CONTEXT: My brothers and I have been doing Zoom meetings for a couple of months and have more recently included cousins in the conversations. What follows includes my notes from the calls. Please feel free to use the comments below for any reactions, corrections, questions or suggestions. If you have interest in joining these conversations, please contact me using the link in the Contact menu above. Prior notes were not published as Posts.
Notes: 9 September 2020
Attending: Bruce, Dave, Steve, Jon Lindgren, Jon Coss, Dick Lindgren, Pat & Jim Heath, Jim Carey,
(7:57 pm) Jim Carey commented on an article in Science on longevity of Swedish citizens. Sweden has longstanding records about births and deaths; whereas the US did not keep these records uniformly until the 1930s.
Carl and Irene’s three page summary of trip to Europe in 1986 can be obtained by contacting Steve at: stevelindgren07@comcast.net
The Family Album: Preparation was cognizant of the need for use of acid-free paper to protect the photographs and papers. Irene worked with Linnae prior to the 1999 ReUnion in Denver to construct the album. Reproduction of the album content for the web will likely entail significant disassembly and utilizing an oversized scanner to make quality copies of the Album content.
Laverna Rohden was mentioned
Jim Carey’s mother was a widow at age 40 and moved to Ames where she acquired skills for a clerical position at the University. Jim commented on his relationship with Tom Brindley.
(8:31p) Letter from Amy to Emory after the passing of Grandpa Frank.
Dick recognized the Phil Ecklund from Gowrie may be an important contributor to our conversation about family history and the Church in Lanyon. His antecedents include the Burmans and relations to the Lamberts.
Use recording to construct illegible comment by or about Dave …
XXX
Notes: 26 August 2020
Attending: Bruce, Dave, Steve, Jon Lindgren, Johathan Coss, John W. Johnson (JJ), Dick Lindgren, Chris Lindgren, Pat & Jom Heath, Ann Ungs/
JJ is contemplating a letter to establish contact with Dan Riegel, son of Johanna (Johnson) and Fred Reigel, who practices medicine in the Seattle area. Dave has uncovered a practicing partner at the St. Croix Clinic, CW Mayo, and wondered if there is any connection the the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Chris Lindgren from Adel, IA joined the video call. Chris is the son of Dick Lindgren and grandson of Paul Lindgren, who would be a cousin of the children of Frank and Amy. Chris quickly located information related to our conversations and forwarded URLs, photos and documents to Bruce during the call. These involved Tobin College in Ft.Dodge. This clarified the meaning of Tobin, which had been identified with both OSJ and Geo.EQ Johnson. The origins, rise and demise of Tobin College is documented.
SEE: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~iabiog/webster/hw1913/hw1913-t.htm AND https://www.amazon.com/Tobin-College-Original-Vintage-Postcard/dp/B01MSEBIOR
Two links provide information about Major General Carl Albert Youngdale:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_A._Youngdale AND https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Carl_A._Youngdale
A clipping of the 50th wedding anniversary of John and Lizzie Lindgren, will be posted soon to the website. This clipping raises a new round of questions and should provoke interesting conversation next week.
Dave commented on the letters in Swedish and speculated about possible translators including Great Aunt Nelli (Johnson) Anderson. One emerging thread from the letter(s) is that Cognac was recommended as a remedy for sea sickness. We agreed that sea sickness was uncommon in central Iowa, so the origins of the prescription may need further research.
The duration of the transatlantic voyage was estimated to be 10-13 days.
It is documented that John Lindgren returned to Sweden, and that Frank did not return, but it is not clear if Jenny or Selma made a return trip.
Dick contributed thoughts regarding the electification around Lanyon and pointed out that the rural electrification included variation on alternative currents. The Farm had 60 Hz current and Lanyon had 25 Hz current. Dick noted the impact of these differences on the operation of electric motors and their potential uses.
