Seeking old Roundup Gang photos

Back in 2008 we wrote a story about Mom's famous neighbor at her assisted living facility in Alexandria. Ardis Wells lives down the hall from Mom, and from time to time we get inquiries about Ardis. We've only interviewed her once, but she's a cool lady and we're happy to pass on this inquiry from today's mailbag. Can you help Elizabeth?

Ardis Wells

Hi. I came across your blog today at Rolfsruds & Friends. I was searching “Jimmy and Ardis Wells and The Roundup Gang (Jimmy’s band). My father (actually step father but dad to me) played the steel guitar in the band. Ardis Wells attended my Dad’s 70th birthday (he is now 84). Dad lives in Brooklyn Park MN.

I have a B&W photo that my brother snagged off the internet of the band but we would love to find more photos. This morning my brother was able to buy a nice photo off of Ebay of The Roundup Gang. My dad used to have the same photo hanging up in his home. He also played steel guitar for other bands and big name country singers. (You might check out the songs “Careless Fool” and “Cry Baby Cry” by Dave Dudley on Youtube…my dad played steel guitar for both songs, and played for some other bigger names like Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Rex Allen, and we think he may have even played early on with the Everly Bros before they became a big name but we are not sure, still trying to confirm this.)

When you met Ardis in Alexandria, did you happen to acquire any photos of her with The Roundup Gang? I saw the pic in the video on your blog but she appears with only women. Jimmy Wells and my dad were in the band but not in that particular picture. We are wanting to find pictures of the band that include both Jimmy and my Dad.

Thank you very much.

Elizabeth Auppl
Owatonna MN

(Laskowski is my dad’s last name.)

Back to Wisconsin

After an interesting conversation this morning about geological formations in the Baraboo, Wisconsin area (vast portions have never been glaciated, making the massive rocks in the area some of the oldest exposed formations in the world) our house guest was on the road again, back home to Fox Lake. We enjoyed hosting Sharon, the wildlife biologist, and wish her all the best. Should be a good day for travel, cool temps and overcast skies.

Devils Lake in the Baraboo Hills near Fox Lake. (Photo from Google Images)

Fashion show tonight. . .

New job,
New doo --

She has beautiful curls, naturally. So, for a new look, they get straightened.

New threads, too.

 
Jennifer has a new job in Northfield. Tonight we were treated to an impromptu fashion show, because when you get a new job, you need a new hairdo and some new clothes. Our house guest, Sharon, (below -- back from a day of work in Minnetonka) joined us in approving the new wardrobe, a couple of favorite ensemble are shown here.
(New shoes, too, naturally.)

Working girls.

Little-known factoid:
Jennifer is a 1984 graduate of
the prestigious John Casablanca Modeling School of Edina.
No kidding.

Happy Birthday, Hai!

He's hard at it again today, you can be sure, keeping the newspapers up and running, and we hope he has a really great day. Happy Birthday to our son.

Our company's here!

It was a perfect evening for sitting on the porch tonight, cool, quiet, low humidity, watching the twilight fall. A perfect evening for getting to know wildlife biologist Sharon Reilly, who will be staying with us for three days. She's on assignment in Minnetonka as a publishers' rep during the day, but we'll share her evenings. We've already learned a lot about birds, cats and the nest-building habits of bald eagles and some of her theories about how they survive. She's worked in Hawaii, been to Midway Island, and now lives in Wisconsin with a couple of cats -- but she really loves poodles, which is a good thing for Birdie, who plans on running downstairs to wake her up in the mornings

Laurie's got a brand new bag

Not only did our birthday girl enjoy a slice of $50,000 cake last night, she got this spiffy insulated zip-up padded lunch bag, the perfect thing for the busy executive on the go who wants to be stylish without bruising her lunch banana. Kathleen found this gift for our great family friend at the Bibelot and Laurie gushed appropriately while receiving it.
Laurie was the recipient of another unusual gift. Her sister, Brenda, bought them a Segway tour of downtown Minneapolis. They took a short course in Segway management, then merrily rolled, single-file, through the Mill City's sights and sounds with a gaggle of fellow funseekers.

Four hour package, about $80 each.

Vote for me, please

Here's my house.

She's in his grasp, but, alas, not his district.

John Siegfried has drawn up a map, pitched a tent and is running hard for county commissioner. We know John as a successful Chaska restauranteur with a droll sense of humor, but he seems to have a knack for grassroots politics as well. We're not on his map and can't vote for him, but we offered encouragement the other day anyway, along with local attorney and health enthusiast Katie Bloomquist  (at right, wearing a shirt that says she's lost 50 pounds and to ask her about it.) 

A good memory is the famous Mother's Day sign John once posted on his popular J's Family Restaurant in downtown Chaska.
It read, "Come In, All You Mothers."

Headed for a Cannon blast

Jennifer has moved to Northfield and today Stan's kayak got a free ride to the Cannon River, awaiting a rendezvous for an excellent paddle adventure all the way from Northfield to the mighty Mississippi at Red Wing. There's still lots to study and plan, but we know that if we put in and just go with the flow. . . and portage around the Lake Billesby Power Plant Dam, we're home free to Lake Pepin.
Kathleen says "wear your life jackets."

Where are today's fighting editors?

Thin-skinned?
The present editor of the Chaska Herald, Mark Olson, is preserved
for posterity as a cardboard cutout at the Chaska History Center.
The 1970s artifact, at right, made his appearance in person.

The editor was fed up and he let his readers know it.
One-hundred fifty years ago the very first editor of the Chaska Herald fired off a front page editorial, the likes of which none of his successors, including the two wimps pictured above, have ever had the courage to write.
The biting paragraph is preserved for public viewing to this very day, under plastic wraps, in the archives of the town's history center.
Read on:
Those persons who are in the habit of visiting saloons on Sunday, kicking up the devil from morning till night, disturbing this quiet village to the sore annoyance of its well-meaning inhabitants, should bear in mind that such conduct is not becoming to themselves and doesn't reflect any credit upon the proprietor of the establishment. They would be much more highly respected by all good citizens were they to remain at home with their families, and reserve such hell-a ba-loosa to be enacted upon rainy weekdays. Mark, and don't compel us to refer to this matter again in still more scathing terms.
Charles A. Warner, The Chaska Herald, May 22, 1862

The Chaska History Center is celebrating the 150th anniversary
of the Chaska Herald, the town's oldest continuous business.
Among the numerous displays is this
copy of the Warner editorial written in 1862.