Irene

I was saddened to hear of the death of Irene Doyle from my cousin, Owen Polifka, who was very close to Irene and and her husband, Joe. I happened upon Irene's obituary online in The Daily Journal of Fergus Falls.

Anyone who lived in Tenney in the early years remembers Irene and Joe Doyle. Irene Doyle and Doris Raguse were the last teachers to serve the Tenney School before it closed, in 1956.

I had the lovely experience of meeting Irene about a year ago when she attended my book signing in Campbell. The above photo was taken at the Ranch House in Campbell the day of the book event (Irene is in the plum-colored coat, next to Tom Polifka). I so clearly remember her coming up to me, searching for the details of my face through her failing vision, touching my arm, stroking it as older women sometimes do as they talk to "young folks" such as myself. She told me how thankful she was and how proud she was of me for the effort I had put in to THE TENNEY QUILT, and spoke with such pride and joy about her memories of our little town of Tenney and all its children that she loved and nurtured throughout her career. I had never met Irene, to my knowledge, but she made me feel as though I had known her forever or perhaps been a former student. I immediately understood why she was so loved in the area.

Irene was unable to attend the Tenney Gathering at the Tenney Church this past May, as that was the very day that a memorial service was held for her beloved husband, Joe. Blessed be the memory of Irene and Joe Doyle!

Following is the text of the obituary as it appeared in the Fergus Falls paper:

1918 - 2008
Irene Doyle

Irene Angeline Doyle, 89, of Weslaco, Texas, died Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008, at her home just one month short of her 90th birthday. She suffered a stroke at the end of September very shortly after returning to Texas from Minnesota where she had been to sell her farm.
Irene Thompson was born Dec. 19, 1918, in Veblen, S.D., to Anna Dahlberg and Christian D. (C.D.) Thompson. Her parents died when she was a baby. She was raised by Bertha (sister to Anna) and Alfred Thompson (brother to C.D.), her aunt and uncle.
She married William (Joe) Doyle on April 7, 1941.
Irene graduated from Veblen High school in 1937, earned her teaching credential from Northern State in Aberdeen in 1940, and earned a bachelor of science degree from Moorhead College in 1965.

Irene was a life long teacher in Tenney, Fairmont N.D., and Campbell. Her teacher's heart was evident in all that she shared with others. She was active in her church and garden club.
Irene raised a huge garden each summer on her Minnesota farm. She had a keen interest in plants of all types and shared her seeds, produce, and knowledge with anyone who expressed an interest. She will also be remembered by many for her passion and talent for clog dancing.
Irene and Joe had no children of their own, but were parents to all.

Irene lost Joe, her husband of 67 years; and her sister, Evelyn, this year.
She is survived by nieces, nephews; grateful students; and loving friends.

In lieu of flowers, Irene would have been honored if you would make a contribution to either St. Pius X or the Church of St Gall or your favorite charity. Notification of such may be sent to Irene's nephew: Larry Helseth, 12818 SE Forest St., Vancouver, WA 98683.

Service: 9 a.m. Wednesday, at St. Pius X, 600 S. Oklahoma Ave., Weslaco, Texas

Minnesota service: 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Church of St. Gall, in Tintah Minnesota.

Burial: Church of St Gall cemetery in Tintah

Funeral Home: Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home, Breckenridge

Condolences may be sent online at www.josephvertinandsons.com

More From North St. Paul

Dar Lundeen sent me this photo taken at the North St. Paul Library event last week. I am flanked on both sides by daughters of Tenney Quilt signers. On the left is Betty Lundeen, daughter of quilt signer Ann Janke of Tenney, and on the right is Char (Richardson) Anderson, daughter of quilt signer Amy Richardson. That's me in the middle, and of course the star of the show is the Tenney Quilt, in front. You Tenney folks out there in the world certainly know the Jankes and Richardsons as stalwarts of the Tenney scene for many years, so I thought you might enjoy this photo.

Keeping In Touch, Spittoons, and More

This last week I had the pleasure of speaking at the North St. Paul Branch of the Ramsey County Library System, and what fun it was! I was thrilled when some of “my Tenney people” showed up. They seem to pop up everywhere!

The “Hardie girls,” Marsha and Sherry, who grew up in the upper floor of Leonard and Opal Hardie’s Store (formerly the Larson Store, where my mother grew up), were there. It was a pleasure to meet Bill Kath for the first time, the son of Edward Kath and grandson of William and Anna Kath. Bill had sent me a photo several months ago of the little line-up of Tenney baseball players which I posted on this blog. Jack and Amy Richardson’s youngest daughter, Char (Anderson), and her husband came, as did Dar and Betty Lundeen. Betty is the daughter of Tenney-ite Ann Janke. Ann was a contemporary of many of the women I feature in my book. My cousin, Owen Polifka, the son of Tenney tavern owner Clifford Polifka, also attended.

