Here is my artist statement and a few images for my latest assignment as a SCAD student:
Hoy and Bertha Moretz live in the rural community of
Most of their time is spent milking cows, churning butter, attending to the animals, and sitting on the front porch. If a visitor arrives, Hoy is full of stories while Bertha quietly listens in acknowledgement. Smiling, they will tell you that recently eight kids (baby goats) and two calves where born.
Hoy dropped out of school in the 5th grade to stay home on the farm. As a child Hoy would get caught following his father to the fields where he worked with steers. At first he was punished but soon helped his father and fell in love with working with the animals. From this came a curiosity of how things worked. Hoy started studying every local trade. Hoy makes up for lack of a formal education with his extensive knowledge about traditional rural living. A lot of people come to Hoy for advice about farming and crafts that were thought to be forgotten.
Once you watch Hoy work with his farm animals you notice he has a sixth sense with them. His bulls and steers listen by command and are disciplined enough for children to ride them. His favorite trick is walking his bulls up and down steps to his front porch. Why does he do it? Because he says no one believes it is possible.
According to Hoy the secret to training the animals is to get them to trust him and not to be afraid. He is not abusive, but instead teaches them to listen by talking to them.
The Moretzs holds the same beliefs to child raising. When Hoy was 14 his uncle brought his young son Grady to Hoy. The uncle said he couldn’t do anything with him and asked Hoy if he could watch after him. Grady had 16 brothers and sisters. According to Hoy there was nothing wrong with him, his uncle was too rough and the boy needed some attention. Grady stayed with Hoy and his family for a while and Hoy helped him out as much as possible.
A few years ago Grady passed away. Grady’s son Bobby came from
The Moretzs don’t have children of their own and have been married almost 42 years. Bertha had a miscarriage when she was young and was told she couldn’t bear children. Instead of being bitter, they are very generous and wise with all living things, be it animals or children.
To find their house you have to get off the main road, turn onto a graveled dirt road and drive past a little white church. Once you go over a steep hill you catch sight of a grand view of hundreds of acres of forest and the wooden house Hoy built with his own hands. You’ll also spot cows in a pasture, various outbuildings, and farm equipment. One thing you’ll notice is that it’s very quiet. The only sounds heard are birds singing and cow bells clinging throughout their pasture.
When asked why they live this rural lifestyle you can never get a straight answer. Some things just can’t be explained, it’s just the way it’s meant to be.
3 comments:
Grady Moretz's sister, Edith, one of the 16 siblings mentioned in your statement, was telling us this morning that she saw Hoy on TV in Cleveland. She said she hadn't seen Hoy since she was a little girl around 9 years old. So, we decided to google his name and found your blog. We were very excited to see the photos and read the article that went with them. Your post has created a desire Grady's son, Bobby, also mentioned in your blog, to reunite Aunt Edith with her relative.
One of our family's favorite trips is to visit Hoy and Bertha. There is nothing that can compare with a weekend visit on the Moretz Farm. The simple life, at its best, in God's country.
I always enjoy my visits with Hoy and Bertha. They treat me like family and I feel the same about them. I am very happy that my photos and story has stirred an interest in reuniting the family. It's amazing that my post has reached you. Please keep in touch. I have more pictures of them if you ever want to view them.
You write very well.
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