Spreading Seeds

Reunions

2011-07-19T19:15:00.000-05:00

I recently returned from three weeks on my parents farm. It was a wonderful time packed full of family, friends, celebrations, reunions, work, appointments and food.

35th Reunion of the West Lyon Class of 1976

Getting together with long time friends was easy this trip as my high school class had their 35th reunion. We've all decided we haven't really aged (ok, a few of us have and some just lie and say "you haven't changed!") Most of us are past the point of having to impress each other but you still want to put your best foot forward as you meet some people you only see every 5 years. This year we planned to tone it down and meet at a classmates home instead of our usual golf course club house. Wow, his place was beautiful!

Me and classmate Norm

The perfect location for visiting and relaxing with long time friends, with a huge patio, pond and breathtaking views. The catered meal was delicious and you know you're getting older when you get excited about the soft serve ice cream machine and sundae toppings instead of an open bar! We had some classmates who hadn't been in attendance for 30 years and an exchange student from Belgium who hadn't been back since she graduated with us! Linda and her husband definitely beat out everyone with having traveled the farthest. These friends are lifelong friends. You know, those people you can pick up a conversation with, five, ten or thirty five years later! There was lots of laughter, sharing and plans to be made.
I made it back to hit a couple family reunions too. There was the Cousin's Breakfast with the Berg branch of the Johnson family held at the Fryin Pan in Sioux Falls, SD. As generations pass it's too easy to loose touch with cousins you don't see often. Dad, my aunt Carol and Josephine are the only 1st cousins left of Grandparents Albertina and Anders Johnson who will have their Johnson Reunion August 7th.
I also got a chance to see more relatives from this branch at Mark and Marilyn's housewarming. They lost their home to a flood last year and rebuilt on ancestral farm land where Mark's Great Grandpa Long homesteaded back in 1868. They built their home overlooking the Sioux River with help from friends and family and held a barbeque to show their thanks and allow people to see their new home.

Margaret Swanson Scholten

The Swanson reunion was held July 3rd. The generations are passing here too with Margaret the only 1st cousin left of Adolph and Greta Swanson's grandchildren. This reunion was held in Brandon, SD at the Pizza Ranch. Does food seem to be a theme of my gatherings while home? Definitely.

Lynne & Ray Aaro and Me!

In 2004, I wrote a letter to my Mom's brother from her birth father's side. Since that time everyone in my family was able to meet her brothers Don and Ray but me. Due to distance and schedules I missed out on opportunity after opportunity until this summer. Ray and his wife Lynne we coming to Sioux Falls for a few days and met us at the casino for the afternoon full of food and some gambling and followed us home for more visiting. It was a wonderful afternoon of getting to know each other in person even though we've been internet buddies for many years. We parted hoping our next reunion doesn't take as long as our first face to face one took!
I also met up with many others throughout the weeks home... neighbors, cousins Robin, Kacie and Bill, church family, friends,... it can't get much better than that!

- Always remember to slow down in life; live, breathe, and learn; take a look around you whenever you have time and never forget everything and every person that has left a place within your heart. - unknown

Family, Farm & Art Therapy

2011-06-21T09:23:00.003-05:00

As summer arrives for a teacher it's time to "catch up" on things I've let go during the school year. I've taught for 30 years now and my schedule still keeps me busy and running with things revolving around school during the year that it's "a breath of fresh air" to finally reach summer vacation.

This summer I've already gone home to the farm for a week. My sister Deb was there visiting for a few days too and we filled our days with activities, wishing for more time. We both really enjoy being on the farm and helping our folks, the results were a scratch at the surface but still visible.

Deb weeded, I planted. Deb helped Dad pick up sticks and clear away a fallen tree in the grove, organized tools, searched in the attic... I drove everyone around, worked on Mom's computer, planted a garden for them,... We planned on a small one and I don't know how, but it got larger than any of us imagined! The area where the old chicken house once was is now a garden in full view with tomatoes, cucumbers, beats, squash, onions, pumpkins and watermelons awaiting sun and rain.
I also made some hanging vases for Mom to use as table favors, for a lunch she will have for friends, using copper wire, beads and antique bottles. Of course there were extras to give away that week. There were errands to run, people to visit, meals to make and things to look through.

This was the first Memorial Day for Deb and I to be home in many years. The Grandview Cemetery service was our first time to attend since Steve had died. We picked fresh flowers and put them in a can we covered with the bottom of a jeans pant leg, it looked rather nice and represented flowers that have grown on the farm for many years.

It touched my whole family to see others put flowers on his grave as well. He had made a difference in others lives, what we all can only wish for. Visiting with friends, neighbors and relatives at the cemetery was a joy. We all share something from our past and some of it connects to the reason we were all there on that hill overlooking the Sioux River valley.

Making the trip from Hill City, SD were my Auntie Carol and Uncle Wes! It was great to see them and a few relatives that came back to the farm for more visiting time and a meal.
Back in Denver, I busily prepared for friends that shingled my house and the start of "spring" cleaning that had been put off way too long.
This past week it's been time for some art "therapy". Friends Mike and Janine were in mind when I started a painting of a beach/lake scene on canvas. This was a joy to paint again, not for a class project but with someone else in mind. I posted daily updates on facebook for friends to critique and now it is finished and ready to deliver to Clear Lake on my way back to the farm in a week.
Time goes by so fast during summer vacation. I've packed in a lot during the past three weeks. I hope the rest of the summer is as productive and relaxing.

Longtime friends

2011-06-18T17:47:00.001-05:00

Back in February conversations started via emails with some college roommates of mine, with plans to get together and watch the Royal wedding of Will and Kate at the end of April. With the February "blues" hitting us, four of us (and two husbands) quickly jumped on the chance for an excuse to get together and take off a day of work to have our reunion. We started our countdown to the date via rotating e-mails discussing plans for the weekend, and the entertainment of weekly Will and Kate trivia provided by Janine. It wasn't just the wedding enticing us to meet, but of seeing each other, getting away from our daily grind, finding the familiar in a friendship over 30 years old. Clear Lake was the destination and we took out from Beaman and Denver, IA, Shakopee, MN, and Roscoe, IL.

There was sharing to be done; gift bags, crafts, photos, travels to hear about and technology to be played with. Beth is so talented, she creates so much; books, quilts, memory containers,... Here are a couple of her creations she's made that share family stories and photos to capture a moment in time.

Janine had tiaras and boas for us to sport for the wedding. Mike and his Mom made us a delicious English breakfast in honor of the wedding in the early hours and from there on we talked, laughed, shopped and ate all weekend long.

We "found" old friends on facebook, reminisced and renewed friendships that have withstood time. Thank you Janine and Mike for your hospitality and all of you for your timeless friendship.


Janine, Penny, Beth and Diane (AKA J-rod, P-rod, Miller and Johns)

The view from their patio in Clear Lake.

Decorah, IA, Eagles

2011-03-06T16:40:00.006-06:00

An amazing view is available on line via ustream.tv. Mesmerizing viewers around the globe, Mom and Dad Eagle are sitting on 3 eggs, due to hatch around April 1st. They are brought to people via The Raptor Resource Project. The eagles are on a nest on private property next to a fish hatchery in Decorah. Check their camera out here.

I've been taking computer screen shots from the video on line. None of these photos are retouched or cropped. From time to time someone manipulates the camera remotely to get panned views of the area, the nest as well as closeups!
There is also an on going chat on line to join or read. People visit from across the states and I've seen entries from Europe and Australia.
These majestic birds take turns sitting on the 5-6 ft. wide nest. Mom is 30% bigger than Dad. She is thought to be about 7 or 8 yrs. old. Dad is about 12-15 years old and lost his first wife while sitting on a nest. Once she died, Dad was unable to hatch the eggs and get food, so abandoned the nest. All this is shared on a PBS video, available on line called American Eagle. I highly recommend it.
I hope you check the Eagle Cam out, it's addicting!

February

2011-02-27T07:54:00.001-06:00

As we come to the end of February I reflect back on the month and can't believe for such a short month it was full of so much.
First of all I lost my hard drive on my computer. Everything from the last 4 1/2 years is gone... no backup. A reminder to everyone to back up your information, photos, files, etc. Thank goodness for an OLD computer I kept with my things on it from 2006 and before. I have some things but have lost almost everything else. I had a few CDs with photos and of course have everything I've posted on this blog as far as family history and photos. Photos I posted here and to my FB account are still available, but I usually lowered the resolution of the photos before posting them on line so only have the low resolution/size. Luckily I had made a CD of many of last years photos for my sister Deb at Christmas and will have those available to me. I thought about getting a new computer but decided to just put a new hard drive into the computer.
Then the month gets filled in with school; grading, midterms, end of the trimester, lesson plans, parent teacher conferences. I teach 8 different classes everyday and one of those classes rotates different groups of kids every three days, so I see 10 different groups of kids at school. Teaching 6-12 art and 7-8 Technology keeps me hopping.
Fill in the time that's left and we've had a few snow storms, rain, snow days to allow the weather to dictate how the days progress.
I also had a tooth ache start until finally I couldn't put off a visit to the dentist. It was more than my regular dentist could attack and I had to go to another dentist and am now scheduled for surgery where they will cut across my gum on four teeth, peal the gum back and then cut out a root that is abscessed. Oh joy!
So there is a short review of the month, after hearing how February treated me, I'm sure you'll agree with me, it's time for March!

Happy 80th Birthday Mom!

2011-02-04T17:25:00.002-06:00

80 years Young!

Dear Mom,

As your 80th Birthday arrives this weekend, it's time for reflection. Imagine those days long ago as a child and what special times and special people meant to you. As a teenager it was all about fun and friends, laughter and smiles. Then as a young wife and new mother your days were filled with wishes and dreams you had, not only for yourself but your family as well. Loving arms wrapped around you, kisses and hugs too numerous to count, XXX OOO XXX OOO. Your birthday became a day to celebrate friendships and the community our neighbors share. Many have shared your special day with you, in one way or another, ahhh... good memories treasured.

Reminiscing over the years, a walk through time. But birthdays aren't just for looking back, it's also time to look forward. New friends to make, places to see, skills to learn and teach, love to continue and grow. What an exciting ride we take through life. What goes around, comes around. It's all about give and take, love and laughter, helping others and being helped.

This special birthday greeting is being sent your way, with many happy wishes for a truly perfect day.

Love Always, Diane

PS I wish I had my computer files and photos to add to this posting but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my hard drives not dead!

By the time you're eighty years old you've learned everything. You only have to remember it. ~ George Burns

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. ~ Mark Twain

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-13T09:53:00.002-06:00

I'm editing this a little and reposting this due to the season. I hope it helps you reach back into your own memories of Christmas past and those traditions near and dear to your heart. Christmas is definitely a time for remembering.

Warmest greetings of the season
and every good wish for the coming year.
Önskar dig en trevlig jul
och allt gott för kommande år.

It is hard to decide on what traditions are from our Swedish heritage and and which ones are from other influences. Definitely the food has a Swedish flair as do the decorations.

Our country church is the result of Swedish immigrants that started worshiping together in dugouts and sod houses on the prairie when a traveling preacher came to the area in 1872. Julotta was a part of their service for many years, depending on the weather, the early Christmas Day service was a tradition carried down by ancestors of those first immigrants who traveled by sled across the plains to gather with family and friends at church. Candles are a traditional item used, starting with the days long ago when the trees were lit with candles and candles were placed in all the windows of our church on the highest point in our home county. Many services during the season are candle lit services.

My great Grandmother Anna Swanson (1863-1932) kept "Julafton" (Christmas Eve), a Swedish custom, with a Christmas Eve dinner including "Julegröt" (made with rice) and creamed "lutfisk". She had a large Christmas evergreen tree (spruce) decorated and lit with candles. A Christian Christmas program was followed by presents dealt out from under the tree.

As a child in the 1960's, I remember going to my Grandma Phoebe Johnson's (1900-1971) to celebrate with the aunts, uncles and cousins. Her 10 grandchildren kept themselves busy exploring the large home as the women prepared traditional foods such as lutfisk, meatballs, ham, potatis korv, pickled herring, serving limpa bread as well as treats of other special breads, spritz, rosettes, jellied cookies, kringlor, lefse, krumkaka, pepparkakor and lingonberry deserts. It took some coaxing to get the younger ones to try the lutfisk, I myself, did not eat it until older. (It is a treat now.) When I was little everyone, even those that didn't indulge, would at least get a custard cup to have a taste of the traditional fish. Following the food, the evening would proceed with the children saying their Christmas church program pieces and or singing a carol or playing their instrument, followed by Grandma reading the Christmas story from the Bible. The evening would be full of activity. The youngest children were in charge of handing out of gifts to the group as the paper flew and presents were enjoyed by all, young and old. After much time playing with the toys and each other, the food was wrapped up, meant as treats and treasures sent home with all of those present. The tired group, the youngest having taken a nap under a big feather filled comforter, would head for church to attend the midnight service. Here we would meet with other friends and extended family at a candle lit service celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Throughout the holiday season children are told they will only be left presents by Santa if they are good, so many a child was on their best behavior awaiting the treasures of Christmas eve and morn. At home we would leave a treat for Santa by the fireplace for him and his reindeer before going off to bed for a few hours. Of course Dad and or Mom would eat the treat as if Santa himself had been there. In the morning we had to wait to open our presents after my maternal Grandmother Celia Wettestad (1891-1972) was awake. We would stand over her bed, staring at her, discussing if she was awake or not, until an eye would open to her grandchildren staring down anxiously at her. Smiles and laughter would follow!

As soon as presents are opened it's time for more Christmas delicacies. The plate with treats is always full and the coffee pot ready throughout the season for that welcomed visitor that might stop in for a holiday visit.
Santa always brought the family a game on Christmas and Christmas afternoon became game time. A puzzle was always out on a card table and recently we've all sat down together to watch a movie together.

Four generations of our neighbors family have continued the traditional dopp i grytan and often invite the neighbors in to dip and celebrate with them!

Over the years, fruit soup would be cooking on the stove and then jarred up for the older neighbor who appreciated the treat from the past. Years ago many of our holiday gatherings had older single neighbors of Swedish heritage joining us for our lutfisk meal with all the goodies to follow.

Now we're all headed for warmer weather, Christmas in Arizona! How traditions change... but we're still planning on lingonberries, limpa bread, lefse, meat balls, lutfisk and much much more. The Christmas story, read from the bible, is one tradition that won't change either.

Happy 60th Anniversary Mom and Dad

2010-12-06T23:44:00.002-06:00

My parents are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Friday, December 10th. Married at Grandview Covenant Church, in rural Larchwood, IA, in 1950, it was a cold winter day but one warmed by two hearts joining together. One wonders if they ever dreamed of this day sixty years later. I made a book for them that is posted on my blog (temporarily) at the top of the page, take a look at their lives together.
Dad, born and raised on our family farm in rural Larchwood, was a young farmer. Mom, born in Sioux Falls, was raised in locations in Iowa, Montana and South Dakota. A graduate of Brookings, SD high school, she enrolled in Nettleton Commercial College in S.F., but left school at a job opportunity in February 1950, at E.J. Gustafson Company, a Philco Distributor in S.F..
February 1950, was a lucky month for her when she met Dad on a blind date. The dating period proceeded.
Parking in Dad's car, on what is now 26th Street (near McKennan Park!) in Sioux Falls, (At that time it was the edge of town!) Calvin asked Darlene to marry him and gave her a diamond ring in July of 1950. Of course, she said "Yes!" Dad remembered, "She cried."
The rest of the story is the journey their love has taken!

December 10, 1050

Dear Mom and Dad,
You both mean more each day, to everyone your lives have touched, in such a loving way. One by one each year flew by since you both said "I do". Sixty years of memories, shared by the two of you. From big events and holidays, to simple daily pleasures. Some tearful times along life's way, some joys that can't be measured. One by one each year now gone, but still they're yours forever. Each and every memory of sixty years together!
Happy Diamond Anniversary!
Love, Your Family

Happy 85th Birthday Papa!

2010-11-24T06:04:00.001-06:00

85 years have passed since that day in the little temporary home (later the chicken house) on our farm when Calvin Theodore Johnson was born. Imagine calling the same address home his entire life.

He has given me a lifetime of precious memories. Childhood memories of being carried upstairs, building my tree house, being comforted and cared for in times of need, the strong hands that give the best back rubs, time on the farm, family vacations, antique car doings, teaching me to drive, setting an example of how to act, the teacher - showing me how to do things, gifts he's given from the heart, the ultimate craftsman, humor and the gift of gab, his work ethic, the helper - setting an example to follow, being a good friend, loving his family,...

To Dad,
This is a special birthday wish that comes with love to you
It brings warm and heartfelt thanks for all the thoughtful things you do--

It also comes to let you know you mean more to me each day

From everyone your life has touched in such a loving way.

Wishing Dad all the best today and everyday as he celebrates his 85th Birthday!
Love hugs and kisses being sent across the miles!
Love, Diane

My Hometown

2010-10-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

Larchwood, IA is in the Northwest corner of Iowa. This past summer Dad and I were in the Larchwood Family Days parade in his 1918 Paige touring car. Here's a view at the start of the parade. Lots of memories in this scene. The old bank, pool hall, the old Trophy Case Bar, a former grocery store, the post office, the Corner... All these businesses have changed since I lived in the area (except the post office), but I still love the memories seeing them creates. You CAN go home again; whether it's looking at photos, reading a story, hearing a familiar voice or walking down a street. May you take that trip again soon.

Construction at School

2010-10-03T21:21:00.001-05:00

This year at school, we're dealing with construction as they add additional rooms for the K-2 school to move over and join the 3-12 complex. There are already sections to the school added on here and there with; high school, middle school and 3-5 areas. With the addition there will be remodeling of some of the existing areas as well.
I used to have easy access to the outside, but now that is gone and replaced by the sound of construction outside my window and on the other side of the wall. Parking and access to the school has also changed and instead of one locked door to the outside I have three, and a much longer path to walk.
Completion is scheduled for August 2011. I have started taking photos out the old door in my hallway and hope to take weekly photos to watch the progress. I should have started this a couple months ago but here are some beginning photos to share.

Farewell Chicken House

2010-07-31T21:26:00.006-05:00

My Grandparents Joe and Phoebe Johnson lived in a small two room house on their farm while the "big" house was being built. They had a toddler, my aunt Joyce (b. April 1, 1924, at Moe Hospital in Sioux Falls), and made themselves at home in a two room abode that my Grandma fixed up with curtains, pictures on the wall, doilies, furniture, a cookstove and all the comforts of home. This hilltop location overlooked the Blood Run Creek valley and was close to Grandma's parents farm, below the hill. This is where my Dad was born, November 24, 1925, all 10 pounds of him. Grandpa Joe's niece, Amanda Long, came to help with the birth and do the cooking. Family lore has it that she made enough oatmeal for breakfast one morning to feed an army (of course she came from a family of 15 and obviously was used to cooking in larger quantities.)My ancestors were known to save papers and photos, but up to now we've only been able to find one photo of the little house, taken days after Calvin's birth. The family of 4 lived in the little house for only three weeks after Calvin's birth before moving into the larger family home (the home I grew up in.) Dad enjoyed the line, "I wasn't born in a barn but I was born in a chicken house."The little house became a chicken house, gone were the touches my Grandparents added to the furnishings it once held. Many years later it transformed into a storage building when Dad and some of his friends would fill it with old car parts and other miscellaneous items. Years after that one side was "cleaned out" so the west end where Calvin was born became a "cat house". Kittens and generations of cats were pampered here with left overs from family meals and other cat food Mom gave freely. In my childhood there was a line of lilac bushes going down the front of the chicken house, sheltering it from view. The clothesline was by the lilacs, including the swing at the end. Clotheslines were another childhood treat as I think back of all the blankets draped over the line and secured with a rock to create a tent to dream away the day in or venture to sleep in overnight (or part of the night.) When we were kids we'd put a ladder up on the blind side of the chicken house, facing away from the house and climb up to the roof and jump back and forth hiding from the "it" person during hide and seek. There was a junk pile out back where we put cans and bottles in an old oil barrel, things that wouldn't burn in the fire garbage. An old car was stored behind the chicken house, hidden from view so long trees grew up in the middle of the car, locking it in place next to the family garden including patches of rhubarb and winter onions.It was a little building full of history connecting us to loved ones that came down this summer. Dad started emptying the items stored in there, Mom's cats left over the years when they went to winter in Mesa and the missing or broken windows and holes in the roof and walls gave evidence it was time to retire. I came home to the farm at the end of June, prepared to help Dad empty the storage side. Many things in there had a story all their own. I found an old sled, our childhood swing, and a few other small items to rescue. There was a sewing machine my Grandma and Grandpa Wettestad got as a wedding present in 1910. We all knew it was in there but I can still hear Dad repeat, "We should have gotten this out of here a long time ago". The machine inside looked great but the wood cabinet had definitely seen better days. Out it came and has joined other family sewing machines from the old days in the machine shed. A little tug at the heart came when we came across my brother Steve's rock polisher that Dad made for him in his days of collecting rocks as a boy, another save had been made. Antique car parts, lights, tires, seats, carburetors, doors, windshields, all made their way to the scrap pile or movement into one of the garages. Plaster from the walls and ceiling had fallen amongst the clutter, broken glass and piles of nails, bolts, and other miscellaneous things scattered the floor as I finally used a rake to search for that missing treasure. What could I salvage from the building itself? I took the two doors from each end, a few windows and the sliding doors from the chicken holes. Photos were taken to capture the end of the old building, it was becoming an emotional goodbye.The day finally arrived, July 8th, when the Wulf brothers arrived with their heavy equipment to push the building down. (they also demolished a hog house and the corn crib, another posting perhaps) By luck it was the day my cousin Robin (Aunt Joyce's daughter) had come for lunch and a trip to some ancestral places in the area. We had just returned from our "tour" of the places when the big tractor trailer arrived with the caterpillar. Mom, Robin and I grabbed our cameras as Dad went out to be by the chicken house. It didn't take long to collapse the house so Robin and I could go out and rescue the couplas from the roof and pull out bricks from the chimney for a garden path. Once those things were clear the rest was crushed and compacted to be hauled away to a burn pit. I have to admit I got choked up when it first started to come down, especially when I saw Dad sitting close by to it overseeing the demolition.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T16:43:00.004-05:00

A day set aside to honor Fathers. Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad. ~ Anonymous. How lucky I am to have had mine! A few shots of Dad through the years. Love ya Papa!

