By Kathy Miller
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with lifelong Defiance resident Mary Keiser. When I heard that her childhood home had recently been sold and completely remodeled, I became curious about what it was like to live in Defiance in the 1950s and about her thoughts on seeing it restored.
Mary spent most of her childhood in the home at 2934 S Hwy 94. Along with her parents, Clyde and Tootie Koelling, they moved into the house around 1949, following her grandmother's passing. They moved in to live with her grandfather, Charles Koelling.
One of Mary’s first memories as a child was the 1951 flood. Her aunt and uncle lived next door and owned a small motorboat. She remembers them tying the boat to the clotheslines in the yard during the flood. They would take the boat down to Roy’s Tavern, her uncle’s bar, which is now Stoneledge Distillery.
Both her grandpa and dad worked on the MKT Railroad. They had a small bridge going from the tracks to their backyard. There were six to eight men who worked in this area on the railroad, making repairs and doing maintenance on the lines. Mary remembers the workers coming across the bridge, and her mom would serve them lunch in their dining room. The bridge also reminded her of the “bums,” who would come to the back door looking for food. Her mom always gave them a sandwich, and they would sit on the back steps, eat their sandwich, and move on.
Mary noted that life in Defiance was very different in the 1950s. Her family had a farm at that house in the center of town. They kept pigs and chickens. They butchered the animals right there in town. The house lacked running water and indoor plumbing. The outhouse was in the backyard, and when you needed water, you had to go to the cistern on the back porch.
Mary spent a lot of time with her grandpa when she was little. She laughed as she recalled picking up corn cobs in the bottoms after the corn was harvested. They would bring the cobs back for pig feed. They enjoyed playing marbles in the dirt under her swing in the backyard. Together they used a cane poles off the bridge in the back to catch crawdads for bait to go fishing in the river. Mary would also ride the train into St. Charles, getting to sounding the whistle once, and going to the Standard Drug Store for ice cream were among her fondest memories.
When Mary was growing up, Defiance had two grocery stores, two bars, and two churches. Mary and her family knew everybody in town by name. All the kids would ride their bikes everywhere. She recalled when the family had a telephone line installed. There was another boy in her class who had a phone, so that was her first phone call. During her school years, she was never in school on March 1. It was the opening day of trout season, and the same was true for deer season each year.
There was a ballpark in town where Walnut Springs Subdivision is now. Mary recalls two men collecting money in a cigar box at the field. You had to be careful where you stepped because the outfield was a cow pasture. Mary and her parents all played ball here. When the games were over, everyone headed to the tavern. The kids would hang out on the steps, talking and watching people come and go.
Clyde, her father, retired from the railroad after almost 25 years of service and then worked as a carpenter. In 1971, Mary married and moved to St. Charles. In 1975, after her father's passing, Mary and her husband moved back to Defiance to the house where she currently lives.
Many of you may know Mary for her volunteer work with 4-H and the Dale Kolb Memorial Shoot. Mary became involved in the shooting sports when her daughter was 11. Shooting sports had just been added as a project. To teach the class, Mary and her husband had to be certified. She remained involved with her kids and grandkids as project leader, and recently took a step back after 40 years. Mary’s efforts have raised thousands of dollars to support local youth in the St. Charles County 4-H Shooting Sports through the Dale Kolb Memorial Shoot.
In 1997, Mary lost her mom. The house was now empty, so the family decided to keep it and rent it. It took some time, but they eventually found a renter, John Lacy, who stayed for 20 years. You may remember John as the unofficial “mayor” of Defiance, who served as the Grand Marshall of the local parades several times. When John could no longer live there, Mary and her family made the hard decision to sell her childhood home. Mary’s kids also spent a lot of time in the house. Their grandma babysat when Mary worked, so it was a difficult decision for them.
When she was ready to sell, resident Joe Brazil expressed interest in buying. They agreed on a price, and Joe purchased the property. Mary worried it would be torn down, but she was relieved to find it was being transformed instead. Mary couldn’t wait to see the outcome.
When it was complete, she couldn’t believe her eyes and thought it was truly amazing. She was happy to see that the house had a more open floor plan, and the beautiful staircase could be seen from several rooms. It was hard to believe it was the same house. During her visit, John Freeman, the contractor doing the remodel, gave Mary a framed piece of vinyl flooring from Mary's room, which had a Hopalong Cassidy theme.
Life is quite different in Defiance now. The railroad shut down almost 40 years ago. Mary said she no longer knows everyone by name, and many of her longtime neighbors and friends have moved or passed away. Mary is thankful to have family and friends close by and to have all the fond memories of growing up in a small town during simpler times. She is proud to be from Defiance and looks forward to watching her grandkids grow up here.
Mary and I talked for quite a while, and I learned she enjoys traveling, the outdoors and spending time with her kids and grandchildren.
The Keiser family appreciates that the renovation not only honors their family's past but also modernizes the property, ensuring it remains a cherished part of Defiance's history.
Mary's childhood home at 2934 S Hwy 94 has been fully remodeled. 
The beautiful staircase in the home.
On the front porch with (L-R) Joe Brazil, Mary Keiser, and her good friend Wanda Howell.
The front porch is decorated for Christmas when Mary was a child. Mary's family liked decorating for the holidays.
Mary with her grandfather feeding the pigs. 
Pictures from the 1993 flood.