FINDING GRANDMA

One of the first lines I researched almost twenty years ago as a newbie to genealogy was my maternal grandfather’s family.  I was lucky to find much local information because of their residence in Kossuth County, but after the death of my great great grandfather, John Kargleder, his wife, Selma, remarried and moved to South Dakota.  Her second husband’s last name according to marriage records here in Kossuth County was Beichlmair.  As you might imagine, over the years that name was spelled many different ways in official documents depending on who was writing it down.  Within a few years of her remarriage, I could not find a trace of Selma.

Over the last 10 years or so many historical newspapers have been digitized and placed online.  They are a gold mine for historians of every sort.  While researching I have found interesting articles here and there about many relatives and they are a primary source of information for my blog posts.  A few months ago through total serendipity, I happened across the obituary of Selma Kargleder Beichlmair.  Finding that gave me incentive to once again visit the information I had originally gathered on John and Selma and use what I have learned since then to flesh out their stories.  I am so glad I did.

KARGLEDER - HAAS UNION

John Kargleder was born in Bavaria, Germany on March 26, 1826.  In 1862 he came to America and the 1870 census finds him living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, working as a brewer.  He evidently had his own company as the 1871 city directory lists “John Kargleder & Co. – brewers.”  The 1873 directory shows his business located at 624 Cherry Street in Milwaukee with his residence next door at 620 Cherry Street.  (If I ever get to Milwaukee, you can bet I am going to find Cherry Street to see what is there now).

Selma Haas came from Saxony where she was born in April of 1849.  According to census records, her family came to America when she was just a small child.  The 1860 census shows the family living in Milwaukee.  Her father, Carl (sometimes shown as Charles), was a tailor.  He and his wife, Constanze, resided with their five children. 

In either 1867 or 1868, Selma and John are married.  The 24 year age difference between the two seems vast to me.  At just 17 or 18, Selma was young enough to be John’s daughter.  He was actually older than her mother.  So many questions come to mind:  How did they meet?  How did her parents feel about her marrying someone so much older?  Did they encourage it?  It certainly would be interesting to know what brought them together.  Their oldest child, Charles, (my great-grandfather) was born in May of 1869.  They remained in Milwaukee until 1872 when they moved to Minneapolis according to John’s biography printed in the 1884 edition of the History of Kossuth County.

INFO FROM CENSUS RECORDS AND CITY DIRECTORIES

Census records and city directories continue to provide valuable information.  By 1875 John and Selma had two children.  Their second child, Mary, was born after their move to Minneapolis.  Land deeds at the office of the Kossuth County Recorder disclose that in March of 1876, John and Selma purchased 480 acres of farm land in Section 19 of Union (which they named "Willow Wave") and Section 24 of Lotts Creek Townships of Kossuth County.  What led them to choose Kossuth County?  I doubt that I shall ever know.

The 1877 city directory shows John Kargleder working as a foreman for Theo Hamm in St. Paul.  Three years later, the census shows John living alone and rooming with Theodore and Louise Hamm while continuing to work for them.  Records reflect that the Hamms loaned John $4,000 to use to purchase the farmland.  Although I have known about the mortgage to the Hamms for some time, it wasn’t until this last round of investigation that I had a “eureka” moment.  A research detour helped me to confirm that Theodore and Louise were the founders of Hamm’s Brewing Company.  It is amazing to think that my great-great grandfather helped the Hamm family establish their business.

Kargleder Farm located in
Union Township, Kossuth County, Iowa
1896 Kossuth County Plat Book

The 1880 census also finds Selma living as head of household in Kossuth County with her four children:  Charley, 11; Mary, 6; Ella, 3; and Arthur, 2 months.  Exactly when she moved to the farmstead located on the Union Township land is not known nor have I been able to determine when John joined them to live at the farm.  The couple did have one more daughter (Meta) after settling here.  John’s residence in Kossuth County was not to be long, however, as he suffered from Bright’s disease (a form of kidney disease) which resulted in his death in April of 1885 at the age of 59.

Just a few days before his death, John executed a Will leaving all of his property to Selma who was then 35 years old.  Her oldest child, Charley, was almost 16 when his father died and I like to believe that he was a great help to Selma.  She continued to run the farm utilizing hired men and appears to have prospered.  One of those hired men, however, almost took her life.