Home

2010-06-16T10:10:00.008-05:00

Enjoying my summer, hope you are too! I'll be heading to the farm in a week and a half! There's no place like home... I painted this view of the house many summers ago.Rainbow on the farm after a storm, 2009.

Looking for letters...

2010-06-03T17:17:00.004-05:00

I do this assignment with my students when I first hand over cameras to them. I try to get them to look at what they are filling their viewfinder with instead of just snapping photos randomly.

A high school classmate and fellow art teacher, Carol recently started gathering alphabet photos in an album on her facebook page. She invited others to add to her alphabet so I joined in the fun. Now I've started my own alphabet on my facebook page. I have multiple choices for some letters, and still have a few to find to complete the whole alphabet, but I've got the whole summer to search.
Today was the start to my vacation from school!

Love a Veteran, I do!

2010-05-30T17:17:00.004-05:00

The only son in his family, Dad entered the U.S. Army on May 29, 1946 after having worked at Martin Bomber Plant working on B-26 aircraft in 1943 and returning to high school in Sioux Falls he was drafted into the service. He served 4 and 1/2 months in the states and 11 months 24 days as a construction foreman serving with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion in Occupied Japan, where he supervised men in construction work. He was part of the foreign presence that marked the first time in its history that the island nation had been occupied by a foreign power.

Dad was inducted at Fort Snelling, St. Paul, MN, before heading to Ft. Lewis in Washington state for his basic training. My Grandmother saved all his letters from Basic Training and it's fun to read through them to get a sense of what Dad's day to day life was like back then.

Heading to Japan, Dad went across the ocean on the Marine Swallow. The boat was jammed with about 2500-3000 soldiers. Most of them were sea sick. One guy even vomited on Dads pants and Dad tells of how he dropped them right there. No one could eat because people were getting sick at the tables all the time and it was hard to listen to that and feel hungry too.

Calvin Theodore Johnson achieved the rank of Technical 4 Corporal and wore 2 stripes over a T on his sleeve. He was in charge of various shops in a camp in Kokura, Japan. It was a Japanese Army Camp rebuilt for the U.S. Army by the Japanese. The shops included Plumbing, Paint, Electric, Carpentry, Machine and Tin.

Many of Dad's army friends called him "Box-Johnson" since he was always sending boxes of items home. Phoebe sent a family photo to Cal in Japan. A Chinese man who worked in one of the army shops Cal was in charge of painted a reproduction of the family photo. Pete Miyazaki got the finished painting to Cal after he came home and it still hangs in our family home.

Once General MacArthur was coming and they had about 5 days to make 65 mess tables - workers worked longer hours to complete them. Four mess halls collected their extra leftover food and gave it to Japanese workers for working overtime on tables. Most of the workers ate way too much, most of them hadn't had the opportunity to eat all they could in ages. (MacArthur never stopped, he just drove in and drove out.) The tables were given to Pete Miyazaki's priest who bowed and bowed and bowed in grateful thanks. Pete Miyazaki served as an interpreter for Dad on the base and became friends, staying in touch until Pete's death decades later. Before Dad went home to the U.S.A., he stopped at the priests house with Pete. Dad had taken his clothes to the laundry and he only had 1 sock to wear. He told Pete of his predicament and when taking his shoes off in the priests home the priest, through motions at Dad, stopped him. Dad asked Pete what was wrong, Pete said "He knows you only have one sock and doesn't want to embarrass you."

Calvin came back on the General John Pope. This ship had a capacity for 11,000 people but only 600 G.I.'s were on board coming home. Warm fresh showers were a rarity on the ship, one night "Hot showers!" was called out and everyone ran for their towels. Dad grabbed his and forgot he had packed glassware in all his towels. Glass went flying, while he caught some others broke. He was discharged October 8th, 1947. On his return home, he helped on the family farm. His parents moved to Sioux Falls in November of 1949. Dad and Uncle Carl Johnson, lived alone until Dad and Mom were married in 1950.

Dad's Army photos are all at home on the farm... I'll scan some someday to share and treasure.

Spring Rains...

2010-04-25T10:03:00.008-05:00

Spring rains bring growth to my flower beds outside and my spring birthday also brought flowers from dear friends of mine (left). Both make me smile and isn't that what spring is all about? Renewed growth, a fresh start, new inspiration!
The week ahead, for that matter the month ahead, is a busy one for me. The Denver K-12 Art show is May 4th! Lots of artwork to be prepped and hung in a short time. I look forward to all that work going home to proud parents and out of the artroom, giving me space to move around and finish up the school year. Putting everything away is something that doesn't happen overnight and of course there are still projects to me made and things to learn!
May 8th a friend and I are having a garage sale at my place. It's Denver's City Wide Garage Sale Day. My biggest asset is after getting everything out myself, I don't feel like buying anything to drag back into my home! It's the give and take, reuse and recycle that I enjoy. It's also a chance to visit with a good friend and all the repeat visitors who come to our annual garage sale.
Last week my wonderful neighbors cut down the tree in my front yard that was growing too close to my house. The cut had been talked about and in the plans for years and what a surprise for me to come home after work and find all remnants of it gone! Helpful neighbors are the best, and mine are just that. The tree has been replaced with a birdbath laying on it's stump. A friend and I made the large birdbaths last fall. Spring rains have filled it this weekend. Back to my flower beds... I need to clean them out, erase the remnants of fall and winter, but that is waiting for another day!

Tombstone Tuesday

2010-04-20T06:33:00.004-05:00

Some of the Johnson Stones at Grandview Covenant Cemetery, Larchwood, IA
Joe and Phoebe (Swanson) Johnson's stone on the left, Mom and Dad's stone awaiting them on the right.Andrew and Albertina (Gustafsdotter) Johnson (In front of the large Johnson stone in the photo on top.)

Carl Larsson

2010-04-10T16:25:00.013-05:00

A favorite artist of mine for many years, Carl Larsson connects me to my Swedish heritage. One of my first encounters with his work was as a teenager, when as an exchange student, my host family in Sweden took me to his home in Sundborn, Sweden, on vacation in 1975. Carl and his wife Karin were given a small house by Karin’s father in 1888 in Sundborn, named Lilla Hyttnäs (little furnace). From that time on I could easily recognize his work in Scandinavian stores here in the states wherever we went and started collecting prints and other items with his work on them. For photos of his home and his art go to this link.
Little was I to know on that first visit, that I would return in 2001, with my Mom, Aunt and Cousin. We visited the village of Sundborn, going to the church first, awaiting the opening of the museum home. After our tour and time in the gift shop, we had a picnic lunch in the garden near the house just soaking in the atmosphere.
My first print I picked up on that first visit to Sundborn in 1975, hangs in my bedroom. Left: "Front Yard and the Wash House" His work is well represented in my home, I have stationary, a plate, trays, numerous calendars, boxes and prints.
Right: "Flowers on the Windowsill, 1894" I have this print on a tray that hangs on the wall in my kitchen.

News from Chile

2010-03-10T06:59:00.005-06:00

In 1972 we had an exchange student live with our family from Chile. Carmen attended West Lyon Community School as a senior with my sister Deb and became an addition to our family for life.
As the news of an earthquake in Chile came to light we immediately thought of Carmen's family and home country and contacted her for news. She lives with her husband Dennis in New Zealand now, so we knew she was safe, but were concerned about her loved ones who lived in the areas hit by the earthquake.
Carmen has started a blog to keep people informed of the continued news from Chile and her family. It gives the personal touch to this disaster and shows how prayers are still needed for so many. Take a look at her blog Earthquake in Chile - My Experience.

Right: Carmen and Dennis Brown

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T20:12:00.003-06:00

The Johnson kids on the cement entry to the "little garage". (Diane, Joe, Steve, Debbie) Four little cone heads in the spring of 1960. Come on SPRING!

Bänorp, Östergötland, Sweden Connections

2010-02-28T17:31:00.007-06:00

Information and help from Sweden came this weekend from cousin Rune Larsson. Rune has compiled a lot of information dealing with the people, customs, and lifestyle of generations of Swedes before us who were connected to the farm Bänorp. Rune's morfar morfar’s (Gustaf Pettersson 1813-1895) farm, Bänorp was where my Great Grandparents, Anders and Albertina Johnson lived before they immigrated to the Canton, SD area.
Before marriage Anders Petter lived with his parents in cottage Slättmotorp in Ljung parish. He moves in 1854 to the farm Djupsjö in Ljung parish and worked for the farmer Bengt Jonsson. 1855 he moved to Tjällmo parish and came back to Ljung parish in 1859. He worked for farmers in the village Slättmon and 1860 he moved to Bänorp. There he was living and worked on a farm when he married Albertina. Together they were living in a cottage Fredriksberg that belong to the Bänorp farm in Ljung parish. Albertina and Anders Peter move 1874 to cottage Nysätter. In 1880 they move to Grönkulla. 1881 to North America.
Both my Swanson and Johnson sides connect with Rune's ancestry.

Here is some information Rune has compiled.

The Bänorp farm village during the 1800s.
In the beginning of 1800s there were about seven owner families living in the Bänorp village. All farm houses were grouped together like a village. Every field in the village was divided into several small fields and each villager had his share in the respective field. This means that all farmers in the village had to use the same crop rotation and to plow, sow and harvest at the same time. It was impossible to get access to one's field if the field next to yours wasn't harvest at the same time. So the village was managed in a close cooperation.
To modernize the farming and to get a better yield of the land there were several parliament acts called "skiftesreformer" - Redistribution of Land Holdings. The purpose was to gather each farmer’s fields into as few as possible (rather one large field then several small ones). In order to carry this out the land surveyors had to do accurate valuations of the fruitfulness of the village's fields in order to redistribute them in a equitable way. For Bänorp that was performed during 1833-35.
The reform gave Bänorp five separate farms A - E. All the farm owners (man or woman) have relation to my ancestor Simon Håkansson 1686-1767 and also a farmer at Bänorp. (Diane's note - Simon Håkansson's son Jön Simonsson was the first husband of my 5 G Grandmother Margareta Jönsdotter connected to my farmor farfar Karl August Swanson and my farmor morfar Adolph Frederik Swanson)
The reform involved the movement of some farmhouses from the village into each farmer's farmland. But farm A, B, D and E still had many of their houses in the ‘village’. Many of the farm owners did have family relation to each other. The redistribution document for Bänorp can be read on the site Lantmateriet - Historical Maps. The document is in Swedish only but contains a detailed map.
During the period 1840 - 1885 my morfar’s morfar Gustaf Pettersson in several transactions bought the other farms, except the C farm. (In the church books he often is named Gustaf Person but in documents he signed he wrote Pettersson.)
When Gustaf’s farm in 1902 was distributed by the land surveyors after Gustaf’s death in 1895, his two daughters and their families each got half of the farm. The elder daughter Sofia Charlotta married to Göran Sällin in 1873 got the north house and farm including the cottage Nysätter.
The younger daughter Augusta Amalia, my morfar’s mother, married to Daniel August Danielsson in 1881 got the south house and farm and the cottage Fredriksberg. The two families had been farming the two farms since several years. The Sällin family since 1878 and the Danielsson family since 1891. The redistribution document for 1902 can be read on the site Lantmateriet - Historical Maps. It includes a detailed map.
The houses in Bänorp for each of the two farms were in 1902 a manor house with kitchen and three rooms, a shed for food, a stable for horses and a shed for carriages, a barn for cows and needed hay during the winter, a woodshed, a pig house.
When were the buildings built? On the map 1833 most of the buildings were there. I have been told that some of the buildings were enlarged about 1900. The ‘Sällin’ houses where owned by Gustaf and Charlotta. When the Sällin family came to Bänorp in 1878 they lived there together with Gustaf and Charlotta. When Gustaf and Charlotta purchased the B farm in 1883 they moved over to its manor house as they lived there when the Danilesson family in 1891 permanently moved to Bänorp. Houses at Nysätter: a manor house with kitchen and one room, a barn for cow(s) and hay, a shed for wood
Houses at Fredriksberg located at the Eigils farm E and bought by Gustaf in 1883 two small manor houses with kitchen and one room, a barn for cow(s) and hay and wood.
On current maps the Sällin farm houses are named Snickarstugan and the Danielson’s Bergkulla. The house named ‘Bänorp 1’ is the old C farm.
Many of the farm houses at Bänorp are still in place as they were during the end of the 1800s. But some are rebuilt, especially indoors. And some new have been added during the 1900s. There were many more small living houses in Bänorp during the 1800 period. Some is still there e.g. Rosenlund but many of them have been removed. You can see the locations on the different historical maps. Stensätter was the name of two cottages close to Nysätter but they were removed during late 1800s. The cottages in the south part of the Bänorp area, just north of Gillerberga, where built during the 1800s. Some of them, e.g. ‘Lilla Bänorp’, were for some time owned by the Ljung parish and used as ‘fattigstuga’, where poor and disabled persons were taken care of. In 1902 the total area of all farms in Bänorp was 170 ha i.e. about 340 tunnland or 420 acre. Of that, the area defined as arable and pasture land was 65 ha about 130 tunnland or 165 acre.

Some facts about farmers living in Bänorp and the surroundings.
The farmers in Bänorp were during the period 1600-1900 ‘owners’ of their own farm. Many of the farms neighbor to Bänorp were during 1700 - 1839 owned by the large farm “Ljungs säteri” The manor farm close to the church. When “Ljungs säteri” became insolvent in 1867 a commercial bank took over some of the farms but sold them later to different investors or new farmers. The farms involved were e.g. Norrby, Slättmon, Blixtorp, Hjälmsätter, Klasbäck, Skallorp, Sibborp, Djupsjö, Flistorp and some more. That means that the farmers at those farms had, during a period, been tenant farmers under “Ljungs säteri”. As it was relatively small farms it meant that the tenant farmers, including wife and children, had to work a certain number of days at the owners farm land in parallel to farm their own land in order to pay for the rent. However, when Gustaf’s family lived in Slättmon before they moved to Bänorp in about 1833 the farther Peter Gustafsson is the owner and also a Nämndeman. As the farmers in Bänorp owned their farms they were able to vote and also able to be elected to the parish council or to be a layman at the local or regional court. The elected person was then named “Nämndeman” for a period of six years. Most of the farmers in Bänorp are in the church books named “Nämndeman”, a title they kept as long they lived. Even if the council and the court only met two or three times a year they were able to meet and make contact with other Nämndemän from other parishes, and with their families. I have recognized that some of the Nämndemän’s children often were married to each other. as e.g. in my family tree.

The kitchen in manor houses and cottages
Before ca 1800 the manor houses often had a brick build oven for bread baking but the cooking was, made over an open fire. That fire gave a warm kitchen during the cold periods and light for indoor working during the dark period, autumn to spring. In this part of Sweden, Östergötland, the daylight exist only between 9 AM and 3 PM during Dec and Jan. During Jun - Aug daylight is at least between 4 AM and 10 PM. During the first part of 1800 the iron range was installed at many large farms accompanied by some kind of oil lamps. In second half, all farms and cottages had a iron range and often also a iron stove in several of the rooms. I assume that iron ranges were installed very early at Gustaf’s manor houses.

The farm animals at Bänorp
I have not yet found any documents (tax document) that describe which animals that lived at the Bänorps farms and how many, but I assume the following: At the farms in Bänorp there were Horses for the farming and transportation (My morfars morfar
Gustaf Pettersson may have had two or three), Oxen for farming, perhaps only during early 1800s, Cows, to get milk and produce some butter and cheese and to get meat etc. Pigs for meat (and perhaps for sale)Hens, for the eggs and meat. Other possible animals may have been some sheep. And of cause some dogs and cats.

What were grown in Bänorp
At the fields the farmers may have grown: Rye, Oats, Barley, Leguminous plants, Potatoes, Some Rutabaga (kålrot) - the base root vegetable before the potatoes were introduced in Sweden during 1700s. Maybe, the farmers in Bänorp, as they had done before 1835, cooperated by specializing on special crops. And then share it. All farms had a garden for vegetables e.g. carrots and brown beans. Most probably they also had black and red current bushes, gooseberry (krusbär) and some apple trees. Cherry trees may have been found among trees in the surroundings, just as apple trees. In the woods they found bilberry (blåbär) and in early summer strawberry (smultron). In late summer lingonberry (cranberry).
I have inherited a cookbook printed in 1835 and owned by Gustaf’s wife Charlotta. It contains recipes for ”fine cooking”. I can see that the most read pages were about how to make jam and jelly based on e.g. black and red current, gooseberry, blueberry, apple, lingonberry etc. And how to make fruit syrup based on different kinds of fruits, including cherry.
Other food. Did they eat fish? Probably. The cook book includes several recipes for preparing fish found in the lakes around Bänorp. And also a recipe for preparing ‘Lutfisk’ from the dry codfish and how to cook ‘julgröt’ on rice and milk and butter. Lutfisk and julgröt are described by Diane Johnson’s Blog as memories from past Christmas eves. They are still popular dishes in Sweden at Christmas time and the New Year days. But perhaps not so much in younger people’s homes.

The background for emigration
The detailed story of the emigration from Sweden to North America is found in many articles on internet.
The emigration from Ljung parish in late 1800s may have been a result of e.g.
- the bad weather and crop failures during mid 1860s.
- the beginning of a new period in Sweden where farm children had to find work on other places than on other farms but where there were lack of such opportunities in Östergötland,
- there were lot of reports in newspapers and from earlier emigrants about the possibilities in Northern America, including from the agents for travel agencies. During 1869 the number of emigrants from the Ljung Parish was 105. The years before and after, the numbers often were between 10 and 20. Another peak was around 1881. The number of inhabitants in Ljung parish was about 1 900. I have counted the inhabitants at Bänorp’s farms to be between 50 and 70 during the 1800s, including the children. About 100 persons lived at farms neighbor to Bänorp.
Education for the children in Bänorp
The school system in Sweden was before 1842 a responsibility for the parents. They were obliged to educate their children so they could read, write and count. But they must not do it themselves. The well situated farmers could hire a person to educate their children. Those persons moved around between farms. In 1842 the parishes got responsible to set up public schools so all children could be educated by a teacher. And the parents were obliged to let the children go to school. But not all children became education until the end of 1800s when it became compulsory.
How in Bänorp during 1800s? There were two groups of persons that in early 1800s probably were able to read and write
- those who had the title Nämndeman - as they need to have knowledge as member of the Parish council. I.e. most of the farm owners.
- most of the soldiers - education in reading, writing and counting was part of the soldiers’ training. If he was a corporal, as Eigil, he must be good in it.
- most of the Nämndemän’s and the soldier’s children
- those children that were educated by a relative or friend to the family.
On the map from 1868 (häradsekonomisk) I have found tree school houses in Ljung Parish, one close to the church, one north of Bänorp at Klasbäck and one at Djupsjö. In Djupsjö Eigil’s youngest daughter Wilhelmina Eigil was teacher during 1868 - 77. In Dec 1876 she married a teacher from the town of Motala and moved there.

‘Undantag’- a benefit for rest of the life
When a son or daughter took over after the parents or when a farm was sold to another family the earlier farmer and his wife often made an agreement for a ‘undatags’ living. ‘Undantag’ meant that previous owners got some benefits for the rest of their lives. They were guaranteed free lodging, normally in a smaller house on the farm, free firewood and a certain amount of food e.g. milk, meat, flour, potatoes etc. Often they also got a small area of land for growing garden products.

Farmhands and maids
Children under 21 years of age had to stay and work at the parents home/farm. But if they were not needed there, the parents should carter for a job at another place/farm. The contact between the employer/farmer and the employee/farmhand or maid was regulated in a law, ‘tjänstejonsstadgan’ (until 1926 when the agreements between unions took over). This law regulated the basic rules for a contract. E.g. it specified that the employment period should start the 24 October each year, and that the contract should be extended for another year if that was agreed upon during the month of August. The salary was housing and food, some clothing and an agreed small sum of money. If the farmhand or maid moved to another farm he/she has to be at the new farm before the 31 October.

