A fire, a birthday, a town and a runaway

 From the Buckman News column, December 1910:
"The swamp fire is still burning south of our church.  The men gave up trying to put it out because they can't do so."  
What swamp?  Isn't the ball field south of the church?

 "A birthday party was given at the home of Mr and Mrs August B. Dehler in honor of their daughter Evelyn, it being her 5th birthday.  Those present were Erlinda and Loretta Janson, Rose Marion Seifert, from Little Falls.  Eleanor Davis, Lawrence Hortsch, Hildegard Dehler, Gertrude Schmolke.  The afternoon was spent in playing school and other games after which a bounteous supper was served.  Evelyn received many pretty little presents and her friends wished her many happy returns of the day."

Those few readers who've been following the New Pierz-Grainville-Genola saga might still scratch their heads over this clipping from 1915.

The tiny town we know as Genola, just south of Pierz, was still a big deal cuz it had the train depot, with merchants right across the street, including saloons.  If you intended to go somewhere, or arrived home from somewhere else, why go into Pierz to have a drink?  Flaudy Litke or the Kelzenbergs were right there...util a new state law came into effect whereby incorporating a town meant it had to be dry, liquor-wise.  This was a problem for our ancestors, let me tell ya.  The locals had just voted to drop the un-official "New Pierz" moniker and change it to Grainville, and that meant incorporating. DRY.  We know how this came out because it's not called Grainville anymore.

Now this clipping is especially interesting (and mystifying) to descendants of Michael Sand, whose own son Charlie had "left home as soon as he could". Evidently Mike replaced Charlie as choreboy on the farm with his grand-nephew, Mike Grittner.  It's incredible the article ever made the paper, knowing Mike Sand's standing in the Buckman community.  But then, see the next clipping below--a "V Grittner" had just returned home the year before.  Was it a rite of passage for Grittner boys?    LATER:  I know you're wondering if there are any other Grittners in our relationship--and there ARE!  Well, one, anyway:  Julia Grittner married mom's uncle, Gerhard Naber, about 1910. ☺

Gerhard Naber & Julia Grittner wedding.