MyIndianaHome.net

They spent most of their married life near Belleview, about nine miles from Madison.
They rented a farm from Granddad Housefield. Cash rent on five year contract. In 1896, they bought 176 acres from Captain John Woodfill's estate. It was near the Liberty School and covered an area of hills and the Indian Kentuck Creek. They cleared the land and cut logs, had the lumber sawed, dried and dressed and built an eight room house, a large barn, tool shed, corn crib, and chicken house. It was three years before they moved. They moved to this place in spring of 1899. Some of the hills were so steep the crops were tended with one horse or mule and a jump and shovel plow. Really only one blade that rooted through the ground. The ground was so full of rocks and stumps, one was lucky to work a day without broken rigs, or at least badly bruised one. At harvest time, they built a trolley cable from the hillside to the bottom on the steeper hills to get the tobacco off the hill. Natural erosion soon washed good soil away so the land was only good for pasture.(John Housefield)
The house was built on a hill with the barn carefully placed downhill and the spring that provided the water was uphill. Charles piped water from the spring to the house so the pump inside provided all the water they needed. The chores were divided between the children. Emma Minerva did all the sewing for the family while Florence cooked. Nancy loved to be outside and gardened for the family. (Emma Minerva Housefield)
According to John Murphy who worked for the Housefields at times, the boys were expected to be sitting on the fence waiting for it get light enough to work and they did not quit until dark. Charles expected his sons to work for him until they were 21.
Although he did not want his girls going to school past the fourth grade, his boys were expected to finish and several attended Ball Normal School in Muncie. He drove Minerva to music lessons in Madison every week and she became an accomplished pianist and organist. According to her, Charles and his brothers and sisters all played musical instruments and family get togethers in Cincinnati always meant music and conversations in German.