Thanks Rune!

Right: Rune Larsson

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T13:57:00.003-06:00

No excuses, I've been bad at posting to my blog. I've become addicted to facebook and write to friends there instead of posting things here.

One thing I have gotten into is making Jib Jab videos and pictures of family and friends. They are easy to post to other facebook friends, send in an e-mail or post on a web site. Here are a couple I've made.

Mom and Dad sharing some popcorn.
In honor of their anniversary and snow birding down in Mesa.
AJ and Sal (Sally) Swanson.
I thought this one reminded me of the ancestral Swanson homestead behind them.

Help a School

2010-02-01T21:19:00.005-06:00

In these tough times, here is a wonderful opportunity to help a local school win a nationwide library makeover contest. A co-worker's husband is the Principal of the school. Please consider voting!

Washington Irving Elementary, Waverly, Iowa, is a national finalist for a library makeover. The school was flooded in the big floods of Iowa in 2008. All was lost in a matter of hours. They would like your vote… only one vote is accepted per email address. (If you would consider voting from home and work, that would be great!) Please vote for Washington Irving Elementary from Waverly, Iowa, and forward this request on to all your friends and neighbors.

Click here to vote!
https://usspringpromo.acer.com/Campaign/SchoolLibraryMakeover/index.htm?LS=Intel

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T07:15:00.003-06:00

My first piano recital in Brandon, SD. 1967 at Alma Burkland's (spelling?) with her music students. Brother Steve with accordian, Sister Deb with plaid dress in back, Me with plaid dress in front. Cousins Kristy Jacobson in polka dot dress and Linda Swanson with flute.

Captain 11

2010-01-23T11:28:00.007-06:00

Today there are many adults who grew up in the tri-state area around Sioux Falls, SD, who are traveling back with their memories, to their childhood, remembering a man we knew as Captain 11. Dave Dedrick passed away last night at 81 years young.

Captain 11 was a popular after-school children's program for 41 years on KELO- TV on channel 11, from 1955-1996.

Each show opened with these words, "One man in each century is given the power to control time. The man chosen to receive this power is carefully selected. He must be kind. He must be fair. He must be brave. You have fulfilled these requirements; and, we of the Outer Galaxies designate to you the wisdom of Solomon and the strength of Atlas. YOU are CAPTAIN 11!"

The show played cartoons and featured the Captain entertaining the children with the treasure chest, flicking switches for his "crew members" playing games while he was dressed in a blue pilot's uniform. My favorite activity was to first wave one hand, then both hands, then wave both hands and jump, etc. until he'd declare "Now FREEZE!" Then he would pick some child to raise in the air in their frozen state. It all sounds so simple now but it was simplier times and oh so special to so many "crew members" remembering especially today.

I wrote to Dave Dedrick back in 2005 after seeing him at a funeral of a relative:
...I am a child of the early Captain 11 era. Now an art teacher in NE Iowa, another teacher in my district grew up in NW Iowa where I did and we were just talking about Captain 11 at school and our good memories of watching your show. I can imagine myself jumping up and down on one foot and now two feet in my living room and "freezing" along with the kids in the studio. I was also in the hospital when I was 5 years old and you visited our ward one day and I got a red balloon from you that you were handing out and I kept that balloon until is shriveled and laid down on the floor in our toy room to fly no more. How special I felt that you visited.
I just wanted to tell you how much you and your show meant to us kids of the 60's.
"... He must be kind. He must be fair. He must be brave. You have fulfilled these requirements..."
Flicking a switch on the time convertor for you.
Thanks for the memories.

Here is what he wrote back to me with the subject of his e-mail "Captain 11 Reporting"
Dear Diane,
I am flattered that you remember. I am also amazed at how frequently I am contacted by former Crew Members. Letters, phone calls, emails....all recalling some special thing we shared.
In retirement I can honestly say the rapport that exists between Crew Members and the Captain is most gratifying. Three generations of little people in four states have found a few moments for a flicker-flashback setting of happiness and carefree times.
That is most obvious when someone sees me in a restaurant or a hardware store and I stand in awe as I observe them staring intently before they point and ask," Are you Captain 11?"
"I used to be"
Then the metamorphoses sets in and they revert to being a little child as they rattle off their recollections of childhood memories. It is a wonder to behold. I just love it.
Thank you for writing and sharing...take good care of my little friends...

I should be at school...

2010-01-20T10:26:00.005-06:00

Another day of no school due to winter weather. A mixture of snow and freezing rain is visiting NE Iowa.
I was downloading some photos from the school cameras this week trying to clear off photos from my Graphic Design class of last semester and came across these. A student must have taken these photos for a photo montage assignment. (I montaged the photos for this view) Oh my, what a wake up call to see the multiple photos joined together to make up this scene. It needs to be organized, filed and cleaned up drastically but obviously I'm having a hard time finding the time to get it done.We've had three days of school called off this year already and one late start. Add that to ending one semester of classes and adding a new group of classes and projects to get out. I've got to file away last semester so there is room for this semesters materials. It's about priorities I guess. While trying to make the current projects and classes progress the old stuff gets buried deeper into piles. Excuses, excuses... when I get it cleaned I'll have to post a new view.

Mexico 1990

2010-01-16T22:13:00.002-06:00

20 years ago I chaperoned a group of students on a trip to Mexico with two Spanish teachers. I found this travel log in my files and thought it would be of interest to some of you. It brought back memories of the trip and things I'd forgotten.

Wednesday, August 1, 1990 - We Left school (Denver, IA) in 3 vehicles for Des Moines and the Hampton Inn. Drivers were Marge Lieb, Mr. Jacobson and Diane Johnson. After checking in the 3 boys went to Young Guns II while the girls went to the freezing pool and later watched a pay cable movie "Bird on a Wire."

Thursday, August 2 - Got up at 4 am, no problems catching United flight to Chicago. We had some first time fliers in our group and one deathly scarred flyer (Diane Jacobson). After a long walk through O'Hara airport to the Mexicana desk we prepared to board our Mexicana Flight to Mexico City. We were seated over the wing so seeing the city from the air was a little difficult. The air appeared hazy, we had heard a lot about the pollution and elevation of the city. We were met by our guide Carlos who helped us to our bus and then guided us through the city to the Hotel Prim. I shared a room (Rm #533) with Marge and Sandra Lieb. The view out of our window was that of poverty and wealth. A building was being renovated directly across the street and next to it in an abandoned lot (from the earthquake) there were a couple of shacks where families lived.

Friday, August 3 - Everyone had been prewarned about drinking the water and the Hotel Prim supplied bottled drinking water to their guests. Marge did not feel well today and spent the day resting and trying to get back on her feet. We left by bus to first stop at the Plaza of the Three Cultures, where a Spanish Cathedral, Aztec Ruins, and Modern Mexican Buildings are all located together to symbolize the past and present history of Mexico. Our next stop was to the most revered religious monument in Latin America, the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Legend has it that Juan Diego a basket seller saw a floating lady and was persuaded by her to ask the bishop for a shrine. It took much persuasion on Juans part but after giving a gift from the lady of roses wrapped in a cloth the Bishop gave his consent to have the shrine built. The cloth that was wrapped around the roses had the image of the lady on it. It is framed and shown at the newly built temple which opened in 1979 to accommodate the people that come. Many people bring gifts to the lady and some crawl in on their knees in tribute to the lady.
Driving out of the city we saw evidence of so much poverty while driving through more industrial areas away from the center of the city. We were now on our way to Teotihuacan ("The Place of Gods") to see the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. First we went to a shop where they were forming volcanic stone into various items for sale. We also were given a presentation about the Century Plant, a large cactus plant that was used for paper, needle and thread and the juice of it when fermented becomes tequila. A strike of the workers and some venders made us reroute our approach to the pyramids. They were discovered in 1901 or 1905 and are dated back to being inhabited between 700 BC - 700 AD by farmers. Nomads came in 760 AD and killed the farmers destroying the civilization. There are still mounds of unexcavated areas leaving 80% of the area excavated. The pyramid of the Sun has 245 steps and is 65 meters high. The Pyramid of the Moon is shorter. The steps were difficult to climb in the high elevation and heat. About half of the students made it to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. I made it up to the first large platform. We also visited the Temple of the Jaguars that had 13 steps symbolizing the 13 nations.
Lunch was served to us at the Gran Teocalli Restaurant - a Mexican fiesta with strolling mariachis and Indian dancers in full costumes. Tables were filled with fruits, salads and hot dishes. Most of the students at least tasted warm cactus. Returning to Mexico City we took a walking tour of the Zocalo; the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the newly unearthed Templo Mayor of the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan. In the palace we viewed the huge Diego Rivera mural with scenes of Mexicos history. The guards were everywhere as the president was in residence. Everyone was scarred about taking pictures of the guards as they have been known to break cameras. The National Cathedral is the most important cathedral in the whole country. Part of the cathedral, which is built in the shape of a cross, is sinking and there is always the need for ongoing repairs. The top part of the cross of the cathedral floor plan was subject to a fire in 1962. Inside there are two grand pipe organs the Mexican Organ built in 1760 was built at a cost of only 20,000 pesos! The whole cathedral was built for 20 million pesos! (we received aproximately 2,850 per dollar while we were there!)
Carlos is full of information and we were told Mexico has 80 million people of which 18-20 million live in Mexico City the most populated city in the world. Mexico City, D.F. has a ratio of 4:1 women to men. Mexico covers 2 million square kilometers.

Saturday, August 4 - (Marge is moving today!) Riding the Metro, Mexico Cities subway system was an experience for many of us. Our destination was the 1000 - acre Chapultepec Park. Our first visit was to the Castle of Maximilian and Carlota. Positioned on top of a hill we prepared for the walk to the top. Building up our calf muscles must of been our first priority as the incline along with the high elevation was almost enough to do us in. What kept us going were the people exercising on the hill running up and down and when we reached the top we saw a large group doing aerobics. The castle used to be a military academy and 6 cadets once stayed there to defend the Mexican flag from the Spaniards. One cadet wrapped his body in the flag and jumped down the cliff to save it being taken by the Spanish in victory from it's pole. The six young cadets are national heros and even have their pictures on a 5 or 10 thousand peso bill.
We crossed Reforma Boulevard to explore the Museum of Anthropology. The park had boats on the water and birds to entertain the many people out on a Saturday morning. We were surprised to see 5 men on top of a pole suspended by ropes around their waist fall off the pole backwards and spin down to the ground. The museum featured the calendar stone, stone gods and artifacts of early Mexico, a modern environment for pieces used long ago.
The evening found us trying to organize transportation to the Latin American Tower for a view of the city from the tallest building in Latin America. A beautiful view at night.

Sunday, August 5 - Our last morning in Mexico City found us trying to get to the Ballet Folklorico. The President of Mexico was speaking in the Zocalo resulting in streets being closed all over the place. We ended up walked within 2 blocks of the President. The Ballet Folklorico was a beautiful display of native costumes and dances showcasing native stories, music and color. After the program we again boarded the bus for the floating gardens of Xochimilco. Carlos and Arturo (our bus driver) had gone and bought us Kentucky Fried Chicken box lunches and we took them aboard our floating gondola. All the girls were presented with bouquets of flowers upon boarding the boat. The canal was packed with musicians, families, peddlers, and groups of all kinds. When we got off the gondola we gave our scraps to some dogs and almost started some dog fights. Leaving Xochimilco we headed for Taxco on a new road that had been opened only 2 months. A surprise for some and we were all glad to be avoiding the winding curving roads into the mountains. (We got in on a few of them closer to Taxco.) On the way we saw fields of sugar cane and acres and acres of roses.
Our first stop in Taxco was at a shop where complimentary beverages were given (pop for the kids, Tequila for the teachers) and information about silver was explained. Pure silver is impossible to work, it needs to have an alloy. Most of the pieces in Taxco are between 94% - 98% silver. To earn the government stamp jewelry must contain 92.5% silver. All the silver mining is controlled by the government and artisans then buy the silver from them. The government stamp contains 2 initials of the designer/artisan and 2 numbers the federal # register of the workshop and the quality of silver. For cleaning silver ammonia is not good, the artisans claimed it would eventually eat away at the surface. Clean gold with ammonia and water. The amethyst stone, which stands for good luck, is also mined in Taxco along with many other stones. High above the city is located the Hotel Monte Taxco. We reached the Hotel by riding in a sky lift that accommodates 4 passengers and received a fantastic view of the city. The motel was a beautiful group of buildings and facilities that included a pool, disco, lounge, restaurant, game room, gym, tennis and basketball courts, horse rides, a golf course and shops. Arriving on a Sunday night most of the facilities were closing or being renovated. The disco had a special that night to anyone wearing black and white and after trading clothes around. The teachers went to the lounge to listen to Carl a singer/piano player from the Bahamas that came highly recommended. We enjoyed ourselves greatly.

Monday, August 6 - We traveled down the mountain via the sky lifts to tour Taxco, the world capitol of silver with a population of 200,000. The main highway going through Taxco is called John F. Kennedy Avenue. We went to silver shops and toured a mine no longer in production where we saw examples of the stones found in the region and old equipment used in the mines. There are currently 6 mines being worked around the clock in Taxco. We walked through the narrow stoned covered streets to the Cathedral of Santo Prisca, one of the world's most beautiful churches. It was built with money donated by one of the early silver pioneers whose only son and heir became a priest. Artisans were working on it's restoration and we viewed some of the clean up process and gold leaf painting. Some venders upon hearing we were headed for Acapulco that day told us the temperature there was 110 degrees! We decided to get some pizzas for the ride instead of stopping for lunch and were surprised to get cut up hot dogs posing as sausage on a couple of pizzas. Carlos and Arturo presented us with a contest for us all to guess what time we would arrive at a certain spot in Acapulco. Two surprise gifts were wrapped tempting everyone to guess the correct hour, minute and second of our arrival. The trip out of Taxco was very winding and many people tried to sleep to avoid the queezy feeling the road was giving us. We traveled over the Sierra Madres formed from the Appalachian and the Rocky Mountain ranges where they meet in Mexico. Our guide told us of many movies made in the area and we enjoyed the country side. Chandelier cactus were common is an area the guide compared to our Grand Canyon.
Our first sights of Acapulco were of a more industrial side of the city with some road construction going on. Everyone was looking for their first glimpse of the ocean it finally came at the top of a hill looking through some residential homes. Acapulco has one main street running parallel to the beach that has most of the points of interests. We traveled to the Tortuga (Turtle) Hotel located in the center of Acapulco Bay. Everyone went off to either enjoy the pool, explore the area or eat. The three teachers went to Sanborns and ate while looking out over the Bay. Window shopping filled the rest of the evening.

Tuesday, August 7 - Today a free day we planned to meet down for our breakfast buffet early, a feast of food, most took advantage of a chef who made omelets to order in the dining area. We traveled across the street to the beach area walking along the waters edge. While examining the sand and looking for crabs a wave surprised the three teachers giving us our first douse of water. We came upon Disco Beach where parasailing, Banana boats and Jet skis were for rent and figured the kids would find their way there and decided to settle. We had huge blue and white umbrellas and lounge chairs and tables in both shaded areas and the sun. The boys came later and the parasailing started first with John, Jason, Sam, and Jed. The excitement and enthusiasm the boys showed tempted the rest of us and Niki, Sandra, Ann, and Diane (yep me, I went parasailing!) followed. Marge tried to follow but the boat broke down for the day. (tomorrow) After a day of fun at the beach we shopped and then got ready for a trip to the Hard Rock Cafe, newly opened in Acapulco.
The Hard Rock Cafe was a treasure of music and movie memorabilia. A person could look at the items on the walls forever. T- shirts and Hard Rock items were purchased by most and we ventured nearer to the hotel by bus. I remember Brian saying "Do we have to pay extra for the sauna?" The bus was extremely hot and crowded, many of us would of walked if only we could get off! We then went to a disco near the hotel where many danced away their excess energy.

Wednesday, August 8 - Again to the beach, the coolest place around. We were told the heat reached 48 degrees C. today (That would be nearing 120 degrees F.!!!) There was less wind but first on our agenda was watching Marge parasail! She did it, a woman who can't float or swim out over the ocean! Quick shopping was in order before leaving for a cruise on the Bonanza to see the beautiful Acapulco Bay from the ocean side. The rock of the water didn't agree with many students but the views were great as we saw Frank Sinatra's, The Shah of Iran, and many other homes. Music and dancing accompanied us around the bay as we viewed "our" beach from the water. Our next stop by bus was to the famous Cliffs of La Quebrada to see the daredevil cliff-divers. The distance they dove was up to 138 feet while having to watch the roll of the waves against the rocks to complete a safe dive. It was interesting to learn the practice of diving from the cliff started as recently as back when a Tarzan movie was shot and Johnny Weismillers double had to dive from the cliff. After the movie was shot the double kept on diving for the crowd that would gather and a tradition was started. This was also the sight of Elvis Presley's movie "Fun in Acapulco". Many of us went to Pizza Hut that evening and while the teachers packed. Carlos took the students to Eve's a popular disco about a block away where they danced their last night away.

Thursday, August 9 - Our last morning in Mexico found us having an early breakfast, gathering of luggage and final group pictures before leaving in a bus for the airport. On our way to the airport we were able to see Sylvester Stalones impressive home and the Black Lagoon where part of the African Queen was shot and many other movies. The Acapulco Airport was not very large at all and we were all surprised at how such a famous location could have such a small airport. Everyone was exhausted and it showed (we saw people we traveled down to Mexico on and they commented we looked beat).
We arrived in Des Moines near midnight and were met by the Dunlaps. The three vehicles then headed home in a rain storm. I was Very low on gas and when we finally reached a gas station in Waverly that was open it wasn't until there that we heard about the US sending troops to Kuwait, the prices for gas was 1.25.
The trip was a success.

Elmer's Hill

2010-01-10T12:34:00.006-06:00

On Section 20, of Sioux township, in Lyon County, IA, many children and adults of the area went sledding on the hill that seemed to be made for many groups to enjoy when it became snow covered. In my lifetime it was known as “Elmer’s (Swanson) Hill". Elmer Swanson was my Great Uncle, a brother to my Grandma Phoebe. The hill, next to a little valley where Blood Run Creek traveled on it's way to the Sioux River, wasn't far from the house where they grew up and about a mile from my childhood home (as the bird flies).
Families, churches, schools, neighbors and groups of friends found themselves sledding there, enjoying the thrill of the speed down the hill and the warmth from many bonfires built at the top. There was an area near the gravel road that you had to stay away from because of rocks and rough terrain but a few yards to the west, the hill was a treasure to coast down. In later years I remember Dad and neighbor Eddie Hildring bringing their snowmobiles there, to give rides back to the top of the hill. Not far away were ruts in the land where the old stagecoach trail once was. A place of history in more ways that one.
Eventually a fence was put at the bottom, after the land was sold, and the hill became silent after decades of laughter and screams of excitement. If you listen closely you may still hear the sounds of laughter from memories of your own sledding days.
My Grandmother wrote this poem in January 1966, about the hill and adventures down it, remembering the hill when her father owned the land.

Hilarious Adventure
by Phoebe (Swanson) Johnson
Yes, we had fun and many a thrill, As bravely we would interlock, When coasting down steep Pasture Hill.
Though sometimes we would take a spill, We dared again for one more shock... Yes, we had fun and many a thrill.
We never suffered any ill - Perhaps a tear in pant or frock... When speeding down that perilous hill.
To steer the sled took grit and skill, As steel flashed fire on hidden rock... Yes it was fun - How we did thrill!
A long pull up for Jack and Jill, Then swiftly down to scare the cock, While coasting on the Pasture Hill.
When nighttime came and all was still, Said Little Nod to Blinkum Block, “Yes, we had fun and many a thrill, When coasting down steep Pasture Hill.”

Snow Days... Cold Days...

2010-01-08T07:44:00.007-06:00

“Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories.”
Wishing you some warm memories today and everyday.

Left: The frosted window view out my back door this morning.

We've had school canceled two days this week due to weather. The calls came to me around 5:30 am on the phone tree the last two days. I'm an early riser so there's no problem there, but I've been unable to go back to sleep each morning, so I begin my day with the promise of a nap in the afternoon if I'm productive in the morning. (Yesterday I got a nap AND watched the movie "Munich")
Yesterday morning I actually went up to school (I only live 5 blocks from school) and put my grades on the computer around 7:45 am, meeting the predetermined deadline that the office was determined that everyone meet. My neighbor had blown my driveway out early and the plows had gone on the streets. The school parking lot was still snow covered and it continued to snow and blow. I was resenting the fact that they pressured me to go up to school and post my grades when school was canceled, afterall these snow days are actually my "summer vacation" days! I was glad it was done after the fact and it only took about 10 minutes to complete. Done, onto the next task.
I will be teaching a digital imaging / tech workshop next weekend on the 16th. It's part of our teacher quality money and Denver teachers will be paid a stipend to attend. This is one of two workshops I'll run. The free time that the canceled school days bring, is allowing me to prepare for the workshop. I'm making a handout with tips and links, to e-mail out to those involved. It has always been a frustration of mine when someone reads a link out loud and expects you to type each link in, while you're trying to explore these sites. It makes you have to keep to their pace and limits true exploration. It has taken me much longer than I thought it would, to compile this handout, but I seem to find new things to add to it and am enjoying visiting and revisiting the wealth of information and programs out there. We'll be focusing on digital images and using iPhoto, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I also promised I would show them how easy it is to create a blog.
There is much to do and now I have the time to attack some of it. It's a No procrastination Zone at my house today.

