A Chance to Keep Part of Heritage

–BY Edwin B. Petersen


HELLO FOLKS – It has been said that those who fail to revere the past have little regard for the future. If this is true, then we all had better take stock and see where our attitudes are leading us.


As we all have been observing there is a real opportunity for each of us to do our bit for the past and thereby leave a grand memorial for the future.


I am of course referring to the Historical Society's plans for the erection of a museum on the fair grounds. It is pretty definite that there will be one built there. It will be a monument to the pioneers who did so much for us.


So far there has been collected about 20 thousand dollars toward the goal of $70,000. This has been in the form of large amounts from families who are interested in such a movement.


With a big kick-off siated to take place Monday, March 18th, at Interstate Hall there will be a concentrated effort to visit every family in the county giving them the opportunity to contribue to this worthy cause.


We of course hope that everyone will want to contribute generously. I know as well as anyone how pressed, financially, many of us are. However, here is a cause to which we have one chance in a lifetime to contribute to. It will not break up the poorest of us to contribute, say, about ten dollars for each of three years to the cause. By doing that we can have our names inscribed on a permanent plaque in the museum, which will be there long after we are gone, for our descendants to be reminded that we were part of the grand plan.


Each contribution, however, small, will be appreciated. We are in hopes that there are a number of families who have been residents of Freeborn County for 50 or more years who will want to make a real substantial contribution. It would certainly be to a very worthy cause.


Why not talk it over with members of the family and decide to do it as a family group? You can mail it to the Freeborn County Historical Society, Albert Lea, or wait until you are called on by the "Pioneer Sodbusters".

Current:

Freeborn County Museum

I decided it would be interesting to see if I could do some research on the content of Grandpa's article. I contacted the director of the museum to get a picture of the plaque Grandpa referred to. This was his response


Trevor,


My name is Pat Mulso and I am the Director here at the museum.  Unfortunately to my knowledge, there is no permanent plaque.  When they were raising money for the first building project they sold life memberships to the museum for $20.00 per person.  The records indicate that in 1966, Ed. B. Peterson, Oakland, MN 56076 purchased a life membership.  Best of luck on your project.  We sincerely appreciate the work your grandfather did back in the 1960's to help with establishment of a building for the Freeborn County Historical Society.


Sincerely,

Pat Mulso

Executive Director

Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library & Village

1031 Bridge Avenue

Albert Lea, MN 56007

pmulso@smig.net

http://fchm.smig.net

A Big Contrast At Petersens

–By Edwin B. Petersen


Hello Folks – It had been so noisy. There were always doors slamming, children screaming, talking, singing, laughing, whistling or playing. Then all of a sudden quiet; so quiet that we could hear a pin drop (or should I say 'bear myself think.')


You see it is this way – Vera and the eight youngest went for a visit with the home folks in Montana. They left Thursday morning at six o'clock, and things started happening right away. They got to the end of the driveway and discovered that little Mark was not with them. He was still sleepy and the bed felt sooooo nice so he quit the car when they were delayed a bit in getting the car packed.


With him back in the car they were on their way. About 11 o'clock there was a phone call from Adrain, Minn. They had stopped at the roadside fountain near there and the car keys had gotten lost. Vera wanted to know what to do. She had to get a new lock put on the car. After this we will remember to take both keys along when we go on a trip.


I imagine she was delayed about three hours. Through a phone call I found that they got to Bozeman, Mont. about 7 p.m. Friday and everything else went all right.


This is the first time I won't be there for their family reunion. Just too mant things to do this year. I expect to attend a few conventions this year so I get my vacations then in short intervals.


It was little Mark who had taken the keys out of the ignition and lost them. Looks like he was the fly in the day's ointment.


—


IN 1959 the average person in the United States used 345 pounds of fluid milk and cream. That's four pounds less than in 1957 and nine pounds below 1956. We would all be better off it we drank twice as much milk as we do. Milk is the natural and cheapest source of calcium and vitamins. Drink more of it – it's good for you.


—


I hear that Webster Lair proposed to his wife in the month of February. Pearl being the careful one that she is, said, 'I won't marry you until you have $1,000.00 in the bank.' Buss didn't press the question for a while and Pearl got curious. In June she asked, "How much have you got in the bank now?" "Oh, about 35 dollars," said he. "That's near enough, let's get married."


—


They were giving him a farewell party and the compliments had been coming from all sides. He got up to make a few acknowledgements and found it hard to get out the right words. Finally he said "All that I owe, I owe because of my wife.:


—


So live that when the summons comes to join
That innumerable caravan that moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but sustatined and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach they grave
Like one who wraps the draper of his couch
About hom, and lies down to pleasant dreams.


–William Cullen Bryant, in "Thanatopsis."