UMM forges ahead with 2024 graduation

There is a UMM musical performance at the public library tonight (Wednesday, May 1). I see where the concert choir will perform at graduation. A commencement program is available to be read online. I would guess that paper programs will not be distributed on graduation day. Last year's graduation was paperless this way. We were told we had to access the program with our smartphones. 

Some of us have a hard time keeping up with all this. 

I didn't stick around last year because I was shocked to hear "Pomp and Circumstance" played as a mere recording. For seemingly time immemorial the UMM band handled this. Unfortunately many of us took this for granted. We might assess the band and choir on their performance. But we took their presence for granted. Looks like the choir will adorn this year's graduation. 

Memory tells me that UMM has a poor track record with weather for graduation day. With periodic exceptions, weather has been an issue. So we have seen graduations indoors like last year. I was present long enough to make that observation. I have since called the graduation the "low-budget graduation." 

I have heard the excuse that it's tough trying to require the musicians to show up for graduation. Well it wasn't in the past.

 

A previous chapter

I personally played French horn in the UMM band for a few months in the late 1960s. I remember being in the band for a nice outdoor graduation ceremony. I was only asked to play because of a shortage of French horn players. I seem to recall there was just one. I remember the guy but don't remember his name. 

Rich Meiss and Bonnie Dunnum (later Drinkwitz) were in band at the time. Bonnie was a student director. My experience there coincided with the peak of campus unrest over the Vietnam war. My, how those memories might come back, now that we look at the headlines about the campus protests. 

Nostalgia? That's an improper word because it suggests fond thoughts. Oh, we might be fond of the sense of moral commitment that so many young people on college campuses had in the '60s. 

The "real" RFK, RFK Sr.

Today we have what's called emotional distance from the really bad stuff of the '60s. We can watch the biopic about MLK and maybe get a little misty, being reminded of it all. Or the movie "Bobby" about RFK. That's the "real" RFK and not to be confused with what his son is doing now. RFK Jr. presents a puzzle as he has the pedigree and a lawyer's intelligence. And maybe on some or many issues, his positions are to be commended. But he certainly spells trouble in certain areas. 

I remember driving to Alexandria to see the movie "Bobby." I think it came and went, did not make a big splash. The movie did underscore the late RFK's stance on Vietnam. I remember being personally present at UMM for a couple of the "moratoriums" set up to confront the war. All opinions could be voiced but one could gather that the sessions were a vehicle for opposing the war. 

Was there a contrary position? If so, was it truly a "pro-war" position or just a more measured position? Maybe as in, "let's not do anything drastic." But of course many of us felt something drastic was needed. David Brinkley confronted LBJ on this. Vietnam was fundamentally LBJ's war. Did you notice that when his widow "Lady Bird" died, the media paid little more than token attention to the news? For a former First Lady? Well, my boomer generation had reached its prime of influence and we did not appreciate any reminders of the Vietnam war. 

Amazing: LBJ could have gone down as a hero based on his civil rights bulldozing. Did he push the war as a way of watching his own back? I mean, to signal to America's always-powerful conservative element that he wasn't a "softie," certainly not on "communism?" The boogeyman "communism" of the time. 

The memory of LBJ is certainly not revered today although it could be. It's not far off to make the same assertion about Richard Nixon. Why on Earth was Nixon worried about the 1972 election? The political center and left had more reach back then than today. Nixon wanted to position himself appropriately. Shrewd enough to campaign as a conservative, Nixon was not at all the raging conservative once he took office. He actually pushed for the creation of the EPA among other things. 

So the lesson is: "Nixon was more interested in power than in ideology." That lesson has not been learned by our USA president from 2016 to 2020. Amazing how that individual thought the whole nation really was receptive to banning abortion. Pro-life has been a rallying cry, yes. A call to arms for people who position themselves as far right and supremely "Christian." 