NEWS ARTICLES HELP TO TELL HER STORY

Evidently John used to tease the hired men about the fact that Selma would likely be a young widow due to their age difference and would be quite a catch.  One man, Martin Bader, took his words to heart.  By 1888 Selma had become close to another worker, Frank Beichlmair, who she would later marry.  Bader had made several attempts to court Selma, but she did not take him seriously and paid no attention to his advances. Her budding romance with Frank appears to have set him off.  On a Thursday morning in February, Bader was repairing the kitchen floor with Selma in the room.  When she took a cup and started to go in the pantry to make some coffee, he suddenly jumped up, drew a revolver and fired at her.  The bullet struck the cup, smashing it into a thousand pieces.  He fired a second time at her and the bullet whizzed past her ear.  She screamed and ran to the window to call for help.  Thinking he had hit her, Bader turned the gun on himself, firing three times.  None were mortal wounds.  He drug himself from the house and was later found lying in a haystack.  He was taken in by a family in Algona where he was treated by Dr. James Barr.  Laudanum was prescribed for pain.  Bader could neither speak nor read much English.  In pain and without realizing what he was doing, at some point he was able to reach the laudanum bottle at his bedside and he drank the entire container.  The overdose killed him.  An autopsy was performed and an inquest held after which the jurors determined that the deceased came to his death by an accidental overdose of laudanum.

Selma married Frank Beichlmair several weeks later and they continued to live at the Kargelder home in Union Township.  This time her husband was five years younger.  They would have a daughter, Alma, the next year.  By this time some of her older children were reaching adulthood and establishing lives of their own.  Charles married Anna Rammer in 1891 and apparently resided on a farmstead in Lotts Creek Township.  It is unknown whether or not this was on the property owned by Selma but he is shown as a renter on the census. Eventually the Kargleder farmland located in Lotts Creek Township was sold to Theo Chrischilles who held the mortgage on it.  Wherever Charlie lived, his residence was in the path of the famous 1894 cyclone that swept across the county.  The barn on the place sustained the worst damage, having one side completely removed.  There was no mention of injuries to any family members.

Oldest daughter Mary was married to S. P. (Pete) Christensen in 1893.  At the time of their marriage Pete managed a feed barn in Algona but would later go on to be elected Kossuth County Sheriff.  To this marriage two sons would be born.  Sadly, Mary passed away quite suddenly shortly after giving birth to her second child, Harold, in 1898.  She was buried next to her father in Riverview Cemetery.  The two little tikes were placed in Selma’s care.  Pete remarried in 1899 and the census taken the next year shows older son, Elmer, living with Pete and Harold still residing with Selma. 

It is believed that it was the lure of cheap land in South Dakota that caused the entire Kargleder/Beichlmair family to move near Big Stone City.  In 1902 Charles purchased 160 acres in Lockwood Township of Roberts County, South Dakota.  The farm was located within easy walking distance of Big Stone Lake.  One can only imagine how much fun his children must have had fishing and swimming there.

WHAT HAPPENED TO GRANDMA?

Kargleder graves in Riverview Cemtery, Algona
R to L: Mary, John and Selma

It was at this point that I was unable to find a trace of Selma.  Cemetery records indicated that she was buried in a plot next to John Kargleder, but gave no other details.  A stone was on the plot with the year 1909 carved into it, but the rest was unreadable.  Was Selma buried here or was a stone erected in her honor?  I exhausted my sources at the time, local newspapers weren’t available online, and even a friend on Ancestry was unable to find her.  I resigned myself to the fact that I might never find out what happened to Selma.

Several years ago while doing unrelated research on behalf of the genealogy society in the local historical newspaper website, a search request entry popped up with enough information to make me curious.  It appeared that it could be an article about the Kargleder family.  I clicked on it and there was Selma’s obituary.  She had died March 22, 1909, in her home near Clinton, Minnesota.  Sadly it stated “this death occurred after five months severe illness.”  Like John, she was just 59 years old at death.  Her body was brought back to Algona and laid to rest beside John and her beloved daughter, Mary.  

I had finally found Grandma.

Until next time,

Jean

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Happy 100th Birthday Dad!

My dad, Bill Prothman, passed away August 29, 1995.  It is hard to believe that he has been gone 22 years.  If he had survived, he would celebrate his 100^th birthday today (August 31, 2017).  He and Mom are never far from my thoughts, but with this milestone approaching, he has been on my mind even more frequently. 

