Serena Horsager 3rd daughter of Harley Horsager
Two of my fondest memories of all actually both involve gymnastics—ironic, considering gymnastics was not a sport I particularly excelled in!
The earlier memory was of my Grama “Del” (Grandma Adele). I remember Maia and I using her walker as a jungle gym. We would spin around the handles and crossbars impressing her with our gymnastic talents! We sure loved to show off and she was such a wonderful audience!
The other memory of gymnastics was, of course, in the kid friendly basement at Blaine and Audrey’s! Oh the blisters and calices from their gymnastic bar (or pipe between pillars). I can recall many “routines” put together by Jenny, Naomi, Bridget, Maia and I. It sure was a sad day when we realized we would never again be better than the talented Bridget!
Denis Horsager...second son of Blaine. My memories of Berlin are bicycle races down Main street, birthday parties with Karen and Grandma, Pinochle on the bus ride to Edgeley. Going hunting with an older brother,moving buildings with a younger brother (be careful with the timbers on the hoist truck, Gary) driving around in the big red gas truck during the summer months (thanks for that memory, Derry) mudball fights under the loading dock by the bulk station (bloody nose and all) hoeing and pulling weeds in our 100 acre garden, playing baseball for a really great coach (we'll forget about the time I had to ump for a younger team) mowing the baseball field for games or the 4th of July celebrations. Tubing through the old culvert when the creek was high moving our "big house" into Berlin--- moving our "big house" out of Berlin and into Edgeley.Most of all Berlin was a great place to grow up with the love of friends and family. Denis
Harley Horsager fourth son of John Horsager
I am not really a grandchild of John Horsager, however I was young enough to feel like it. All my older siblings seemed like parents to me. I would like to tell you some of what I remember about the summers on the lookout tower with Hazel and Buddy.
First I will tell you about the nights of the bear. The first night was a calm night and Bryan and I slept in the tent under the lookout tower. In the morning Bryan said he thought he heard a bear out side the tent in the night. Buddy said “it was probably a porcupine”. The next night was a stormy night and we slept up in the lookout tower with Hazel and Buddy. In the morning we looked out of the tower down at the tent. There was a big gash in the tent and one of our duffel bags was torn and on the ground. Obviously a bear had been looking for food.
The next night we obviously didn't sleep in the tent. It was a calm night but the people were not calm. Henry set the alarm for 4 a.m.. He had his shotgun ready with bird.shot. Sure enough the bear came around again. Henry shot him in the rear end and he really made noise. We always joked that he was probably still running!
The following day Buddy built a wooden structure around the tent so we would be protected. We call it our “bear-a-caid”!
I also remember the chipmunks I tamed. We nicknamed them Tom, Dick, and Harry. We had lots of time so I would sit very still and the chipmunks would come to me and I would feed them peanuts out of my hand. I even got Dick to eat honey out of a spoon.
I remember walking down to the Creek to get drinking water. It was only one fourth mile but it seemed like about 20. I worried about bears but I am sure they were more afraid than we were.
There were many more memories however I won't bore you with them.
What I' remember most is how good Hazel and Buddy were to us. Those summers were as close to heaven as I can imagine.
I am not really a grandchild of John Horsager, however I was young enough to feel like it. All my older siblings seemed like parents to me. I would like to tell you some of what I remember about the summers on the lookout tower with Hazel and Buddy.
First I will tell you about the nights of the bear. The first night was a calm night and Bryan and I slept in the tent under the lookout tower. In the morning Bryan said he thought he heard a bear out side the tent in the night. Buddy said “it was probably a porcupine”. The next night was a stormy night and we slept up in the lookout tower with Hazel and Buddy. In the morning we looked out of the tower down at the tent. There was a big gash in the tent and one of our duffel bags was torn and on the ground. Obviously a bear had been looking for food.
The next night we obviously didn't sleep in the tent. It was a calm night but the people were not calm. Henry set the alarm for 4 a.m.. He had his shotgun ready with bird.shot. Sure enough the bear came around again. Henry shot him in the rear end and he really made noise. We always joked that he was probably still running!
The following day Buddy built a wooden structure around the tent so we would be protected. We call it our “bear-a-caid”!
I also remember the chipmunks I tamed. We nicknamed them Tom, Dick, and Harry. We had lots of time so I would sit very still and the chipmunks would come to me and I would feed them peanuts out of my hand. I even got Dick to eat honey out of a spoon.