Our Loghouse Heritage

2010-01-06T23:08:00.004-06:00

Our Loghouse Heritage
by Phoebe (Swanson) Johnson

The loghouse was a humble, friendly dwelling... a product of necessity and toil.
Our people came to Freedom’s Land with great zeal... made livelihood from scratch. They broke the soil!
They found new values in their work and home-life; and lent to stricken neighbors heart and hand.
True character is molded in a loghouse; For honesty and thrift they took their stand!
When winter’s biting cold would grip their cabin and snow drift high upon their loghouse door;
When in the nighttime hungry coyotes howling would horrify; or all food was low in store.
More faith and courage now, was theirs to muster to fight disease and hardship and their fear,
But God was Teacher, making strong their spirit and He was in this lowly home to cheer.
The springtime thaws brought joy and eager planning, and hope illumined their homestead fireside then;
And when, to worship, Christian friends would gather, their stronghold rang with, “Praise the Lord! Amen!”
Soon little feet would venture down the pathway, and Mother followed, keeping watchful eye.
They picked wild flowers to grace their cabin table as Sioux River sang a nap-time lullaby.
The friendly Sioux was bountiful in giving of waters, fish, sound logs for cabins new;
Vines laden with wild grapes hung low from tree tops and juicy plums and berries near by grew.
We prize our heritage of each quaint loghouse where noble dreams were born that must survive;
Let us in consecrated love go forward and, “Under God,” for peace and justice... strive!

Carl and Carolina Swanson arrived in Lincoln Co. Dakota Territory in 1870. Carl held a pre-emption claim to lands situated along the Big Sioux River approximately 8 miles north and one mile east of Canton, in what is now Dayton Twp. A sod house was built for their first winter. Over the next years, Carl planted many cottonwood trees and in 1872 constructed a log cabin on a hill. It's been added onto but all in all it's amazing it is still standing!Photo taken by Russ Swanson November, 2009.

Grandpa Joe Johnson

2010-01-02T13:22:00.013-06:00

I haven't posted anything lately about my ancestors and their lives so here is a little about my Grandpa Joe who died six years before I was born.
Joseph Edward Johnson was born on the "May Place", approximately eight miles north of Canton, Lincoln County, SD, then Dakota Territory, on October 28, 1882 to Andew and Albertina (Gustafsdotter) Johnson. He was the youngest of five children born to these new emigrants from Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden.
His parents left Göteborg Sweden on the ship Orlando for Hull, England, on June 3, 1881, with a ticket for New York. They arrived in Canton on June 22, 1881. Joe's mother gave birth to his sister Lena on July 5, 1881. What a trip she must have had, being pregnant and traveling with a 6, 4, and 2 year old to a new country. Their chosen destination met them with relatives, as Albertina's sister (Carolina Swanson) and brother were already established pioneers in the area, raising their families on the Dakota Prairie along the Sioux River north of Canton.
Peter (Albertina's brother) and Anna (Olson) Newberg were Godparents at Joe's baptism at the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mission Church of Swedona (Corson, SD) on January 1, 1883 and he was baptized by Pastor John F. Wretlof.
Material and personal financial resources were all but nonexistent. Together with many early settlers of that era, they had to start at the very beginning. Earning a livelihood in those pioneer days was a cooperative family endeavor. Father, mother and children all worked at the common and immediate task of acquiring necessary food, shelter and clothing. As soon as possible they rented a farm. The settlers were periodically subjected to the rigors of drought, grasshoppers, hot burning winds of summer and cold story blasts of winter. The children worked with their parents doing daily chores and fieldwork, it was a way of life and survival for them.
When I asked my Dad for some stories about his Dad's youth he shared; When Joe was confirmed he had "orders" not to wear his shoes until he was close to the church as to not wear them out. Once he snuck into the back of the buggy when his sister Emma and Charley Long were courting, once discovered, about two miles from home, he was made to walk back home.
Joe saw a kaliopee pulled by horses when he was young and always thought it'd be great if he could pull into the yard with one of them.
He liked to sing and when a youth we went to rural school for a short time but they wouldn’t let him sing along as he spoke Swedish and he would sit on the bench mad as he loved to sing and say “feda” repeatedly. (we were told this meant Shit in Swedish but I am unsure of the spelling and can't find this in translation programs.) No one knew what he was saying. In later years Joe and his wife, Phoebe Johnson, would often enjoy singing together in church for special music.
In 1903, Joe and his brother Carl and sister Lena moved with their parents to their own farm near Tea, SD.
Joe's Papa, Anders Peter Johnson, was known as quite a gardener. Joe would take some of the produce into Sioux Falls, coming in from the Tea farm by buggy to sell when he was a young man. My Dad said when he was a kid he went with his Dad (Joe) into Sioux Falls and stopped at the Lyon home down by now Lyon Park (and the statue of David) near the post office and he remembers looking at the old cars in the garage there (Calvin always had a fascination with old cars) and the maid came out and telling him it's time for lunch and Mrs. Lyons told Calvin she remembered his Dad coming in and selling vegetables to her when he was a young man.
Son Calvin told of when the family had a table downstairs where they would take the milk to after milking the cow. Dad also remembers his Dad and Uncle Carl going downstairs with a bowl and spooning the sour cream off the top of the milk and eating that as a treat with a little sugar on it.
Some of the cars & trucks he owned: 1918 Luverne Truck, 1919 Franklin - drove this on his honeymoon to Chicago. 1928-9 NASH, hit coming home from Rock Rapids in a dust storm and the car got wrecked. His family was with him. Calvin remembers crying when he got home because he thought they wouldn't have a car now and Uncle Carl told him to BE QUIET!, that they were lucky to all be alive and unhurt! 1935 Dodge Truck, 1936 Studebaker, 1939 Diamond T Truck, 1939 Buick, 1940 Diamond T Truck, 1941 Chrysler, and 1948 Dodge. This shows my own Dad's love of vehicles to remember the cars his Dad had.

I wrote the following in 1989 about our farm, while taking an Iowa Writers Workshop class: In 1923 my newlywed grandparents Joe and Phoebe lived with great-grandpa and grandma (Charlie & Anna) for a couple months until their temporary structure a quarter of a mile away was built. A farm was being built in Sioux Township #16 in Lyon County, IA starting with the barn, the most important structure, by two men, Sievert Thompson and Otto Lund. They mixed the cement by hand and painted the wood red twice, once on the ground and the second time while the barn was all erected. The 60 ft. long by 40 ft. wide structure complete with bunks and a full length haymound was built at a cost of $500. for labor charges, plus the cost of supplies. To celebrate the completion of the rounded roof barn, they hoisted a piano up into the hayloft and a barn dance was held for those friends and relatives from both near and far. The church ladies aid group also held a meeting in the hayloft to commemorate it's completion. To this day the crowd that attended that meeting was the largest crowd to assemble of the Grandview Covenant Ladies Aid. Imagine the hymns floating through the windows after ladies young and old climbed the stairs, especially built for that occasion, or take the ladder to the loft and sat on fresh bales of hay to share God's word. Other buildings appeared soon as my grandparents attempted to build this farmstead. The "little garage", a white two car garage, was built before the large house to provide shelter for my grandfather's 1919 Franklin car and 1916 Luverne truck.
My father, Calvin, was born in what has now become known as the chicken house on our farm. It was a home at that time with ruffled curtains hanging in windows that welcomed south breezes in the summer and fought against the cold winter winds. Grandma Phoebe fixed her two room home up with little touches like flowers, pictures on the walls and clean linens and cloths covering furniture arranged carefully in the close living quarters. Dad's bed was a bassinet seated upon the piano bench, a simple start to a life spent calling the same address home. Moving into the big house came about three weeks after Calvin was born. Imagine a young wife and mother of two children, Joyce at 1 1/2 years and Calvin only 3 weeks old, overseeing such a transformation of environments and lifestyles. It was December of 1925, and the young family was in the new house by Christmas. The house was a large two story yellow stucco structure with white wooden trim. It was positioned on top of a hill overlooking Blood Run Creek and family farmland. Paths were still in nearby fields where the stagecoach trails of not so long ago transported passengers to their destinations. Trees had been planted to accompany the driveway up the hill. They also provided windbreaks and shelter for wildlife and for the house and family within. Many of the groves surrounding the buildings were planted by Grandpa Joe and his young son Calvin. Grandma Phoebe was a magician with flowers and transformed the yard into a showcase of colorful flowers on all sides of the house. There was a hedge around the front yard with a white picket fence standing next to it. Rows and rows of flowers added backdrop for many family pictures taken outside the home over the years. Lilac bushes now ran the length of the little two room home that had by now been turned into a chicken house, dividing it from the large house and yard. Uncle Carl, Grandpa Joe's older brother, joined the family of five in 1931.
At one time Grandpa Joe fed cattle with farmers on 13 different farms, splitting profits on up to 1200 head, the bookkeeping tabulations he must of performed at his desk without the benefit of modern aides. I'm sure Grandma Phoebe helped. The time came to add cement to the barn floor and troughs.
The youngest Johnson at that time, Carol Ann, lent her feet for footprints into the yielding wet cement. In 1936 the first Johnson owned tractor came on the farm; before then Grandpa Joe had rented the land to others because he also farmed by Tea and Flandreau, SD. In 1938 the "big garage" came after the purchase of two Diamond T trucks on the farm. The farm was growing out of necessity and progress. Grain needed to be weighed and stored, so a scale house and corn crib appeared as did feeders for the feedlots and buildings to house hogs. The set of buildings started to surround the family as if to provide for and protect them. When dad went to the army, Grandpa rented the land out again selling off some equipment; any changes awaited the return of the only son. Upon dad's return home, he and Uncle Carl lived together in the big house. They bached it from 1948-1950 while Grandma and Grandpa moved to Sioux Falls, to 2020 S. 1st. in 1949, leaving their home in the hands of future generations.

Below are some newspaper articles I've found that help elaborate on events in Grandpa's life:

Wedding - Unique Old Fashioned Wedding is Feature of June Day at Granite, Miss Phoe (Phoebe) Swanson, of Larchwood, Married to Joseph E. Johnson, of Tea, With Country Ceremony and Group of Girls from Sioux Falls
What the bounty and hospitality of the old fashioned
wedding used to mean to a whole countryside was recalled last evening in the unique ceremony held at Granite, Iowa, when Miss Phoebe C. Swanson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Swanson of Larchwood, Iowa, and Joseph Edward Johnson of Tea were united in marriage. (June 20, 1923)
Tent Reception
The crowds of friends and relatives from Iowa and South Dakota who were present were almost unlimited because of the size of the great tent where the wedding reception and program were held. As soon as the ceremony was finished in the Mission Church of Granite, the automobile loads of guests including many who could not get into the church arrived at the farmhouse, sixteen miles southeast of Sioux Falls. There, for
days preparations had been made for the feast. Great pots of coffee were boiling on the stove and an abundance of meats, sandwiches, cakes and ice cream in many varieties were waiting to be served.
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Johnson received their relatives and friends as they entered the tent, and soon the long tables were filled with guests. Following the blessing asked by Rev. R. A. Larson of Granite, Iowa, who had performed the ceremony, congratulatory speeches were made to the bride and groom, and those present expressed the hope that their table might always be filled with good things and that they might find happiness in their future home.
“I Love You Truly,” was sung by Miss Mabel Swanson, sister of the bride, and Miss Edna Hegland (Haglund) of Menominee, Michigan, played two piano solos. Rev. Larson and Rev. E. Begland (Bergland) living north of Brandon made short addresses. Mrs. Larson sang “Perfect Day”.
Friends from Sioux Falls
The flow of refreshments was not stopped by the program, however. Over twenty girls who had motored from Sioux Falls for the purpose served the crowds. Assisting were Elloa McLellan, Maude McLellan, Frances Howlin, Esther Thompson, Gladys Brandt, Alpha Hoyne, Athetha Meyers, Eleanor Martin, Thelma Carlberg, Martha Bradly, Rowena Bliss, Lois Allen, Florence McGilvray, Hazel Lundquist, Lucille Helfert, Helen Helfert, Hilda Carlson, Effie Straight, Vera Hodgins, Ruth Krumm, Mrs. L.A. Johnson, Alma Johnson.
Many went to the room filled with wedding presents for the young people. A piano was included among the gifts. Electric lights and candles illuminated the scene. The tables were arranged around the bridal table as a center and were decorated with peonies, roses of brilliant hues and pink candy baskets.
With little thought of the long distance many of those present would have to drive before they would have to reach their homes, the guests feasted and celebrated for hours. The little flower girls Josephine Larson and Myrtle Carlson and the small ring bearer Robert Larson were gay and sleepy at the same time as the evening advanced.
Church Ceremony
In the church ceremony the bride walked slowly down the isle on the arm of her father as the wedding
march from ‘Lohengrin’ was played. She was gowned in white satin, softly draped and trimmed with pearl medallions. Her long veil of tulle was held in place with a band of orange blossoms. She carried a bouquet of lillys of the valley and pink roses. Miss Mabel Swanson, the brides sister, was maid of honor. She wore a gown of pale yellow canton crepe and carried a bouquet of roses. Bridesmaids were Miss Betty Long of Larchwood and Miss Hegland (Haglund).
After an extended trip through the east and south for their honeymoon, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson will make their home on the bridegrooms farm four miles northeast of Tea. (THE ARGUS LEADER, Thurs., 6/21/1923)

Joe Johnsons Celebrate 25th Wedding Anniversary
About 150 relatives attended the silver wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnson, living southeast of Sioux Falls Sunday, at which time the latter wore her wedding dress. Practically all members of the bridal party of 25 years ago attended. A program appropriate for the occasion was given.
Messages and good wishes were read. They had been sent by absent relatives and friends, among one being a message from Sweden; while those attending presented the Johnsons silver gifts.
Amidst decorations of many flowers, a social afternoon was enjoyed and lunch was served. The Rev. Franc Ericson, pastor of Grandview church, presided as toastmaster and introduced those taking part.

Obituary: ARGUS LEADER, Tue. April 8, 1952 "Services will be held at the Grandview Covenant Church of Larchwood, IA at 2 p.m. Thursday for Joseph Edward Johnson, 69, of 2020 S. 1st Ave. who died at a local hospital Monday. Officiating will be the Revs. David Kline, France Ericson and Axel Long. Dr. Maynard Berk will be organist. Music will be furnished by the Rev. and Mrs. Kline and Carol Beth Swanson. Burial will be in the Grandview Covenant Church Cemetery. The Miller Funeral Home is in charge."

Ex-Cattle Feeder, J. Johnson, Dies (April 7, 1952)
A retired cattle feeder, Joseph Edward Johnson, 69, of 2020 S. 1st Ave., died at a local hospital this morning after a two-year illness. (Prostrate cancer) Mr. Johnson had resided on a farm in the Larchwood, Ia., vicinity from 1923 until he came to Sioux Falls in the fall of 1949.
Born in Canton, Oct. 28, 1882, Mr. Johnson went into the cattle business with his brother, Carl, from 1903 until 1923.
Joseph Johnson married Phoebe Swanson in Larchwood, June 20, 1923. He was a member of the Grandview Covenant Church of Larchwood and the Sioux Falls Lions Club.
He is survived by his widow; two daughters, Mrs. Joyce Whitcher, Sioux Falls, and Mrs. Carol Ball, Larchwood; a son Calvin T., Larchwood; two sisters, Mrs. Emma Long, Larchwood, and Mrs. Frank Carlson, Hartford; a brother, Carl J., Larchwood, and four grandchildren.
Services will be held at the Grandview Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The body is at the Miller Funeral Home.

After compiling this information I see there is more I need to do and find to complete it. I need to find some younger photos to scan and complete more stories on his life. I did find numerous letters he wrote to his bride to be, my Grandpa Phoebe when they were courting. They are a touching reminder of their love to each other. Maybe more for another post sometime...

Burrrrrr or Brrrrrr

2010-01-01T22:33:00.003-06:00

Either way you write it, it's cold here tonight! We have a Wind Chill Warning through tomorrow morning and it's currently -25 F. wind chill out (air temp -6 F.), with the possibility of hitting -40 F. tonight!
A cold weekend ahead of us and here I put off going up to school to work until this weekend! It will really be cold up there! Gotta do what a persons gotta do...

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T10:54:00.013-06:00

New Years Eve is a time to look back at your past, and more importantly, to look ahead to the coming year. It's hard to believe 2010 is about to arrive! It's the time to make those New Year resolutions. I don't usually make out a list but in the back of my mind there are always things I wish for, or resolve to follow through on. Love, Health, Happiness, and Organization wishes follow me through the years. What's on your wish list?
The poems below are timeless treasures written by my Grandma Phoebe (Swanson) Johnson.

Hallowed Remembrances
Treasured
Memories bring
Light and love to the soul;
A song, immortal, fills the heart
With faith.

Prairie Poets III, An Anthology of Verse gathered by Pasque Petals 1926-1966 and The South Dakota State Poetry Society 1927-1966. Edited by Adeline M. Jenny, Published by The Lund Press, Inc. Minneapolis, Minnesota 1966 pg. 116-120

In the New Year
Heaven grant me grace to find
Darkened clouds all silver lined;
Joy in lowly tasks I do,
Health and friends to see me through;
Life abundant, love to share,
Much to do and heart to care.

(Written in January of 1957)
Prairie Poets II, An Anthology of Verse gathered by Pasque Petals 1926-1958 and The South Dakota State Poetry Society 1927-1958. Edited by Adeline M. Jenny, Published by The Lund Press, Inc. Minneapolis, Minnesota 1958 pg. 98-100

"Wordless" Wednesday

2009-12-30T08:29:00.005-06:00

I didn't get everything brought in from my flower gardens. This little fairy sits on a bench among some hosta. Now she is wrapped in a blanket of snow.

Ahhhhh... Massage

2009-12-27T09:35:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I had a massage. The owner of the salon called me about a half hour before my appointment and offered to come pick me up so I wouldn't have to drive down and back, wanting to make my experience last as long as it could. (Small town Iowa, remember) I took advantage of the offer and relaxed into the pamper mode.

There are many health benefits to receiving massage therapy on a regular basis: Relieves stress, Encourages relaxation, Improves circulation, Improves posture, Lowers blood pressure, Helps manage pain, Relaxes muscles, Improves flexibility, Improves breathing, Relieves tension headaches, Strengthens immune system, Decreases depression,...

Now, I could use any and all of those benefits and about now you may be jealous or think "I should schedule a massage too" (and you should). I was told to go home, drink lots of water for the rest of the day, take a bath (they gave me some sea salts to bathe in) and then take a nap.

As I was being dropped off at home I was surprised at seeing a neighbor and his dog out clearing the snow from my driveway, could this day get any better? Buddy the dog gave me some lovin and wags of his tail as I went in the house. I'm on vacation now and those things on my to do list were put on hold as I continued my day of relaxation. I talked with family and friends on the phone, watched a movie or two and had some homemade lefse. May you have relaxing days ahead of you too.

A repeat of Grandma's Christmas Poem

2009-12-24T20:50:00.008-06:00

Jul-Tide Pilgrimage

In fancy, I go to the Northland, At Christmas time long, long ago,
When my Mom was a small girl in Sweden And forests were laden with snow.
She helped choose the spruce on the hillside - The prettiest one to be found;
Granddad felled it and loaded the stoneboat With small folk and tree, homeward bound.
Red lingon have long since been gathered For jam as a holiday treat;
They grow in the moss-covered marshes, With promise a future so sweet.
Come hither to fill their wood buckets And thrill to the cuckoo's call,
That chimes from the top of a pine tree - A peace and good will song to all!
The candles are moulded from tallow, Good Julbread and fruit soup is made;
Round cheeses, stuffed sausage and lutfisk, Will humble festivity aid.
Preparedness is now in full motion, The floor is sand-scrubbed and looks white,
With a door mat of evergreen branches - Some on stove for incense delight.
This Christmas is full of surprises, Red apples now sway in the tree;
Dear presents - so graciously home-made, And eyes that are starfilled, I see.
It's Christmas Eve! In this lowly dwelling The true Jul-tide Spirit abides,
The head of the house reads the Story - The love of the Christ Child presides.
At dawn, on their brisk walk to God's House, Groups carol the long six-mile way -
Thus honor the Babe with their presence And worship on this Blessed Day.
May you, too, have a heart-warming Christmas, Find you in each good thing God lends
And thrill as each candle-light hallows The Gift that His Love to you sends.