Dick and Jon both described the inventions by Frank Lindgren including the elevators and lifts. The corn crib elevator that Frank constructed was unique. Bruce suggested that perhaps Dick and/or Jon could make a sketch of their recollections. These sketches along with the existing drawings of the hay lift should be on the website. Dick also added that there were variations on the hay lift and that Grandpa Frank may have built several more that previously thought. Dave related that Obed had accompanied Frank for a pitch to Sears in Minneapolis, and that Sears was looking for capacity of manufacturing that exceeded Frank’s production facility. Dick also mentioned that a Mr. Coats had challenged the patent or inquired about the patenting of the hay loader.
Steve presented a postcard of the Interurban rail car with a handwritten comment from Obed relating his recollections about the rail line operation. Dave has commented that Obed may have made trips to Lanyon from Des Moines during his layovers while serving with the Railway Postal Service in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Jon Coss pointed out that the first elevated Interurban rail system was developed in Sioux City, IA at an enormous high cost, but was abandoned at a great loss. However, that engineering led the way for construction of the elevated train(s) in Chicago.
Dave and Jon commented on the Interurban train and the museum in Boone, IA. Jon told about Kate Shelly and the apocryphal legend of her preventing disaster for the train when a now famous bridge was disabled in a storm. The bridge is now named the Shelly Bridge. Jon commented that Kate Shelly’s father was a rather famous raconteur in Iowa.
Jon and Dick clarified that their father, Gilmore, attended Iowa State College annd majored in animal husbandry. He was a member of the Farm House Fraternity and knew many of the members of the Iowa State football team.
Dick commented on the relationship of his late wife, Ardeth, with Ed Kohl of GM and Chevrolet and the Michigan connections that involved Dick Dickerson and the town (name?) of their mutual origins in Michigan.
Bruce inquired of Pat about he mother’s artistic efforts. Pat did not know of Gene’s prior training in art, but Dave speculated that as a teacher in Upper Michigan she may have been assigned to teach art. Skill, interest and experience may have followed. Hazel also painted later in life. Bruce commented that it would be worthwhile to obtain images of some paintings for inclusion on the website.
The subject of teaching among the Lindgren’s was again raised. Lizzie Johnson Lindgren may have been a teacher. It may be useful to make a list of all the Lindgren relatives who have been engaged in teaching; as well as service to education in other ways.
Grandma Amy was a quilter and Pat pointed out that Aunt Irene took several of the quilts and sold them in Chicago.
Steve showed a book (Beacons Primer) and read a hand written humorous inscription. The book was among a collection of items from Aunt Irene.
Jon Coss commented on Sioux City, his grandfather who taught College-level chemistry and maintained a farmstead. Jon’s father Jim, attended college briefly in Yankton, SD but graduated from the Rush Medical School in Chicago. Because of prior tuberculosis he was exempt from the military service and moved to NYC to establish a medical practice. One of his patients was a former wife of Fidel Castro.
Ruth Bratt, wife of Emory Lindgren, was also from Sioux City.
If I have confused Sioux City IA and Sioux Falls SD, I hope someone will let me know so I can edit these notes. Of course, nnotice of any other errors or omissions will also be greatly appreciated.
Website Report:
Screen sharing can be used by anyone on a Zoom meeting. Use or Need for Slides to raise questions on contribute new pictures, stories, etc. These slides can be captured and used to develop website content.
The following are notes I made anticipating a few throughts or reactions to the website. It actually occurred to me that it may be helpful to lead off the Zoom meetup with a brief summary of website considerations. I did bring up item six (below) and believe following up on the surname list could prove helpful.
- Meeting Notes – are added to a post on our Zoom Meetings … I try to keep personal thoughts to a minimum. But, it would be great for viewers/readers to either use editorial privilege to add notes withing a new block, or to simply use the comments section.
- Editors, Authors, Contributors – distinction between posts published and posts drafted. Anyone wanting to make direct and immediate contributions to the website can be signed up to do so. All I need is an expression of your interest and your permission to sign you up.
- Round Robin – I added the latest RR and attempted one from October 2016. These are posts of pdf files and there were problems integrating pictures with text. I’ll be working on a solution.
