A 1928 letter from Aunt Fronie (and a correction)

Over the last 20 years or so, Jerry and Rita have often said "You have to come up to the cabin sometime", and I've said "Yes, one of these weekends...."  And then it'd be October, and we'd talk about next summer, ya know?  But a week ago, Jerry called and said THIS was the weekend.  Yay!  It was Jerry, Rita, Judy, Aunt Eileen and me.  What a pretty place, and what good company, not to mention poppyseed kuchen that J&J have perfected since Aunt Fronie died.
As we talked around the table (like our parents did so often), Judy brought out something she found tucked inside this hutch. (It originally sat in Gramma Hesch's kitchen along the south wall and seemed enormous to me. Judy has it in her house now:
"This is the hutch that was in Grandpa & Grandma Hesch's kitchen on the farm all my life-complete with the clock you see on top.  I'm betting you remember it too.  This is the hutch that had Fronie's teeny tiny thank you letter tucked in a drawer....
Anyhow, Fronie ended up with the hutch. The clock that had always been on top, like it is again, actually had belonged to mom & dad all along! Mom told me, when she got it after Grandma's death, that she & dad had received it as a wedding gift.  They "loaned" it to Grandpa & Grandma as they didn't have a place for it at the time.  I remember it ALWAYS being on top of the hutch on the farm so I guess it was a pretty permanent loan..."  

(More about Fronie's fancy curved glass secretary at the bottom of this post).

Anyway, what Judy found in the cabinet was a tiny letter that Aunt Fronie wrote after Christmas in 1928.  She would have been nine and Katie, seven. (Rosie was 3, and Math and Theo were 13). The envelope is the size of a flower shop enclosure card, 2 x 3 inches, and it went thru the mail to Minneapolis to Grandpa's sister Mary Hesch...who evidently gave it back sometime later ☺

"Buckman, Minn
January 2, 1928

Dear Aunt,
I will try and write a letter. 
I was glad when you gave me those colors.  
I like them very, very much.
I will tell you what I got for christmas".

"I got a big dolly. It says mama. Rosa does not like her dolly. She always wants my dolly.

From Aunt Anna papa got a cigar and mama got some brown candy.  Aunt Anna is Katie's godfather. She got a blue dress from her.

Rosa Hesch Leone Hesch got a big dolls too. Adeline Hesch she did not get a doll. She got a pencil box and some pencil too a little sissors too and a big book.

I will tell you what I got from Sister Lura she gave me a 2nd grade it is called Rosry (work?) book.  We saw Santa claues he was not bad he was very good he mad us pray I not have to Math and theo and Katie said the our fathe just a little bite.

Math and Theo got a game Henry got a Tedy bear and papa got a stick from Santa claues".

"Mama got nothing from him but from Aunt Mary she got something. You gave Katie a handbag. Sophia Steinbauer gave me one too mam said I wand how they did know that I wa from Veronica Hesch"  (Her mom Lizzy added: "It is quite interesting to read, Veronica and Katie wrote their letters all by themselves fairly well, eh? L")

Just so you know, the whole letter was 4 x 6 inches, folded in forths ☺

I thought this was the cabinet Judy meant:


Here's a pic that's similar to the curved oak secretary that was originally in Aunt Fronie's living room, remember?  Kids were NEVER allowed to run near it, and even thinking about touching it was verboten.  It looked sorta like this, but I think the glass was curved around more? It was as delicate as it looked, and wise kids gave it lots of distance.  Turns out the one in Fron's living room originally belonged to Uncle Leo's mom, Anna Yorek Karash, and stayed with the house when she died, so Fron inherited it.  It surely wasn't her style ☺.

THANKS to Cousin Judy for sharing the little letter and for clearing this up!

Another MYSTERY photo!

'K, obviously, this was the day Aunt Fronie married Leo Karash (September 1947). By this time, everybody was feeling pret-ty darn GOOD. The man on the left is Anton Janson, my mothers' dad, and for years, I assumed the man in the middle was his brother Wendelin or Sebastian, but that'd be unlikely, when you think about it.

