In my travels around the world, I find that many farmers are also the local well digger (that is, the person who digs wells by hand). Years ago, many farmers in the U.S. also became the local well digger, and later the driller.
My granddad (on my mother’s side) was a farmer, the local blacksmith and well digger near Covington, Okla. My granddad Cutter was a farmer and local fix-it/repairman in the Covington area. My grandmother Cutter was a housewife, with her hands full raising four girls and three boys. My mother was a Realtor, a school teacher, Cub Scout den mother and housewife. My dad Ellis, “Porky Sr.,” was a first-generation well driller. He was a salesman and troubleshooter for George E. Failing Company. Dad traveled all over the United States starting up new drills for Failing. I was an only child and they had their hands full raising me.