Stan runs another blog besides this one. It reports the activities of his 1965 Alexandria high school class and coordinates occasional reunions. It's a conversation with classmates that has been going on for six years and gets about 70 visits a day. Yesterday, Stan received an email from a woman he's never met, a woman who graduated at Alexandria in 1974. She said she was inspired to start a class blog for her Jefferson High School after seeing his.
Stan posted her remarks on the class blog then wrote her an email, thanking her and then asking if she had drawn Erling Rolfsrud as a teacher. Here's her response, with a couple of surprises in it.
She writes:
"Yes, I did have your father as my 9th grade English teacher - forgive any dull verbs please. Your niece, [Shana Letnes Erickson] I believe, is married to Erik Erickson - who was a student of mine when he was a 2nd grader in Circle Pines, Minnesota, where I still teach.
"It was an interesting coincidence. I've been friends with his mom, Marilyn, for a long time. We taught Title 1 together our first year in the district.
"My sister, who owns a Minneapolis bookstore, was just reading a book called A Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich. On page 16, Louise referenced a compendium of historical biographies that was written by your father.
"That's about all I can do with the Six degrees of Kevin Bacon with you. I'm sure there are several more Alexandria connections. Nice to meet you online."
Taryn Nelson Flolid
(Editor's note: Adding still more to the small world, Stan's sister lives near Circle Pines)
(Editor's note: Adding still more to the small world, Stan's sister lives near Circle Pines)
