What happened? That was my ….
What happened? That was my first thought when I saw the paper and the column seemed shorter than normal. I quickly checked the computer and yes indeed I’d cut it shorter. Either that or I can blame it on a computer error.
ÓÓÓÓÓ
When I looked at the date that will appear as the publication day this week I was a bit surprised. December 7. What an historic day that was.
Eighty-one years ago in 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. We learned about it on our way to spend the day with an aunt and uncle who lived just north of Centuria. My brother Ernest had picked us up in his new/ used car, a 1946 Plymouth. We’d stopped at a little country gas station on the way and when Ernest came out he told us the news. By August of 1942 he and my brother Ben would both be in the Army. The following spring brother Carl would be gone. Somehow he ended up in the Navy and spent an interesting life. He stayed in after the war ended. During the war he was a medic at the Bremerton Naval Hospital in Washington State. His after the war experience took him to the Pacific Ocean where their major job was to evacuate natives from the Enewetak Island prior to the Bikini A-tomic bomb experience.
ÓÓÓÓÓ
I woke up at three o’clock in the morning the other day thinking about an odd event that occurred in our family’s history. It was an old document that my dad always kept in a tackle box next to his chair by the radio. The document called for my grandfather Carl Anton Berglund to be awarded the southwest corner of Section 24, which contained 160 acres. It was signed by M. McLearn, for the President, Benjamin Harrison. It was dated May 4, 1892.
Along with it were naturalization papers calling Carl Anton Berglund to forever renounce any allegiance to Oscar II King of Sweden. It also awarded him 160 acres and the document was signed Oct, 15, 1884.
That was paid for with a fee of $14. The papers that followed in 1891 contained some interesting history.
Two of the neighbors claimed the land was hilly, swampy, good for farming and pasture. Grandpa said he had taken possession on Oct. 14, 1885, had built a log dwelling, 15x30, log barn 22x30, stable 16x30 and cleared 11 acres.
I thought it was interesting to note the two neighbors lived on nice level land according to the plat map that came with it.
A neighbor who is shown on the map is shown to also have a quarter section, but when I was growing up they were down to just 80 acres. The story was he had violated homestead rules by cutting and selling logs, which were forbidden. It had to be cut and burned.
ÓÓÓÓÓ
It sure is nice to look out and see a nice day ahead. Days are short enough in December, then add a day of cloudy skies and that sure seems like a long day.
ÓÓÓÓÓ
Where does northern Wisconsin begin? Some will say anything north of Madison. Others say anything north of 29. That would put me there, but I like to think of Highway 64. It does run all the way from the St. Croix River.
Having had a cabin on Sackett Lake it just seemed like a natural switch after crossing 64.
ÓÓÓÓÓ
Now there was history made right before our eyes. The Green Bay Packers have won more National Football League games than any other team in history.
I have been to just two Packers games in my life. The first one came when I think Mark had gotten tickets. It was a year the Packers weren’t doing too well and it had snowed the day before the game. I am guessing volunteers came and cleaned the seats of snow. However, it all laid in the area where you would put your feet. So you sat in your seat but had to have your feet up with all the snow dumped in the aisle.
Needlesstosayitwasn’taverypleasant experience and I kept wondering why the Packers kept calling so many time outs when there was nothing to gain.
The next time came when Mark again had tickets, but was going to drive over. Florence put her foot down and said he couldn’t drive that far.
So it was arranged I would drive him and his buddies and I would take my chances on getting a ticket.
We arrived and I went after a ticket. It kind of upset me when someone pushed their way ahead of me at the ticket window. But it was my lucky day as a young man came along wanting to give a ticket away. I offered to pay, but he said they were given to him.
It seemed like a long walk around to the other sideline, but ended up at about the 40 yard line not so far up. Later I saw the young man who gave me the ticket and I thanked him again and wondered how he had gotten such good seats. He wasn’t sure but said he worked for a radio station and thought they were a gift from someone.
The only down-side to attending a game in person is the long drive home. That can only be outdone by going to a Cubs game.