Phoebe Carolina Swanson Johnson
December 1962, Sioux Falls, SD

Joe and Phoebe Johnson, 1951.

Each year Grandma would print a poem or write a song to include with her Christmas Card.

Christmas Past

2009-12-23T20:11:00.014-06:00

Christmas is a time for memories. Family is tops on my list, even if we're spread out across the miles this year, you can't take the memories of Christmas past away from each of us. Last year I posted most of the old Christmas photos I have scanned so far, so here are a few sights from my past for you.

Right: 1961. Steve and I opening our presents. Love my pajama's with the feet in them and the snaps at the waist. (I now have that coffee table with a new tall pedestal under it as my dining room table.)

Left: 1961. Joe and Debbie tearing into their presents. Debbie must be speedy since she's in a blur! (Blue pajamas were popular for the Johnson kids I guess.)

Right: 1962. I think this was before we headed off to the Christmas program at Church or to Grandma Phoebe's for Christmas Eve. I remember posing for this photo. Debbie and my dresses were black velvet. We have one with Grandma Wettestad with us too at this same time. She always stayed with us around the Christmas Season.

Left: 1962. Christmas Day at our house. Up front: Grandma Wettestad, Steve, Diane, Beth Swanson, Debbie, Priscilla Swanson, Dad. Back: Emil Swanson, Joe, Mable Swanson, Elmer Swanson, Grandma Phoebe

Right: 1962. Coffee and desert around the dining room table at our house. Phoebe, Beth, Priscilla, Elmer, Joe, Dad (Calvin) Emil, and Mable.

Left: 1962. Deb, Beth, Joe, Steve, Pris, Diane and Dad. Am I praying that pictures will be over soon? Beth and Pris are Dad's first cousins and daughters of Elmer Swanson. Beth was a professional singer and Priscilla was still in college to become a Dermatologist.

Remembering Steve - 2

2009-12-19T07:15:00.019-06:00

Steve has had his heavenly home for two years today. It is a day of remembering him, I still miss him and guess I always will.
We teased him as a kid, for his bottom lip that would protrude in a pout, no one could do it better. He was lucky too, like the time he was shooting his BB gun in the barn and it ricocheted back at him, landing in the lens of his glasses. He had a lifetime love of animals, especially dogs. I can picture him sleeping on the couch with a dog snuggling on his chest or playing on the floor with a dog and his toys. He loved old movies - westerns and war movies were favorites. He loved history.
Steve loved to travel and later in his life loved taking photos of those places, bringing his adventures back to the rest of us.
He was a techie and because of that we were able to keep in touch no matter how many miles were between us. We talked via video cams on the internet back when it wasn't as popular as it is now. He'd make the rounds talking to each member of the family via video after his cancer diagnosis and it was such a blessing to be able to see him and see how he felt and if he didn't call you knew it was a bad day. Those last visits on the video with him are ingrained in my memories since I couldn't be there with him.
Because he's gone doesn't mean he was a saint. We fought, had times of silence, shouted... but those times aren't what I remember. It's the protective big brother full of mishief, advice, smiles and love that I remember. Those cherished memories live in my heart forever.
May you not have to say good-bye to someone too soon due to cancer. The assurance of everlasting life through our belief in God, does give us comfort that we will be together again.

John 14:1-3 (New Living Translation) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park. Photo by Steve

"Wordless" Wednesday

2009-12-16T22:44:00.005-06:00

Christmas Season 1961. Diane and Steve portraying Mary and Joseph. (with my sister Debbie's doll as baby Jesus)

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

2009-12-10T16:40:00.025-06:00

Having another day off due to snow I was able to talk via video to my folks this morning to wish them a Happy Anniversary. They are celebrating 59 years of marriage today in Mesa, AZ, at their winter home. I wish I was there to celebrate with them.

There is something about you that sets you apart. Something so wonderful it fills my heart. You have a special way in the things that you do. I guess that's why, Mom and Dad, I LOVE YOU!

Tombstone Tuesday - Johnsons

2009-12-07T18:17:00.006-06:00

My interest in genealogy guided me towards trying Tombstone Tuesday postings.
My Great Grandparents tombstones at Grandview Covenant Cemetery, Rural, Larchwood, Lyon County, IA. Anders Per Jönsson changed his name to Andrew Peter Johnson when he and his family immigrated to the Canton, Lincoln County, SD area in 1881. He was born May 6, 1835 in Slätmontorp, Ljung Östergötland, Sweden and died September 13, 1920 in SD. Albertina (Gustafsdotter) Johnson died from pneumonia in 1935. She was born April 25, 1849 in Nybrofaller, Stjärnorp, Östergötland, Sweden and died February 14, 1935 in SD or IA. She had lived on the family farm near Tea, SD with her sons but also lived with her daughter Emma Long across the river in rural Larchwood, IA. The documents I have, have her named spelled Albertina, while this tombstone has Albertena?
Not far away to the west from our Great Grandparents graves is my brother Steve's grave and tombstone at Grandview Covenant Cemetery, rural Larchwood, Lyon County, IA. Born at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, SD, he died of cancer in 2007 in Fresno, Fresno County, CA.

Memories from my Auntie Joyce

2009-12-05T14:12:00.013-06:00

This was shared with me from my Aunt, Joyce (Johnson) Whitcher, in December of 1999. Auntie Joyce passed away four years ago now, but it's memories like this that we hold dear. When I read these lines I'm transported to a time long ago. Pass on some of your memories to loved ones this Christmas and anytime of the year.

Right: Dale and Joyce Whitcher, 2005

Below: Joyce Johnson, 1927
“The old sheep shed hill and creek were a couple of my favorite places as a child. Uncle Carl, who lived with us, would just shake his head at the things we would do as kids.
Wish I could remember many memories of my childhood at Grandma Anna's. (Mrs. Charley Swanson) She was such a kind gentle person, everyone loved her. The neighbor children would fight to deliver eggs to her. This was after they moved into the new house and the renters would supply the eggs. She would always reward them with a treat or a gift. The old home where mother grew up was a place of beauty & charm to me. The grove of apple trees in springtime was a maze of pink fragrant blossoms. Auntie Mabel had a hammock under the trees which intrigued me as the ultimate way to go. Of course she had her favorite books there.

Below: The C.T. & Anna Swanson home.

Inside the gate where the sidewalk led to the house, were evergreen of spruce trees. Grandmother always had geese in the yard & they liked to chase me so I'd run for the porch. The house seemed so large to me, the favorite place to me was the pantry. So many good things emerged from there. The icebox had a big block of ice from the ice house, she made butter in a churn in the basement. The kitchen was very large where a table seated at least 12 people. But the parlor was the most mysterious of all, no one was allowed in there except for special occasions. There, the Christmas tree stood at the special Christmas I remember, when Santa came in the back door and placed a large box under the tree! And to my amazement it was my first beautiful doll.”

"Wordless" Wednesday

2009-12-02T00:24:00.003-06:00

A view of old Stockholm, Sweden from the top of city hall.
(photo by Robin Whitcher Fodness)

Be what it is that you're seeking...

2009-11-30T23:24:00.007-06:00

"You can’t expect to draw people into your life who are kind, confident, and generous if you’re thinking and acting in cruel, weak, and selfish ways. You must be what it is that you’re seeking—that is, you need to put forth what you want to attract." - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Artwork above: A recent painting I did as an example for students in my painting class. We were painting faces with a focus on adding color, using a 1 inch brush or rag, working on large pieces of canvas.

Junior

2009-11-28T15:16:00.010-06:00

A longtime neighbor and family friend passed away this week, Axel "Junior" Bonander. Junior and my Dad grew up together as neighbors. Although he was three years older than Dad, Junior and Dad shared the same childhood church, closeness as only neighbors can know and raised their families at the same time about a mile apart.

Junior and Dad reminisced and talked of world events many times over coffee. The coffee pot was always on when Junior stopped or started when his truck drove into the yard.

They passed on many stories to me over the years. For example, one day in the 1930's, Axel "Junior" and Dad "Kelly" walked down to Granite to Ray Jensen's store and each had saved money to buy a pint of ice cream. Thinking ahead, the two boys each brought spoons from home and took their cold purchases to a ditch outside of town to enjoy their treat. After finishing their containers of ice creaem they scraped up enough money to go back and buy another carton to share. They also rigged up a telephone between their two rooms to keep in touch the quarter mile between their farms.

In January of 1943, Dad and Junior went to work in the Glenn L. Martin - Nebraska Company in Omaha, NE. They worked for $.60 an hour from 12:45 am- 8:30 am. Employees were expected to work five days in a row and then take off the sixth day and start again with the five day cycle.

Junior entered the U.S. Navy in October of 1943, serving in Pearl Harbor and Okinawa, Iwo Jima and China. A local newspaper wrote the following article in the 40's In the Pacific.- Axel R. Bonander 22, electrician’s mate, third class, of Larchwood, Ia., is serving aboard an attack transport in the Pacific. He participated in the invasion of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Bonander wears the American theatre and Asiatic-Pacific theatre ribbons. He graduated from Larchwood high school in 1940 and before entering the navy was employed as a machinist at the Martin bomber plant in Omaha. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Axel Bonander, Larchwood. His ship was the USS Berrian. He was discharged in April of 1946 and returned home to Larchwood.

Junior was Dad's best man at Mom and Dad's wedding in December of 1950 and Dad was Junior's Best man in his marriage to Donna Mae Hocke in 1952.
Left: Neighbors going out for an evening, January 27, 1057, Tracy and Carl Dieters, Junior and Donna Mae Bonander, and Calvin and Darlene Johnson. Below: Goofing off before going out, Mom in Juniors lap! and Virgil Bennett over to baby sit the kids.

Axel and Donna raised their son Bruce, who was the same age and grade as my sister Deb, on section 20 of Sioux Township, in the same house where he died. Donna Mae died on October 14, 2002 in Rock Rapids, IA.

Junior always stopped by when I was home visiting my parents. He'd see my car up in the yard and drive in to say his hellos and share that cup of coffee with Dad. He died in his sleep on Wednesday, November 25th, 87 years old. Raising a cup of coffee to you Junior...
Click here to be taken to Junior's on line obituary and guestbook.

Swanson Homestead

2009-11-23T18:20:00.010-06:00

My cousin, Russ Swanson, recently flew over the old Swanson homestead (11/09) over by the Sioux River in Lincoln County, South Dakota and took this photo of the log cabin and surrounding land. The cabin, built in 1871-72, has had additions and changes to it over the years of course, but the structure still stands, a testament to Carl's building skills and the family who cared about the first log home built on their land in Dakota Territory.
Carl August Swanson (Svensson) and wife, Carolina (Gustafsdotter), immigrated from Ljung, Sweden in 1869. The family, with three children, arrived with a covered wagon and team in Lincoln Co. in 1870. Carl held a pre-emption claim to lands situated along the Big Sioux River approxdimately 8 miles north and one mile east of Canton, in what is now Dayton Twp. Their covered wagon was overturned on a sand pit, near a spring, for the family's first shelter. Twins were born under this shelter in August 1870, while a sod dugout was built for their first winter. Carl left his wife and children that winter to work south of Sioux City clearing land for wages. At home, Carolina and her children had but a little corn and a half sack of flour to survive on. Over the next years, Carl planted many cottonwood trees and in 1872 constructed a log cabin on a hill. A son, August, was born in the cabin in 1876; the cabin yet stands. Three sons died in infancy; two were buried in the 1870's in a plot on the Juul farm, about three miles south, while the other is reputedly buried some distance southeast of the cabin, near what is a very large cottonwood tree known locally as the "hanging tree. In 1889 Carl was riding a young colt on the homestead when the animal stepped in a badger hole. Carl was thrown and the horse rolled on it's rider. Carl was gravely injured and died in 1890, at age 55. Several days before his death, he deeded all his lands to his wife, Carolina, who then lived in the log cabin until 1903. Carolina then lived with her adult children in Dayton Twp. and elsewhere until her death in 1932, at age 92.

Above: Grandma Carolina in front of the cabin.

"The History of Lincoln Co., S.D." Copyright 1985 by The Lincoln County History Committee, Canton, South Dakota. Printed in the United States of America by Pine Hill Press, Freeman, South Dakota 57029.
Check out an earlier post I did on Carl and Carolina at http://diane-johnson.blogspot.com/2008/09/karl-and-carolina-swanson.html

Be Thankful

2009-11-22T09:51:00.009-06:00

I'm thankful for memories. Those of the past, and look forward to those to come. Passing down my own memories and those of my forefathers is what this blog is about. Maybe it's therapy for me in some way and my genealogy searching and home history interest has become my connection to those important memory makers in my life.

My Grandma Phoebe Johnson was a poet. Her poems give us a glimpse into the days she wrote about. She along with her brothers and sisters wrote little books about their parents and grandparents life. I treasure those stories and rejoice in their content that many others searching and researching their ancestors do not have access to for their families. I appreciate that I come from a family of collectors and savers. (most of the time) How we found papers at Grandpa Charlies that have filled in a story or added to one. Pass down your own stories, write down your memories, someone will be thankful for it in their own time.

Photo: Top left: Mom and I in the church in Linkoping lighting a candle. Top right: Deb and I at Globe, AZ on Christmas Day 2006
Bottom left: Four Generations. front: Calvin, Grandma Carolina, Joyce. back: Grandpa Phoebe and Grandpa Charlie. Bottom right: Our last family photo with all 6 of us, Christmas 2006. We'd just come back from swimming and Steve set up his tripod and camera and took our photo. Remember you can click on the photos to see an enlarged view.

Hallowed Remembrances
by Phoebe Swanson Johnson

Treasured
Memories bring
Light and love to the soul;
A song, immortal, fills the heart
With faith.

Half-way through November!!!

2009-11-16T17:22:00.005-06:00

Where have the days gone? I've been sick on and off for the past three weeks so that has taken me away from my normal activities to some degree and to my regular viewers, I apologize. The flu, cold and cough made sleeping tough, then I topped it off with pink eye and some blown blood vessels in my eyes from all the coughing... Missing school and not feeling well puts you behind in more than one activity or task. I feel I am on the mend and hope to be getting "back to normal" with posting, grading, housework, laundry, and the million other things on my to do list. What is normal? Have I ever been "normal"? I guess you'll have to stay tuned...

On a genealogical note. My first cousin once removed, Myrtle Carlson passed away at the end of August at the age of 92. She was the daughter of my Great Aunt Lena Johnson Carlson, my Grandpa Joe Johnson's sister. After her funeral, my Mom and Dad were given suitcases and boxes of family items. Myrtle and her sister Muriel had done some genealogy research and written down many dates, names, identified photo and there is much to go through. They chose not to share any of this while they were living which makes it difficult now to go through as we can't ask questions. They were private people, never married and to put it nicely a little odd. Mom sent me some papers to go through, some has been given to other branches of their family tree on the Carlson side, actually some relatives on my Swanson side who also married into the Carlson family as well. It will take some time to get through it all. Another project for next summer perhaps?
Here is Myrtle's obituary: Sioux Falls - Myrtle E. Carlson, age 92, passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2009, at Bethany Lutheran Home in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will be 2 PM Wednesday, September 2 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery. Public viewing will begin at 12 Noon on Tuesday, September 1 at Miller Funeral Home (13th & Main Ave). Myrtle Carlson was born on January 20, 1917 in Ellis, SD, daughter of Frank and Lena (Johnson) Carlson. She grew up on a farm in the Hartford, SD area and graduated from Hartford High School in 1936. She, and her sister Muriel cared for their mother after an accident on the farm left her disabled. Following the death of her mother, Myrtle and Muriel moved into a home they purchased in the now Historical District of Sioux Falls. They turned the home into a boarding house and had many residents over the years. Myrtle and Muriel were the twins sisters, that weren't; they both wore the same outfits that Myrtle had designed and made herself. They were seen all over Sioux Falls, and especially made a point to attend funeral services in the area. Myrtle kept very busy volunteering with many organizations, including the Minnehaha Historical Society, Bethany Lutheran Auxilary, the Alzehiemers Association and the Old Courthouse Museum. Myrtle was an early member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church and was a very active member. She had served on many different organizations within the church such as Lutheran Circle, Office of Gospel Missions Auxilary, as president of the Church Women United. Both Myrtle and Muriel were members of the First Valiant Women of South Dakota. Myrtle kept active volunteering all of her life. In her free time, Myrtle enjoyed doing ceramics, crocheting and embroidering. Myrtle is survived by many cousins; Randy Maas, longtime friend, and many other friends. Myrtle was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister, Muriel.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T17:03:00.005-05:00

I needed to post something before November got her so I thought what's happening now but Halloween?
Growing up in the country, I don't remember doing too much of the neighborhood trick or treating. We had community parties, hayrides, and bonfires instead. Trick or treating was more of a town kids event. We'd dress up for school parties and sometimes farm kids would go into town to trick or treat.
I found these photos from 1957 when my brothers and sister were in their pjs all cleaned up. Was it after trick or treating? What did the rest of their costumes look like?
Mom saved a couple of my earliest boughten costumes, A Tweetie Bird and Huckelberry Hound. I know there are some photos out there but in a slide somewhere or another album for another time.
One of my earliest Halloween memories revolves around a party we had in our basement on the farm. Neighbors young and old were invited and I was pretty young. I can vividly remember a neighbor who scared me so bad on the stairs to the basement that I ended up hiding under the love seat in the living room for most of the night. I was dressed as a nurse and when my Dad and a different neighbor came into the living room to sit and talk away from the party. I surprised them as I crawled out from the love seat and made myself known. Dad took me back to the party and showed me who the scarey man on the steps was. It was traumatic if I remember so much of the night almost 50 years later.

Missing you...

2009-10-12T22:33:00.003-05:00

are you missing me? I've been too busy to write! (Ok, add procrastination and my obsession with facebook in there as excuses too) School is keeping me hopping lately, as well as things at home.
Let's see, since I last wrote, my folks came down for a visit. We went to an auction in a nearby town and managed to find a few things that made their way into my folks van. My Dad got a nice Ansonia mantle clock that is now mine as an early Christmas present. That makes four clocks he has "brought" into my home. HA, I think one reason is the folks don't have room at their home for any more clocks. Mom got a beautiful oak library table. It was great having them here.
Grading at school continues to keep me involved... as an art teacher grading is not my most favorite activity so I manage to avoid it at all costs. It's so subjective in my curricular area, I try to justify my grades with comments written back and that takes me a while. First I had midterms for my HS semester run classes and then midterms for my MS trimester classes and now it's time for 9 weeks grading for the HS classes again... you see the pattern here? I also got a new kiln this year, all digital. It is a beauty but I had to learn to operate it... not to mention the extra time it takes to load and fire things outside of the regular teaching schedule.
Today I went to a convention on technology with my superintendent in Iowa City, IA. Next I'll be reporting on what I learned at a faculty in-service in a couple weeks so a presentation will have to be prepared... it goes goes on and on and on... Get one task done and another comes in it's place.
I'll try to get back to my regular posting soon. Just wanted to tell you I haven't fallen off the end of the world, yet!

Solutions

2009-10-02T20:07:00.004-05:00

Thinking of the right strategy to fix a problem. How do I...? What if...? Kids come up with solutions to problems in the oddest ways. While I may not agree with their technique for fixing a problem, I guess I am thankful they are brainstorming to find a solution instead of sitting back and doing nothing. In one of my classes this past week, a girl wanted to get an angle cut off the end of a stick so she could poke it into a sculpture she was making. "Scared" of using the saw, she was trying to cut the end off a stick and didn't trust herself not to cut me if I held the end of the stick for more support.
Two boys in the class quickly volunteered to attack the problem. Without a clamp in the art room, and an old miter saw, one boy stood on the stick while the other sawed the end at an angle. I couldn't let it happen without catching their work with a couple photos. While unconventional, they got the angle cut and the sculpture continued... everyone was happy and no injuries!

Busy Weeks... Always something!

2009-09-23T21:24:00.006-05:00

Days fly by and there is always more to do, more to experience, more to fill my mind. This week started with my brother Steve's birthday on Monday. He would have been 54, but life on earth ended for him at age 52. I miss him, my family misses him. We were all full of memories of Steve on his special day.
This weekend Mom and Dad are coming to Denver to visit, so there is a lot to do in preparation of them coming. (is it getting done? procrastination!!!) As always, they're bringing some things down and I'm sending some things back with them. Sort of an on-going exchange between Denver and the farm.
They're cutting trees down across the street from me where the bank is putting in a parking lot. It's sad to see the mature and majestic, tall maples drop to the ground. My windbreak from the north is disappearing.
School continues to absorb my mind. Homecoming is next week. I've been working with the Freshmen class on decorations for their hall. Midterms were due Monday, but there continues to be things to grade and enter. I'm preparing the room for the 8th graders to start clay, let the dust begin. I got a new kiln this year so hopefully I'll be able to learn the new methods of firing pieces. Always something... and much, much more. How are you doing at "hanging in"?

