Archive for July, 2009

Interviewed by daughter-in-law Lynne Zotalis.

It’s so interesting how things come around. I will have two new grandchildren by spring.  Their great grandma, Virginia, will not have the privilege of knowing them. A chapter ends and another begins. The cycle of life. “I’ll take my periscope and watch them from beyond,” Virginia promised. I have no doubt.

Best Advice? Moderation in all things.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a traveler. From our farm on the Missouri River bottoms, I’d climb a hill and watch the cars on the highway. I would wonder where they were going, imagining myself riding along. I’m like my oldest granddaughter that way.

What was your favorite job?
I was secretary to the editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch. The employment agency sent me over there for an interview. When they wanted to hire me I said I wasn’t going to pay the fee. It was $400. They paid it.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
Face cream, reading material, and my family.

What is your favorite food?
A t-bone steak, especially the part right next to the bone.

How did you meet your husband?
We both worked at Bannon’s department store in downtown St.Paul. He was in the floral design and I was at the Green Stamp counter.  You got 10 stamps for every dollar spent. But if they spent 99 cents I’d still give them 10.  You weren’t supposed to. Someone asked him if he noticed the girl at the end of the counter. He said, “That infant?” He was 10 years older but he actually made me look like I was the elder – he was so fun and full of life. I was serious. There were errand boys that ran around between the departments so he would hand one of them a flower, “Here, take this to the lady at the end of the counter.” That’s how he introduced himself.

Describe your wedding day.
Everyone from up here went to Iowa to get married. That was the thing. It was a little town with a Congregational church, if I recall. I brought my girlfriend. He brought his friend to stand up for us and that was all there was to it. And guess what? I cried through the whole thing. Don’t ask me why. My girlfriend lived in Southern Minnesota so we went to her house for cake and all. Then we spent a whole week in Chicago for a honeymoon.

Interview by Joanie Rollins (daughter of Sylvester) and Benji Nichols. Sylvester Carolan, age 99, claims his faith, his family, a good game of Euchre, and the occasional harmonica tune make for a long happy life.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Pray hard, and go to church! My parents taught me that.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a farmer from the time I was a kid, and I did farm my entire life. We used to milk and then later I got into feeding beef cattle and hogs. This is a tough winter but I remember worse like 1929, and 1936 – it started late but lasted until March. It makes for tough farming.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
Row boat, an oar, or a helicopter!  (ed. We think Sylvester may also be happy with a deck of cards, a bible, and fresh oysters…)

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
Although too humble to answer this question himself, a nurse who popped in during our interview said of Sylvester, “I’d call him simply wonderful!”

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I love a good steak – and oysters too, but I wouldn’t want anything every day of my life. I remember when I was young my Mom used to make soup – beef stew, with vegetables. That was pretty good. Sometimes when I was young on Sundays after dinner we’d get to have some home canned peaches – that was a pretty big deal.

Name one thing you could not live without.
Good exercise, good eats, and good family. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my family.

Multiple choice: tell us about…Your wedding day.
I was married on July 12, 1938 to Vivian Gossman. It was a hot summer day and we were married at St. Benedict’s in Decorah. Afterwards we went to the Green Parrot for dinner and then took a car ride down to the Mississippi River.

Your first job.
I started farming when I was young and then went to work for others. Times were really tough then and nobody had any money, but I found work on a farm – I made $22 and a half a month.

Your favorite memory.
I remember my first car – a 1929 Ford – it cost me about $12 a month to buy in 1935 and I paid it all off in a year. I also remember my first tractor, a 1944 Ford Fergusson. Our first home didn’t have a phone, well, it had a line to the place, but it went south from there to Spillville and everyone spoke Bohemian so there was no point in having it!

We also traveled to several places including Ireland, the Holy Land, and the Panama Canal. Those were fun trips.

Born on June 20, 1909 in Canoe Township near Decorah, Sylvester was one of 11 siblings, and began a career in farming early in life. After marrying Vivian Gossman in 1938, the Carolans had six children: Vernelle, Patrick, Kathleen, Gretchen, Dean, and Joan. Their family farmed in various places throughout rural Decorah including their farm just north of town near Coldwater creek. Sylvester is now a resident of the Barthell Order of the Eastern Star home in Decorah and will turn 100 on June 20! Drop him a line at the following address or stop by for a game of cards!

