Ada Sheldon, on a Mound Prairie farm in Houston County, kept a large garden and raised chickens, geese, ducks and canaries as well as children, one of whom was son Sumner (born 1910), who would become a prominent area historian and columnist. “To be sure that she had enough to do, Mama kept about sixty swarms of bees,” quipped Sumner. His mother, while an accomplished … [Read more...]
He Had Been Counting On Better Results But He Counted Wrong
July 4 had come and gone. There had been fireworks galore, and he still had most of his eyebrows. It had been a splendid summer. He'd never heard of L. P. Hartley, but Hartley had said, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." But one thing remained constant. When summer ends, school begins. On a lifelong journey of self-discovery, he was in junior … [Read more...]
How Do You Handle Adversity?
By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – A Bear, a Bridegroom and a Bigamous Barber
Part two of a two-part series Popular Caledonia tonsorial artist (barber) James Hall was arrested for bigamy by a detective from La Crosse. The November 28, 1888 Caledonia Journal headline read, “TOO MUCHLY MARRIED.” On June 29, somewhere near La Crosse, Hall had married Sarah Carrigan from the town of Winnebago, Houston County. The newspaper knew not the whereabouts of the … [Read more...]
Ask a Trooper
Question: With summer being upon us, can you get some information out in regards to motorcycle safety? Answer: Operating a motorcycle requires different skills than driving a car, so there are some additional requirements for motorcycle riders: •Motorcyclists are entitled to the full use of their lanes and have all the rights and duties of other drivers. •Operators must have … [Read more...]
Party of Seven!
And just like that - we are Gerdes, party of seven!! You know when you’re 4 and you’re excited about being a “whole handful” when you turn 5? Well, I feel like I just turned 5 - a whole handful of treasure! It’s quite the adventure having a baby within the same week as you get a teenager. Our oldest turned 13 and seven days later, our youngest was born. To say we’re having … [Read more...]
Silly Putty on Father’s Day is No Dad Joke
It's that time of the year. When I'd slip into a mini-panic trying to decide what to get my father for Father's Day. Pete Seeger said, "If there's a world here in a hundred years, it's going to be saved by tens of millions of little things." My father lived by that belief. That's why he had all those jars and coffee cans filled with little things—nails, nuts, washers and … [Read more...]
The Great Awakening
I enjoy going to the JEM Movie Theatre in Harmony. The people who run the theater are always so friendly, caring and welcoming ... and the popcorn is delicious! (Be sure to bring your own container to put it in for extra savings.) Recently, I enjoyed the film “A Great Awakening.” The film depicts the story of the history of the early days of the United States and features … [Read more...]
Ask a Trooper
Question: In last week’s article you wrote about e-bikes. Can you also just provide a reminder on all around bicycle safety? Thank you. Answer: If you’re riding a bicycle, you must: •Obey all traffic control signs and signals, just as you would when driving. •The only exception is that bicyclists may treat stop signs as yield signs when the intersection is clear. •Use … [Read more...]
I Was Born in a Small Town But Not This Small
The population of the town was somewhere in the 30s, and even a kid could tell it wasn't growing. It had a church and a bar, which met the minimum requirements for being a town in those days. My parents were visiting friends there. When that happens, there is grown-up talk and a kid typically gets put out of the house with little concern about where I went or who I was … [Read more...]