- Obituaries Needed: The current page will be trimmed to include links to our files and/or published documents. The best example may be what I did with Johanna Dorothea Johnson Riegel’s entry. The link displays on the page and the download offers an opportunity to see the obit in a separate browser tab or to save it to a folder on a personal computer storage device.
- Our Memories > Connections > Links … The links can be to both internal website files and to external documents and photographs that may be located elsewhere on the Internet. This could ostensibly include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other social media platforms.
- Annotated Surname Lists – Lindgren & Johnson of course, Then Dickerson, Hill, Winblade, Peterson, Coss, Bratt, Lessing, Battey, Mueller. And then, Burman, Carlson, Rohden, Carey, Main, Riegel, etc. Swedish traditional surnames could be handled separately… ls there a useful and justifiable border and limits for potential expansion? I don’t think so.
- Timeline(s) – conversation with Linnae … One overall timeline, or many different timelines could be considered. I personally would favor the use of posts to form and publish multiple timelines.
- Pages are for people; posts are reflections – memories, links added to pages and posts. How to do this should be demonstrated using Zoom screen sharing or CAM Studio via screen captures while this is done may be coming soon if I can master the technology. This would be a potential good use of a YouTube channel. …
Notes: 19 August 2020
Attending: Bruce, Dave, Steve, Jon Lindgren, Jon Coss, John W Johnson (JJ), Dick Lindgren, Pat and Jim Heath.
Pat and Jim Heath sent Bruce a wonderful hand written account by Obed Simon Johnson of the chronology of his life. His mention of a commencement address at North Park College in (1935) raised questions about whether the text of his address may be maintained at NPU. The file provided by Jim and Pat is in two parts. I will send these to Dave for preparation of a typescript which we will also post to the website to enable digital indexing of the content. .
Dave has tracked down Dan Riegel, MD who is currently practicing in the Seattle area at a clinic called Mill Creek. Dan is the son of Johanna Dorothea Johnson Riegel and Fred Riegel, MD and the grandson of Jake Riegel, MD, who is a founder of the St. Croix, MN medical clinic at which Fred Riegel practiced. All of the Riegel doctors are graduates of the UMN Medical School. Some curiosity was expressed regarding Dan Riegel’s age and birth date, with some speculation that he is likely in his late 40s.
Bruce brought up the location of important family connected farms in the Lanyon-Gowrie-Harcourt-Paton area and wondered about the potential for pinpointing past ownership involving family members and connections. Jon and Dick mentioned plat books they had used online. Bruce has captured satellite views from Google Maps that he suggested may be useful to pinpoint locations of these farms. The Lindgren farm was identified as a half-section minus a 40Ac parcel comprising 320Ac or 280Ac. Steve commented on the Roos farm, which abutted the Lindgren farm on its South border. Paul Roos married a daughter (name?) of the Burman family and their son Jonathan Roos was a journalist for the Des Moines Register. The Carey family farm was said to be near Dana appx. 4 miles South of Paton.
Dr. Waddel was a family physician from Paton IA who delivered the children of Frank and Amy. Although the birth (certificate?) records list the birthplace a Paton there was general agreement that the deliveries were at the farm and birth was attended and recorded by Dr. Waddel. The birth date for Gilmore was incorrectly recorded as November 6 rather than November 5. It was pointed out that rural physicians were often slow in recording birth and death records, often leaving the paperwork to lapse for as much as a month. Due to a very heavy schedule, a rural physician such as Dr. Waddel may have spent a Sunday afternoon catching up on paperwork. Gil had abdominal surgery (for?) that caused a very uncomfortable intestinal adhesion.
George E.Q, Johnson (Al Capone prosecution) was 5 years younger than Obed Simon Johnson (Geo. E.Q. Johnson has been identified as a 2nd cousin to Grandma Amy’s mother). Steve asked about Hannah Johnson and the one-room school building near Lanyon where Grandma Lindgren attended. Dick said that the building was torn down before he attended school.
Dick and Jon described the Interurban Train. This is the train that killed JP Johnson in 1910. It was mentioned that his body was very badly injured to a point of being unrecognizable by his brother. His eyesight has been reported elsewhere to have been very badly impaired and that he likely misjudge the distance between himself and the train tracks as the Interurban was arriving. The cause or condition of his vision loss is not known.