Sylvester T. Carolan
C/O Eastern Star Nursing Home
911 Ridgewood Drive
Decorah, IA  52101

The first memory I have of my grandpa is me sitting on his lap, in amazement, as he told me tall tales of how Pocahontas was his girlfriend, before he met Grandma of course! Still, even now, I can always count on my grandpa to make me laugh. I can sit and goof around with him like I would with my closest friends. He’s battled so many health issues and still he refuses to give into the bitterness of growing older. He continues to posses the spirit and determination of an adolescent!

Best Advice?
Watch your spending. Save your money.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always knew I would be a farmer. I really just went on what fate handed me.

What do/did you do?
I was a Farmer. We raised crops, hogs, and had a dairy farm. After I graduated High School in 1946 I went to school in Omaha for a year for electronics. Then I was drafted into the Army for 2 years. I went through 16 weeks of infantry training and then another 8 weeks of advanced infantry school. I took air-born training for three weeks then was stationed with the 82^nd air-born division in Fort, Bragg NC.

If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you want with you?
Water, food, and a sweet red-head! – my wife Arleen haha

If you could eat anything everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Date Pudding

Name one thing you could not live without?
It used to be fishing… some of my favorite memories are from trips to Northern Minnesota and Canada to fish. But now it would be the time that I get to spend and laugh with my grandkids

Mulitiple Choice…Wedding Day:
We got married at 8:30 in the morning! It had been a nice fall until that day and it was cold, rainy, and even snowed a little. It was October 6, 1953. We served dinner and supper then we had beer, whiskey, and pop for our guests. That night we had a dance at the Inwood with a country music band.

Tell us a little bit about your family life…
After the army, I came back to Northeast Iowa and Married my red-head sweetheart Arlene. We raised ten children together—6 girls and 4 boys. And we found out the girls were easier to raise than the boys! Both my wife Arlene and I came from a family of 10 so we couldn’t stop till we hit that magic number! I could write a book on all the crazy and funny things the kids have tried to get away with growing up!

What are some hardships you’ve faced in your life?
The worst thing that I ever happened to me was having open-heart surgery a couple weeks ago. They replaced my aorta valve. It’s been a hard time to overcome and recover. About 4 years ago I became one of the first people to use a stimulator for chest pain.

I went to school in Festina as a kid. In second grade my whole family came down with Scarlet Fever. We had to bring a nurse into the house to take care of us all. I will always remember how scary it was since I was just a little kid.

Interviewed by Eric Paulson, Hometown Taxi driver, who says Sandy is the most inspiring person he has ever met.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Keep on trying. Do your best!

What have been your greatest difficulties in life and how did you face them?
That happened during my high school years. I had 14 people in my class and they didn’t understand about my condition (cerebral palsy). So I got bullied and called some names. Thanks goodness that is behind me! I guess I just didn’t really that it was as bad as it was at the time.

What are you most proud of in your life?
Living life as normally as I can with cerebral palsy.

Can you tell us something about your husband and how you fell in love?
We met in 1958 at the Vocational Rehab in Des Moines. We went out own separate ways until spring of 1967 when we ran into each other again at “Camp Sunnyside.” I went with him six weeks and had an engagement ring that was a big surprise for me! The priest wouldn’t let us get married in June – he said that we needed more time to get to know each other. So he had to would come to Decorah or I would go to Des Moines so we could see each other. We were married in October of 1967.

What are you most looking forward to?
Nice springtime weather – warm and sunny after the last, hard winter we have had to live through.

What jobs have you held that brought you the most satisfaction?
I babysat for a living, which helped my husband and myself, as we were childless.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
A person who tries to do her best – a determined person.

Can you tell us about the greatest inspiration in your life?
My husband, Virgil Osler. He was hurt in a car accident while in the service and was able to accept his disability. This helped me accept my own disability.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Honesty. Don’t speak badly about others, and never say a “bad” word!

What did you want to be when you grew up?
After I graduated the eighth grade I lived with my parents until I was married. Both my parents passed away just a few years after that – I really just wanted to get married and raise a family of my own.