Grandview Covenant Church History

2009-09-19T19:40:00.012-05:00

Formerly established as
Grand View Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mission Church

In 1873, religious services of Swedish settlers began when Rev. John F. Wretlof, a 29 year old preacher from from Boone, IA, arrived along the Sioux River in Sioux Township. Pastor Wretlof was born Dec. 26, 1843, in Göteborg, Sweden, and had immigrated from Sweden, August 3, 1864. He came to Rock Rapids on the stage in May 1873, transferred onto a mail wagon to Larchwood, and then set out on foot across the open prairie in search of Swedish settlers that lived in this region. After walking most of the day, he heard a dog barking in the distance and followed the sounds of activity to the Jackson dugout along the Big Sioux River, about one and a half miles southwest of Granite, IA. He stayed with the Jacksons for a few days and met with other Swedish pioneers in the area, sharing God’s Word in preaching, song and prayer, the start of a religious community.

Above: 1888 map of Sioux Township, Lyon County, Iowa.

These settlers introduced him to more Swedes, taking him to Dakota Territory, to the north, where Wretlof eventually started two more congregations, The Beaver Valley Lutheran Church, of Valley Springs, SD and Swedona Mission (Covenant) Church, north of Brandon, SD. Rev. Wretlof soon brought his newlywed bride, of one year, the former Augusta Johnson, to the community, and they homesteaded near Valley Springs, SD.
Various traveling missionaries from Dakota Territory/South Dakota also visited the region regularly from the early beginnings of the community. For the next 39 years, organized mission meetings were held in the woods at John and Johanna Longs, Peter and Anna Newbergs on the Dakota side of the river, and Isaac and Carrie Swansons, for about 31 years families met in a school house near John Longs, with Wretlof coming about every third Sunday to lead the worship service, as well as meeting in other homes near the Sioux River. Mrs. Isaac Swanson gave him lodging most of the time, while he was in the community, in the early years.
Left: Friends and relatives meeting at the Charles and Anna Swanson home.
As years passed, the number of people increased on the land, including more immigrants from Sweden, allowing the religious community to grow. From about 1904 to 1914, the religious meetings were held in the homes and groves of: Axel and Olga Bonander’s northwest of Granite, Charles and Emma Long south of Granite, Martin and Anna Ruud’s southwest of Granite, and Charles and Anna Swanson east of Granite.
On August 3, 1912, the Grand View Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mission Church of Granite, Iowa was organized, in the home of Charles and Anna Swanson on section 21 of Sioux township, under the supervision of Rev. Wretlof. Five families were the foundation of this congregation.
Members included: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Long, Cecelia Martin and Willie, Mr. and Mrs. August Swanson, Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Swanson and Mabel, and Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Swanson and sons Swan, Edward and Anton, a group of 15 members with Rev. Wretlof.
Rev. Wretlof was elected chairman, L.C. Meberg, acting secretary; and more families joined the congregation, and a subscription list was circulated by the congregation members for the building of a church. Trustees; August Swanson, Charles Swanson and Swan Swanson were commissioned by the congregation to build a church, one and one half miles southwest of Granite, on an acre of ground donated by Swan Swanson.

Right: Sunday School at the Granite School in 1912.

Rev. Wretlof had started instructing the first confirmation class, of 7 members, which was confirmed in the new church in 1914. Children's Christmas programs were held Christmas 1912 and 1913 at the Charles T. Swanson home. The gatherings for these Christmas programs lasted until 3 or 4 a.m., before the wagons and sleighs headed on their way home in the early hours of the day. (There had been several programs in the community in the past as well.)
Left: Ladies Aid meeting at the C.T. & Anna Swanson home. In the picture is the Swanson's new King automobile.
Mrs. C.T. (Anna) Swanson conceived the idea of forming a Ladies’ Aid society, so on March 18, 1913, the ladies of the community were gathered at her home under the direction of Rev. Wretlof to meet every other week with Mrs. Swanson as their first president. This group did much sewing, including making a large blue block quilt with a yellow star in each square was made with people paying to have their names sewn in red on points of the yellow stars. The Ladies' Aid auctioned the quilt off and it was bought by Charlie Long for $60.00! The society also held large dinners for the community and invited others of the region to their fundraisers. Their income was said to be several hundred dollars a year, used for local and missionary purposes. (In 1982, the societies name was changed to Covenant Women.)
A constitution was adopted and the church was given the name of, The Grand View Swedish Mission Church of Granite, IA, affiliated with the Swedish Christian Missionary Society of South Dakota. Erected during 1913 - 1914, a stone foundation supported the gothic, stained glass windowed church with the grand staircase leading up to the front doors. The new church building was 26 x 48 ft. in size, comprised of eight rooms with a front arched auditorium with a slanted floor and a furnished basement. It was meant to hold about 200 people. The building was lighted with gas and heated with a hot air furnace. Upstairs, furnishings were procured including the beautiful altar oil painting (for $113.) “Ascension” and a piano, won in a contest by Mabel Swanson, for the church. The total cost of the church was $5,094.14, most of which was paid before it’s dedication, on Sunday, May 31, 1914. Before a large gathering of people, this church was dedicated to be a House of God, to worship Him in, and to be a spiritual light, full of warmth and guidance of the people, with the hope that many may find their soul’s salvation. Rev. Wretlof, Rev. O. H. Miller of Stockholm, SD, and Rev. K.O. Axelson, South Dakota traveling missionary, all took part in the dedication services, setting the church aside for its most high and holy mission.
The Sunday School was organized by Pastor Wretlof, on April 26, 1914. Miss Mabel Swanson was the first superintendent and over the years many faithful superintendents, teachers and students have been active in making it a vital part of our church through song, lessons, special programs and summer Bible School.
About 1918, Rev. Wretlof, with old age approaching, was aided by Rev. Emil Bergren from Swedona Mission church, as he was asked to give pastoral aid. He would motor down from Swedona about every other Sunday to preach an afternoon service. In 1919, a seminary student, Rev. Arvid Carlson from North Park College in Chicago, IL was called for the summer. He also interchanged with Rev. Bergren in preaching in Swedona and Salem, SD churches. Rev. Wretlof resigned, March 24, 1919, and only months later, on December 1, 1919, our faithful shepherd and minister of 46 years passed away in his home in Brandon, SD. May there always be a Peace of Christian Love over his memory.
A parsonage was conceived by the congregation and about 20 acres of ground (the former Quist place in the NW corner of Granite) owned by C. T. Swanson, was considered a good central location in the community. Rev. Bergren commissioned the trustees; August Swanson, C. T. Swanson, and Ed Swanson to purchase this land and a deed was recorded and improvements on the house were made.
The church got its first resident pastor, Rev. R. A. Larson, from Worthington, MN, who came with his family, June 9, 1921. At this time he brought about the church opening to the English language, with morning Swedish services and evening English services. Rev. Larson also organized the Young People Society in 1921 with Emil Swanson as the first chairman. This group started out meeting weekly for teachings and social time in area Christian homes. After three years Rev. Larson preached his farewell sermon Sunday, July 13, and left Granite, July 22, 1924, for Buffalo, NY.
Successors to the pulpit at Grandview were Rev. Samuel Hogander, The Rev. Charles Carlson and the Rev. Herman Carlson, who resigned in 1930. During the vacancy which followed his resignation the church was visited occasionally by different pastors. Rev. Bergren, at this time fieldsman of the South Dakota District, assisted the church considerably as did Rev. Raymond A. Johnson.
Rev. H. R. Jacobson began his ministry in the spring of 1934, and served the Grandview and Swedona churches jointly. In 1946, Rev. France Ericson took charge and in the same year the church joined the Northwest Conference but remained in the South Dakota District.

Right: Ladies taking a break out the back door of the church: Amelia Bennett, Olga Bonander, Tresa Grotewold, Tilda Swanson, Anna Monson, and Ella Bjork

Rev. David Kline accepted the call as full-time pastor in 1950. In 1952, he was succeeded by Rev. Ralph Powell as supply preacher. In 1953, Robert Fuchs (Fox), a student of the Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls, took over the pastorate. Rev. France Ericson resumed duties as interim pastor in 1955.
A Martha Missionary Circle was organized in 1955, in the home of Mrs. Ethel (Swanson)
Palmberg, who was elected the first president. Its activities included projects such as sewing for the mission fields, childrens and retirement centers. They have sponsored various students in foreign countries and after 30 years of faithful service their responsibilities were turned over to the Covenant Women.
Rev. Paul Nelson served Grandview from 1957-1965. During this time a new constitution was adopted in January 1958, establishing the church name as the Grandview Covenant Church of Larchwood, IA.
during the next 12 years, the church was served by students of the Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls, they were: David Samf (Sems), Jerry Edinger, Gale O’Neil, David Ehman and David Rushton. From 1977 to 1980, Dr. Ralph Powell returned to Grandview, assisted by John Ziulkowski, another seminary student, served Grandview.
The AWANA Youth Club, was started in 1975. It reaches out to all denominations. When this group started, they met once a week during the school year in the Larchwood Gym. Volunteer leaders and helpers prepared a very spiritual and enjoyable evening for the boys and girls of the community. The AWANA club dissolved for a time but has become active again in 2002.
Terry Lundquist, a graduate of North Park Seminary, served 1980-1981. Dr. Ralph Powell returned in 1981 to serve as our faithful and conscientious pastor. He was assisted by the following Baptist Seminary students: Harold Schroeder, Michael Campbell, Scott MacDonald and Tim Friez.
Modernization and improvements have come to the church as the years have passed. New electrical and pluming brought lights, improved kitchen facilities and restrooms. On May 25, 1941, the congregation had electric lights for the first time at our evening services. Pews, replacing the folded theater chairs and a new pulpit were installed in April of 1962. The pews and new pulpit were a memorial gift in honor of Carl J. Johnson. An addition was built onto the back giving room for another classroom and later office. Evergreen trees were planted to surround and protect the church on top of the highest point in Lyon County. In 1983, an addition was built, expanding the sanctuary to provide seating for an additional one hundred people, adding space for a new entry, sunday school rooms, and a reception area in the fellowship hall in the basement. Dedication services were held November 20, 1983.
Carl and Tracy Dieters donated more land to the East of the church and ample parking was added to the church grounds for the growing church.
The church celebrated their 75th anniversary September 12-13, 1987, when there were 32 families having membership. The church was active with Covenant Women, Sunday School, a Young People group, Daily Vacation Bible School, and the Awana Youth Club.
Constitution and By-Laws of the church were revised Sept. 25, 1988. The purpose of this church is to unite believers in fellowship for spiritual edification, for the winning of sinners to Christ, and for the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through home and world missions.
Following those before with faithful service to Grandview were, Rev. Jack Brooks, Rev. Heidi Wiebe and Pastor Hariet Shelton. The last two graduates of North Park Covenant Seminary.
In 2002, the Awana program was reinstituted in an effort to teach community youth about the Bible. Evening meetings are held at the Larchwood Recreation Center. Pastor Hans Eric Nelson, another North Park Graduate served the congregation from 2002 to 2004. Currently Pastor Penny Nance is serving the congregation, with members and the faithful attending from South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.
There is a church cemetery 1/2 mile west of the church building overlooking the Sioux River Valley.
We are happy to celebrate history that is past, experience that is present, and hope and assurance that is our future. Praise be to God for our heritage.

Our Little White Church on The Hill by my Grandmother Phoebe (Swanson) Johnson
(Tune “The Church in the Wildwood”)

Oh, come to the church in the country,
Our little white church on the hill,
Where the Master waits, now, to give welcome,
And each heart with new gladness to fill.

CHORUS:
Oh, come, come, come, come
Worship the God of our fathers,
We trust Him as Counselor still.
May His Gospel Light always shine brightly
In our little white church on the hill.

How dear to us now is the chancel,
Where true hearts, in faith, have been wed,
Where our babes in God’s name have been christened,
And our youth in confirmation have read.

Here, loved ones, now gone, seem to linger;
In their stead, we labor today;
May we seek joy and peace in the Savior;
Love and praise Him each step of the way!

6th graders

2009-09-19T09:32:00.005-05:00

The youngest grade I teach art to at DMS. They are new to the routine of middle school, yet this group still gets so excited in art class that I continually remind them to quiet down. Here they are working on a drawing of a "Secret City" of their creation. Secret City revolves around the vocabulary of: forshortening, shadows, surface, contour lines, size, density and overlapping to "build" their drawings. Here is my current group of 6th graders at work.

An old gas truck for inspiration...

2009-09-10T19:59:00.005-05:00

I've driven by this old gas truck in town for many years. It's down the street from our post office and behind the town elevators. Finally one night this week, I pulled my car over and parked so I could explore the truck at close range. A few people drove by and I'm sure they wondered what that woman was doing photographing the truck over and over and over again, moving around it like I was stalking my prey. I had noticed it was moved a little and there are stakes for a garage nearby so things were changing and I wanted to take some photos of it before it disappeared. I think it is full of character.The photos in these collages were taken to serve as the theme for a project my painting class at school will do.I even played with the filters and "switched up" some of the photos. I'm intrigued by old things. Isn't everyone?

Charles and Emma Barnes Family

2009-09-07T22:09:00.009-05:00

Charles Alfred Barnes - my Great Grandfather on Mom's adopted side.

Charles Alfred Barnes, the son of Alfred W. Barnes (1824-1851) and Menora (Minora) Jannette Bassett, was born on Oct. 25, 1850 in Pittsford, Rutland Co., VT. His father died and his mother remarried Rev. Lewis Seymour Cooley (1831-1898). At the age of 7, he with his mother and stepfather moved to Woodstock, Ill. (1857). They lived there until 1861, when they moved to Littleton, Buchanan Co. IA when Charles was 11, they moved into town after two years on the farm. His stepfather being a minister, the family moved from place to place in the upper IA conference, his boyhood days were spent at Rockford, Mayville, Butler Center, Shell Rock, Union, Geneva and Nora Springs, all in IA.

While yet a young man he joined J. D. Andrews in the monument business at Crete, Neb., later he took up a tree claim 3 miles Northwest of Ellsworth, MN, Long Prairie Township and known as the S. E. Quarter of section 18, in township 101 North of range 43 west of the 5th principal Meridian in Minnesota and containing 160 acres. This land was acquired under the Acts of Congress approved March 3, 1873, March 13, 1874 & June 14, 1878, "To encourage the Growth of Timber on the Western Prairies." (V.A. Barnes note "I think he applied for this sometime in the year of 1872 but he did not receive the final papers until 1884 and I have the final papers signed by President Chester A. Arthur.) His brother George had located there sometime before and both of them went through all the pioneer days with many trials and privations, twice he was eaten out by grasshoppers, tree and crops, and he had to go back to Iowa and obtain more money to carry on, besides receiving help from his brother George. He went through the bad blizzard and hot and dry summers and strong winds.

Right: Valdi, Charles, Celia, & Emma Barnes, Rev. Lewis & Menora Cooley.

His old partner, Josiah Daville Andrews gave him a letter of introduction to his wife's sister, Emma Pierce and after a long correspondence in which most of the courting was done by mail, he was united in marriage to Emma Cecelia Pierce of Ackley, IA, in Feb of 1881. They immediately left of Minnesota but on account of the heavy blizzard of that winter, the trip took over six weeks. Charles improved his tree claim, built a small house, set out trees, built a large barn and lived there until the fall of 1897. His health was none to good and early in the fall he had the chance to sell the place for 35 to 40 dollars per acre to Charles Loveland who had made a strike in the Alaska gold rush. Mr. Barnes was also desiring to go into some kind of business, so he sold the farm and moved to Ackley, IA. He went through all the hard times and pioneer days with poor crops and poor prices and Loveland had the farm and took 3 good crops at good prices and sold it for 65 dollars per acre.
Later in the fall of 1897, he bought two lots at the little townsite of Harris, IA. Osceola Co. and built a two story frame store and residence and embarked in the hardware business, moving his family there in the spring of 1898. He bought and donated the Church bell at Harris and for many years it called the people to worship. Many years afterwards the church burned to the ground and we don't know what happened to the bell. For twenty years he was engaged in the hardware business. He took an active part in all the City affairs and saw the townsite grow from a few places to a fairly large size incorporated town. In 1917, his health became poorly and he sold the business in the spring and moved to Sioux Falls, SD where he had a son living. He had planned on living a retired life of happiness with his helpmate for many years, but his plans lasted only three years for on Oct. 8th 1920, God touched him suddenly while he was on his way home from the neighborhood store. (heart attack) His burial took place at Mount Pleasant Cemetary at Sioux Falls, SD. His health had been none too good but there had been nothing to feel alarmed about and the Sunday before he passed away the family had been out to the cemetery and he spoke of buying a lot and picked the location where he would like to be buried and the plans had been to go out there the following Sunday and pick out a lot. It might be said in connection with this that we picked out the lot that he wanted but we found out about two or three later that it had been sold and so we had to move the remains and a monument to another lot that we bought.

Emma Cecelia Pierce Barnes - My Great Grandmother on Mom's adopted side.
Born 31 January 1855 east of Winchester, Randolph Co., IN. She moved with her parents (J.M. Pierce and Sarah Jane (Wilson) Pierce) to Iowa in the fall of 1855, to Ackley, IA, where she lived until her marriage. The newlywed couple moved to Ellsworth, MN for 20 years before moving to Harris, IA and in 1917 moved to Sioux Falls, SD.
She was a reader of the Bible for 60 years consistently reading it from cover to cover until she had read it through 29 times and was in the book of Psalms in the 30th cycle when she was taken with her last illness. Mrs. Barnes died at her daughters home at 1:30 Monday afternoon. She had been confined to her bed for 16 months as the result of her last stroke.

Emma and Charles had two children Valdimir Alfred Barnes (1885-1962) and Sarah Menora Jane Cecelia Barnes Wettestad (1891-1972) Both are buried next to their spouses and parents at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Sioux Falls, SD
Celia, my Grandmother, got her name by being named by her mother; Sarah after her grandmother on her mother's side, Menora after her grandmother on her father's side, Jenny (Jane) after her mothers twin sister, and Cecelia after her mother. She went by the name of Celia.

A light unto my path...

2009-08-30T07:54:00.014-05:00

Growing up, antiques were a natural part of our lives. As kids, we didn't really do much different because of having them in our home. What I have enjoyed is that everything has a story. There were the four chairs and settee that came from France with English tapestry covers. It first had a black horsehair surface when it got to America. It found it's way to the southern part of the country, where the owner was afraid the Yankees would get it, so it was hidden in their attic before it was inherited by someone and was moved to New York. Mom and Dad purchased it from a woman in LeMars, IA. I do remember they were our perch when we did something naughty and we were placed on them awaiting Dad to come into the house. (4 kids, 4 chairs) Sort of time out chairs before the expression ever came to be. (Mom was ahead of her time.)
I remember being so proud when my first grade class took a field trip to our farm to see the antiques. The bus pulling into our yard, Mom standing out on the sidewalk in a dress waving to us. It's a treasured vision I keep in my mind. I remember kids asking me how we could live with it all, it was natural to us, we didn't know anything different.
My sister and I have followed in Mom and Dad's love for antiques. Our homes are filled with treasures we've collected over the years.
Victorian hanging and table lamps are something the folks have hanging around the house. Some have been electrified, some not. Dad has restored many. He's polished much brass in his lifetime on his shopsmith out in the garage. I think jewelers rouge was something I've always known about as a polishing agent. Then there's the Brasso and rags we polished the brass on the old cars with.
I have collected some lamps myself. There's my collections of mini lamps which mostly started when I got a bunch at an auction. There have been gifts from Dad and more auction finds. I've searched for that illusive lamp shade too, finding the local Amish community stocks Aladdin lamp parts and shades, and like Dad, have a box of lamp parts and chimneys to fit that lamp that may find it's way to my house that is missing something.
Left: One of my finds a few years back was this hanging lamp, but my house doesn't have the 8 ft. ceilings I grew up with, it can't be hung here, so it found it's way to Mom and Dad's house.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalms 119:105

Johan August Danielsson/ Lång/ Long Family

2009-08-25T21:29:00.008-05:00

I am not related to this family but the son Carl mentioned below did marry my Great Aunt Emma Johnson. The Longs homesteaded across the river from my Swanson ancestors so the family has been friends for years, before the later generations became cousins. The Swedish community in this area was a close knit group of people.

The "grenadier" (soldier) Johan August Danielsson Lång was born Aug. 17, 1832, in Adelöv parish, Jönköping county. His wife, Johanna Blomstedt was born May 4, 1832, in Hangebyhöga parish, Östergötland county. Their oldest daughter, Johanna Augusta was born Jan. 10, 1859, in Sankt Per parish, Östergötland county. Their son Carl Johan (Charley) was born June 1, 1861, in Sankt Per parish, Östergötland county.

