One of the more important ingredients in any story is the list of characters. In this case the characters are the people who were members of the families around us. You need some background information to appreciate the closely knit relationship between our family and our neighbors.

I started by telling you I intended this to be a story about growing up in the "thirties". Therefore I'll begin in Glendorado. Only a few families south of Glendorado were important to me, as a little girl.

The most important of these was Tante and Uncle (the Marcus Larsons, Mother's aunt and uncle, with whom she made her home when she first came from Norway). Their bachelor son, Lars, lived with them. The Larsons lived about a mile south of the store. Martha (Mrs. Obert Anderson) and Inga (Mrs. John Thompson) were Mother's twin cousins. Both the Obert Andersons and John Thompson families lived "down south”. Carrie (Mrs. Otto Gilbertson) and Nels and their families lived south of Glendorado too. We visited these families regularly because these were Mother's only family ties.

The J. K. Nelsons and the L. D. Larson families I knew quite well because they were residents of our school district, and some of their children went to school in District 13 when I did.

I also remember the nice old people. Pete and Johanna Abrahamson. They were retired people who had lived on their farm in Greenbush Township. Johanna used to come and visit Grandma. Near them across the road lived Helmer Fingbogson and his sister, Hannah. Everybody knew them. They were friendly and fun-loving and thus equally popular with the "old folks" and the young.

Near the store, to the south, was Uncle Sven Kittleson's farm (Grandma's brother). The Kittlesons had moved out West and this farm was now owned by Tom Elveru and his wife Olga. Tom was involved in civic affairs in our community. He was on the school board, so this made him important to me. The Elveru's had a daughter who was married to cousin, Joe Kittleson. Joe and Mae lived out West, however they did move back here with their two little girls and live with the Elveru's for a year or so during "the depression." The Elveru's had two sons Milton and Paul. Milton was older than I. (I remember when he was married during the late twenties. He married, Hazel, a pretty little dark girl from Foley.) Paul, was in the seventh grade when I started school. I remember him especially because he was "so smart" in school. He always knew the answers. Both Milton and Paul were good friends of mine later in life too. It happened that I taught school in the districts where they lived. It seems as if they followed their father's footsteps in being active in civic matters. They were also school board members.

The Ole Johnsons lived in the big brick "store house". Their children were Doris, my age, Conrad a year older than my brother, Bobby and a little girl, Phyllis. Across the road were the Elliot Hermansons. They had one son, Sheldon and two little girls Kathrine and Ramona. None of these children went to school when I did. I was more interested in them later when I was a teacher in Glendorado.

Across the road from the creamery was a little white house. Olaf and Beata Anderson lived here. They were retired farmers and had built this little house on the corner of the farm. Here Olaf was able to sit on the front steps and watch all the activity at the creamery each morning. A common sight was to see him sitting here smoking his pipe and visiting with his small grandson, Burton. Burton once told me that a highlight of his summer was when he and his Grandpa walked the two miles south to visit Olaf's two sons Obert and Herman. Beata, Olaf's wife, was one of the sweetest old ladies I have ever known. She often walked over and spent the afternoon with "Besta". Because I was there so often, I think I ate almost as much of the "suft suppe", fruit soup, that she brought, as Besta and Thorval did. Whenever I see "suft suppe" I think of Beata.

Going west of Glendorado the first drive way led to Norval Anderson and his wife, Della. They had purchased the Olaf Anderson farm. Norval and Della had two little boys Burton, Bobby's age and Sherman about four years younger. (Much later they had a little girl, Joanne. Joanne was much more important later too because she attended school in Glendorado when I taught there). Norval and Uncle Thorval were about the same age and had always been good friends. Della was a friendly out-going person. One of our favorite teachers, Ann Olson, boarded at Norval and Della's, so Della always took an active interest in school affairs, even before their children attended.

On that same road lived the Ole Rogers. They were also old retired people, of whom we saw very little. I knew one of the daughters well. Mabel was the Glendorado organist. Everyone envied her and her ability to play the piano and the big pipe organ in the Glendorado Church. Mabel too always had time to stop and smilingly greet "the kids around".