I remember walking down to the Creek to get drinking water. It was only one fourth mile but it seemed like about 20. I worried about bears but I am sure they were more afraid than we were.
There were many more memories however I won't bore you with them.
What I' remember most is how good Hazel and Buddy were to us. Those summers were as close to heaven as I can imagine.
Gary Horsager third son of Blaine Horsager
Well let me start out by saying i have always felt very blessed for having grown up in Berlin. The small town life has been very good for me.
I think the earliest memoires that i have are of holidays spent down at grandma's house,all the kids and parents always managed to squeeze into that little house. Harley and Bryan always seemed to have something to keep all of the grand kids occupied with,like the fake can of peanuts with the spring in it or the hand crank generator that you held onto to see who was the toughest .
I also remember the whips the uncles had and they were very good with them they could wrap them around you and never leave any marks or whip the leaves off the branches or maybe a crabapple or two. Speaking of crabapples the jellies and jams that mom and grandma made were out of this world with flavor.
One of the most exciting times in the town had to have been the last weekend in June when Berlin legion put on the fourth of July celebration.We would spend most of the day setting up and then try to find the best place to watch the fireworks from. The line of cars leaving town at night was like a parade itself with everyone in a hurry to go home.
Going to school in Berlin was special for the first two years I was the only boy in the class but from the third grade on there were two of us and six girls. Our school only had one major sport to participate in and that was basketball and believe it or not we were pretty good . But when spring rolled around the bats and gloves came out and many a game was played in the school yard. We did have a babe ruth team that played on Sundays and even came close to going to state one year.
Well enough of sports some highligths of my youth that bring back fond memories are learning to ride my bike with the help of my father who got me started going down the hill south of our house then he let go like all fathers have to do sooner or later so I promptly drove starightdown the hill and across the intersecting road then into the ditch. Where I then crashed.
But I was hooked on riding by then so I kept at it until I could go it alone and life has never been the same.
Then came the day when it was my turn for the big stepup to driving the hoist truck around the block rack to load up the equipment needed for dads next moving job. I was pretty thrilled with the aspect of this new adventure, of course with this new talent came more responsibilty and before i know it i was my dads right hand man on all his moving jobs for the rest of my summers from the 7th grade throught my senior year in high school. Thank goodness he finally sold the outfit the week before i went to college. But i will always cherish those days i really came to know my dad in those years. I must also say that my older brother Denis and i did move acouple of jobs by our self although the boss had to come and see how we were doing!!!!!!!
In the days before i was working for dad it seems that our biggest concern for the day was to find enough employment to be able to buy our coke and bag of peanuts. We would usually find work at the elevator. We could sweep out the driveway,or board up some box cars,unload fertilizer and a number of things. Butalot of days was still spent just hanging around town shooting B-B guns at bottles and cans at the dumpground or football up at young's house in the back yard.Then there were a few hikes out to the gravel pit in youngs pasture to try and snare some gophers,
I'm sure i could come up with a few more memories but it took alot of thinking to get this far I'll save the rest for later.
Well let me start out by saying i have always felt very blessed for having grown up in Berlin. The small town life has been very good for me.
I think the earliest memoires that i have are of holidays spent down at grandma's house,all the kids and parents always managed to squeeze into that little house. Harley and Bryan always seemed to have something to keep all of the grand kids occupied with,like the fake can of peanuts with the spring in it or the hand crank generator that you held onto to see who was the toughest .
I also remember the whips the uncles had and they were very good with them they could wrap them around you and never leave any marks or whip the leaves off the branches or maybe a crabapple or two. Speaking of crabapples the jellies and jams that mom and grandma made were out of this world with flavor.
One of the most exciting times in the town had to have been the last weekend in June when Berlin legion put on the fourth of July celebration.We would spend most of the day setting up and then try to find the best place to watch the fireworks from. The line of cars leaving town at night was like a parade itself with everyone in a hurry to go home.
Going to school in Berlin was special for the first two years I was the only boy in the class but from the third grade on there were two of us and six girls. Our school only had one major sport to participate in and that was basketball and believe it or not we were pretty good . But when spring rolled around the bats and gloves came out and many a game was played in the school yard. We did have a babe ruth team that played on Sundays and even came close to going to state one year.
Well enough of sports some highligths of my youth that bring back fond memories are learning to ride my bike with the help of my father who got me started going down the hill south of our house then he let go like all fathers have to do sooner or later so I promptly drove starightdown the hill and across the intersecting road then into the ditch. Where I then crashed.