What are you most proud of in your life?
I’m a proud mother of 13 children – and all the grand and great-grand kids. I’m also a life long member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Ft. Atkinson.

What do/did you do?
We farmed – milked cows by hand for many years, gathered and sold eggs, raised and butchered chickens, gardened and canned vegetables, and sold raspberries and strawberries. I also sowed a lot, including clothing, bridesmaid dresses, etc. In more recent years I have crocheted baby caps – more than 50 – both for my grand kids and for others.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
A great bread maker.

If you could eat anything everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Anything rhubarb! Baking powder biscuits with rhubarb sauce, just like my mom used to make.

Multiple Choice: tell us about…. Your wedding day…
I was married on September 10, 1940 to Leo Hackman. We lived just a couple miles from each other and knew each other quite a while, although we went to different parishes. It was just sort of a given that we would get married. I don’t even really remember thinking about it. We were married early in the morning, and then all the neighbors and relatives came for dinner on the farm and stayed until supper.

Regina Cecelia Broghammer (nee Knox) Born at home “on Groundhog’s Day” (February 2), 1908 in Plymouth Rock Parish in Winneshiek County, Iowa. Regina is the eldest of nine children: eight girls and one boy. 1908 was the year of a devastating hailstorm that struck the area in June. “My parents were at the ‘Old Settlers’ Picnic’ in Burr Oak when the sky grew dark as night. We went home to put the chickens in the henhouse, and my folks left me in the baby buggy while they corralled the hens. The weather grew so bad, however, they decided to take me into the storm cellar. When we emerged a while later, my buggy was full of glass: the windows on the North and West sides of the house had shattered. They had to use horse blankets and scoop shovels to clean up the mess.”

What’s the best advice anyone every gave you?
“Don’t be afraid to give a little more than 100%.”  This is the advice Regina told her own children.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
“A teacher.” Regina’s mother was a teacher, and so were several of her Aunts.

What did you do?
“I taught in a one-room schoolhouse for three years, and then I worked at McNeil’s coat and suit store (now J. Tupy’s) for ten.” Her first school was in Burr Oak Township, the second at Lost Nation, now Willowglen Nursery. After their marriage, Regina and her husband, Leo, lived and worked on the Broghammer Century farm and raised two daughters, Barb and Mary. “Both girls graduated from St. Theresa’s College.  Barb earned a degree in Sociology and joined President Kennedy’s Peace Corps, spending two and a half years in Bolivia. Mary received her B.S. in nursing and was an R.N. first at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, and then at the University of Iowa Hospital while her husband was in graduate school there.”

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
“Food, water, and a short-wave radio.”

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“A good-quality beef pot roast cooked in a Dutch oven all day with vegetables.”

Name one thing you could not live without:
“Water.”

Describe your wedding day:
“My husband Leo and I got married on October 19th, 1940, at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Decorah. It was a gorgeous fall day. All the flowers were still in bloom, and we picked chrysanthemums, which are my favorite, for the altar.”  Regina met her husband dancing at Matter’s Ballroom. Their farm was located next to Matter’s, and Leo Broghammer was “the last one in the neighborhood to stop using his horses for planting corn.”

Memory of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic:
“I was about 9 or 10 years old. A local boy trained at Camp Dodge near Des Moines contracted influenza and was sent home. He spread the disease to his family, and two of his brothers died. I remember my mother putting food in a laundry basket and securing it to a sled. I pulled the sled to houses where people were sick, and my dad knocked on their windows to ask them if they needed anything and to let them know there was food outside for them.”

In your opinion, what is the biggest human accomplishment of your lifetime?
“Putting a man on the moon.”

I first met Marj when I moved next door to her in 2003. She brought over a gift basket brimming with delicious baked goods – the first of many home cooked treats she would share with us over the years. One of the first things I learned about Marj is that she loves moose! She has many moose collectibles in her home and yard. She is a cancer survivor – she was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2003, won the battle, and has been cancer free going on six years now. Marjorie was born in 1919 on her family farm eight miles east of Waukon. She has six children, 28 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. She has many hobbies and likes to share her knowledge of birds, butterflies, and moose, often giving presentations to various church groups and nursing homes in the area. Many a summer evening, when the nights are warm and her windows are open, I can hear the sweet melody of Marjorie playing hymns on her piano.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
I enjoy my friends, neighbors, and family. I love the beauty of nature.