The above photo shows Owen with my parents, Earl and Helen Jo (Larson) Leaf, whom I lovingly refer to as my “groupies” because they are at nearly every TENNEY QUILT book event. After hearing me speak perhaps 25 times, I’m sure my father, a historian and researcher himself, could get up in front of a group and talk about the Tenney Quilt and the audience would never even miss me.

For the benefit of the Tenney people present at the library in North St. Paul this week, I talked a bit about a memory that many Tenney folks have told me about, both in the process of interviewing them for the book, as well as when I have run in to them during various speaking engagements. It amazes me how many people, when reminiscing about Cliff’s Tavern, remember the SMELL! This smell, as they describe it, was a combination of beer, ice cream, and the spittoon that sat just inside the door as one entered the establishment. This smell was a nasal bouquet of sweet-salty-grainy-staleness that has somehow remained in their auditory memory for decades. It must have been very distinctive, given the number of different people who have mentioned it on separate occasions. All a part of the Tenney experience. Does this conjure up any “Cliff’s Place” memories? Do you remember the smell? Tell me more!

Libraries

You may or may not have noticed that the list of libraries that circulate THE TENNEY QUILT has steadily grown over the past several months. I know of 40 libraries, but I’m sure there are others that I just haven’t heard of. I usually do not know when libraries order the book, as they do not order them directly from me. But I do know that just this last month we added several more public libraries, as well as a few more colleges. The most recent public libraries are Montevideo, Kerkhoven, Arden Hills, North St. Paul, Roseville, and Shoreview, all in Minnesota. Minnesota State University at Mankato added it to its Minnesota History section just recently. To see the list of libraries, please scroll down to the bottom of this page to the blue section, where there is an alphabetical list. If your local library does not carry the book, please request it. Libraries do listen to their patrons!

The Famous Photo

I saw something today that I have been wanting to see for quite awhile. I had occasion to be at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, and was excited to find the Lake Wobegon Store. As many of you know, Lake Wobegon is Garrison Keillor's fictional Minnesota locale "where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all of the children are above average." I went to the Lake Wobegon Store to view the photo of Tenney's pint-sized population as it existed in May, 1989.

I wrote about Tenney's "Moment of Fame" earlier this year in this blog. In short, residents of Tenney, because they lived in Minnesota's smallest town, were honored in 1989 by KSTP-TV in Minneapolis. The residents, who easily fit into a limousine, were delivered to the Twin Cities, where they were wined and dined, then appeared on the “Good Company” television show which aired from the Valley Fair Amusement Park in Shakopee. First, the group ate in their own private dining room at the Radisson St. Paul Hotel. They were then given a tour of the Summit Avenue mansions in St. Paul, they stood on the steps of the state capitol, they wandered through the sculpture garden at the Walker Art Center, and then had a ride on the “Josiah Snelling” river boat on the Mississippi River, traveling from Harriet Island to Fort Snelling and back. The Tenney folks saw the Metrodome and toured the Minneapolis lakes area in their limousine.

Governor Perpich declared that day “Tenney Day” in Minnesota, and the group was presented with a plaque to commemorate this declaration. Al and Lou Manthie, Opal Hardie, Al Hungerford, Lorraine Church, Willie Rossow, Marian Harrington and Leo Berg were given quite a bit of air time on the TV show.

This group is memorialized in a photo of the group taken on the steps of the Tenney Church, which now hangs in the Lake Wobegon Store in the Mall of America. I have to admit that I had a bit of a lump in my throat when I saw the photo hanging there on that wall today, pondering, as I have so many times over the last year, the reach of this little town of Tenney where--of course--the women were strong, the men good looking, and the children above average.

Myrtle

I was notified of the death of a person many of you know through your connection to Tenney. I had the good fortune of meeting and greeting Myrtle Kegley Thompson at our wonderful little “Tenney Day” celebration in May of this year, where this photo was taken. In the photo is Myrtle, Doris Janke Wawers, [and my mother's back]. Anyone now living who grew up in or lived in Tenney would know Myrtle. Even though she moved away in the 1950s, she stayed in the general area and apparently didn’t miss too many Tenney get-togethers. While in Tenney, her family lived in a house just across the street from the Tenney School. Thanks, Sherry, for forwarding this obituary to me, which was found in the online version of the FERGUS FALLS DAILY JOURNAL:

“Myrtle Thompson, 73, of Breckenridge, died Tuesday, September 2, 2008, at her home in Breckenridge.

Myrtle was born on April 22, 1935 on a farm north of Nashua, the youngest of nine children born to Newton and Avis (Nendick) Kegley. At the age of five Myrtle moved with her family to Tenney. She attended school in Tenney and later in Campbell. Myrtle loved growing up in Tenney and often spoke of roller skating, dancing and carrying water from the town pump to home while living there.

She did a lot of babysitting during her school years and also worked for other families in the Tenney area. In 1953, she moved to Breckenridge and worked at St. Francis Hospital in the X-ray Department, a job she had fond memories of.