Bill pictured with family
home in the background

Dad was born many miles from here near the tiny town of Adanac, Saskatchewan, Canada.  His grandparents had immigrated to Arkansas from Prussia and their son Carl (my grandfather) operated a general store along with his brother-in-law, Paul Reiss.  The two heard stories of cheap land in Saskatchewan so they sold the store in Arkansas to seek their fortune there.  Paul went ahead and soon established himself in a general store and post office in the town of Salvador.  When Carl arrived with his family in 1913, he discovered that Paul had purchased a farm for him to operate, keeping all of the retail business for himself.  Carl had never farmed before and, to make matters worse, the broken down house on the place consisted of only four rooms.  At that time the couple had five children and would go on to add six more.  As the boys grew, they would often sleep in the granary during the summer months to make more room in the house.

Dad often spoke of his Granny Amelia Prothman who also came to live with them when she was not happy living with the Reiss family.  She was a hard worker and helped the growing family in many ways.  Granny slept in the girls’ room and would often use her cane to grab whoever walked by her bed to get their attention.  Her English was not good and the children learned some German to converse with her. 

Salvador, Saskatchewan, Canada

As you might imagine, times were hard.  Dad never seemed to complain about his childhood though and had many happy memories.  The children enjoyed ice skating—hockey in the wintertime—riding horses and playing ball in summer.  He talked of walking three miles each way to attend school in Salvador, with occasional buggy or bobsled rides.  He was able to complete 8^th grade and had begun high school when his father kept him out to do fieldwork and he never went back.  His lack of formal education did not slow him down at all.  He became a voracious reader and was virtually self-educated.  I always admired my father’s intelligence and knowledge. 

When he was 16, he and other boys from the area began to work the wheat run.  They would hop on a freight train (illegally) and follow the harvest.  The majority of his earnings would be sent home to the family.  My Uncle Greg (dad’s youngest brother) once told me with tears streaming down his face that he saw dad and several other young men horse whipped by a train worker when they were discovered stowing away on a freight train near their home.  Dad never spoke of that incident to me.  Despite all of the hard work of both my grandparents and their children, due to drought, the economic downturn that occurred during the depression and likely my grandfather’s inexperience at farming, they finally lost the farm.

Dad’s oldest brother, Carl, entered the priesthood and was sponsored financially by a family from the Wesley area by the name of Roadinger.  They corresponded with my grandparents and, learning of their large family and economic constraints, invited dad to come to Wesley and sent him bus fare.  He arrived there on October 13, 1938 to visit for six weeks.  Little did he know that six weeks would stretch into 67 years!

Bill and Evelyn
on their wedding day

After arriving in Wesley, dad began to work on farms around Wesley, Sexton and Woden. He started to make friends in the area, one of whom was a gentleman by the name of Bernard.  It just so happened that Bernard was seeing a young woman from Algona by the name of Evelyn Rammer.  Bernard invited Bill and a date to accompany them to a dance.  Bill and Evelyn really hit it off.  It wasn’t long before Bernard was out of the picture and Bill and Evelyn became a couple, marrying June 8, 1940.  Dirt poor, the couple began their marriage with all of their worldly possession piled in the back seat of a used Model A.

In front of his Model A

They moved in with Mom’s aunt who was debilitated due to a stroke and cared for her until another family member was able to assume that responsibility.  They then moved to an apartment for a short time, then into a newly constructed Quonset which had been intended for use as a chicken coop while dad was employed for the farmer owner.  Their oldest child, Kathryn, was born while they lived in the Quonset and Mom often had to sit outside with her during the hot summer as it became too warm inside the metal building.

Dad worked various jobs early on, including a year and a half at an egg produce plant.  In late 1943 he began working as Assistant Fire Chief at the prison camp.  By this time, the couple had added an infant son, Michael, to their family.  When “Greetings” arrived from Uncle Sam, dad decided to enlist rather than be drafted.  Before he entered boot camp in May of 1944 in Camp Sibert, Alabama, the young couple purchased a house so that mom and the kids would have some security in his absence.  Once through boot camp, he was then transferred to Camp Butner, North Carolina, and then served in the Pacific Theatre on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

Bill in his Army uniform

It was such a happy day when dad returned home after his service.  My mother often described the scene.  She knew that he would be returning at any time and so every day she would run to her back window as the train would pull into the station.  She would watch for a glimpse of his silhouette disembarking, hoping to tell the kids that daddy was home.  Dad however was intent on surprising the family and on the day of his return, managed to get off the train without detection.  He walked the short distance to the location of their house, quietly opened the door, and then rolled his dress hat across the floor, loudly announcing, “Daddy’s home to stay.”