Dave mentioned thaat Obed F. Lindgren may have been able to travel to Lanyon on the Interurban during a layover in Des Moines while he was working on the mail train between Minneapolis and Des Moines in the 1940s. He would have been picked up at the Hope station, near Lanyon.
During the reunion in Boone, IA (2002) participants rode an excursion train that was still operating. It traveled about five miles and returned to Boone on the same tracks.
Ester Rohden’s sister Edith operated a Swedish gift shop in Ft. Dodge. A daughter also lived in Ft. Dodge. This came up when Steve corrected his account from last week about Grandma Amy’s comment about the New Years Day Rose Bowl game on TV.
Video Access Gil and Hazel’s granddaughter (Lisa) produced video memories for both of her grandparents. Roy Lindgren was also honored at his memorial service in 2010 with a four-part video production. Since these productions have potential appeal, however the size of the digital files will be too large to be uploaded to WordPress for display on the LONet Website. Bruce will continue to explore the potential for using YouTube links to make the productions available to interested family members. We also considered the potential for uploading the Family Album that Aunt Irene and cousin Linnae Coss prepared. Jon Coss will find out about digital files his sister may still have. It may be possible to combine these files into a single PDF file that could be uploaded and linked for either display or download in much the same manor that the “I Remember” documents are positioned on the website.
Nellie Johnson Anderson and her husband Ernst were discussed. She worked at Friendship Haven Nursing Home following Ernst’s death, which occurred just a few months after Grandpa Frank passed in 1953. In the 1930s, while in Sweden serving as pastor or missionary for a Covenant Church there, Ernst had Thyroid surgery during which a recurrent nerve was severed causing permanent paralysis of one of his vocal cords. Consequently, he was disabled from preaching with a falsetto tone to his voice. Nellie and Ernst returned from Sweden and settled into a small but immaculately kept house in Lanyon, not far from the Covenant Church. With no pension, Nellie and Ernst kept a cow and sold milk and chickens and sold eggs. Ernst is said to have authored two (2) books in Swedish. One was titled “The Good Life.” It is not known if the book or books ever provided any income. Jon mentioned that he and Elaine still have a very elaborate (porcelain) coffee service that they received from Nellie. It is not known if Ernst was a native of Sweden. Jon Coss will check with the archivist at North Park University about any record of attendance there for Ernest Anderson.
Notes: 12 August 2020
Attending: Bruce, Dave, Steve, Jon Coss, Jon Lindgren, John W (JJ), Pat & Jim Heath
Dave has looked into the Medical Clinic in St. Croix Falls with an aim to find information about Fred Rregel MD, who was married for a time to Johanna Dorthea Johnson. We have some indication thhat Fred Riegel’s father may have been the initial organizer of the clinic perhaps in the early 1900s. Fred likely graduated medical school, likely UMN in the late 1940s. The year of his marriage and divorce to and from Johann Dorthea are not known. Our understanding is that Fred Riegel remarried. Fred Riegel died in 2006, according to an obituary that was referenced. Fred and Johanna had two sons, Dan and Jake. Jake still lives near Dresser WI and a legal record about him has surfaced. Jake and his spouse took care of Johanna from the time of her fall and hip fracture until her death (about 3 months) in 2017. There was general agreement to tread lightly in contacting Jake. Mention was made of Gail, who may have been a sister of Dan and Jake. We have no record of her birth or death. Dan’s whereabouts is not known.
Dave indicated that the St Croix Regional Medical Center is online. Contact may reveal potential sources regarding the history of the clinic.
A Lanyon teacher appearing in a photograph (which?) was identified as Hannah Johnson who was related to the same Johnson family from which George E. Q. Johnson, of Al Capone fame**, was born. This Johnson family is different from the family line of J. P. Johnson father of Amy and Obed Simon, as well as Frank I Johnson. ** Al Capone was an elusive criminal in the era of prohibition; a mobster in all manner of rackets in Chiicago, He was able to avoid other criminal charges but was prosecuted on tax evasion charges, which were suggested to the lead prosecutors by George E.Q. Johnson.