The next important stop on the west road was "our school". The Glendorado parsonage was near the school house. Just to the north of the church lived the Engebretsons. Mrs. Engebretson lived there with her two sons Oscar and Albert. When I was little, I thought about the Engebretsons like a fairy tale. Maybe because I got only snatches of family history. Someone, I don't recall now who said it, said that the only limousine that had been in Glendorado, driven by a chauffeur, was the one that came to the Engebretsons. The big black car had two important occupants. The two gentlemen were from New York and were brothers of Mrs. Engebretson (I guess if I had been a member of the family I would have pursued this story further). Also Mrs. Engebretson was an artist, at one time she painted. Once when I made a big textile drawing of a peacock perched on a branch, with a big orange moon background, Mother gave me permission to visit Mrs. Engebretson. The Engebretsons had once raised peacocks and Mother knew about the old ladies interest in color. When I was puzzled about the coloring Mother suggested I go there. Up to that time I had been a little afraid of this little old lady of we knew so little. She was a very gracious lady. She said she had no colors or paints any more but if I came again the next evening and brought my crayons she would help me. I remember I thought this was very sad. The next day I went from desk to desk and asked each of the children if I could have a crayon or two or pieces of crayon for Mrs. Engebretson. Some of the kids even broke their crayons and gave me half. My friend, Virgil, also gave me his match box to put the crayons into. The next night I proudly brought the match box and about a dozen pieces of paper to Mrs. Engebretson. She then helped me color the peacock she so skillfully drew on the paper. Her son Oscar never married, but Albert married quite late in life. He had two sons Emery and Harris.

Now back to the store and we'll travel north on the gravel road, County Road #9. The first place was the very important place "Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Thorval". The house was close to the road. I hardly ever walked by without stopping, even if it was for only a few minutes. Coming from school, if we went across, making the distance about a half a mile shorter, we missed Grandma's.

Going north one fourth of a mile was Amanda Stay. She and her son, Kenneth, lived together in this neat little light yellow house. Amanda was a widow and a very good friend of our family. She had her own car a Model T Ford, about a 1927 model. Amanda always had her car in working order and always had money for gas. This was important to our family because when our car wouldn't start, we often rode with Amanda to church. After church she would then come to our house for Sunday dinner. She visited at our house at least once a week, in the evening or on a Sunday.

Another thing I remember is Mother and Amanda's annual fishing trip. They left early in the morning with their bamboo poles and "spoon hooks". Sometimes to Lake Sullivan, up by Hillman or other times just down to Elk Lake to Inger Halvorson's (Pa's cousin). I don't seem to remember that they ever came home with many fish.

Amanda's retirement home had been built on acreage belonging to the Pete Stay farm. This farm was built on a hill commonly called "Indian Mound". It seemed years ago Indians camped there on their way north to Mille Lacs Lake. Pete was Amanda's husband, so when he died , Amanda, Kenneth, and another unmarried son, Norman, moved to the little house. An older son, Arthur, and his wife, Bertha, lived on the hill. As children, Pearl, Bobby, and I often played up at Art's. Mildred, the oldest daughter was a year older than I and Beatrice was my age. Leo, the boy was a twin, I remember how sad we felt when the other twin, Paul, died. He only lived a short time. Some years later they had a little girl, Eula Fern. Isn't that a lovely name? Now when I hear people refer to her as Ferny, I think, how sad, when she has such a pretty name. Art's place was really a popular place in the winter time. It was the only hill in the whole neighborhood.

Now we have come far enough north so we cross the State Highway #95. In the thirties this highway was also gravel, but it was a little wider and had more gravel then "our road". One fourth mile east on the highway lived George Rovang and his wife Amanda. George and Amanda only had one child, Marilyn. We all envied Marilyn because of all the advantages the only child in a family has. Marilyn was a year younger than I was. One of the things that comes to mind when I think of Marilyn is her good lunch, in her lunch bucket. She was always so congenial. Marilyn never did fight with any one for any reason. She would just smile and bear it. Since, I have thought she probably didn't dare because she had no one to go "to bat" for her. Yes, I also remember the many times we go rides home from school. In bad weather George always came to get Marilyn, and he piled as many of the rest of us as he could get in his nice Model A Ford.

Back to the corner, always called "Rovang's Corner". Here was a big three story white house, and many large unusual looking outside buildings. One of these buildings was a "round house", I think it was used for "young stock" and open housing. Another was a granary with a dinner bell in a belfry. The large barn, chicken house, machine sheds, and several other buildings stood on this large farm. This farm was built by Ole Stay, Pete's brother. Aunt Anna once told me that Mrs. Ole Stay was from a "socially elite" family in Norway and lived equally as fine here in America. There was a large front yard with many fruit trees, and grape vines grew around the front porch.

The inside of this house was equally as fine with large rooms, open stair case, large front hallway and six bedrooms upstairs. This house was so unique in many ways, but one thing I remember was the buttons on the wall in the kitchen. These buttons rang bells in each bedroom upstairs to awaken the occupant. This farm had electricity. The power was produced by a gasoline motor that generated electricity. This motor was in the basement.

The Clarence Rovang's lived here. Clarence and Josie had six children. Orville, Grace, Eileen, Stanley and the two little girls Bernice and Corine. I think there was about eight years between Stanley's age and Bernice's. Stanley and I started school together and were good friends as little children. We often played together in the pasture. When Stanley went to get the cows, the pasture was just across the road from our house, he would whistle and I would run over and help him round up the cows.