Regretfully, I never spoke to Dad in depth about his experiences in the service.  I do know my mother said he came back a changed man.  He struggled with alcoholism to varying degrees for many years following, but later became involved in A.A. and served as a sponsor for many recovering alcoholics through the years.  In fact we would often find an extra plate at the dinner table for a “friend.”  I now realize that most of the time those “friends” were fellows who needed a good meal and a helping hand to get back on their feet.

After returning from the war, his job as a fireman at the P.O.W camp no longer existed, so dad found work in the construction field.  The economy was booming after the war, especially in the building trades.  Eventually dad struck out on his own, opening his own masonry business in 1947. He became well known for his skill at brick laying and many homes and business buildings in the area stand as a testament to his talents, including the V.F.W. Hall, the Kossuth County Courthouse, and the Algona Post Office.

Daughter Connie standing in
front of Dad's truck in the mid 1950s

Four more children were added to the family with 22 years between the oldest and youngest.  My parents never became wealthy in worldly goods, but dad often stated that he wouldn’t trade any of his kids for a million dollars.  And we knew he meant it.

In 1957 my parents purchased a house and property that had been in my mother’s family for several generations.  They fixed up the big old house which we called home for many years.  In the early 1970’s they decided to build a new split-level house on the site.  It was constructed of brick that came from the building that once housed Hub Clothiers and Finn's Bakery.  Following the fire that brought down the building on Labor Day of 1970, many truckloads of debris were brought to our building site.  I and a brother spent numerous hours sorting brick and knocking off mortar so that the bricks could be recycled into the new house.  We moved into the partially completed house in late summer of 1972, just as I was starting my senior year of high school. 

House lost in tornado of 1979

Dad worked on finishing the house in his spare time.  It contained cabinets, woodwork and trim that he constructed out of native Iowa walnut and had both a brick fireplace in the lower level and a stone fireplace in the living room on the upper level.  It took many years to complete, but only a few moments to destroy when it took a direct hit from the devastating tornado that passed through Algona on June 28, 1979.  My parents and youngest brother, Bill, Jr., were home at the time and all survived one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.  Although thankful that all were safe, Dad nevertheless found himself at age 62 needing to start over once again.

He retired from his business then but would go on to build one more house, this time at Oak Lake where he and mom would reside until they downsized in 1994 and moved into Algona.  Dad enjoyed his retirement, taking on simple projects, helping family, and volunteering—such as helping the Algona FFA build the welcome signs which greet you at the entrances to our city.  Eventually his heart condition worsened and he passed two days before his 78^th birthday following bypass surgery.

So many happy memories remain—his endless supply of jokes and funny stories, his patience teaching me how to drive a stick shift, quiet companionship while fishing on the dock, his silliness with my kids when they would comb his hair into kooky styles, and the love and pride he had for his family.

Dad on the front porch of their final home

So dad—here’s to you!  Happy 100^th birthday!  I hope you have a great celebration in heaven with mom, brother Mike, and the rest of the extended family.  Love you always and forever.

Until we meet again,

Jean

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EVELYN'S GARDEN

This past weekend I spent the majority of my time assisting my 10 year old granddaughter, Evelyn, plant a flower garden as a 4-H project.  This is something we had talked about this past winter when I thought helping her with planning and planting a garden sounded like a fun thing to do.  While it certainly was fun, I have to admit by the end of each day I felt every bit of my age. However, the smile on that little girl’s face made each aching muscle and joint worth it.

Evelyn working in the dirt

With her parent’s permission she decided to plant a perennial garden directly in front of the house.  It was a fairly large area, but Evelyn has a vast imagination and was up for the challenge.  During our discussions last winter, we came up with the idea of having a “Grandma Garden.”  In order to keep costs to a minimum and to create memories at the same time, we decided that we would ask each grandma to “donate” perennials from their own gardens.  Evelyn is lucky to have two grandmas and one great-grandma to contribute to her cause.

Laying the matting

Evelyn began the project by clearing out all the grass and weeds that had taken over the spot.  Then dad brought it some extra soil to create a slope away from the house.  Dad also purchased a role of black matting and river rock to use in place of mulch.  This weekend Evelyn was our houseguest and it seemed a good time to get the project done.  Watching her excitement as she learned about each plant and the woman behind it, brought me much joy. Although it started out merely as a plan to build a flower garden, it instead turned out to be a unique celebration of Mother’s Day. 