She also worked at the Rex Café in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Myrtle later moved to Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she worked at various places as a waitress, and also as a clerk at dime stores and grocery stores.

In 1954, Myrtle married John Sorum in Grand Forks. To this union six children were born, of which two died in infancy. They lived in Grand Forks and later moved to Santiago.

In 1971, they moved to Breckenridge, where Myrtle worked at the Rock Garden Bar and Earl’s Bar for more than eight years.

Myrtle married Richard “Dick” Thompson on September 10, 1975 at Milbank, South Dakota. Myrtle and Dick and their blended family made their home in Breckenridge. Dick preceded her in death on September 17, 1994. Myrtle continued to live in Breckenridge.

Myrtle, always an upbeat person, was willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. She enjoyed planning family reunions and staying connected with her nieces and nephews. Myrtle wasn’t above pulling a joke on someone but was also big enough to take a joke pulled on her.

She enjoyed playing cards, reading, crocheting, doing picture puzzles and making small quilts for her grandchildren. She always had time for her grandchildren and loved playing board games with them. Myrtle always had the coffee pot on and she truly enjoyed when people would drop in for a cup and conversation.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Newton and Avis Kegley; her husband Richard “Dick” Thompson; her two daughters Kathryn Ann and Carol Rae; her brothers Carl, Earol, Lyle and Kenneth; and her sisters Prudence, Bernice, Harriet and Lois.

Myrtle is survived by her children, Nancy and Rick Froemke, Wahpeton, ND; Paul and Lori Sorum, Breckenridge; Bruce and Robyn Sorum, Horace, ND; Lunda “Punky” Meyer and her special friend, Dean Overby, Wahpeton, ND; her stepchildren, Gene and Gayle Thompson, Breckenridge; Richard and Candice Thompson, Moorhead; Jane and Rex Kulla, Maple Grove; Wanda and Larry Hutchinson, Eagan; 16 grandchildren, Emily, Jason, Amy, Erica, Becky, Kayla, Justin, Christina, Jacob, Jessi, Brittney, Todd, James, Travis, Robby and Jenna; three great-grandchildren, Mady, Payton and Carson; and many nieces and nephews.

Service: United Methodist Church, Breckenridge. Clergy: Rev. Terry Tilton. Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Breckenridge. Funeral Home: Joseph Vertin & Sons, Breckenridge. Condolences may be sent online at www.josephvertinandsons.com."

Tenney's Dray Service

In response to my blog entry about the old Tenney Hotel, I received this photo from Sherry Swan (Al Manthie’s granddaughter). It is an invoice to the Village of Tenney for dray services to various points in town. The invoice is on letterhead from “The Hotel Tenney,” George Vitalis, Proprietor. (To see it more clearly, double click right on the image, and it will enlarge).

Now, for you young ‘uns that may not have heard the term “dray,” let me explain. In this time period in Tenney, a dray was a heavy, four-wheeled wagon pulled by a horse. The wagon would haul goods, often to or from the railway platform, to wherever they needed to be delivered. The dray was generally stored in or worked out of the Livery Stable which was, in most small towns, located somewhere near the railway depot and the hotel. This way, travelers fresh off the train could hire out a horse or later, sometimes an automobile, and goods that arrived on the train could be delivered to their appropriate destination.

In much of the 19th century, it was an unwritten “rule” that all inns and hotels would offer a dray and livery service. Based on this invoice, apparently this was the case with “The Hotel Tenney.” Across the hotel logo on the paper are written the words “Buffet and Livery in Connection.” So the hotel either owned the livery and dray service, or at least had some sort of business arrangement with them.

On this invoice, we see that the dray service was delivering goods primarily to the Town Hall which, in Tenney, is approximately 1 block—or less—from the depot. It cost the Village of Tenney 25 cents to deliver coal, 50 cents to deliver “fixtures” and 75 cents to deliver chairs, all to the Town Hall, as well as one dollar to deliver coal to the school and 25 cents to return a plank to the lumber yard. The total bill for this dray service came to $2.75.

There is no date on this invoice, but I am thinking that it must be in the 1912 or 1913 time frame. Given the nature of the items being delivered to the Town Hall from the railway—chairs and fixtures—I am surmising that this could very well have occurred at the time the Town Hall was being built, which was 1913. How exciting!

The advertising slogan on the letterhead is hilarious and fits in well with the many Tenney stories I have heard through the years: “Nothing First Class But the Price.” Now where, but Tenney, would one see such an advertising slogan!??! Now, I’m being facetious, since it obviously had a different meaning at the Turn of the Century. But if I would use today’s logic to interpret this slogan, the slogan could be translated as, “EVERYTHING HERE IS LOW QUALITY BUT THE PRICE IS REALLY HIGH.” Oh what fun to see these old treasures. Thank you, so much, Sherry, for sharing this!