The first place north of Rovang's was ours, so we will proceed north. Here lived our bachelor friend, Martin Nelson. I think I was about nine years old when he died, but I remember him well. Martin's brother Halvor and his wife, Anna, lived on the adjoining farm. After Martin's death, Anna's brother, John Ford and his family from Minneapolis, moved on to his farm. The day they moved up to our neighborhood is vivid even yet. Pearl and I made several trips up the road walking a little closer to the mailboxes each time. Coming from the east, up the drive-way were some of the Carlson girls. They checked the mailboxes several times that day.

Finally our efforts paid off, out came a little, short red haired girl wearing glasses. None of us had glasses, so this alone was a new experience. None of us said much but that meeting was the beginning of fine friendships that have lasted through these fifty years.

In the Ford family there were John and Aletta and the children. Selma, the older sophisticated city girl, Oscar, the gangly teen-ager, I think he was about thirteen when they came. (At least not too old to go picking pussy-willows with me the next day.) Then Edna, the youngest girl, she was a year older than I.

Down the long crooked drive-way east from Fords lived the Knute Carlson family. The Carlson place had been homesteaded by Knute's grandfather. When I first recollect the Carlson place (as far back as I remember) the brick house with two nice porches, was a place where everyone was welcome — young and old.

Knute and Elisa lived here with their children, Otto, Ellen and Ellevina — twins, Nellie, Margeret, and Elliot. Elsa Maria, Besta (Knute's mother) lived in a pretty little gray stucco house placed among the apple trees behind the big brick house. Yes, and a hired man. Carlson's always had a young man working for them.

Elisa was a Norwegian girl. After she came to America, she was instrumental in getting four of her neighborhood boys to America. Knute sent passage money to each of the boys. When the first had labored long enough to pay his passage, he found work elsewhere and Knute would send for the next one. Thus he enabled four of the Spangrud boys to come to America. They were Harold, Oscar, Sigrud, and Ludvig. Even after they had left Carlsons, they were always welcome visitors when they came back from time to time. These young men seemed to play an important role during the time I grew up. I remember them all so vividly.

After the Spangrud boys had worked there, there were several other hired men that we learned to know well like Bill Abrahamson, Alfred Johnson, and Hubert Rathbun. (Elisa even painted and fixed up Besta's house so Hubert could live there with his wife, Rose and little girl, Gladys.) My brother, Arnold, worked at Carlson's often too.

I remember Knute well, he died about two months after Grandpa in the spring of 1932. Elisa was left with a large farm and house full of little children to take care of. She did an exceptional job. I think Elliot was about four years and Otto, the oldest was about fifteen when Knute died. Yet Elisa managed the farm and enabled the children to go on to school, high school, and college, if they wished.

I went into a great detail when telling about this family, because I doubt if there was a day in the first twenty years of my life that our family was not in contact with some member of their family.

Just north of Carlsons were two bachelor neighbors, Albert Stay and Pete Nelson, (and way up in the woods lived the little Frenchman, Johnny A'Bear. I'm not sure of that spelling because I never did see it in print. We called him "Johnny Bear".). Pete had had a wife once, but she left him, which we thought was very sad. Albert got married late in life and had five children, but that was after I was in high school.

Around the bend after our road had turned west lived Frank Scherer. Frank and his wife Ethel were German. Perhaps that was the reason we didn't neighbor as much with them. After I was grown-up, I learned to know and appreciate these people. But as a child, I was afraid of Frank Scherer. I can't think why. I rather liked the oldest boy, Howard, and when he occasionally walked by our house on his way to the store I always ran down to the road and walked with him a ways. Frank Scherers also had two daughters, Lois and Elaine and several years later a little boy, Harold.

Going further west lived the Herbert Stay family. Herbert was Amanda's oldest son. He was married to Pearl Shirkey (Mrs. Arthur Stay, Bertha and Pearl were sisters). These two young ladies were not Norwegian either, so I'm sure they had unhappy times at neighborhood gatherings when all the ladies carried on the main conversations in Norwegian. Once I asked Clara what nationality her mother was and she answered, "She is a blue-bellied Yankee." The only Yankees I had heard of were the Irish and Germans living across the St. Francis River in Santiago when Dad was little. He always talked about the "Norwegians fighting the Yankees".

Herbert Stay and his wife, Pearl, lived in a nice new house. (I just barely remember when their house burned and then they built this one) It had nice cupboards in the kitchen and pretty varnished floors. Clara, Virgil, Lucille, Helen, Wayne were the children I remembered best as children. Later Phyllis, Bonnie, Donald, and Mary Joyce came. I think Pearl must have been the best natured and kindest of woman in the country. Both Hazel and I were there often.