GRANDMA JOSIE

Our first stop on Saturday morning was at Great Grandma Irene'shouse.  She shared some bluebells, iris, jonquils, and hybrid lilies.  A very special donation was a fern peony that came from her mother, Josephine Eischeid.  I have to admit that I took a start from that one as well.  Grandma Josie was such a special person.  Having not grown up with grandparents nearby, it was a real treat for me to marry a man who still had three of his grandparents. 

Great-Great Grandma Josie

Grandma Josie always treated me as if I was her grandchild too, which was such a special feeling.  A woman who began her life in a family of modest means, she was the youngest of three daughters who grew up to marry three Eischeid brothers.  Married at the age of 16 and a mother soon after, Josie was a town girl who came to love country life (a shining example for me).  She worked side by side with her husband on the farm, raising chickens, pigs and cattle, growing crops and children, being a friendly and generous neighbor, and cultivating a deep faith. She was notorious for always having cookies on hand when guests stopped by and her popcorn cake at Halloween drew trick or treaters to her door (but she always made sure to save some for her grandkids).  I am proud to have her fern peony in my garden and I know Evelyn is too.

GRANDMA EVELYN

Before heading to Evelyn’s house to begin planting, we dug some starts from my perennial garden.  I donated two different kind of lilies, hostas, two butterfly bushes, and my mother’s iris.

Planting iris

These iris mean a lot to me and to Evelyn.  To me they are a fragrant reminder of my mother every year when they bloom but to Evelyn they are a connection to her namesake, Evelyn Prothman.  I still remember the tears I shed when my son told me that my new little granddaughter would bear my mom’s name.  I could just hear mom say, “Now why would they call her an old fashioned name like that!”  Secretly she would have been so proud. 

Great Grandma Evelyn

Over the next two days, we spent a great deal of time talking about Great Grandma Evelyn.  I brought out mom’s last professional photo for little Evelyn to ponder.  I told her of mom’s loneliness being raised as an only child, the loss of her mother when she was 14, her strength when my dad went off to war leaving her to care for two small children when she did not even have a driver’s license and her desire to have a large family as she never wanted a child of hers to be lonely.  She was a person who gave love freely without expecting anything in return and always seemed to have an older person or two which she took care of, checking in on them every day.

Evelyn and I then walked through our house looking for things that had once belonged to mom and we talked about the traits the two share.  Excellent students, kind hearted and devoted to both friends and strangers, pet lovers, and talkers—boy, are they alike when it comes to talking!  I have often wished that I had inherited the gift of easy conversation from my mother but it warms my heart that her namesake received that genetic characteristic.

GRANDMA IRENE

Great Grandma Irene

Once we got going with planting, Evelyn carefully decided on locations for each variety based on height and color.  Grandma Irene’s lilies were the first things we planted which we placed right under the bay window.  The hardiness of these perennials reminded me very much of Irene.  She is one of the strongest women I know.  Born during the Great Depression, Irene attended country schools before transferring to St. Cecelia’s Academy.  Growing up when a lot of the farm chores were done by manual labor, Irene had to do her share.  She married a handsome young farmer and went on to raise eight children.  Farming was not just an occupation but was truly a family affair.  Through good times and bad, she persevered.  She was an example of strength when she lost her son in an accident, cared for aged parents, recovered from a broken hip, and said goodbye to her husband of 65 years.  Will Evelyn be as strong and resilient?  Only time will tell, but she certainly has a fine role model.

GRANDMA JOYCE

Grandma Joyce and Evelyn

On Sunday we received a pail of contributions from Evelyn’s maternal grandmother, Joyce, who lives near Ames.  More lilies, bee balm, a purple leafed plant and lamb’s ear brought more exclamations of joy.  I wish Joyce could have been here to witness Evelyn’s excitement.  She loves her Grandma Joyce very much and they share a special bond.  As a nurse, Joyce spent her life giving comfort and compassion to patients who were in need as well as to her family.  I can see that same compassionate spirit not only in Evelyn, but in her mom, Darcie, as well.  Important traits in this day and age when technology and other worldly things seem to distance us from the comfort of a human touch or embrace.

COMPLETING THE GARDEN

To complete the garden, we needed a little extra something and so we added some hostas from Darcie’s garden.  We also decided to have Evelyn purchase a couple of flowering plants to add color since the transplants would spend this season working on building their root system and not producing flowers.  She chose a red hybrid lily which was planted in the center of the lilies given to her and a dianthus with red flowers that resemble roses because she really wanted a rose bush which I discouraged because of the care needed.  By adding plants from Darcie and Evelyn, we actually turned the “Grandma” garden into a “Family Generations” garden.