But I was hooked on riding by then so I kept at it until I could go it alone and life has never been the same.
Then came the day when it was my turn for the big stepup to driving the hoist truck around the block rack to load up the equipment needed for dads next moving job. I was pretty thrilled with the aspect of this new adventure, of course with this new talent came more responsibilty and before i know it i was my dads right hand man on all his moving jobs for the rest of my summers from the 7th grade throught my senior year in high school. Thank goodness he finally sold the outfit the week before i went to college. But i will always cherish those days i really came to know my dad in those years. I must also say that my older brother Denis and i did move acouple of jobs by our self although the boss had to come and see how we were doing!!!!!!!
In the days before i was working for dad it seems that our biggest concern for the day was to find enough employment to be able to buy our coke and bag of peanuts. We would usually find work at the elevator. We could sweep out the driveway,or board up some box cars,unload fertilizer and a number of things. Butalot of days was still spent just hanging around town shooting B-B guns at bottles and cans at the dumpground or football up at young's house in the back yard.Then there were a few hikes out to the gravel pit in youngs pasture to try and snare some gophers,
I'm sure i could come up with a few more memories but it took alot of thinking to get this far I'll save the rest for later.
Alan Horsager First son of Blaine Horsager
THIS MAY BE ONE SENTENCE AS I TEND TO RUN ON ALL THE TIME.
WHAT I REMEMBER MOST ABOUT BERLIN WITH FOND MEMORIES IS HAVING A MOTHER AND FATHER THAT CARED ABOUT ME AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND WANTED THE BEST THEY COULD PROVIDE FOR US.
THE THREE WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE GROWING UP IN BERLIN ARE FREEDOM, FUN, AND SPECIAL DAYS.
THE FREEDOM WAS TO BE ABLE TO GO ANYWHERE IN TOWN AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY THAT A STRANGER WAS GOING TO KIDNAP YOU.
THE FUN WAS IN HAVING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES YOUR AGE TO DO THE THINGS YOU WANTED TO DO WITH FRIENDS.
THE SPECIAL DAYS WERE JUST THAT, SPECIAL DAYS.
SPECIAL DAYS WERE BIRTHDAYS WHEN FRIENDS AND RELAITVE BROUGHT YOU
BIRTHDAY CARDS WITH SHINE PENNYS, NICKELS AND DIMES EQUAL TO YOUR AGE TAPED INSIDE. THE NEXT DAY WAS SPECIAL ALSO AS I WALKED DOWN TO MATTS
GROCERY STORE TO DECIDE IF I WOULD SPEND MY MONEY ON 5-CENT SNICKER BARS, OR 3-CENT CARAMEL BARS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS.
SPECIAL DAYS WERE CHRISTMAS AT GRANDMA ADELES HOUSE, COLLECTING EGGS WITH AUNT LILL, WALKING ACROSS THE STREET TO THE WEEKLY BASEBALL GAME,
GOING TO THE 4th OF JULY FIREWORKS, WHICH I WAS SURE THAT EVERYONE IN NDAK WAS GOING TO BE IN BERLIN FOR, MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES AT THE GYM WITH THE MARCH UP TO THE BALL DIAMOND TO THE 21-GUN SALUTE, HAVING A POP IN THE WINDOW OF UNCLE GLENNS GAS STATION, WATCHING THE BLACKSMITH HEAT AND SHAPE AND GRIND PLOWSHARES, PUTTING PENNIES AND NAILS ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS, PLAYING BALL OR PRACTICING HOW TO HIT YOURSELF IN THE BACK OF YOUR LEG WITH A WHIP WITH UNCLES HARLEY AND BRIAN, WATCH UNCLE JACK PLAY POOL OR THE SCHOKMAN AND LACINAS PLAY CARDS, GROWING UP IN BERLIN WAS JUST A BUNCH OF SPECIAL DAYS. HOPE YOUR HAVING A SPECIAL DAY.
THIS MAY BE ONE SENTENCE AS I TEND TO RUN ON ALL THE TIME.
WHAT I REMEMBER MOST ABOUT BERLIN WITH FOND MEMORIES IS HAVING A MOTHER AND FATHER THAT CARED ABOUT ME AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND WANTED THE BEST THEY COULD PROVIDE FOR US.
THE THREE WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE GROWING UP IN BERLIN ARE FREEDOM, FUN, AND SPECIAL DAYS.
THE FREEDOM WAS TO BE ABLE TO GO ANYWHERE IN TOWN AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY THAT A STRANGER WAS GOING TO KIDNAP YOU.