The, photograph of James William Johnson’s parents was discussed with some emphasis on James Waldemr Johnson’s military service and rank. He was identified by both Dave and Jim Heath as likely a Technical or Master Sargent. JJ’s mother was Betty Jean Kinniebree Johnson. She was born May 2, 1930 and died in 2018 (age 88) in San Francisco. James Waldemar Johnson was born August 10, 1916 (loation?) and died November 23, 1987 (age 71).
Photo 0889 was discussed. James Waldemar Johnson was identified as the subject. Origin was in the early 1940s, perhaps 1940 or 1941 judging from the civilian clothing. James Waldemar applied for the military in October of 1940 and served in the Air Force from 1941 until 1965. His MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) record has not been fully obtained. Based on insignia in photo 0888, Dave and Jim Heath ventured that he was a bombardier.
Photo 0883 James and Betty Jean with Vida. (spelling of Vida or Veda?) Likely made in 1954, before James and Betty Jean deployed to Europe and London where James William, their first son was born.
Jon Lindgren’s trip to Counsel Bluffs for installation on his Cessna aircraft of an instrument necessary to fly into larger airports such as Des Moines and MSP was discussed. This is some type of transponder needed for tracking planes within range of other planes.
SPAM was discussed.
Jon Lindgren was born in 1938 (not 1939 as recorded elsewhere). He commented that the tractor used on the farm was built (or purchased) in 1932. His brother Dick has a strong interest in antique tractors and has identified the model of the farm tractor(s) used. The early tractor was not steam powered and likely was gas or diesel powered with 1 or 2 cylinders.
Use of horses was discussed. Jon indicated that his father, Gilmore, liked horses and they typically had a half dozen horses on the farm but they were mostly pets rather than working animals. Steve and Jonathan mentioned that Obed and Ruth had both mentioned horses, Bill and Barney, on the farm as they were growing up.
Pauline was discussed because JJ said that his sister, Jane Elizabeth, who lives about 20 miles south of San Francisco has letters from Pauline. We believe that this Pauline was a daughter of Frank I Johnson (brother of Amy and Obed Simon ). Pauline and a sister or sister-in-law were proprietors of a coffee shop in Sacramento. Jim Carey visited the shop and met the sisters.
Steve told a story of Grandma Amy watching a New Years day football game and was impressing everyone with her attentive interest until she asked the name of the team with the striped jerseys.
Jon told a story of ISU and OU playing a game in Oklahoma in 1959. Two black ISU players were being denied lodging at the team hotel. ISU coach Clay Stapleton threatened to take his whole team back to Ames and had called the airport to get the plane ready for departure. However, the famous OU coach Bud Wilkinson, order a helicopter and flew to the hotel to mitigate the situation. The two players stayed at the hotel and the game was played the following day.
Steve inquired of Jim Heath whether the Harding Park Golf Course was named after President Warren Harding.
XXX
Notes: 5 August 2020
Wednesday, August 5th, 2020
Attending: Bruce, Dave, Steve, Jon (Des Moins), Pat Heath and Jim, John W. Johnson. Jon Coss was unable to sustain a connection with his phone because of the weather on the East Coast. Bruce experienced connection problems.
The wedding photograph of Irene and Carl with Steve was made in 1962; so Steve was 12, not 10 and the web entry needs to be changed. Uncle Emory was the officiant at the wedding. This was confirmed by Steve as he reviewed the marriage certificate. Steve also was able to confirm that Carl flew 26 missions during WWII. His co-pilot was identified, as Bill Hailey.
Steve told a story involving his meeting Arnold Palmer. Details are on the call recording.
A connection with a relative of Elvis Presley was brought up. Details should be recorded and researched.
Andy Williams was a celebrity who grew up in the Lanyon/Ft.Dodge region.