Grandma Jean and Evelyn in her garden

Building Evelyn’s garden on Mother’s Day weekend began as a 4-H project but ended as a lesson in family history as I told her stories of these women who have been so influential in my life.  As Evelyn cultivates and enjoys her garden in coming years, I hope she will remember these stories of the women who contributed to her garden.  It is my hope that when she looks at the fern peony, she will be reminded to live a life of faith; that the fragrance of the iris will prompt her to be more loving; that seeing the resilient lily withstand turbulent winds will help her to stand strong through adversity; that the softness of the lamb’s ear will impress on her to lend a comforting hand to those in need; and that perhaps my butterfly bushes will remind her that work, when shared with someone you love, can result not only in a job well done but in memories that will last a lifetime.

Until next time,

Grandma Jean

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THE WINTER OF 1978-79

Many articles have been written about the winters of 1915 and 1936-37 and from photos that I have seen, they were quite severe.  When I hear someone talk about a bad winter, however, my thoughts always turn to the worst winter I have ever experienced -- that of 1978-79.  My thanks to my mother-in-law, Irene Kramer, for sharing her photos of that time with me.

My husband and I had been married for several years and our first child had been born in May of 1978.  We lived in an old farmhouse about five miles southwest of Algona.  Not well insulated and with old leaky windows, it was heated with an oil burner in the living room and a wood stove in the kitchen.  We were on the old Irvington power line which frequently went down when high winds arose.  With a six month old in the house, we did our best to keep it as warm and cozy as possible. 

WINTER BEGINS

By the middle of November of 1978, winter had settled in with a six inch snowfall on the 17^th.  Traces of snow continued to fall for several days after that without leaving any measurable amounts.  Temps began to dip lower, with highs hovering around 15 degrees and lows in the single digits.  Thanksgiving Day brought two more inches and another inch on the 28^th finished out the month.

My brother-in-law and his wife lived just a mile north of us and were expecting a baby in early December.  Due to some issues with the pregnancy, it was recommended that the baby be delivered in Mason City which meant at least an hour long trip.  Several of the November snowfalls were accompanied by high winds.  The ditches along our gravel road at the time were shallow and narrow and it didn’t take long for them to fill in causing large drifts to accumulate on the road.  Although a date was set to induce labor, as each storm created more road problems, we worried that if she went into early labor she might not be able to make it to Mason City.  The day before the scheduled induction, five inches of snow was added to the growing piles increasing our concern.  We were thankful that everything went as planned with her safe arrival at the hospital on the 4^th and the delivery of their healthy baby boy later that day.

Electric line poles February, 1979

The December snowfalls were just beginning though.  A two-day blizzard arrived on the 8^th.  Although not much new snow arrived, the snowflakes that did fall were described as being “cotton ball-sized.” Those along with what was already on the ground were swept up in 30 mph winds creating large drifts and zero visibility at times.  Highs of -1° contributed to dangerous travel conditions.  School classes and all related activities were cancelled.

Although wind seems ever present on this prairie that we love, it didn’t even take a fresh snowfall for the winds to create problems that winter.  Drifting seemed to be a constant complication.  Then just a few days before Christmas we received another 4 inches of snow.  Besides creating travel difficulties, large drifts blew into farmsteads blocking entrances to farm buildings, clogging up feeding floors and endangering livestock. 

At that time we only owned one tractor with a cab on it which was not heated.  It did provide welcome relief from the prevailing winds, however, and my husband was thankful to have it.  All snow was moved with a bucket loader or by hand—no fancy snow blowers or other conveniences that we take for granted today.  Allen would usually move snow for a while and then come in the house to warm up near the wood stove where his gloves would be laid to dry. 

By this time our son was beginning to pull himself up and look out the window.  He loved to look out our south kitchen window where he could see Allen in the tractor moving snow.  The bitter cold kept us housebound and so those low placed windows provided much needed entertainment for him.  He delighted in seeing his daddy working outside.

JANUARY ARRIVES

We all looked forward to the beginning of 1979 in the hope that winter would have done her worst and we could begin the countdown to spring.  That turned out not to be the case. 