I remember once I had permission to go home with Virgil and Helen after school to stay over night. (This was during the depression and Herberts did not have a telephone for a short time. We probably would have had our telephone disconnected too if it would not have been for "Besta". She wouldn't let the folks disconnect the telephone.) Now back to my story. I not only stayed one night but I went back the second. When Hazel came to school and said I was going to really get a "lickin" for not coming home, I didn't dare go home. So I went back to Herbert's the third night. By this time my clothes were pretty dirty, and instead of sending me home, Pearl washed my clothes, hung them on a hanger by the stove over night. No need to go into detail on what happened when I did go home.

Herbert was gone a lot, he peddled potatoes, eggs, etc. in Minneapolis, so Clara and Virgil did the barn chores. I guess I thought this was fun because Dad never believed in "children in the barn" so I never learned to milk cows. We never did have more than twelve or fourteen cows and Mother, Dad and Arnold did the milking. (the older girls in our family had helped milk cows but I never did.)

Still further west lived Clifford Stay, another of Amanda's sons. He was married to Josie Halvorson. They had two little girls, Lorraine and Shirley and a baby boy, Vernon. Much later Roger came along. I never remember being in their house. I suppose this is because the children were younger. The oldest girl , Lorraine was Bobby's age.

The last family on this road, but certainly not the least important, was the Herman Stay family. Herman was Amanda's brother-in-law. Herman and Ingeborg also had a beautiful new house. The outside of this house was a form of stucco, but it was studded with colored stones and glass. (We always said that this house was trimmed with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.) I remember the old house next door, but I don't remember when they lived in it.

The Herman Stays and their children, Mabel, Olga, Melvin, Joseph, and Ruth visited often with our family. We were very good friends. We didn't always go into the dining room and living room because the door was shut. We visited in the kitchen and down stairs bedroom. I guess, thinking about it now, maybe Ingeborg was wise in not letting us, a family with several small children, into the other rooms. No place in Glendorado had more "goodies" on hand to serve her callers than Ingeborg did. I remember many occasions when we were invited there for a meal. (This often happened during the Christmas holidays.) Then the door was opened and Ingeborg's long dining table was the most sumptuous display of culinary skills one could imagine. It far surpassed many "smorgasbords" I have attended.

Now I have told you about "our neighbors" as I knew them. Oh, yes, I knew about the people "up north". These people belonged to the school district 33 South. Mostly I knew them by the voices I heard on our "party line telephone". Often times when the folks were gone, we listened to conversations not meant for us. We called it "rubber necking". Especially we listened after we got old enough to be interested in boys. There were boys in almost every household "up north". So I knew the George Hansons and Grace, Julian, and Gerald (Gerald in particular, because he was my age). F.E. Kruger had two older boys Walter and Arnold and Betty, my age. (In my early teens Betty and I were good friends) They had two younger children, Dickie and Shirley. Shirley died as a little girl about the time Pearl died.

Then the Andersons, who had three boys at home. These boys were older and didn't pay much attention to me but during my teens I was particularly interested in Lawrence. It took a long time, but he finally did pay a little attention to me. The Magnus family was next. This family was of special interest because the older boys Leslie, Vernon, and Lloyd were members of a dance band, The Melody Pirates. Vernon also was very important because he was my seventh and eighth grade teacher. Probably the one that I was concerned with mostly was their grandson, Lyle Halvorson. He even carved my initials in his hand. (He also got an infected hand) I wore his Mickey Mouse wrist watch for a whole week when I was in the eighth grade.

The Michaelsons lived up here. We knew them because Harold was our first milk hauler and later Leonard took over the route.

The Indrehus family I knew because their daughter , Clara was married to my brother-in-law, John's brother, and also because Mr. Ed Indrehus always gave us a ride home from school. He folded back the front seat and piled us all in. When he came to our house he always drove by a little before he stopped to let us out. When we called to him to stop, he would look back and say "Oh, do you live here? I thought you were Martin Nelson's new housekeeper." This was very embarrassing to little girls to be teased about our bachelor neighbor.

The Seversons were friends of the folks and after Mr. and Mrs. Severson died the three boys Lloyd, Roy, and David were at our house often. They were all good friends of Arnold's and the older girls — not me. They always treated me as Arnold's little sister, which got a little frustrating as I got older.

The Arthur Krugers lived "up north". They had one daughter, Dorothy. She was younger than I. I remember this place because Edna and I often walked way up here, perhaps two miles or more, on Sunday afternoon. I suppose we were hoping to see some boys, but we could always say we were going to see Josie Kruger. She was Edna's Sunday School teacher and also Edna's second cousin.

North of Krugers were Ole Almlies. My brother-in-law, John, was their oldest son; and the youngest son, Albert, played the piano in the Melody Pirate Band.

Now you know about our community as I remember these important people from my home in Glendorado. In the next chapters I will often refer to these people when I discuss "work and fun in the thirties".