Archive for July, 2009

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Work, Work, and Work! Treat everyone good and they will treat you good.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A businessman, so I could make money and have my own business.

What do/did you do?
I started working for the Independence Produce Company in the 1939 and ran the Decorah branch for many years until I purchased it in 1958. I was the owner and operator of Wapsie Produce for 40 years, which is now a third generation family business run by my sons Marc and Paul and grandson Craig. We are the largest producer of capons in the United States and most likely the world.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
Food, water, and scotch!

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
Intelligent, friendly, and I can get along with almost anyone.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I love seafood- gulf shrimp, lobster, fresh-caught fish.

Name one thing you could not live without.
Food. (Benji says the memories of friends, family, fishing trips, and Florida time.)

Multiple choice: tell us about…Your wedding day.
Eleanor Field and I were married April 12, 1941 in Iowa City, Iowa. We were married 65 years and had four children; Carol (Hageman), Marc, Paul, Diane (Sondergard).

B.)Your favorite memory.
My many fishing trips to both Ignace, Ontario with the gang, and to Ft. Meyers Beach, Florida where Eleanor and I had a winter home for many years. My dock and the backwaters in Florida were exceptional fishing spots that friends, family, and guests enjoyed as well. (Benji adds favorite memories of catching sugar trout, witnessing giant snook battles, and feeding George the blue heron off the Florida dock, as well as trout fishing at north and south bear.)

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
The best advice anyone ever gave me was when I was about 22 years old. I went to Sioux City and purchased a silver fox fur. When I got home with it, my father asked me how I had paid for it. I told him I planned to pay for it in installments. He told me to take it back and only purchase it when I had enough money to pay for it outright. This is advice young people today really benefit from hearing.

How about the worst?
When I was 50 years old someone told me to start smoking. I smoked for about 30 years.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a pharmacist. I had a friend whose sister was a pharmacist.

What do/did you do?
My folks didn’t think it was a good idea for me to be a pharmacist. There were not a lot of women pharmacists at the time. Instead, I decided to pursue teaching. I attended Clarke College in Dubuque and Iowa State Teachers College (UNI) in Cedar Falls. I taught for about six years in Plymouth County and about four years in Remsen, Iowa. In 1932, I married a pharmacist. After moving a few times to follow his job, we finally decided to start our own drugstore in Ossian, Iowa. We ran a drugstore in Ossian until 1963 when we closed it.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
I would want my hairbrush, my toothbrush and my rosary with me. These are the things I use and need most in my life.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
I’m not sure what words I would use to describe myself. Other people have described me as strong, classy, spiritual, and easy to get along with.

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

Name one thing you could not live without.
My family is something that I could not live without. I have three daughters, 16 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren and nine great, great grandchildren. I enjoy spending time with them.

Multiple choice: tell us about…Your wedding day.
I met my husband, Cliff Wallmark, on a trip to Sycamore, Illinois while visiting a college friend of mine. We were married June 15, 1932. I was 25 years old. We were just coming out of the Depression. We were married on a Wednesday morning. Homegrown flowers decorated the altar. We entered the church in pairs. First, the maid of honor and the groom. Then my two bridesmaids, followed by me and the best man.  Following the ceremony my parents hosted a wedding breakfast in our honor. It was mostly immediate family in attendance. It was very different compared to weddings today.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Just be myself.

How about the worst?
When they took my car keys away.  I had already decided to give up driving, but…

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A nurse. I finished the 8th grade. I lived in a log house and went to a log school.

What do/did you do?
I had several jobs. Worked at the Greenhouse for 14 years, worked in the textile building at the fair, cleaned at the firestation and cleaned at Vesterheim for 18 years (I happen to know that Agnes did more than just clean at Vesterheim. Through the museum she met the king of Norway, Maria Von Trapp, and the Princess of Iceland. Plus she raised 3 children.)

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
I would like to have a box of books and of course food and water. I am now retired and have time to read but cannot read very well due to my eyesight.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
I used to be tall and skinny, does that say what I am now?

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

Lemon pie. (I had tried to answer these questions before asking Agnes to see how close I would come to her answers, I knew this would be pie and place of choice for pie: Family Table).

Name one thing you could not live without.
Family and friends (although that’s more than one thing). My family and friends are what have kept me at home. I want to stay at home. Tom Cat, my cat. (Tom and Agnes have a special relationship – when Agnes was quite ill Tom layed next to her and put his paw on her cheek. She did end up in the hospital but recovered to return to Tom).

Multiple choice: tell us about…Your first job.
The Greenhouse. I was asked if I wanted to have a job outside the home by someone at the Greenhouse. I thought about it for about a month then went down to the Greenhouse, they hired me right on the spot. I worked there for 14 years. I made wreathes at Christmas time. I could make over 70 in a day. There was one little boy who would come every day to see how many I had made. He would just walk in past everyone and come straight to me, just checking up on me. I raced the owner one day, he was faster than I was but when I held up his wreath it had so many holes in it. (Agnes has many memories from the Greenhouse including a teacher who died on a fieldtrip and a boy who came in frequently to get a gumball but always asked for a penny as he rarely had his own.)

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
I have two: (1) Nothing will happen unless you make it happen (this was from my brother, Richard–he ended up being a millionaire). (2) When your expenses are greater than your income, don’t cut down on your expenses, increase your income (this was from a gangster who hung out in one of the bars on the corner of California St. & Hyde St in San Francisco–I don’t know how he ended up).

How about the worst?
Try snowboarding.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
In high school my teacher, Hazel Brazelton (who years later became my stepmother) asked me that question. I said I wanted to be like my father (he owned Hunt’s Variety Store in Decorah) and own my own business.

What do/did you do?
In a nutshell, I went to Coe College for about 1½ years on an athletic scholarship (I majored in football and track) , enlisted in the US Navy and was on submarines for the majority of my service, worked in various jobs until I purchased Hunt’s Variety (the business and the building) from my father in 1950, closed the business in 1970 and sold the building to Community 1st Bank, was Park-Rec. Director from 1970 to 1980, retired in 1981, have been a factory rep for park and playground equipment along with being a ski instructor since, am in the process of publishing my first and only book “We Were Pirates” about my time served in the navy during WWII.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A bottle of whiskey, some mixed nuts, and possibly a beautiful blonde to keep me company.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
Stubborn, adventurous, a talker, and sometimes crotchety.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A hot fudge sundae (with a pina colada chaser)

Name one thing you could not live without.
People

Multiple choice: tell us about… Your wedding day.
My brother (and best man) borrowed my car to go fishing that day–needless to say he was late and kept my wife to be, Barb, and her bridesmaid waiting for their ride (us).

It was a mad dash to get to the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. where we said our “I dos” rather hastily, rang the bell, and went on our “married” way.

Your first job:
Salesman and truck driver for Coca Cola in Decorah

Your Favorite Memory:
Serving on a submarine during WWII in the Pacific