Snow plow going by on Jan. 14, 1979

A three-day blizzard began on January 11^th.  Eight inches of snow fell over that period.  Visibility was nil due to the high winds.  East-west traffic was non-existent.  Multiple vehicles, including a snow plow, became stuck in the drifts blocking Highway 18.  Local stores—Alco, K-Mart and Hood’s Super Valu—closed midafternoon on Saturday due to the severity of the weather and lack of shoppers.  On Saturday night, January 13^th, the thermometer read -17°.

An article in the January 18, 1979 edition of the Algona Upper Des Moines relates the story of the Ed and Judy Otis family who provided food and shelter to 27 stranded motorists during that storm.  Living along Highway 18 just east of Wesley, their home became a safe haven to storm weary travelers who considered themselves lucky to have found the driveway to the Otis home in white-out conditions.

Drifts between buildings

Piles of snow along the roads and in yards were getting higher and higher.  Roads drifted shut on a regular basis whether there was new snowfall or not.  Not that we lacked for additional snowfall—three inches on January 26th and two inches on the 27^th added to the growing snowbanks.  We could not count on regular mail delivery any more.  If and when you were lucky enough to get to town, you picked up the mail at the post office. 

In late January I went back to work for a local law firm, working in their tax department.  By this time the gravel road leading north from our home was almost impassable.  It was now a one lane path through a mountain of snow.  The few times that I had to take that road I prayed until I was more than half way through because that meant if I met another car, the other driver would be the one that would have to back up until it could get out of the way to let me to pass.  That winter my normal route became turning south out of my drive, turning east onto the blacktop at the first intersection, and catching Highway 169 to take into town.

One lane on gravel road

FEBRUARY BLAST

Snow plow going by 2/9/1979

The month of February arrived with cold temps but relatively little snowfall—a half inch on 3^rd and an inch on the 8^th.  About the time we got our hopes up, Mother Nature decided she wasn’t through with us yet as another blizzard blew in on February 15^th, lasting two days.  Both major highways were closed due to seven to eight foot drifts blocking all lanes.  Abandoned cars blocked roads leading to chain reaction pileups.  Clearing roads was nearly impossible and the State of Iowa called in their plows at 1:44 pm the first day of the storm.  Temperatures plunged over 50° in less than 24 hours with the mercury at -20° and wind chill at -70°.  Emergency calls took hours for response.

The severity of the weather caused a ripple effect throughout the area.  School closings had extended the school year well into summer.  Fuel and electric bills were at all-time highs.  Area businesses suffered as shoppers were unable to get into town except to prepare for the next round of storms.

FINALLY MARCH

Mailbox and road heading north

Toward the end of February, temperatures began to moderate and snowfall lessened to just an occasional trace.  March came in like a lamb with a high on the 1^st of 34° and a low of 19°.  However, Old Man Winter laughed at us once again.  On the weekend of March 4^th and 5^th, he dumped 8 more inches on us.  Rain had fallen before the snow began, creating an ice covering over all surfaces.  The blizzard conditions, coupled with the ice, created a treacherous travel environment.  Mayor Harold Van Allen made special arrangements with the city crews to keep the streets leading to Good Samaritan Center plowed and with the local police to transport workers to and from the nursing home so that care of the residents would not suffer.

WINTER ENDS

Snowfall for the winter finally stopped by the end of March.  In all, the area received more than 55 inches that season.  Kossuth County ended up spending $500,000 that winter for snow removal.  With their original budget estimate of $75,000 completely blown away, the excess funds that were spent had to be taken out of other parts of the budget causing the postponement of some road and bridge projects originally scheduled to be completed in 1979.  Spring flooding also caused a number of issues as the mountains of snow began to melt.

As for me, I was thankful to see that winter come to an end.  Our little boy hated to be bundled up to leave the house and he was anxious to get outside and explore the farm without the need for snowsuit, boots, caps and gloves.  I was ready for travel on our gravel road to return to normal and my husband to be relieved from the constant battle of moving snow.

We didn’t know it at the time, but 1979 would go on to be known for a much greater weather event than its hard winter, but that is another story for another day.

