With a minimum deposit. . .

Yes, Sosie, you can rent these guys to attend your parade. This nicely-matched father-son ensemble comes in muted tones, setting off the eye-popping clown, shown here in the traditional rented convertible set up. The deluxe clown package costs a bit more to rent of course, but does come with fries and a coke.

Happy Birthday, Ron!

Ron Letnes, Stan's brother-in-law, celebrates a birthday today. Happy birthday, Ron!

The Eighth Sacrament

Our neighbors, Tom and Sandy Story, returned Sunday from what Tom refers to as the Eighth Sacrament given to all Minnesotans: crossing the Mississippi at its source in Itasca State Park. Friday they packed up their oldest four novitiates and made way to the north country mecca. (There is a fifth grandchild in the photo at right, who is too young to take the sacrament but wanted to be in the picture anyway) Below is evidence of the baptism of their innocents. (There's a fifth devilish young man in the photo making signs with his fingers, ignore him.)

Fifty years ago, the Rolfsrud children made their pilgrimage to these headwaters as well, carefully stepping across the eight stations of The Source. That's Sosie dipping a tootsie.

Isn't it nice to know that everything in the world hasn't changed?

She's 39 today. No, really she is.

Our Jennifer celebrates her 39th birthday today in Nisswa. Happy Birthday, Jen!

With the famous baker. . .

Becky Lynn Rolfsrud got to the Minnesota State Fair and sends us this highlight: a visit with Marjorie Johnson, the famous 90-something baking queen who made an appearance with Jay Leno and, Martha Stewart. She's won thousands of ribbons, mostly blue. Kathleen will be jealous, Becky, she's often thought it would be nice to win a blue ribbon at the fair food building. Kathleen went to the Fair on Friday. Didn't see Becky Lynn there, tho. We'll have to try again next week during the upcoming nice weather we've been promised.
Let's see, which picture is of Martha Stewart with the little baker?

Anne Marie Hiebel checks in

Anne Marie attended Country School District #24 sixty years ago and she's joining in the fun identifying classmates. (She's seated in the far front right in the photo above.) Here's her note:

Hi Stan,
Just saw the picture of the District #24 students.

Here is the rundown of the names:
Row #1:
Doris Kluver, Roland Trousil, Linda Rolfsrud, Tommy Navratil, Charolette Forest, Wesley Hiebel,  Roger Williams, ? Anderson (younger brother of Eric)
Row #2:
Warren Trousil, Sonja Trousil, Ruth Navratil, Eric Anderson, Duane Bartos, Irene Marquette, Joyce Kluver
Row #3:
Rosella Kluver, Evelyn Kluver, Becky Rolfsrud, Charles Klimek, LuAnn Bartos, Judy Myrvold
Row #4:
Anne Marie Hiebel, Dorothy Marquette, James Navratil, James Kluver, Garrell Batesole, Harvey Navratil

Thanks for posting this.  I think it will be fun to see how many we can get together for a reunion in 2011?? Both of my older brothers attended #24 10 years ahead of me, so we know a few that are still around.

Anne (Hiebel) Tatum

(Okay, everybody, how did Anne do?)

Some observations about the rural school photo

The 1951 schoolhouse was heated with coal. It was converted to oil in about 1954. Is that a hot air vent or a cold air return standing tall in the back of the room? Notice the classic lighting fixtures hanging from the high ceiling. When a bulb burned out, the District Chairman, Dick Williams, was summoned to change it by climbing a rickety stepladder kept in the cloakroom. The ceiling must have been at least 16 feet high, allowing for extremely tall windows, which provided plenty of light. When we had the occasional filmstrip show, it was quite a task getting the room dark enough to see the marvelous pictures provided through the county superintendent's office. In a rare nod to progress, eventually the district invested in real room-darkening shades.

Over the piano in the rear hangs a framed picture of the boundaries of School District 24. It hung there for years and appears in every annual photograph. A close inspection reveals that District 24 was an extremely gerrymandered political boundary. One can only speculate as to how it got that way during its 100 year history. In the 50s, it covered all the way from the Hiebels by the Alexandria airport to the Rolfsruds on Southeast Lake Andrew -- just a short distance from the Lake Mary schoolhouse. Wonder where that picture is now? (In the 1958? photo above, that's Mercy Peterson, Stan Rolfsrud, Edward Keller, Carol Navratil, Kathy Kakac and Linda Rolfsrud.)

Okay, Here's the official photo caption

Stan forgot to mention that Marilyn Kluver did a dandy job of labeling the District 24 School Kids 1951 photograph. So here's her label from the back of the picture that some have struggled mightily to identify.

Nice going, everybody, answers courtesy Marilyn and her son-in-law!

More input on Country School picture

Linda Letnes (The Rolfsrud in row one) writes:

I think the first row is Mary Kluver, Roland Trousil, then me, Tom Navratil, possibly Charlotte Force, then Wesley Heibel. Warren Trousil was in second grade but might be starting the second row, I don't know who the boys are in the back of the first row. Ruth Navratil could be the third person in the second row (this girl looks like Carol N. who came later in Stan's class). I am guessing Duane is third to the last, then Irene Marquette and maybe Joyce Kluver. 

In the third row there seem to be two Kluvers, Sally and Evelyn. Then Becky. I see LuAnn and maybe another Marquette. A lot of guessing, don't know the last row beyond Anne Marie. Doris isn't in this picture. She came the next year. LuAnn has it right. Becky left for "town school" in seventh grade. I spent eight years here. 

The year I left, the school went back to grades one through six. 

Linda