THE FUN WAS IN HAVING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES YOUR AGE TO DO THE THINGS YOU WANTED TO DO WITH FRIENDS.
THE SPECIAL DAYS WERE JUST THAT, SPECIAL DAYS.
SPECIAL DAYS WERE BIRTHDAYS WHEN FRIENDS AND RELAITVE BROUGHT YOU
BIRTHDAY CARDS WITH SHINE PENNYS, NICKELS AND DIMES EQUAL TO YOUR AGE TAPED INSIDE. THE NEXT DAY WAS SPECIAL ALSO AS I WALKED DOWN TO MATTS
GROCERY STORE TO DECIDE IF I WOULD SPEND MY MONEY ON 5-CENT SNICKER BARS, OR 3-CENT CARAMEL BARS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS.
SPECIAL DAYS WERE CHRISTMAS AT GRANDMA ADELES HOUSE, COLLECTING EGGS WITH AUNT LILL, WALKING ACROSS THE STREET TO THE WEEKLY BASEBALL GAME,
GOING TO THE 4th OF JULY FIREWORKS, WHICH I WAS SURE THAT EVERYONE IN NDAK WAS GOING TO BE IN BERLIN FOR, MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES AT THE GYM WITH THE MARCH UP TO THE BALL DIAMOND TO THE 21-GUN SALUTE, HAVING A POP IN THE WINDOW OF UNCLE GLENNS GAS STATION, WATCHING THE BLACKSMITH HEAT AND SHAPE AND GRIND PLOWSHARES, PUTTING PENNIES AND NAILS ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS, PLAYING BALL OR PRACTICING HOW TO HIT YOURSELF IN THE BACK OF YOUR LEG WITH A WHIP WITH UNCLES HARLEY AND BRIAN, WATCH UNCLE JACK PLAY POOL OR THE SCHOKMAN AND LACINAS PLAY CARDS, GROWING UP IN BERLIN WAS JUST A BUNCH OF SPECIAL DAYS. HOPE YOUR HAVING A SPECIAL DAY.
David Fitzgerald 4th son of Miles
Memories of pets we had growing up
David Fitzgerald
4th son of Miles
Growing up in a rural area, we were able to have numerous pets. Although we rode our horses, they were often more like pets as well. My horse was named Sugar. She was a true pet, as she never grew quite large enough to be ridden. She had a dappled gray coat and we often played more like she was a dog than a horse. I would run down the field trail and she would chase behind. Once I stumbled and fell during such a chase. I thought I was going to get trampled. However, Sugar planted her front hooves and stopped on a dime, inches from my fallen form. Once, when our parents were away for the day, us kids thought it would be great fun to bring Sugar into the house. We did, in fact, and took a picture of her for posterity. Mocha was also a good horse. He was our first. I learned to ride him with no halter, bridle, or saddle. It was scary at first, but with my father and family there watching, I summoned up the courage to ride him. He just went around our back field and came back. After I became more experienced, Mocha would come up near the house, where I could climb on his back via a nearby fence. He would take me down to our apple tree, where we both would feast on delicious apples. I recall we have a home movie of me riding Mocha down to the apple tree, and a bushel of red apples freshly picked. My first dog, although they were actually everyone's, was named Muggy Dew. Before I was old enough to go to school, Muggy Dew would accompany me to the top of a hill, from where I could see the school bus coming home. Then I could see my older siblings get off the bus and meet then at the bottom of our driveway. Another dog we had was named Kirby. My mom said he was a coon hound. I thought he looked like a black lab mix. She probably thought coon hound because of how he howled. You could honk the car horn or play a harmonica and he would begin his attempt at harmonization. He would also play tug of war with you using a stick. It was funny to play tug of war and then honk the car horn to listen to his attempts to howl while remaining clamped on the stick. Kirby was great. We have a cool picture of him with a full cob of dried field corn in his mouth. Our dog named Little was perhaps our sweetest dog. She was a collie mix who loyally lived on our house porch. She was a very relaxed little dog. Once, for fun, I gathered up a pile of lawn grass clippings and piled them all over Little as she lay relaxing on the lawn. Luckily she cooperated, and I was able to get my camera and take a picture of her in that state, with only her head exposed. We also had several thousand cats. That's an exaggeration, but not by much. I found Firecracker running free at a nearby mall, so we adopted him. He would sit on my shoulder as I went for walks through our fields. One cat was named "Lack of Cat," due to its apparent lack of any skeletal structure. It was a laid back sort of cat. This is just the tip of the pet iceberg. I am glad for the pets we had growing up and thankful our parents allowed it.