Until next time,

Jean, a/k/a Kossuth County History Buff

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MY WWI SOLDIER GRANDFATHER

My final salute to veterans this month is to my own maternal grandfather.  His

Frank Kargleder

name was Frank Kargleder.  I never got to know him in life, so over the years have tried to learn more about him through my mother’s recollections, photos and historical records.  Mother had a few pictures of Frank in his World War I army uniform and thought he had served in France, but beyond that, we knew nothing about his service.  I attempted to obtain his service records, but found out that they had been destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis back in 1973.  I had resigned myself to the fact that I would probably never know how and where he had served.  Then, late one night when sleep eluded me, I remembered that veterans who were land owners often filed their discharge papers with the local government in order to obtain a real estate tax credit.  The next day I wrote a letter to the Veterans Service Office of Roberts County, South Dakota, where he had lived and lo and behold by return mail I received a copy of his discharge papers which disclosed a wealth of information. 

His Early Years

Frank B. Kargleder was born June 12, 1892 in Kossuth County.  His parents, Charles and Anna (Rammer) Kargleder, lived on a farm in Lotts Creek township. He was the oldest of seven children.  The Kargleder family lived on the farm until 1903 when they sold their farm land and moved to a farm near Big Stone City, South Dakota.  It was there that Frank finished school.

His Service

He entered the service on October 5, 1917 at Sisseton, South Dakota.  Frank was 25 years old and listed his occupation as a farmer.  His rank is listed as wagoner.  A wagoner was a form of Private First Class with a special skill, an Army teamster.  A teamster is a driver of a team of horses doing hauling.  I cannot confirm where he received his initial training, but it is likely that he went to Fort Funston in Kansas.  There the 89^th Division, American Expeditionary Forces were housed.  Known as the Middle West Division, it consisted of recruits from Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. 

Using the facts contained in his discharge papers, I gathered information from reflections of other soldiers and from various sources such as “The People’s War Book,” and the “Kansas 353^rd Infantry Regiment in WWI” as found on FamilyMilitaryRecords.com.  The 353^rd was in the 89^th Division as was the 340^th Infantry in which Frank served.  All departure and return dates of these two regiments matched as did the battles and engagements in which they were involved. 

Company D, 340 Infantry to which Frank belonged departed for France on June 4, 1918.  Upon arrival in France, the Division was immediately ordered to the Reynel training area near Haute-Marne except for the Divisional artillery which was order to Camp Souge, near Bordeaux for training.  The Division remained in the Reynel area until August 5^th when it began its occupation of Lucey Sector which continued until September 12, 1918.

On back of photo:  "A nice little gun
ready for business."

From September 12^th through September 16^th, the Division participated in the St. Mihiel offensive as the right division of the 4^th American Corps and advanced to a depth of twenty-one kilometers including the capture of the towns of Beney, Essey, Boullionvile, Pannes and Xammes.

From September 16^th until October 7, 1918, the Division occupied the Euvezin Sector.  The Division became part of the Reserve Fifth Corps from October 9^th through the 19^th.

On back of photo: "Down along the creek
near our camp there is timber."

On October 19^th the Division moved forward in rear of the 32^nd Division as a part of the 5^th American Corps in the Meuse-Argonne offensive moving through Bantheville Woods and on October 20^th the Division went into the line along the Sommerance-Romagne road just north of the Kreimhilde defense positions.  The Division attacked on November 1^st and continued in the assault until the armistice was signed when it had crossed the Meuse north of Stenay.

On back of photo - "Right on the creek.
Going to catch wet feet."

The Division participated as part of the Army of Occupation from November 24, 1918, until May 6, 1919, when the Division boarded the U.S.S. Leviathon at the Port of Brest, France, and arrived back in the U.S.A. on May 22, 1919.

During its service, the Division captured from the enemy the following:  5,061 prisoners, 127 pieces of artillery, and 455 machine guns.  The Division advanced 36 pieces of artillery.  The Division advanced 36 kilometers against resistance; suffered 1,419 battle deaths and 7,394 wounded; and had one officer and 24 men taken prisoner. 

Home At Last

Frank was discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa, on June 2, 1919.  He taught school for several years and then later had a pharmacy in White Rock, South Dakota, until he retired and moved to California. 

The effects of the war lingered on.  Frank shared with his daughters that he was a victim of gas warfare during combat.  Gas warfare was employed on a large scale by both sides—initially, with serious effects.  Countermeasures were promptly developed, however, and poisonous gas became a harassing rather than a decisive weapon.  The trench warfare at the time also had to have been a very harrowing experience, leaving grim memories for each veteran to process.    

Frank died November 13, 1971, and was laid to rest in Good Shepherd Cemetery in Huntington Beach, California.  Although I never got to know him or talk with him about his wartime experiences, I am so proud of this brave young soldier and his service in making our world a safer place.

Until next time,

Jean (a/k/a KCHB)

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