The lady next to me at the Keillor show had to be one of those church basement women. There with her husband, they didn’t laugh that much or talk to each other. I’m guessing they did enjoy it. Early and before the storyteller came out, I asked her if she’s ever seen him in […]
Author: Loren Elkin
And the Moon Rose Over an Open Field
And the Moon Rose Over an Open Field
Traveling with a college friend Mary during my junior year at UW-Superior meant miles in a bus and hours of conversation. After hearing the song America by Simon and Garfunkel, I did a headslap and said to myself, we did that. Mary was a buddy, but unlike the S and G song, we weren’t […]
She Didn’t Realize She Was My Girlfriend
She Didn’t Realize She Was My Girlfriend
Barbara. Her name was Barbara. We went to school in Amery; I’m not sure when I first talked with her and got to know her. She left me when we were 7 years old. My foggy memory recalls my parents visiting her family’s home. They lived on Keller/ Main Street, next to the Amery Clinic […]
The Afternoon I Heard My Teacher Toot
The Afternoon I Heard My Teacher Toot
While in 7th grade in Amery Public Schools, my teacher and I spent an afternoon at work on our schoolwork. Soon the air was disturbed by air coming out someone’s butt. Told with class, I hope, and a vivid memory.
The Comfort of a Dog: Updated
The Comfort of a Dog: Updated
Our collie Chance became part of my healing after going through heart surgery, and calm and patient fellow ended up giving back to me the comfort and peace I needed while going through my healing days.
Hired Farmhand Died in the Pasture: Finalized
Hired Farmhand Died in the Pasture: Finalized
In an area south of Amery, south of Deer Park, a hired man died in the fall of 1947, his remains not found until the next spring. Details were printed in an article from the Amery newspaper, the Gazette I think, a short summary telling about the discovery of the bones and skull. This identified him positively as Edward […]
Aunt Beulah–Her Perfume, Her Life, and Her Legacy
Aunt Beulah–Her Perfume, Her Life, and Her Legacy
My aunt’s perfume I remember. On a trip to Norway, relatives wore that same fragrance. Aunt Beulah spent time in Norway during the 2nd World War. Family reunions at Mom’s home farm in summer attracted the Larson relatives once a year. Aunt Beulah and others congregated at the farm north of Amery, WI, for an […]
A Most Unforgettable Student: Carrie
A Most Unforgettable Student: Carrie
A most wonderful student named Carrie lives forever in my memory, a gracious and thoughtful student who turned out to be an outstanding adult.
O Holy Night, in Amery, WI
O Holy Night, in Amery, WI
Tears from my eyes came down without me realizing it, but I made sure Johnny and Ralph on either side of me didn’t notice. TheChristmas program at the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Amery most often happeneda week or more before Christmas, on a Sunday afternoon. Even at 5:00 it wasdark, and the candles and subtle […]
Thanksgiving Poem from 1920
Thanksgiving Poem from 1920
The Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving has been part of the study in American schools for a century and a half. This poem is titled “The Pilgrims Came” by Annette Wynne. The Pilgrims came across the sea, And never thought of you and me; And yet it’s very strange the way We think of them […]
Who’s with the Baby?
Who’s with the Baby?
The father grunted as he slept, occaionally looking at the football game on the big screen. In and out of sleep, a tiring Monday and football to relax. From the baby monitor near the foot of the couch, he heard Pamela in the nursery upstairs. Always the best parent from day one, she cooed and […]
From Limb to Finished Map
From Limb to Finished Map
Finished product from ordinary limb wood After watching Youtube woodworking videos, I saw that some round limb wood and even firewood size chunks could be sliced into lumber. It is with that idea in mind that I used a limb from a tree in our front yard to make the map above. After cutting a […]
East of Amery, Lutefisk Woods
East of Amery, Lutefisk Woods
Two miles east of Amery, 3/4 mile from Karen Strohbeen’s farm, the area called Lutefisk Woods held mystery and a great deal of uncertainty. The name was rumored to start because early Norwegian settlers in that area of Polk County one December received so much lutefisk that they couldn’t eat and handle it all. A […]
Between the Silos We Found the Remains of the Hired Man
Between the Silos We Found the Remains of the Hired Man
We found him between the silos. Visiting Grandma on a hot summer day, my Cousin Brad and I found the hired man, dead. His body was covered by tarps and scrap wood, and we didn’t know who else knew what we just found. Every summer for a few days, Brad and I spent a few […]
Wooden Chain to Grand Nephew Parker: Final
Wooden Chain to Grand Nephew Parker: Final
Gave a wooden chain to a little fellow, our grand nephew Parker. Cut the chain with him in mind, and when I gave it to him he was surprised and a little entralled. My great uncle carved a wooden chain that I spotted at a 6-year-old in the 50s, and I always wondered how that […]