THE END
David Fitzgerald
4th son of Miles
Growing up in a rural area, we were able to have numerous pets. Although we rode our horses, they were often more like pets as well. My horse was named Sugar. She was a true pet, as she never grew quite large enough to be ridden. She had a dappled gray coat and we often played more like she was a dog than a horse. I would run down the field trail and she would chase behind. Once I stumbled and fell during such a chase. I thought I was going to get trampled. However, Sugar planted her front hooves and stopped on a dime, inches from my fallen form. Once, when our parents were away for the day, us kids thought it would be great fun to bring Sugar into the house. We did, in fact, and took a picture of her for posterity. Mocha was also a good horse. He was our first. I learned to ride him with no halter, bridle, or saddle. It was scary at first, but with my father and family there watching, I summoned up the courage to ride him. He just went around our back field and came back. After I became more experienced, Mocha would come up near the house, where I could climb on his back via a nearby fence. He would take me down to our apple tree, where we both would feast on delicious apples. I recall we have a home movie of me riding Mocha down to the apple tree, and a bushel of red apples freshly picked. My first dog, although they were actually everyone's, was named Muggy Dew. Before I was old enough to go to school, Muggy Dew would accompany me to the top of a hill, from where I could see the school bus coming home. Then I could see my older siblings get off the bus and meet then at the bottom of our driveway. Another dog we had was named Kirby. My mom said he was a coon hound. I thought he looked like a black lab mix. She probably thought coon hound because of how he howled. You could honk the car horn or play a harmonica and he would begin his attempt at harmonization. He would also play tug of war with you using a stick. It was funny to play tug of war and then honk the car horn to listen to his attempts to howl while remaining clamped on the stick. Kirby was great. We have a cool picture of him with a full cob of dried field corn in his mouth. Our dog named Little was perhaps our sweetest dog. She was a collie mix who loyally lived on our house porch. She was a very relaxed little dog. Once, for fun, I gathered up a pile of lawn grass clippings and piled them all over Little as she lay relaxing on the lawn. Luckily she cooperated, and I was able to get my camera and take a picture of her in that state, with only her head exposed. We also had several thousand cats. That's an exaggeration, but not by much. I found Firecracker running free at a nearby mall, so we adopted him. He would sit on my shoulder as I went for walks through our fields. One cat was named "Lack of Cat," due to its apparent lack of any skeletal structure. It was a laid back sort of cat. This is just the tip of the pet iceberg. I am glad for the pets we had growing up and thankful our parents allowed it.
THE END
Kim Scott
(Oldest daughter of Harley Horsager)
It took me a while to get started on this, but once I did the memories started flowing!
Most of these memories are all linked to Grandma (Adele) Horsager. I have so many happy memories of time I spent with her. I loved her tremendously and always looked forward to spending time with her.
I remember staying in her house in Berlin. The floors were slanted, the basement was scary with the dirt floors, there were beautiful lilacs surrounding her yard and there were always yummy cookies and cinnamon rolls when we arrived.
Visiting her in the post office was always fun! She’d let me help her sort the mail and take down the flag.
I remember Grandma’s trailer in Edgeley and finally being old enough to get to spend a week with her during the summer without my parents. She would let my sister Julie and I bike to the Tasty Freeze to pick up fried chicken for dinner. I learned to eat oatmeal with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and I first watched soap operas! Although I rarely have time to watch them now, I am still true to CBS soaps as she was.
Grandma would always let me sit on her lap for hours and we would giggle about the silliest things. She could always make me laugh! She would write me letters and I would recognize her shaky handwriting anywhere. Nothing would brighten my day more than getting a letter in the mail from her.
One highlight of going to Grandma’s was getting to see my cousins (actually the children of my cousins) at Blaine and Audrey’s house. I loved their huge house and playing in the basement was always a fun time. Beth (daughter of Alan Horsager) and Jonathon (son of Dennis Horsager) would often come to Edgeley when we were there, and we would play for days.
I remember helping Aunt Audrey in the garden, making lefse and cinnamon rolls and canning pickles. One day Uncle Blaine took me with him on the gas truck. I thought I was big stuff helping him steer the truck and pump gas!
Thanksgiving dinners and Blaine and Audrey’s were always a special time. The table was long; there was plenty of fabulous food and many wonderful relatives that I sometimes only saw once a year.
