Long, long ago, before there was rock and roll, our parents performed a sacred concert series, leaving family behind on their extended tours. Pre-schoolers Stan and Solveig were often dished off to a couple of Lutheran sisters, Ruby Korkowski and Josephine Elness, married to farmers near Brandon and Garfield, Minnesota.
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| Rand's parents, the late Simon and Josephine Elness, at their Garfield, Minnesota farm |
Picture Rand Elness growing up in a house built by his father at the top of this long driveway, with much younger parents than shown here.
Rural life in the 1940s meant that Rand often rode to school on a horse behind his older sister Karen. His mother would ensure that Rand had opportunities and experiences. But becoming a Cub Scout at age five created a problem for his family: Who had time to drive Rand to the evening meetings?
Rural life in the 1940s meant that Rand often rode to school on a horse behind his older sister Karen. His mother would ensure that Rand had opportunities and experiences. But becoming a Cub Scout at age five created a problem for his family: Who had time to drive Rand to the evening meetings?
Simon Elness solved the problem by attaching blocks of wood to the pedals and otherwise modifying the farm truck to accommodate it to a little boy. And off Rand drove to his scout meetings miles away, even on dark winter nights.
Early driving was required for efficiency on the Elness dairy farm. Jerome, six, looked forward to his first time driving the tractor for the harvest. But he had tonsillitis and inconveniently had his tonsils removed. Therefore, his younger sister Karen drove the tractor. Jerome was not happy about that.
Karen turned to us and said she had always admired how Jerome could drive the truck on a certain "cross country" path through ditch and creek. She tried the same route and got stuck. She still feels chagrined about this at 82 years old.
Jerome said, "Oh, I got stuck too."
"You DID?????" wide-eyed Karen asked.
Jerome's daughter Beth reached out to her aunt, "Let it go. Don't you feel better? A load lifted?"
Indeed. So many stories of children driving on the Elness and Korkowski farms. I remember Mama Jo taking me to visit her sister Ruby, and there was my brother Stan, driving a Farm All, proud Al Korkowski standing by.
Karen's little daughter Kiki was a bit intimidated by Great Uncle Al's size and gravelly voice, but came to terms with him through card games, an even playing field. Their favorite was cribbage, and that game provided a form of communication even after Al's stroke and inability to speak.
Intersecting the long driveway to Rand's childhood home was a driveway to the Elness "home place." Simon's two brothers and sister Christina lived at the home place. Christian and P. Imos were true Norwegian bachelor farmers, who socialized by sitting with guests at a round table, silently passing and reading farm magazines.
After aunt and uncles died, Rand received his share of an inheritance and determined that the appropriate use of it was to purchase a red truck, which Rand named P. Imos. From then on, Rand always had a red truck.
There are of course more stories, all good. It was the way a memorial service should be, a gathering of people sharing with each other a more complete understanding of the deceased. Personally, I was happy to confront Jerome with my great disappointment. When I was five, he left to be a missionary in Hong Kong. I was sad, so Jerome told me he would come back and marry me. I waited. He never came back. Turns out, he had forgotten!!! Jerome congratulated Bill, I forgave Jerome, and it is all good again.
More to come,
Solveig Sam Sosie
Early driving was required for efficiency on the Elness dairy farm. Jerome, six, looked forward to his first time driving the tractor for the harvest. But he had tonsillitis and inconveniently had his tonsils removed. Therefore, his younger sister Karen drove the tractor. Jerome was not happy about that.
Karen turned to us and said she had always admired how Jerome could drive the truck on a certain "cross country" path through ditch and creek. She tried the same route and got stuck. She still feels chagrined about this at 82 years old.
Jerome said, "Oh, I got stuck too."
"You DID?????" wide-eyed Karen asked.
Jerome's daughter Beth reached out to her aunt, "Let it go. Don't you feel better? A load lifted?"
Indeed. So many stories of children driving on the Elness and Korkowski farms. I remember Mama Jo taking me to visit her sister Ruby, and there was my brother Stan, driving a Farm All, proud Al Korkowski standing by.
Karen's little daughter Kiki was a bit intimidated by Great Uncle Al's size and gravelly voice, but came to terms with him through card games, an even playing field. Their favorite was cribbage, and that game provided a form of communication even after Al's stroke and inability to speak.
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| Here is Rand in 1960 in Denmark. Distracted by topless Danish sunbathers, he crashed that bike into a tree.. |
After aunt and uncles died, Rand received his share of an inheritance and determined that the appropriate use of it was to purchase a red truck, which Rand named P. Imos. From then on, Rand always had a red truck.
There are of course more stories, all good. It was the way a memorial service should be, a gathering of people sharing with each other a more complete understanding of the deceased. Personally, I was happy to confront Jerome with my great disappointment. When I was five, he left to be a missionary in Hong Kong. I was sad, so Jerome told me he would come back and marry me. I waited. He never came back. Turns out, he had forgotten!!! Jerome congratulated Bill, I forgave Jerome, and it is all good again.
More to come,
Solveig Sam Sosie