I'm wondering if it wasn't Michael Karash, Uncle Leo's dad. THAT would make sense, but checking my tree, Mike Karash died in 1946. Any ideas on who he was?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BTW, to this point, we've had a 1,150 hits on the HESCH HISTORY blog, but VERY few comments...so here's a challenge:

If you're one of the first three people to actually leave a comment (click "COMMENT" at the end of the post you want to add to), I'll give you a copy of the Reunion video in August, ok? It'll have footage from the Golden Wedding plus many of the photos posted here, and a few NEW ones, so c'mon! COMMENT!

Mystery Village: LANGOLA

Enlarge this map and find the Karasch farm!

At Aunt Fronie's funeral last week, we were discussing the "disappeared village" down by the Platte that Uncle Leo showed me. He said his father talked about it, and pointed it out to him.

Josh just e-mailed to show me this book online:

Historical Sketches of Royalton and VicinityBy Frank B. Logan

Originally published in the Royalton Banner in early 1930, and reprinted in book form in June of that year

An excerpt:

The "Lost Village" of Langola

Perhaps but few of the present generation know that 75 years ago there was located at the present site of the bridge over Platte River, two miles south of Royalton, a thriving village of which no trace is now visible except some almost filled cellar holes and a few timbers sunk in the bottom of the river. Here from 1854 to some time in the early sixties was located a town first called "Platte River," but later, "Langola." After the establishment of the place, the old stage road crossed at this point and passed through the village.

From an old plat taken from the records of Benton County we find the town was laid out into 26 blocks, each divided into lots, the location being given as Section 11, Township 38, Range 32. The names of some of the streets were Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson Avenues, Main, Oak, and Elm Streets.

The water power on Platte River was improved by the erection of a dam. Flour and saw mills were erected; stores, a hotel, Indian trading post, blacksmith shop, and many residences were built, and for years it was a thriving town.

After years of prosperity high water came. Platte River became a raging torrent, the dam broke, and the entire town, being built on a flat but a few feet above the river was washed away.....The town was never rebuilt, and if the curious wish to investigate the site of the "lost village" a few depressions in the earth will indicate where homes and business buildings once stood.

Again quoting from the "Frontierman" published at Sauk Rapids in 1855, and the first paper published in Minnesota outside of St. Paul and St. Anthony, we find the following in reference to Langola:

"The town of Langola is situated above the mouth of the Platte River, which is a stream of considerable importance, both on account of the extensive pineries on its upper banks, and the fertility and loveliness of the country through which it meanders after leaving those pineries.

The town has but just started. It has, however, an auspicious beginning. A good grist mill is in successful operation, at which as good flour is being manufactured as can be made at any mill in Minnesota. Arrangements are being made by the proprietors of the town for the erection of a substantial saw mill which, we are authorized to say, will be ready for work during the present season. Several new houses have recently been built, one of which is now being occupied as a boarding house and hotel. The place is surrounded by a rich farming country; is eligibly situated; possesses a valuable water power, and we see no reason why, with the energy they have thus far exhibited, the proprietory of Langola may not concentrate there considerable business and capital, and thus add one more to the long list of thriving towns in our county."

(The ROYALTON page is here--can't help the awful blue background).

1903 PLAT MAP OF LANGOLA on the wonderful Minnesota Reflections site. The link shows you a book of Sherburne county, but Benton is included in it. Scroll on the left.

Thanks, Josh--
YAY--mystery SOLVED!
BTW, I figured out how to make pictures biggify for sure, now. YAY!

Interesting additional information: Paul and Mary (Otremba) Hesch adopted a daughter named Lucy, who married Max Klein...in the 1920 Census, newlyweds Max and Lucy are listed as living with his widowed mother and his sister and brother in LANGOLA, Benton, Minnesota. Neat, huh?

Veronica Hesch Karash 1919-2009

Wow, there are so many memories of Aunt Fronie. She would have been 90 in April, but she died last Sunday afternoon, March 15, at the Lutheran Home in Little Falls.
She married Leo Karasch in September of 1947...and for many of us, they became favorites. With no kids of their own, the farm in rural Royalton became a second home to Gail and Tim, and Jerry. They babysat for Josh, too, when he was little.