Jody’s note: “Here I think Marj is being her usual modest and humble self. I would describe her as a generous spirit; always giving, always supporting. This is evident by the sheer numbers of people she calls “friends.” She has a strong faith, a resilient character, and I’ve never heard her say a bad word about anyone. There is always a car, or two, parked in her driveway for many people are drawn to visit and spend time with her. She’s a talented quilter, baker, and has crafted many keepsakes for her children and grandchildren. Most importantly, she understands the value of the simple things in life and many summer afternoons you can find her sitting in her backyard among her beautiful flower gardens watching the birds, squirrels, and butterflies.”

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Look for the good in people. Remember that love and friendship are the most important things in life.

How about the worst?
As a young woman I loved to shop, visit people, and attend church functions. I was told, “Your place is in the home.” I was devastated.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a Rural School Teacher. My mother wanted me to be a Nurse. She thought the rural schools weren’t good enough for me and that I should apply for a teaching job in the “Town School.”

What do/did you do?
Against my mother’s wishes, I became a Rural School Teacher and enjoyed it. I taught for four years until I was married.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A root beer float, a piano, and my Junior Choir singing with Esther Egge playing the piano.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sweet Soup! (A traditional Norwegian dessert made with prunes, apricots, raisins, tapioca and grape juice)

Name one thing you could not live without.
Besides my friends and family it would have to be my piano.

Tell us about…Your wedding day.
I married Earl Moe on June 9, 1943 at Old West Paint Creek Church. It was a beautiful day. The snowball trees, spirea, and peonies were in full bloom. Some of the relatives decorated the church with many beautiful flowers some of which adorned an arch. After the wedding we went to my parent’s home for the reception. We didn’t honeymoon until several years later when we visited my daughter in Bismarck, ND.

Your favorite memory.
At 89 having my grandson give me a helicopter ride and then my other grandson giving me a motorcycle ride! I look forward to a hot-air balloon ride when I’m 90!

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
It’s better to earn your own way through life than to expect other people to support you.

How about the worst?
I can’t really think of any bad advice I’ve received.  I suppose it was when Lester (my husband) told me how great the farm was.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was raised during the Depression years so I didn’t think about choosing a particular career; I was more concerned with finding any job where I could earn enough money to support myself.

What do/did you do?
I was a telephone operator in Watertown, SD (1947) and Tacoma, WA (1951); after that I was a stay-at-home mom and I worked on the farm (near Ossian, IA) with my husband, Lester.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A cell phone, a bag containing hair supplies (my hair rollers, comb, and hairspray), and a fishing rod.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
I tried to be the best helpmate that I could be to my husband and family in spite of not liking the farm life and I enjoy helping friends by doing babysitting and things like that.  I don’t know, it’s hard to describe yourself in just one sentence. What would you say about me?

Kristin: I would say that you are a very strong, intelligent, hard-working woman and that your faith, family, and a desire to help others are really important to you.  I know that this is cheating (because it’s more than one sentence) but I have to add that you are also a wonderful cook, that you have a great sense of humor, and that you are the best grandma a girl could ever have.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Seafood: scallops, shrimp, and lobster. I really started to like seafood when we lived in Tacoma, WA.

Name one thing you could not live without.
I can’t think of anything I couldn’t live without because we never know from day to day what’s going to be taken from us.

Tell us about… your wedding:
I was married at Decorah Lutheran Church on Dec. 15, 1950 in a terrible snowstorm with well-below zero weather.  It was a wedding that truly focused on our Christian faith and how important it is to both of us.  My mother, brother, and sister were able to come, though they got stuck in the snow on their way to Iowa because the roads were drifted…but they made it to the ceremony in time. Shortly after the wedding, Lester and I left for Tacoma, WA.  We lived in Tacoma for 2 years and then moved to the farm (near Ossian, IA) and lived there for 37 years.