The whole family got their moving letter for America on Sept. 28, 1869 in Sankt Per, but at that time Johan August Danielsson Lång already was in America. He had left in 1868, or earlier, without a moving letter. This family is listed in the Sankt Per household record 1869 on page 108. They are listed as emigrating to America on Sept. 28, 1869, leaving from the farm Granby in Sankt Per parish. The passenger lists have Johanna and the children on them. They are listed as leaving from the port of Göteborg on Oct. 5, 1869: Johanna Lång, 36 years old, from Sweden to New York, child, 11 years old, from Sweden to New York child, 7 years old, from Sweden to New York Source code: 2:341:29/2148
When Johanna asked for a moving letter for herself and the children the minister of Sankt Per wrote a letter for the whole family. This is not unusual. I have seen that happend pretty often. researcher: Anna-Lena Hultman Lilleskogen, Hössna S-523 97 ULRICEHAMN Sweden

During the time he was in the army in Sweden, his name was changed to "Long", because so many Danielson's were in that same area. (6/2002 Bernice Hass Long said that John Long was nicknamed "long John" in the old country because he was so tall, so when they came to US the immigrations officials changed it around to John Long.) He married Johanna Blomsteadt on January 6, 1857 in Sweden, and they had two children, Charley and Augusta, born to them in Sweden. In 1868, John came to America by himself, leaving his wife and two children there, until he could make a home for them in the United States. He worked on railroads and did whatever other work he could find to make money. Once when he had just about enough money saved to send to his family in Sweden, he was robbed, and had to start all over again. He worked his way to Iowa, where he homesteaded in 1869, the 160 acres which is located about nine miles west of Larchwood near the Big Sioux River. The locality, being close to the river which provided water and the surrounding trees, made the area an ideal place to homestead. He sent for his wife Johanna and their two children after he homesteaded. They lived in a dugout-type home until they could build their first wooden house in the 1880's. It was one of the first houses to be built on the prairie in this area. Johanna brought gifts to the Indians that lived in the area at that time. By doing this, she and the Indians became acquainted and no longer feared each other. *West Lyon Herald 12/16/1982 and Larchwood Centennial Book, 1972
John came to U.S., Sioux City, IA, 5/8/1868. The rest of his family emmigrated to America 9/28/1869.

In the early days the Long home was a landmark for travelers. The road passed through the farm, near the family dwelling, to the river crossing into Dakota Territory. Hardships of pioneer life were numerous; there were blizzards, lack of bridges meant streams and rivers would flood over, travel was limited and there was a lack of many conviences we know today including telephone communications. Medical services were only sought and secured in dire circumstances. This made for closer intimate dependance on good neighbors. The nearest grocery store might be a couple of days away on foot.

Soon after coming from Sweden, Johanna (Blomstedt) Long ventured on a shopping tour to Sioux City, not realizing the distance and hazards involved. She started early one morning following a southerly path and became completely lost. Due to language difficulties, not being able to communicate with even a stranger in this sparsely populated area she was unable to chart a homeward path. After a week's inquiry and search it was discovered that she missed her way. She was found in Yankton, SD.

One day Johanna was alone at home with her family. A group of Indians came by and set up camp on the banks of the Sioux River just a few rods from their dwelling. This was a new experience for her. She listened to many stories of fierce atrocities and killings committed by unfriendly Indians. With thoughts of her helplessness to defend herself and her family, she was suddenly seized with fear, what would she do? She couldn't run away, no place to go. Could she conceal her where-abouts until her husband returned? But with children this was most difficult. Besides there were chores to do and an evening meal to prepare. Finally she hit upon a more positive strategy, she churned butter, made bread, gathered a few eggs and took them in person to the Indians. They gladly accepted these tokens, a meaningful symbol of good will and in turn offered some wild game roasting on the fire. This was a signal point of friendship. The smiling Indian chief stepped forward and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. Johanna returned home with assurance she had nothing to fear.

A third child was born to this union in Iowa. Ferdinand Danielson Long was born in 1873 and died in 1891 at 18 years old. He was one of the earliest to be buried in what would become the Grandview Covenant Church Cemetery overlooking the river valley where the Longs homesteaded.
Larchwood Centennial 1872-1972 Remember the Past Build for the Future and The LONG Family History.

Chris

2009-08-23T15:12:00.016-05:00

Most of what I post here is of memories... There are the genealogy and regional posts too, but they usually connect to a memory of someplace or someone. In my last post, I talked about my horse, Bibsey, being the first "friend" that I lost. It got me thinking of others who have crossed my path to where I am today. Memories of them are frozen in my mind, taking me to a time we shared or an impact they made on my life.

Chris Schnepf was a classmate from my school days, elementary through high school. We were both involved in the same classes, band, class plays, swing choir, and ran with the same crowd. School activities keep you close to your high school friends, as your life follows the same path. Favorite memories with him include and revolve around; jazz band practices, band trips, chorus, bus trips, speech club, a trip to Des Moines for BB tournaments, campouts, drive-in movies, taco bell trips late at night, rides home, parties,... It seemed we were always on the go back then. Laughter was a key to our friendship, whether it was going somewhere, getting into or staying out of trouble, I still smile when I think of him.

Sitting in Kerkvliet’s Corner in Larchwood with Chris and Ann talking about our future, we exchanged autographs with each other, for that day when we’d become famous and could cash in on selling each other’s autograph. I’m sure I have their autographs in a scrapbook around here somewhere. (I keep lots of those kind of mementos.)

That day was not to come for Chris, he collided with a train near his family home, derailing five engines and seven cars, the fall of 1977, before starting his Sophomore year of college. I remember the last time I saw him as he honked from his truck, driving by the park in Larchwood where I was playing tennis. Friends gathered to attend his visitation as a group, his family reserved a place in the church behind them for his classmates and friends at his funeral. I still think of him from time to time, imagining him watching down on all his friends and family from heaven.

I was going to write about others who’ve “crossed my path” but I think one is enough for this post. Make sure your friends and family know what you mean to them. Hold onto your memories.

Some Favorite Photos of the Past

2009-08-22T15:36:00.011-05:00

Looking back through old photos I found some favorites among those that have been scanned of my brothers, sister and I. They either bring back memories or remind me of another time, when we were all young and carefree.

Fall of 1957, I wasn't even born yet, but I like this photo of Dad having coffee on a break from work with Joe showing him something he likes in a catalog. A father and son moment.

I don't remember a time when the dinning room was used for everyday coffee unless we had company. In my day, the kitchen has always been the place where many a cup of coffee was served to family and friends as conversations varied from day to day. Love the old pump organ behind them. There was lots of fun around it when they'd hook up the air flow from the vacuum to the bellows chamber and you wouldn't have to pump! July 1958, Debbie in our front yard in front of the house. I remember this dress even though the photo was taken only a couple months after I was born, so I imagine it made its way to become a "hand me down" and was my dress too. There are things in the photo that are long gone, the white picket fence is gone, even the hedge to the right, and the barn is also gone. Isn't it a wonder that even though things disappear with time, memories are refreshed with a simple look at a photo?

July 1957, We teased Stevie about his talent at pouting when he was a kid. Although this photo is pretty dark, you can't escape the lower lip protruding. I wonder what he was upset about? Did his truck crash? Maybe he wasn't ready to come in from playing outside. What a cutie.

Winter of 1961, Bibsey was our horse and as you can see she was very old. If I couldn't be found outside it was said Mom would look for Bibsey and I would be near. I remember taking naps outside with her. The day she died I remember a storm came through with a heavy downpour of rain and of course lightening and thunder. I wasn't allowed out in the storm as Dad dug a grave out in the pasture and picked up Bibsey with the Ferguson tractor's loader as I watched crying from the dining room window. She was the first friend I lost.

First Day of School

2009-08-19T20:30:00.022-05:00

As school starts again, I thought I'd share some photos I have scanned from the Johnson kid's first days of school.
Left: Joe's first day of school, Sept. 1958. They didn't offer kindergarten, kids just started with 1st grade.

Right: All four kids are heading to school in Sept. 1963. I bet this day was emotional for Mom.

I know there are more photos out there yet to scan, someday I promise to scan more photos.

Left: Joe, Deb and Steve, September 1961

Looking back at our school days is so much fun. New clothes, school supplies, anticipation, excitement... carefree days. I saw that excitement on most of the kids faces today.

Right: Sept. 1962

Left: Steve, Deb and Diane. 1968. Steve was entering 8th grade, Debbie a Freshman in high school and Diane was headed to 5th grade. The dresses were made by Mom.

August Garden Pictures

2009-08-15T11:36:00.007-05:00

Well, I never completely got my garden cleaned of weeds, but it seems to have bloomed anyway. Our rains this summer have kept everything green and growing. The view from my back deck.Hostas and Suprise Lilies.Hostas, Chameleon plants and an old rake hanging on the side of my garage.Hostas and Phlox in bloom.Hostas, Phlox and Wild Flowers.A college friend, Penny, gave me this cast iron pig. I always say my garden will be completely weeded "When Pigs Fly"! My friend Kem and I made these cement fossil birdbaths a few weeks ago. I have an evergreen tree that needs to be cut down and this will be placed on top of the stump. It's a little over 2 ft. wide.More Surprise Lilies and a variety of Sedum and Liatris I think.

Connecting With Relatives

2009-08-09T11:20:00.009-05:00

Genealogy research has become so much easier with the internet. My Great Uncle Valdi once hired a lawyer to help research the Barnes family lines decades ago, way before I was even born! Wouldn't those researchers who have gone before us be amazed at the resources before us today! I now have e-mail conversations with relatives across the United States, Norway and Sweden! We even received help from internet friends in Sweden, connecting us with relatives there and had a mini reunion in Sweden in 2001. Now with my blog, facebook and having written A West Ender's Scrapbook of my home area, I've met more relatives and have shared and exchanged ancestry with even more people! If you connect to my ancestry, I'd love to hear from you.

Researching family in the Ljung, Stjärnorp, ... areas of Östergötland, Sweden; Strada, Molde, Møre og Romsdal, Norway; Odessa, South Russia; Kulm Bessarabia, South Russia; Brandenburg, Germany; Efteløt\Sandsvær, Buskerud, Norway; Vaage/ Vågå, Opland, Norway; Pittsford, Rutland Co., VT; Randolph Co., IN; and locations in IA, SD, OH, VA, NJ, NH, NY, CT, NC, MD, PA, and England. My ancestors did get around didn't they!

Last Friday of Vacation...

2009-08-07T09:21:00.004-05:00

Today is my last Friday of summer vacation. Inservice starts next Friday. I'm slowly but surely getting my new e-mail out and changing registration passwords / e-mails for places I visit on the web. I had the same e-mail for over 10 years. In fact it was my first and only e-mail since I got on line. The tech crisis is over and I'm getting things in order.
As the rain pours down here in Denver, IA I'm thinking of what I want to accomplish this last week of vacation. Those of you who know me well, know I'm a procrastinator. I've got great ideas but put things off easily, or should I say I get distracted easily and head another direction... Anyone else feel like that describes you? Wishing good things for you as summer vacation comes to an end.

Tech Support!!!

2009-08-04T17:05:00.006-05:00

I wish I understood the inter-working of the internet and setting up my computer within the control utilities/settings, etc. Today, I switched over my current phone provider to a new one where I can get free local and long distance calls 24-7. Good choice I thought... Little did I know my completely seperate internet provider had their business linked to my former phone provider so now I am left without internet access at home for a few days.
My morning was spent with a service man at my house from phone provider #2 (he came twice in fact) support with #2 on the phone, support with internet provider #1 - one guy who knew nothing and a return call from the guy in the know who laughed... "I wish you would have talked to me before you switched" Ok, who talkes to their internet provider when they're switching phone providers who are completely seperate busineses? Maybe I'm the one confused, I'm sure you are trying to follow me, I'm almost done venting. Then I talked to three different people when trying to set up the new internet provider, I kept on getting cut off when the first two put me on hold...
I'm up at school now checking e-mail and getting a few notes out that all is well here and what my situation is. So in other words I'll be going through e-mail, internet, and facebook withdrawal in the next few days at home awaiting the next service call to install my new internet system. Keep your fingers crossed all works well with the new system or I may be climbing the walls with my withdrawal symptoms.
Photo courtesy of my school photos. We made masks of the kids faces, most of them love the experience and opportunity to make them. I thought it appropriate for my situation... I can still breathe but I'm not seeing things too well right now. :-)

The Good Ole Days

2009-08-01T06:45:00.006-05:00

Looking at old photos, it's always fun to reminisce about the days gone by. Back in the 80's, when I started my teaching career in Farnhamville, IA, I formed friendships that continue to this day. We were a close knit group who worked and socialized together. The Cedar Valley School District consolidated with Prairie School District to form Prairie Valley in 1989 which led to my move to Denver.

As the yearbook adviser at Cedar Valley, I had to learn to operate a darkroom and became friends with and got help from a photographer in Fort Dodge, IA. He set up a temporary photo studio in another teachers garage during the annual Old Settlers Days in Farny, along with costumes and props. We were the "guinea pigs" for them getting set up on an August day back in 1987. Summer was coming to a close and we were about to start on another school year. Our friendship was evident by the smiles on our faces. Oh, the "Good Ole Days...".

L to R: Rita, Lori, Diane, Sarah, Sharon and Marge.

Summer Swimming

2009-07-31T00:02:00.003-05:00

When I was young it seemed we often had our Grandview Covenant Church Sunday School picnics at McKennan Park in Sioux Falls, SD, so the kids could go "swimming" in their kiddie pool. These were taken in 1959, it's fun to look back at these kids who are now 50+ years old. Neighbors, cousins, and siblings having a good time, just what summer swimming is all about!

L to R: Susan, Carol, Sharon, Evelyn, Barbie, ?. Karen, Debbie, Sally.

L to R: Sharon, Carol, Barbie, Debbie, ?, Joey, ? Kathy, Stevie.

L to R: Susie, ?, Sharon, Evelyn, Barbie, ?, Karen, Debbie, Sally.

L to R: Sharon, Carol, Barbie, ?, ?, Karen, Debbie.

More Artwork

2009-07-24T09:50:00.012-05:00

Earlier this summer, while home at my parents, I took a couple more photos of some artwork of mine that they have. Both are watercolor paintings. The painting of our house, I did around 1990, and actually painted it sitting on the ground at the top of our driveway. (our house was built at the top of a hill in 1925) The frame is a piece of art as well and was in the family.
A photo taken in 1961 on a family vacation was the blueprint for this next painting. It was taken at Itasca State Park in Minnesota where the Mississippi River starts. There was a Native American camp there with Chief Little something adding to the atmosphere. Family lore has it I was scared of the Chief, thinking he was going to scalp us. (1960's TV shows!) I love how we're holding hands for the photo: Diane, Steve, Joe, The Chief and Debbie. He was a very nice actual Chief of a tribe there and I had a postcard addressed to me awaiting us when we returned to the farm. I still have the postcard with his personal note somewhere in my collections.

House Moving

2009-07-21T09:47:00.004-05:00

The house across the street from me was moved this morning, making room for a parking lot for the Denver Savings Bank. Brent and Holly Wooldrik have been great neighbors and they will be missed. A group gathered in a light rain to watch the house move.

Ancestry from Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden

2009-07-19T10:35:00.004-05:00

I've created a group on facebook for people with Ancestry from Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden. There are only nine members so far, and I'm related to them all! A couple people from Sweden have joined and I even met one new cousin via it. I hope more people find it and join in.I'm often confused by all the farm names from a parish and some have small differences in the records I've gotten them from. Maybe they are the same place but called something different over the decades and centuries? I posted farm names from Ljung parish that connect to my ancestry on the group page, here they are: Anderstorp, Banorp, Jonstorp Banorp, Backebo Rågårda, Blixtorp, Brohemmet, Bromshus, Bäckhem perstorp, St. Carlstorp Bjärka ägor, Bjärka, Bullorps ägor, Börstorp, Djupsjöhult, Djupsjö, Fiskarehemmet, Fattighuset Sjövik, Stora Fiskare, St. Fiskarehem, Fallet, Fallhemmet, Flistorp, Flistorpet, Fredriksberg, Gillerberga, Gillerberget, Gottorp, Grönkulla, Gunnarstorp, Hjelmsätter, Håkviken, Ljungs Herrgård, Högåsa, Klasbäck, Klasbäcks ägor Soldattorpet, Haraldsberg Klasbäck, Jonstorp Klasbäck, Klänkorp, Kohagen, Kvarnsjö Magdesjö, Norrby, Nybble, Nysätter, Ragnorp, Råby, Svarttorp, Rosenlund, Torget Klasbäck, Målaretorp, Mörstorp, Nybygget Älgshult, Sibborp, Skallorp, Skattegården, Släta, Slätmotorp, Slätmon, Slätmo ägor, Stora Högåsa, Säby, Transäter, Välnäs, Vågerstad, Skallorp Haraldsberg, Prästtomta, Öna Magdesjö ägor, Älgshult, Perstorp, Sjölund, Vipehagen, Säbyholm, Högforsen Perstorp ägor, Bommarbo Råby ägor, Målaretorp, Skallorp Haraldsberg, Lillbränna Åsmestorp, Åsmestorp, Ängstugan Åsmestorp, Åsen Säby,...
There is also a photo album there with photos from Ljung, mostly from our trip there in 2001. I have more to scan but that will have to come another time.

Summer "to do list..."

2009-07-17T11:16:00.008-05:00

With the summer off of work there are a million things on my to do list. Some of the things are carry overs from last summer and some are even older than that! Where does the time go and how does a person manage to organize all the "free time".
I did go back home to my parents farm for 4 weeks and managed to tackle quite a few items on my list there, but now that I'm back in my own home I'm struggling with what direction to go. Prioritize and organize are difficult words for me right now. My thoughts and actions go randomly from one task to another and as other teachers know, you have to make time for playing in the summer as during the school year it's so busy or you're so exhausted...
I went plant shopping with a friend yesterday. I don't need anymore plants until my gardens get cleaned up and organized (there's that word again), but I did purchase a new hosta to add to the 125 plus varieties I already have. "Empress Wu" is a new huge hosta that is expected to grow to 4 1/2 ft. tall with leaves that may grow to 2 ft. long! How could I pass that one up? Now to find a place to put it. It will eventually travel to the farm where there is plenty of room, but for now I will baby it along. I just have to get out and work in the garden cleaning things up.
I also heard from a friend who teaches in Applington Parkersburg (the school that was destroyed by the Parkersburg tornado last year and this summer is dealing with the shooting death of their Teacher/Coach Ed Thomas, how much can a community take) and she wants to get together to share art ideas for the fall as we usually do.
There's doctor appointments, weddings, lunch dates planned for some moved on and retired teacher friends, genealogy data organization, things to get ready for the fall garage sale, taking care of the vegetable garden, sorting closets, filing papers, fixing things around the house,... the list seems unending.
I've also become addicted to facebook. It's been fun connecting to friends and family through it and I even started a couple fb groups, one for West Lyon graduates of the 70's and one for people with ancestry from Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden. Then there are the photo albums to post to fb and checking other peoples albums, identifying people in pictures which leads to family stories and more.
How's your "To Do" list coming? What's your secret to accomplishing your tasks? All suggestions are welcome!

Carl August Svensson's Bible

2009-07-14T10:21:00.007-05:00

My Great Great Grandfather, whom I've talked about on my blog before, emigrated from Ljung, Östergötland Sweden in 1869 with his family. We have some family stories but of course always want to know more about his life at his homes in Sweden; Brohemmet, Fallhemmet and his immigration to Dakota Territory and life there. Carl died in 1890, after a year of suffering, his horse stepped in a badger hole and rolled over on top of him, breaking his shoulder blade, collar bone, and some ribs.
We found his bible (Swedish with a copyright date of 1855) made it's way to my parents home, via his oldest son's home (my Great Grandfather) and a little traveling until we gave it to my cousin A.J. Swanson recently. A.J. lives on the Swanson land near the cabin Carl built in 1871. The cabin is still standing and A.J. is busy with returning the land to a prairie, like it was when Carl and Carolina arrived.
The bible has an inscription in the front cover jacket pages which says "Denna bok till hora Carl August Svensson Brohemmet i Ljungs Forsamling född dan 19 Apr. 1832". This book belongs to Carl August Svensson Brohemmet in Ljungs Forsamling born April 19 1832.
It was a pleasure for us to return it to the Swanson farm he homesteaded on and we know it will be treasured for years to come.

Long Time Friend

2009-07-12T08:57:00.015-05:00

On the 4th of July I went to Inwood, IA, a neighboring town and home to the Kock family and my friend Roxane was home visiting her family as I was. She now lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons and teaches Family and Consumer Science to H.S. students.
We were classmates, in band, chorus, class plays, went on to attend the same college and both chose to become teachers.
Left: Here we are around 1972 in a photo booth on a band trip I think.

Right: On the 4th.
The morning was a rainy one that even delayed the parade, but we weathered it just fine. It was great to see her and her family and pick up as if we saw each other last week.

We also got together with some other classmates from the class of 76 and enjoyed our time reminiscing, catching up and just plain laughing. That evening Roxane came up to Larchwood to see my parents, as I had reconnected with hers, that's what friends do.

Summer Storms

2009-07-10T23:29:00.003-05:00

While on the farm we had a couple storms. These views are of it approaching before the rain. It was like a blanket of clouds being dropped from the sky.
Looking Northeast of the house.Looking South of our house.Mom sighted this rainbow first after a nice steady rain. I grabbed my camera to find I couldn't fit it in the viewfinder, so I merged two photos together to show off this view looking east of our house.