One summer we decided to drive to Idaho to visit Uncle Bryan and his family at the lake. We took Grandma with us as we headed west. One of our first stops was at Helen and Elmers where Elmer promptly insisted that we take his car as he did not want Grandma traveling all that way in what I remember him calling our “tin can”! We also stopped at Hazel and Buddy’s. I remember hiking to pick berries so Hazel could make my Dad’s favorite pie, and hearing them talk about look out tours where my dad spent many summers. Once we got to the lake and set up camp I remember all the fun we had with Mark, Jeff and Alan. I learned to water ski that trip although I think it me 15 times to get up on the skis.
Another family vacation with Bryan, Kathy and their boys was to the Boundary Waters in northern MN after Dad married Diane. I remember that we had 3 canoes, one for Bryan, Kathy and Alan, one for Dad, Diane and Julie, and the third was for Mark, Jeff and I. After our first portage, I remember that we quickly decided it was much easier for our canoe (Mark, Jeff and I) to be way ahead of the others. That way we could avoid all the lessons and guidance Uncle Bryan wanted to share with us. I’m sure we could have learned something but I believe we were 13, 14 and 15 so you know how that goes. We had so much fun trying to outsmart our parents and get there faster and better than they did.
My trip down memory lane this evening has been fun! I am thankful to have such fond memories of my family.
(Oldest daughter of Harley Horsager)
It took me a while to get started on this, but once I did the memories started flowing!
Most of these memories are all linked to Grandma (Adele) Horsager. I have so many happy memories of time I spent with her. I loved her tremendously and always looked forward to spending time with her.
I remember staying in her house in Berlin. The floors were slanted, the basement was scary with the dirt floors, there were beautiful lilacs surrounding her yard and there were always yummy cookies and cinnamon rolls when we arrived.
Visiting her in the post office was always fun! She’d let me help her sort the mail and take down the flag.
I remember Grandma’s trailer in Edgeley and finally being old enough to get to spend a week with her during the summer without my parents. She would let my sister Julie and I bike to the Tasty Freeze to pick up fried chicken for dinner. I learned to eat oatmeal with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and I first watched soap operas! Although I rarely have time to watch them now, I am still true to CBS soaps as she was.
Grandma would always let me sit on her lap for hours and we would giggle about the silliest things. She could always make me laugh! She would write me letters and I would recognize her shaky handwriting anywhere. Nothing would brighten my day more than getting a letter in the mail from her.
One highlight of going to Grandma’s was getting to see my cousins (actually the children of my cousins) at Blaine and Audrey’s house. I loved their huge house and playing in the basement was always a fun time. Beth (daughter of Alan Horsager) and Jonathon (son of Dennis Horsager) would often come to Edgeley when we were there, and we would play for days.
I remember helping Aunt Audrey in the garden, making lefse and cinnamon rolls and canning pickles. One day Uncle Blaine took me with him on the gas truck. I thought I was big stuff helping him steer the truck and pump gas!
Thanksgiving dinners and Blaine and Audrey’s were always a special time. The table was long; there was plenty of fabulous food and many wonderful relatives that I sometimes only saw once a year.
One summer we decided to drive to Idaho to visit Uncle Bryan and his family at the lake. We took Grandma with us as we headed west. One of our first stops was at Helen and Elmers where Elmer promptly insisted that we take his car as he did not want Grandma traveling all that way in what I remember him calling our “tin can”! We also stopped at Hazel and Buddy’s. I remember hiking to pick berries so Hazel could make my Dad’s favorite pie, and hearing them talk about look out tours where my dad spent many summers. Once we got to the lake and set up camp I remember all the fun we had with Mark, Jeff and Alan. I learned to water ski that trip although I think it me 15 times to get up on the skis.
Another family vacation with Bryan, Kathy and their boys was to the Boundary Waters in northern MN after Dad married Diane. I remember that we had 3 canoes, one for Bryan, Kathy and Alan, one for Dad, Diane and Julie, and the third was for Mark, Jeff and I. After our first portage, I remember that we quickly decided it was much easier for our canoe (Mark, Jeff and I) to be way ahead of the others. That way we could avoid all the lessons and guidance Uncle Bryan wanted to share with us. I’m sure we could have learned something but I believe we were 13, 14 and 15 so you know how that goes. We had so much fun trying to outsmart our parents and get there faster and better than they did.
My trip down memory lane this evening has been fun! I am thankful to have such fond memories of my family.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)