Both Richard and Mildred (Nordheim) Dinger grew up in the Decorah area. Through grown up in the depression years in Northeast Iowa and having spent their lives here, they are a wealth of local information, history, and a joy to talk with. They were married July 18, 1941, at Big Canoe Church in rural Decorah and Richard served with the 445 Bombardment Group (H) based from Tibenham Field, Norfolk, England in WW II. (Richard was also part of the same division as actor Jimmy Stewart!) Mildred also started the Nisse Nursery school in Decorah where yours truly went to pre-school.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
RD: Be honest and willing to work. Think before you speak.

How about the worst?
RD: I once offered up too much of my opinion to a supervisor at the Railroad Express after submitting a damage report. It wasn’t pleasant. (see to question #1).

What did you want to be when you grew up?
RD: It was the depression years and nobody had any money, but I enjoyed delivering the paper and being a caddy at the Oneota Golf Course.

MD: Coming from those times, I wanted to study hard and receive my education.

What do/did you do?
RD: I started delivering the Des Moines Register in 6th grade and did that through my first year of College. I was also a caddy at the Oneota golf course in the ‘30s. I worked construction and then for the Railway Express and joined the service in December of 1943. When I returned in 1944 I went to work for G.F. Baker & Sons and then Construction Lumber Co. until I retired.

MD:  I worked for Dr. Field as a Dental Assistant when I was still in High School, and then went on to teach in the rural schools. I later worked at Luther College, and was then convinced to start the Nisse Nursery School where I taught pre-school. I also tutored kids in Decorah.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
RD: My wife, food, and water.

MD: And I’d want us to have potatoes!

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
RD & MD: Bread and Potatoes

Name one thing you could not live without.
Our conservative family values. We’re very proud of both of our children and our family.

Multiple choice: tell us about…Your favorite memory.
MD: The day Richard returned from overseas. I think that having him away for that time really showed me how important he was. (August 1944)

RD: After returning from service in 1944 Ernie Ask offered the opportunity to serve on the Winneshiek County Veterans Affairs Commission. I was the first WWII Veteran to do so, and I have served on the commission helping Veterans for over 50 years.

For more information on Richard Dinger’s Service in WWII, please visit: http://education.luther.edu/, and click on ‘World War II Oral History Projects’.

Dee Kuhlman, aged “it’s nobody’s business” but her own, loves to cook (and fancy at that), is incredibly organized, and has a wonderfully loving and happy spirit. Interviewed by Lorraine Borowski, long-time friend and Decorah Public Library Director.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I grew up during the depression – I had to help support my family, I didn’t have a choice. When I was 10 I said I could go out and work. My dad – previously a successful and wealthy businessman in Chicago – couldn’t stand the idea that I would be a working girl. Finally, he said, “You’re not going to work with your hands, you’re going to work with your head.”

What do/did you do?
At 15 I started working as a stenographer for Sears. I hated it. My friend was going to Europe for a year and said I could take her job working for the railroad while she was gone. I interviewed for a secretary job and they gave me a sheet to write out – I did good job on it and they said, “Okay, you’ll do.” I told them okay, great, but I want a job after my friend gets back too. I was the secretary to three railroad presidents, traveled all over the country – I had a very exciting life. I worked there from age 16 until I was married at age 31.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
I’d want a guy, and the three things he would have would be a good body, a good personality, and a real insight about the world.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
Weird and crazy.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Well I love to eat, if you can’t tell. Anything that tastes good. I love chicken. Oh, and anything terribly fancy and well-served.

Name one thing you could not live without.
Joy and the interesting people around me.

How did you meet your husband (the late Will Kuhlman)?
I was at a church function – that I didn’t really want to go to – and it was crowded. I had my hand on a banister and some man put his hand on mine, holding it. I said, “Excuse me, we’re you the one holding my hand? How dare you?” I wasn’t entranced, but he said he wanted to see me again. A good date’s a good date, so I went. And soon, there was something wrong with me: I was falling in love.

Multiple choice: tell us about… your wedding day.
We were engaged February 14 and married in May just months later. We knew he was supposed to be going overseas to the war. It was very simple – sweet church wedding. My whole office was there, and then there was a reception and dinner at the Carlton Hotel in Chicago.