Remember when that tornado ruined the barn? It was old and wobbly to begin with, but the storm really wrecked it. Then, some men from Minneapolis came by and LOVED the old wood--could they possibly buy it from the Karaschs? (Imagine Aunt Fronies eyes when she re-told this...lol) They carefully carted it away, and eventually sent a free dinner invitation to Aunt Fronie and Uncle Leo--"Come see how perfect it looks!"
They did....and couldn't wait to get home and tell about what was STILL STUCK to the barn wood, in a restaurant, no less!

To say Aunt Fronie was frugal was only part of the truth. Case in point: when the Rural Electric Association ran lines out to the countryside, they were the last house on the line. No problem there, but every house was charged $11.00 a month, whether or not they used that much electricity....and really, who had appliances or lights then? Aunt Fronie protested, but they said it was standard procedure and it couldn't be changed. So, Aunt Fronie figured out how to read her meter, and went out and bought electric appliances JUST so she could use what she was being charged for. She turned stuff off when it got to $11.00 exactly. Dark was better than paying for a line they deserved anyway!
The company protested, but she finally won. I still cheer for her when I think of it...lol

Oh, I remember the smells there by the river--like inside Aunt Fronies' wash house--lye soap and linoleum, sorta. It smelled clean; her kitchen almost always smelled of something GOOD, and the livingroom smelled like dill (no idea why!) She made wonderful poppyseed kuchen that my mom tried for years to duplicate, but never quite made it. Remember sheets of noodles hanging to dry? And jars of canned chicken, and sauerkraut? She made something with mashed potatoes and...dandelion greens? Jerry, she said you loved it, even if it looked awful. We helped with haying a time or two. The meadow south of the house smelled so hot and fresh...oh, and when Aunt Fronie still smoked, she always chewed spearmint gum, remember?

Marion mentioned 'Hank and Alma'--(pet pigs). She remembered Uncle Leo telling Hank and Alma stories to Josh, and taking him outside to visit 'em. Was there really a pig shelter made of straw there? It looked like a huge thatched roof on poles. I'm almost sure I remember a thrashing machine shooting straw up there...?

The farm was sorta magical, wasn't it? If you have stories you want to add, leave them in the comments...

Rest in peace, Aunt Fronie.
............................................................................
Veronica Marie Karash, 89, Royalton, died Mar. 15. Vis: 4-8 p.m., Thu., Mar. 26, & 9-10 a.m. Fri., Mar 27 both at funeral home. Services: 10:30 a.m. Fri., Mar. 27, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Royalton. Emblom-Brenny Funeral Service, Royalton.


(From the 19 March 2009 St Cloud Times)

More pictures from Judy

Click to enlarge

THIS is how I remember the kitchen at Grandmas' house, except for dad sitting OUT of a game? Seems like that never happened!

(Jerry emailed to say they might have been playing 31, where "Out" is part of the game, so you got to watch others play while they teased you about going out...lol)

The kid dashing off the right front corner--was it Joyce?

Can you name all the adults there? There's only one I don't recognize--the guy to Grandpas' left. (Jerry said he's Herman Barton, somebody who helped out at Uncle Leo's place and often came with them to Grandmas house. According to Herman's WWI draft registration, he was born 15 May 1886. He would have been the man that we were warned not to disturb when we were at Karashs. We were told he was mean to kids, but years later, Aunt Fronie told me that he was hard of hearing, and they just didn't want us to bother him. It worked...lol Thanks, Jerry!)

Favorite Uncles:
It's fun to see a picture of Uncle Leo, huh?
One of the few times he wasn't wearing a hat outside,
and you can see he's about to laugh, or tease
somebody.
We all pretty much adored Uncle Leo,
and Uncle Tader wasn't bad either!

Remember the Polish word Uncle Leo usta call
Aunt Fronie? Mah-RUN-sec...lol