The Move to Palmer in 1934
Marlin's Memories
Mother Teckla was raised in Little Poplar, WI and her sister Julia Johnson or Aunt Julia had a farm in Little Poplar and during the summer, my dad would drive me there to help make hay, pick apples and play with friends. I was about 10 years old.
The back of the photo says Teckla Lundwall.
Mrs. Kahn, Marlin, Grandma Teckla and Grandpa Oscar.
I played hooky from school a lot. Spent time riding with the driver in the bakery truck and then would get home about the time school was out.
Easter Sunday one year, my mother and dad and Nancy Adele were in a car accident going home after Church. Do you remember that Nancy? (Yes, I do remember this -- it was the first and only car accident I was in until I was an adult. Janet and I were in the back seat, suddenly there was a loud bang and Janet and I ended up on the floor. It was traumatic for me because Grandma was hurt -- she had a cut on her knee and it was bleeding badly. And I remember being really surprised that Grandma wasn't crying! Grandpa was driving. I didn't remember why I was with Grandma and Grandpa, but I would imagine everybody was gathering at Palmer for Easter Dinner.)
Grandpa Oscar working on his 1938 Ford.
And here's a photo of Aunt Janet, her friend Ruth, and the 38 Ford.
When I was about 15, (1944) I helped my dad who was a steam shovel operator in the open-pit mine, by walking about a mile down into the mine to bank the fire for him with coal to keep the pumps operating to pump water out the of mine, since the mine was down for the winter and my dad (who was a heavy smoker) was very short of breath when he had to walk back, up-hill, out of the mine. He died on December 31, 1944. Later when I worked for CCI as a diamond drill operator, I drilled in the same general area where dad worked.
Marlin remembers that his dad used to make them pick blueberries and he said that they had to fill a washtub.
Grandpa Lundwall went to TC quite a bit and one time he had a cream or milk can full of partridge. (Davey added: I remember my dad saying the same thing. Apparently, Grandpa Lundwall used to hunt and fish a lot in TC.) (And Nancy Adele added: and everywhere he lived and went!)
Marlin said that he made hay for Uncle Andrew and Aunt Inga when they had a farm across the road from the Hagerman Lake turn-off of M-73. He also said that Uncle Andrew would let me use his Chevrolet Coup whenever he needed it. Their sons Walter & Carl Lundwall did not speak to each other for many, many years.
Marlin also remembers that everyone would come home for Christmas.
Marlin and Nancy in Palmer
By my calculations, my mother would have been almost 13 when Uncle Marlin was born. She told me that, the day he was born, she was told by another kid at school, "Your mother's going to have another ba-by!" and that she answered back, "Oh no, she's not!" So she ran home at noon to check this story out, only to be met by Grandpa who told her gruffly to get back to school and then threw her in a snowbank apparently when she didn't move fast enough to suit him. She said she remembered hearing the doctor say at the time, "If she has any more children, you will be taking her out in a pine box!"
ReplyDeleteLittle Poplar became Homestead, Wisconsin -- in between Commonwealth (just outside Florence) and what became Aurora, Wisconsin, and across the bridge from Kingsford, Michigan. Grandpa Oscar Lundwall was born in Commonwealth, as were Aunt Nancy (Nancy Frances) and my dad (Ward). At that time Great-Grandma Louisa Ekquist and Great-Grandfather Andrew Lundwall lived with them as well. Great-Grandma Louisa lived with the family until after Marlin was born. Great-Grandfather and his wife Margareta are buried in the Commonwealth Cemetery. Interesting tidbit -- his name in Sweden was Anders Andersson.
ReplyDeleteGreat-Grandparents Louisa and Andrew Ekquist (Ekekqvist in Sweden) and Great-Great-Grandparents Olof and Matilda Olsson are buried in the Aurora Free Church Cemetery in Aurora, Wisconsin. All four names are on the headstone.
ReplyDelete