters. His horse bucked him off. He was not too happy about that.

When I was young, we would go to Colorado Springs and do our shopping. We didn’t have department stores. We had Woolworth, Kress and other individual stores. Sometimes Dad and I sat in the car waiting for Mother. If a black lady was coming down the street, my dad would say, three is your Mother. One time we were out walking, and I saw a black guy and I ran up in front of him and pointed at him and said “Here is your dad.” My dad was so embarrassed.

Sometimes when both of my parents were shopping, they would leave me in care of an old Mexican friend, Mike Vialpando. We were on a park bench, and he was stabbing himself in the leg with a pocketknife. I thought to myself. He sure is tough. It was three or four years later I found out he had a wooden leg. Mike built fences for a living. He would get the fence lined out then mark the holes. He then would bring his team pulling a load of cedar post. They worked on voice command. After that he would set the post. Then he would use the team to roll out the wire. Years later I had him put in two miles of new fence along a county road on some land I had bought from my Grandfather Baker.

Another Mexican friend we had was “a great guy” named Bonnie Cordova. He stayed at our house a lot. My sister had a habit of sucking her two fingers. Bonnie had lost one half of one thumb. He showed his thumb to my sister and told her that would happen to her finger if she didn’t stop sucking them. She didn’t pay any attention.

My Uncle Gerhart was running a bunch of sheep in the mountains up by Tarryall. He needed some help so he took Bonnie. Bonnie took Dad’s 1939 flat bed Ford truck. He also took my horse. I was upset about that. He tied my horse in the middle of the rack. Then he tied a rope from the top of the rack and on each side down the bed on each side. Then off to herding sheep. My horse’s name was Shorty.

There was a dry creek named Chico that ran pretty close to where Uncle Bill and Aunt Mae lived. Aunty Mae was my mother’s older sister. They had a young horse that I bought from them. I named him Chico. He turned out to be a good horse.

When I was young, we didn’t have a horse trailer. Wherever we moved cattle to we always had to ride our horses home.

The Kiowa County Press invites those who live in or have ties to Colorado - especially the southeast, however all contributions are welcome - to share their story with our readers. Family history, current life, unique sites and adventures, and other aspects of living in Colorado are welcome. Contact us at editor@KiowaCountyPress.net.