I'm Back...

2009-07-08T20:31:00.002-05:00

I'm back in Denver from Northwest Iowa. I'd like to think you missed my posts...
There were a few reasons for my lack of posts.
1. I was on vacation for goodness sakes!
2. I'm an iMac person and my Mom has a PC.
3. Mom's keyboard is nuts! It won't type two letters the same next to each other without a wait.
4. Her internet connection is slow or her computer is old and outdated.
5. I don't like her photo program. (Let's hear it for iPhoto!!!)
Ive been gone a month and in that time I've been in three states at once, (my parents live just west of the corner post where IA/MN/SD meet), I went to the Black Hills, had numerous family reunions and get togethers, had a mini HS class reunion with longtime friends, worked in the flower and vegetable gardens, yardwork, drove my folks to numerous doctor appointments (Mom was even put in the hospital for 4 days), cleaned closets, priced things for a garage sale, helped fix the mower, made a dozen cement stepping stones, breathe in, breathe out...
About half my summer vacation is done, time to get to my to do list here in Denver. I hope your summer is going well!

Swanson Reunion

2009-06-27T15:13:00.008-05:00

Descendants of Adolph and Greta Swanson met last weekend in Sioux Falls, SD. We were probably the smallest gathering of cousins ever to meet in the name of a Swanson Reunion but there was still time for good food, stories and sharing and a photo or two.

Only two first cousins remain. Margaret Swanson Scholten and Harold Swanson reign at the reunion.

Robert Swanson and I grew up in Grandview Church together as cousins. Sunday School, Confirmation, Young Peoples, Christmas Caroling, Hayrides, Easter Breakfasts, Campouts, etc. It wouldn't be a trip home if I didn't attend Grandview and talk at coffee time with Robert.

Back from the Black Hills

2009-06-16T18:30:00.007-05:00

Our quick trip out and back is through. We filled the time we were there by visiting family, friends, and special sites with lots of food thrown in here and there.

On our first full day there we had to go to the clinic as Mom had a painful reaction in her hand/arm after driving some on the way out. She began and ended the trip driving, and while she wore a brace on her hand when she got to Hill City she had pain shooting up her arm and swollen joints. We went to a clinic in Custer, SD and she got a cortizone shot and he made a form fitting splint on her forearm to emobilize it. The clinic was near our cousin/niece Linda Ball, we had plans to visit her when we planned the trip, so all worked for the best. Linda will have her 59th birthday next week. She is blind and unable to move, except for one hand, but she recognized our voices and told us some jokes and we shared some stories and a song. We got a kick out of the fact she called Dad, Uncle Kelly. Kelly was what my Grandma called Dad, her Kelly Boy.

My Aunt Carol and Uncle Wes live south of Hill City on Reno Gulch Road. Here is a photo of Mom and Dad and Carol and Wes in the summer kitchen Wes Built Carol. It has a cook stove and serving window and lots of treasurers. She has it decorated so cute.

I made a photo and music video about Linda for my Aunt Carol and she in turn made me this quilt in thanks. We just had to cuddle under it to treasure the moment.

Saturday we went out to my Cousin Bill and his wife Tina's log cabin. They built the cabin entirely themselves and it is really a site to see snuggled back in the hills. The huge logs fit together so tight. We listed to stories again about the building process, truly amazing! On this trip they also had a grandchild to show off. Riley and his Mom, Kim joined us for a morning of relaxing, reminising and catching up. Riley amazed us all with his sign language skills, ball throwing with the dog and ability to entertain a crowd of adults without too much trouble.

We didn't make it up to the faces on this trip, but a trip to the Hills wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Crazy Horse Monument. It began 61 years ago by Korczak Ziolkowski. I actually met the man when I went to the monument on the band trip in 1972 and paid him for his autograph on a sheet of paper with the poem that is on the smaller carving in the lookout/viewing gallery. So I can say I was hooked at age 13 on the carving...! I'll have to dig out some old photos to compare the progress in the carving. A friend who used to live in Sioux Falls has an antique store across the road from the monument so we had to stop and visit with Boyd too.

Heading to the north end of The Hills, We visited with the Whitcher side of the family. I missed getting my camera in action but we toured Uncle Dales new home and then went to Blackhawk where my Cousin Greg and wife Nancy have a home. We grilled hamburgers and had more treats there with more cousins and generations as well as the Uncles and Aunt Carol.

On the way home we stopped in Mitchell, SD (the home of the world famous Corn Palace) to visit with Friends. This time Diane did almost all of the driving with Dad giving me a little relief in the middle of the trip.

Heading Home... and on to The Black Hills

2009-06-08T20:29:00.011-05:00

I'm packing the car for a trip home. We're also going to the Black Hills Thursday to spend some time with relatives. It's been a while since I've gone out to The Hills, and we've gone many times over the years. Back in 1967, we stayed at a campground outside Hill City, which ended up being across the road from the place my aunt and uncle eventually retired to. Then my other aunt and uncle moved down the road from them. Cousins follow, so as generations continue, the relatives out there grow and grow. On that 1967 trip my brother Joe cut his foot at the campground and got blood poisoning, ending up in the hospital the night we got home.
On one trip to the hills, Dad was sleeping in the back of the car and Mom and I decided to continue on to Devils Tower in Wyoming. Dad woke up a couple miles from our destination and was not thrilled, but he's smiling in the photos. We came back to Rapid City without too much of a detour.
That year, 1988, there were fires and while we stayed at my cousin Greg's motel on Canyon Lake we spent the night watching the glow of the flames in the sky, as helicopters dipped huge buckets of water from the lake to fight the fires.
Since the relatives live so close to Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument, we usually go there for breakfast or lunch. These usually are our only touristy stops (and the fudge shop in Hill City).
I've also gone to the Black Hills twice with my high school band. The first time, the summer of 72, when the HS band director decided to include many of the 8th grade students on the trip. We were there the week before the Big Flood in Rapid City and the motel where we stayed was totally flooded along Canyon Lake. (This was the same hotel my cousin Greg eventually purchased) The second band trip there was my senior year in 1976.
I can't really count all the trips I've taken out to the Hills, but I've gone with family, the band and different groups of friends. Once I went and spent the week painting in the hills, while my friend Beth went to a workshop for work. Lets hope there are no fires, floods or injuries on this trip! I'll get back to you next week on the details.

More Artwork

2009-06-04T11:27:00.024-05:00

Like I Said before, I've been photographing artwork I've done that I still have around. Many of the pieces I do now are examples I do for my students. Hopefully I inspire them with a project or to show a technique. I'm notorious for starting a project with them, but I never finish it, as I get too busy helping them or one of the other tasks the art room and teaching requires. I'll take a few photos of paintings I've given to Mom and Dad, that are on the farm, in the weeks ahead when I head that way for a visit.

Right: This is a project I do with 8th graders using crayon resist techniques with watercolors.Above: I chose perfume bottles for subject matter for this monochromatic painting with tempera paint. I did this along with students at school.

Left: This watercolor was done on location in Cedar Falls, IA, the summer of 1985, when I was taking a watercolor workshop at UNI with Shirley Haupt (1929-1988). All the buildings in the painting are now long gone at this intersection near the Historic Round Barn on Main St.
Shirley was a professor when I attended UNI and I had her for three drawing classes. She was my favorite art professor and about the age I am now when she taught me!Above: This is an oil painting I did ages ago. We don't do oil painting in class anymore due to the toxicity.

Angels

2009-06-03T08:19:00.006-05:00

"I believe in angels- that they're always hovering near, whispering encouragement whenever clouds appear, protecting us from danger and showing us the way. Performing little miracles within our lives each day." - AnonymousI've been trying to photograph some of the art I've created over the years. I painted this watercolor years ago. May the angels be your constant companions.

Maps from Sweden

2009-05-29T19:51:00.014-05:00

For the family members who are logging onto my blog, here are some maps of the area our ancestors lived in Östergötland, Sweden.
The first map below, was sent by a friend of mine (Inger Nyberg) in Ljungsbro, Sweden about 10 years ago. She underlined some of the farms in our ancestry around Ljung. This area is just north of the city of Linköping.
Before he was married, my Great Grandfather Anders Peter Jönsson lived with his parents in the cottage Slättmotorp in Ljung parish. He moved in 1854, to the farm Djupsjö in Ljung parish and worked for the farmer Bengt Jonsson. In 1855, he moved to Tjällmo parish and came back to Ljung parish in 1859, and worked for farmers in the village Slättmon. In 1860, he moved to Bänorp. There he lived and worked on a farm when he married Albertina Gustafsdotter in 1873. Albertina was born and lived in Nybrofallet, Kottorp, Stjärnorp Parish until her marriage to Anders. Together they lived in a cottage Fredriksberg, that belonged to the Bänorp farm in Ljung parish. Albertina and Anders Peter moved in 1874, to the cottage Nysätter. In 1880, they moved to Grönkulla and in 1881, to North America where they ended up in the Canton, SD area.
Click on the maps to enlarge, can you find some of the farm names?
Below; this map (two views of the same map) is from 1878, and shows some of the old farm places. It even has Brohemmet and Fallhemmet on it, the homes of my GG Grandparents (Swanson sides) who emigrated from Sweden to America.
My GG Grandfather Carl August Svensson was born at Brohemmet, Ljung, in 1832 Apr. 19, (son of Sven Svensson, born 1801 Jan. 6 in Klasbäck, Ljung, and his wife Catharina Larsdotter, born 1802 Jun.13 in Stora Högåsa, Ljung.) Carl August was a crofter at Fallhemmet on Norrby lands in Ljung. He was married in 1862 May 9 in Stjärnorp to Carolina Gustafsdotter, born 1839 Aug.2 in Grönlund, Stjärnorp. (She was a sister to my G Grandmother Albertina mentioned above and they were the daughters of Gustav Jönsson & Johanna Nilsdotter) They lived in Fallhemmet with Karl's brother Adolph and his wife Greta. Karl and Karolina and three children emigrated from Ljung to North America in April 1869, eventually settling near Canton, Lincoln County in Dakota Territory.
My GG Grandfather Adolph Frederik Svensson was born at Brohemmet, Ljung, in 1835 Feb. 22, (also the son of Sven Svensson and Catharina Larsdotter) Greta Månsson was born in August 1, 1840 in Lillbränna, Åsnästorp, Ljung parish. Greta came to Sven & Katerina’s home, Brohemmet, to help the ill mother Katerina as her husband Sven was sick and eventually died in Oct. of 1860. Greta ended up marrying Adolph at Brohemmet in Dec. of 1860. Soon brothers Karl and Adolph Svensson built a home north of Brohemmet in the woods and called it Fallhemmet. Adolph and Greta emigrated from Ljung in April 1889, via Copenhagen to New York to Canton, South Dakota.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T00:55:00.052-05:00

The US holiday Memorial Day was originally and is still intended as a day to honor women and men who gave their lives in military service. It has evolved to include a day of remembering all veterans and family and friends who have passed away also. Denver has a parade this morning, my home church, Grandview Covenant, has a service at the church cemetery. (Right: Entrance to Grandview Cemetery) Flowers adorn cemeteries, flags line streets and stand at graves of servicemen and women.
I don’t have many in my line who served in the military, although my Dad was in the Army. My 4th G Grandfather Thomas Ward (1759-1839) served in the Revolutionary War in the North Carolina Militia. He enlisted in 1777, as a Private in Capt. Cepon's Company, 1st NC Regiment, under Col. Thomas Clark. A Quaker, he's buried in the Friends Cemetery (left photo) in White River township, Winchester Co., Randolph, IN.
My GG Grandfather J.M. Pierce (1826-1865) died in Washington, D.C., at the end of the Civil War, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was with Sherman's "March to the Sea" and was with A Company Forage Men, whose duty it was to help get supplies from the territory in which they were located. As he said "they would kill the rebels by burning and stealing their crops and stealing their livestock". (Do a search of this blog for a posting (January) of three letters he wrote while in the war.)

Here are some graves stones I have scanned, I know my genealogy records and books contain more photos of tombstones but I’ve yet to scan them all.
The next four photos are all stones at Grandview Covenant Cemetery, rural Larchwood, Lyon County, IA
Left: My GG Grandparents Adolph & Greta Swanson

Right: My Grandparents Joe & Phoebe Johnson

Left: My brother Steve

Right: Johnson stones.

Left: At a reunion of Joe and Phoebe Johnson's descendants in 2005, we visited the Grandview Cemetery.

My G Grandparents, Charles and Anna Swanson are buried at Grandview Covenant Cemetery, rural Larchwood, IA

My GG Grandparents, Carl and Carolina Swanson are buried at the Lutheran Cemetery north of Canton, SD

My G Grandparents, Andrew and Albertina Johnson are buried at Grandview Covenant Cemetery, rural Larchwood, IA

I took a day trip in Eastern Iowa a few years ago to search out the graves of some of my Pierce relatives. I first went to Ackley, IA to find my GG Grandmother Sarah Wilson Pierce Watters and her second husband’s stones. (Her first husband was J. M. Pierce, of Ackley, IA, who died at the end of the Civil War and is pictured above.) When I drove in the cemetery I had no clue where the stone was. I parked the car and saw a caretaker talking with someone and he said wait a second and he would talk to me in a bit. I decided to move the car out of the lane and pulled over and got out of the car and guess who's stones I was standing in front of? Yep, Sarah (1830-1903) and Robert Watters (1841-1898). Robert had lived in Washington Co. IA until May of 1861 when he responded to his country's call and enlisted in the 8th IA Volunteer Infantry. He entered the ranks as a Private and after serving valiantly for 4 years, 7 months and 20 days, returned as a Corporal. In the Battle of Shiloh a ball went whizzing past his head so closely that it cut a track, he lanquished in a prison pen for seven long months and was released. About a year after the war he came to Ackley, IA, May 1966, and was fond of sitting down and recounting his army experiences with the Grand Army boys as often as opportunity permitted.

Then I drove down to Bevin’s Grove Cemetery, Liberty Township in Marshall County, IA., going off a map I pulled off the internet to get to the cemetery. Well I came over a hill from the south and was surprised at how fast I came upon the cemetery and missed the first driveway because I was driving so fast, so I quickly pulled into the second lane. As I stopped I noticed a parking area over to the north and thought of driving over there but someone was parked there so I decided to stay where I was and when I got out of the car guess who's stone I was standing in front of? Yep, the Pierce family! My GGG Grandmother Lydia Ward Pierce (1803-1880) is buried there. I got chills! Two cemeteries in one day and someone was showing me the way to the stones.

Lydia's husband, my GGG Grandfather Thomas Pierce (1800-1868), a quaker, died in Indiana and his tombstone also has Lydia's information on it at White River Friends Cemetery in Randolph, IN.

Denver, IA - Cemetery Walk

2009-05-24T20:50:00.010-05:00

Have you ever been on a cemetery walk? In honor of Memorial Day tomorrow, I thought I'd share a few photos of an event we had here.
I was on the committee for Denver's Sesquicentennial celebration in 2005, and we sponsored a presentation: Bring History to Life. Voices of the Past: A Walk Through the Denver Cemetery.
The presenters, in their proper costumes of the period their person lived, stood with their back to the crowd or behind a tall monument until the time came to speak to visitors and they would turn around or step out and walk to the group.
First they would announce and introduce who they were and then start telling about their lives, ending with the date of their death. When each finished they would turn their back and walk away - there were no questions or answers from the crowd.

We had small groups guided through the cemetery to keep the traffic moving and tried to choose a variety of people from the towns past. It was a great success with a lot of coordination, but as you can see from the photos, our townspeople got into their parts with gusto.

Vreta Kloster, Östergötland, Sweden

2009-05-23T19:08:00.035-05:00

Located about 12 kilometers northwest of Linköping, we visited Vreta kloster 6/22/01, and were lucky to find the church open and Professor Paul Reinicke, a parishioner there, to act as a guide and interpreter for us. He was so knowledgeable, having written a book on the parish history. He took us from one end to the other, explaining the rich history. There is evidence that people lived in this area from about 4000 BC. and some of that is displayed in the church museum.
The oldest part of the present day church, a three naved basilica with transept and side isles, dates back to mid 1000 AD. (tombstones from 1060) In 1125 a royal crypt was added to transept with an extension in the south as a burial place for members of one of Sweden's oldest royal families. A crown hangs over a burial chamber, indicated royalty was buried underneath. The octangular burial vaults of the Douglas family were built in 1663, and now contain five copper coffins, this family is the owner of the nearby Stjärnorp Castle.
The church tower was built in the 18th century to replace the middle age gabled structure and in 1914 the church was given a restoration followed by another in 1988. The front of the church was at one time for nuns and the regular parishioners sat in the second sanctuary. There were numbers on the pew doors and he said those numbers once were used by different farms in the area, each family having their place to sit. The pulpit in German and Italian style was presented to the church in 1658.
The actual cloister appears to have been founded in about 1110, considered to be Sweden's oldest known monastery. The Abby was reconsecrated in 1289 and its present character and appearance is preserved from this date.
A nunnery and Abby, was a place where travelers could find refuge, the old could be taken care of and it was sort of a hospital also. Monastery buildings were partly excavated in 1916-1926. The excavated portion of the Abbey and Nunnery is now a place where many people's ashes are laid to rest after cremation.
While trying to find connections of my ancestors to this parish, I find my 8th GGrandparents (on my Swanson side) Hemming Olofsson, Nämnderman in Gullbergs härad 1669-1671 (d. 1671), and his wife Elin (d. 1646) were both buried in Vreta Kloster. 7th GGrandparents Olof Hemmingsson was born about 1632 in Tyttorp, Vreta Kloster and married Maria Larsdotter, born about 1645 in Sågen, Vreta Kloster. They were married in 1664 in Vreta Kloster. Olof was a nämndeman, a lay judge for Gullbergs houndred.
Left: The door handle to the church. I wonder if any of my ancestors placed their hand on this handle as I did?
My 5 and 4th Great Grandparents (on my Johnson line) lived in this parish. 5th GGrandparents Anders Johnson (1707 - 1790), and Maria Persdotter (1701 - 1780) both died at Brink, Vreta Kloster. I have these notes on Maria, "...she was first married with the widower Hans Tyrsson. This marriage last for 15 years and she gave birth to 5 children, one son and four daughters. After 1 1/2 year of widowhood she married Anders Jonsson and give the birth to two girls of which one was still alive the year 1780. Her (Maria´s) health had always been good but with rising age only worse and worse and her last four years confined to bed. She never complained till her transformation occurred on Dec. 21, 1780 in an aged of 79 years." Sourse: WHF 68-412. My 4th GGrandparents Anders Bengtson, a farmer, (1738 - 1805), and his wife Maria Andersdotter, (1742 - 1831) lived in Brink, Vreta Kloster Parish.
My 4th GGrandparents Nils Månsson (1779-1811) and Anna Maja Larsdotter (1776-1848) were married in Vreta Kloster in 1801. Both of Nils parents died when he was 2 years old and he was raised by his Uncle Nils Nilsson in Pålstorp, Vreta Kloster. Nils and Anna both died in Solberg, Vreta Kloster. Although Nils died at the age of 31, he and Anna had four children. Their son Magnus Nilsson was born in 1804, at Segerstorp, Vreta Kloster. He married Maje Persdotter. My Grandmother Phoebe left handwritten notes about her GG Grandparents; "With much patience Magnus (1804-1871) raised his children, he was an upright man but suffered rheumatism, lived to old age. Maje (1805-1859) was very kind but grief overtook her after death of younger children and she died middle aged in an asylum." (note from Phoebe Swanson Johnson) Their daughter Greta was married to Adolph Swanson in Brohemmet, Ljung in 1860, and were my GG Grandparents who immigrated to the US in 1889.
Of course there are many cousin connections to Vreta Kloster as well in my records.
Above: A view from the church looking towards Lake Roxen and Linköping in the distance.
Left: This barn was across the road from the church. We found it interesting as it had a road going up into the second floor.

Dubbelde Bridge

2009-05-21T19:08:00.007-05:00

This photo is from around 1910 and shows some school children on the Blood Run Creek bridge about 3/4 of a mile from our farm, near our neighbors the Dubbelde's farm. Of course the bridge is long gone but I love this photo as it represents a simpler time. Do you think anyone was worried about the students climbing up on the railing? Who took the photo? Sioux Township No. 2 rural school was just north of this bridge in the extreme NW corner of the state of Iowa. My Grandmother Phoebe Swanson Johnson is the girl on the far left of the photo. It was a time of simple pleasures, where taking a trip to the creek and getting a group picture on a bridge was a big thing.
I've been disappointed in how some students are living in a me, me, gimmie, gimmie, world with egos and attitudes to match. Manners and respect are escaping some of our youth. You've heard the saying, "You have to earn respect", I'm not sure that is even totally true anymore, some kids hear that and think you should pay them for their respect! How many times have I asked for help, to get the response, "what ya gonna to pay me?" I guess it's time for summer vacation for both the students AND the teachers. Good luck parents, I hope you encourage some attitude adjustments over the summer.