Al Capone was finally convicted for Tax Evasion. G. Q. Johnson, a Lanyon native, became a Chicago prosecutor, and famously suggested prosecution on the Tax Evasion charge that finally put Capone in prison.
Discussioon about Grandma Amy and her chair in the corner of the living room where she would sit for hours doing the crochet
The photographs sent to Bruce by John W. were discussed. The H.S. (Crawfordville, City in which Wabash College is located) basketball player was identified as John’s father, who was a member of a 1933 Team. The copy in the newspaper may reveal the details, as Jon could read the copy, but Bruce could not read it.
Dave forwarded the observation that Aunt Gene was engaged in artistic painting and that her work needs to be located.
1:00:00
Introduction of a letter with a statement about a Norwegan renting on of the homes on K Street in Ft. Dodge. Date is uncertain. The name Kenseth was mentioned, and it does not seem that the renter was Vogel who occupied the house Grandpa Frank built prior to the construction of the house that he and Grandma Amy moved into in the early 1950s.
Ester Myklebust was Grandma Amy’s caretaker.
Comment was made about Dad (OFL) suffering a Heat Stroke whille working in the attic at 301 K Street …
The brick house at the end of K Street was bought from Frank & Amy by a relative by the name of Lambert. Which Lambert? Questions were raised about the reason for the sale of the brick house. Comments were advanced about moving closer to downtwon Ft. Dodge, the Covenant Church and the hospital where Grandpa Frank worked. Grandma Amy routinely walked to downtown Ft. Dodge (Distance???) Frank’s work at the hospital was to maitain the steam heating system and mention was made about his holding a steam fitter license. Such a license may not have been required in the 1950s.
Dave has Grandpa Frank’s tools, perhaps a dozen or more. He will make phtotgraphs of the tools for display on the website.
Grandpa Frank built a rotary power mower from farm parts. A version was modified, leaving some dangerous exposure of moving parts, and used successfully for many years on the Lanyon Farm.
Question was raised about the source of skills such as welding and blacksmithing that was needed for maintenance of farm machinery and tools. Jon pointed out that crafts people were typically present in the small towns around Lanyon. Farmers would have been able to observe these crafts people at work and then they could acquire the needed equipment to replicate the work on their farms.
Farming was identified as dangerous business and the capacity for survival in the Lanyon area was remarkable. Injury from machines included hands caught in corn pickers when they jambed and had to be unjambed while still running. Finger loss was not uncommon. The tractor power takeoff was often exposed and loose clothing could too easily be caught; this was a common accident. Injury also occurred in dealing with animals including hogs, bulls and horses. Our Uncle Jim Wenstrand of Essex, IA commented on close calls. Jim was also a pilot and enjoyed flying a small plane for which he built a landing strip on his farm.
The story of Obed using a stove top iron while practicing throwing the discus. His throw grazed the head of his brother Emory and he was afraid that he had killed Emory
Related to the stories of farm injuries, Steve told the story of his father, Obed, at Lake Andrew warning Steve in explicit terms that if he was injured by the open belt on the cement mixer, it would cause delay or shutdown in the day’s work on the boat house.
Jon told a story related to Swedish-Norwegian tensions at NDSU. Based a new recognition of the spelling of the name Otteson as Ottesen, it was declared declared in the faculty lounge that maybe a person other castigated as being s Swede may be OK after all. Jon used the phrase “not the brightest porch light on the block, although he left it unclear whether he was referring to the Swede or the Norwegian.”
Jon commented that he was close for many years with ND Senator Quentin Burdick. Steve wondered if Senator Burdick was related to the former Clerk of the MN House of Representatives also named Burdick (same spelling).
Jon commented about the earmarks providing for a new bus terminal in Fargo in honor of Milt Young, who was retiring and his Republican friends in Congress wired the earmark before bureaucrats in the US Dept of Transportation regional office in Denver were informed about the funding for the project.
Regarding Jon’s potential run for the Senate in ND, he said he was lucky to serve for so long as a “low level” mayor.
Steve mentioned that the Round Robin generally avoided political commentary; but that Aunt Irene was a vocal supporter of John Anderson in the 1980 Presidential Election.
