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"All happy
families resemble one another; every unhappy family is unhappy
in its own way." -- Leo Tolstoy
As
told by Olga Boda and Stella Summers in 1987
We felt
our mother had a kind of storybook life in many ways.
The courtship
continued, even after she married the man of her own choosn.
Although it only lasted 15 1/2 years before pa died of tuberculosis.
We know this to be true, because we sti1i nave their 'love
letters.
She would
tell us the story of how her father had someone else picked
out for her. Someone with money and land. But she wouldn't
have anything to do with him. One Sunday he came calling with
a present for her in a box. . She never open it and when he
went out to the barn to hitch up his horse to go home, she
ran out and put the box In his buggy!
That was
a story she would tell us to get us to laugh. She made everything
seem so special to us kids: birthdays, Christmas, and even
something so simple as a family picnic and weiner roast. I
remember the whistles Pa would whittle for us, and him playing
the vioiin or Jewish Harp from Montgomery Wards. When we had
Scarlet Fever and the whole family was quarantined for 6 weeks,
she bought us a Croquet set to keep us busy. That is, everyone
had Scarlet Fever except Stella, who didn't' get it until
the end of the quarantine and we had to start the 6 weeks
all over again! Ella and Olga stayed with the neighbor. Mrs.Sophia
Froehlich. so they could finish the school year.
Pa was
16 when he came to the U. S. from Norway. The Hermanson family
from New Sweden Twp. sponsored his brother, but he was ill
and my dad came in his place. He spoke only Norwegian when
he arrived, but later learned to speak English, of course,
and German. While he lived with them. he attended Gustavus
Adolphus College in St. Peter from Nov. 1899 to March, 1°00
and received very good grades. The Hermanson family always
stayed in touch with us after that. They came for Ma's birthdays
and every Christmas they would send a box full of presents
for everyone.
Carl met
my mother while she was staying and helping her brother. Albert,
with the household chores after his wife had passed away leaving
him with 18 month old Edwin. The farms bordered each other
and they both helped with the field work. Like shocking corn,
and they attended the same social gatherings in the area.
He was
the buttermaker in Court land, which is where they lived until
after Harold was born. Pa was already having trouble with
his health. I think from all the dampness in the creamery.
They moved from Court Sand to Uncle Martin's farm in New Sweden
Twp. for a while, that's where Ella, Olga. Clifford. Stella
and Carl. Jr. were born. Later we moved to Uncle Waiter's
place in Granby Twp and that's where the twins were born.
My dad
mended harnesses and we had a few cows - we depended on that
milk check. Ma believed in giving us kids plenty of milk -
we had milk & cream on our cereal, and homemade ice cream,
and milk-noodle (dumplings) soup with crackers before we went
to bed.
While
we lived at Uncle Walters, we enjoyed visiting with the hunters
who came out there in the fail. They had their duck boats
stored on the place and would bring us a bag of candy ana
gum ana oailoons - they were a Big Deal!
Pa got
real sick the last summer and finally had to go to a sanatorium
in Walker, MN. because he wasn't to be around us kids. His
letters home were always a high point of our life then. Ma
even went on the train to visit him. At last she recieved
a letter telling her he had gotten worse and she should come,
but he passed away just before her arrival that day.
We bought
a house and moved into Nicollet then, and Ma took in sewing
- sometimes she would sew almost all night. She cooked for
weddings and in Cliffs Cafe and boarded teachers from the
public school. She dio babysitting and was always there when
anyone needed help. She did a lot of knitting ana crocheting
and loved gardening.
Now we
could walk up and visit with Grandpa and Grandma Enter. Whenever
we did, we would have to recite our memory work for him and
then he'd slip us an apple with .50 cents stuck in it and
say "Sh-h-h".
I (Stella)
remember once. Grandpa told me I could clean the floor in
his closet and keep all the money I found that had dropped
out of his pockets, as he had a hard time bending over. Money
was dancing before my eyes all day at school, and when I got
there. Grandma had already cleaned it. I was so disappointed!
After
Aunt Ellen was married and Grandpa and Grandma were unable
to stay alone, we moved in with them and rented out our house
for about 3 years so she could take care of them. We moved
back after they both passed away.
Ma remained
in her house until she went to a nursing home in Kasota, because
she was not allowed to live with any of us because of her
illness.
She had
a lot of troubles in her life, but she seemed to be able to
live with them. She buried twin sons months apart, then her
husband a year later, and her 7 year old son, 2 years later.
Four funerals in 5 years. It was such a sad time for us ail.
Ma said she just couldn't follow another casket down the aisle.
As told
by Olga Boda and Stella Summers in 1987
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