Jon mentioned his contact with Diane Feinstein in conjunction with a special session on Gay Rights at a conference of Mayors in San Francisco. Jon took a position pro-Gay Rights with the Fargo City Council on two occasions, even when the second effort was highly controversial. A hearing in Fargo drew about 500 participants over several hours. An unruly attendee was brought to Jon’s attention with caution that the hearing should be curtailed.
The ND 3rd political party was cited as one of the few successful 3rd party efforts in the US. Dave brought Ted Kolderie into the comment stream related to the funeral of a political leader Townley???
Clarification is needed about the living conditions of Aunt Nellie. Apparently the home she and Ernst occupied in Lanyon did not have running water. It was said that Nellie was not good at making decisions. “She couldn’t decide on dumping out the drinking water (which had to be obtained from a pump. Where? On the house property, town well? )
XXX
Notes: 29 July 2020
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Attending: Bruce, Dave, Steve, Pat & Jim Heath, Jon Lindgren, John W. Johnson, Jonathan Coss, Brent Lindgren.
Website URL link: https://lindgrensonline.net/wp …
Jon Coss described his accessing the obituary for Johanna Dorothea Johnson Reigel. Bruce commented on the wonderful photographs of her and wished a high resolution version could be obtained.
Johanna Reigel son/grandson living in Dresser, WI. Dave L will investigate possible links in the St.Croix Falls, WI. The Funeral Facility may be headquartered there and it is likely that Johanna’s husband, an MD, will be known by the owner/operators of the facility. Any possible significance of the 1964 Chevrolet (Corvette?) that Dave purchased?
What was Dave’s age when he made the trip to Ft. Dodge with Obed Simon Johnson (OSJ); in the 1960s?
What year(s) did OSJ live and work in Chicago? North Park connection?
James Waldemar Johnson attended Wabash College. Year(s)?
General Youngdale. Military records access? Dave to check. Who was his wife; a cousin (Johnson side) with Lindgren/Johnson connections? Years in Vietnam, rank, duty?
Photographs needed for website: Frank & Amy; All Siblings and spouses, variety of ages, best quality representativve photographs, Pat to provide family photograph with Gene, Dick, Pat Jim … Steve/Dave to supply obit photo of OFL at high resolution … Photograph of Peter Gustav Magnuson … Ruth Coss, photo in nurising uniform, other … Irene publicity glossy from Indianapolis years … JP Johnson … Linnae has about one hundred photographs that she is collaborating with her brother Jon to prepare with identity information and likely year of origin.
John William has been working at the San Francisco Japanese garden for 10 years. He began as volunteer and then took courses in horticulture before becoming a fully employed gardener. A partially constructed Ferris Wheel was mentioned as an emblem of expansion related to the Japanese Garden, but the relationship needs clarification. Prior to work with the Garden, John W. was a software systems engineer and decided to shift careers. He commented “Trees teach more than books.” So true and so Japanese. Beautiful!
Currrent School Situation was discussed at about recorder time 1:16 …
Grandma Amy’s hand braided rugs were discussed. It is estimated that about 50 were made (mostly circular) and many still are kept by family members. Steve indicated that he has five. His daughter Lisa and son Stuart have one each. Pat has an oval-shaped one nearly six feet in length. All seem to have been used for years and are tough; don’t seem to wear out. Visitors to Ft. Dodge often felt an obligation to visit bearing bags of wool cloth obtained at Salvation Army or other surplus stores. Dave remembers that Grandma Amy may have used drumsticks in lieu of crochet needles with hooks; certainly a possible example of innovation and adaptation. Does anyone have a photo of Grandma actually doing the braiding? Brent commented on the “frozen rug.” . He also remembers a trip to Ft. Dodge with his Grandpa Obed when he was about 10 years old.
Recorder 1:42 Steve Story; Flower Story …
Future Zoom Sessions: Bruce to contact Jim Carey; Jon to contact Dick and Ann about a link up with Ted;
This is new copy used to test the editing functions on a new computer.
XXX