But of course the issue becomes hopelessly complicated, a black hole, sort of, once the over-arching protection of Roe vs. Wade is erased. The dog that caught the car? Quite. Other people beat me to that expression. 

There are many reasons to be scared of Donald Trump. I have become focused on just one. It is not abortion. Surely other people are going to handle that issue for me. Chris Matthews has said "liberalism always wins in the end." It sticks in my mind. Eventually women's rights which somehow coincides with "liberalism" are going to win out. Question is how much time it will take. Then life can go on as normal.

Life was reinstated to normal after Vietnam, as I was flabbergasted that our involvement there actually ended after all my growing-up years of being subjected to the news. Hey, we actually could leave Vietnam. Really! "Amnesty" came along in due time for those who had gone to lengths to avoid it. 

 

Keep eye on the ball

Well, my one prime issue that I implore with people at the present time is this: the specter of Donald Trump taking over the Federal Reserve. Surely you know his penchant for wanting to take over everything. He says what he means. If you don't believe that, maybe this blog post isn't for you. Maybe you should read the funnies. "Dagwood" still in there? 

Trump dictating what interest rates should be? Weighing what criteria? Maybe you aren't aware but the Fed has historically been depended on to make decisions that are sometimes bad in the short term but good (thank goodness) in the long term. Maybe we can use the expression "deferral of gratification." This is famously considered a trait of successful, wealthy people versus the "poor." 

Deferral of gratification. 

You think Trump understands that principle? Do you suppose he'd make decisions on interest rates based on what would work best for himself or his heirs staying in power? If you don't know how he is wired, well go read the funnies. "Li'l Abner" still in there? 

Low interest rates! Zero percent! Maybe negative! What a turn-on for Donald Trump. But with what consequences for the masses of ordinary Americans? Low interest of course pushes up inflation. I think we've had enough of inflation for a while. 

What if the economy collapses because of Trump's inflation? This would mean the very shattering of America. The country would no longer exist as it has. And so we're left to speculate about what would rise up in its place. Maybe give it back to the Indians!

 

Flashpoint of Israel

The focal point for the current campus disruptions is the Israel/Palestine thing. Some people would want me to say "Israel/Hamas." Well I think it's Israel/Palestine. Like many in my generation I am sick of hearing about strife involving Israel. I am totally on the same page as the late great reporter Helen Thomas. She said the Jews of Israel should just "go home. Go back to Europe." 

I 100 percent admire the Jews as a people, am awed by their intelligence and motivation. I am 100 percent against the nation/state of Israel. 

Hey, any talk of unrest on our UMM campus? I have not heard of any. Any possibility of graduation being disrupted? Have heard no talk. Then again, there is a very low level of activity on our campus. 

Let me explain how I came to attend the UMM moratoriums in the late '60s. I was only in about the eighth grade. It wasn't necessarily because I was such a committed citizen, although I was paying attention. It was because I reported to campus for band practice only to find it was cancelled due to the moratorium. I stuck around to take it in. Truly history. 

I do remember one UMM professor who seemed to be there as a contrarian relative to the students. I won't type his name in case I were to have trouble reconstructing his comments. Many of those at Edson Hall were not pleased with the man. But the forum was open. There were always certain people ready to counter the students. 

Today there are those willing to fight for "pro-life" even though this cause must surely have an expiration date. "Liberalism always wins in the end." Poor Chris Matthews, he lost his show on MSNBC because of behavior that amounted to "flirting." Al Franken got in trouble for allegedly similar urges. 

I think the high-water mark in all of UMM history was when Al Franken as U.S. senator came here to speak for graduation. What a grand day that was. Today? Seems UMM is just trying to hold on. 

But I will be attending the musical performance at our public library tonight (Wednesday), 6:30 p.m. It will be a joy. 

Graduation is on May 11. One aspect that can't miss: the buffet brunch.

-Brian Williams - morris mn minnessota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Wellspring of joy, another of disaster

The spring of Caitlin Clark and the Trump trials or legal messes continues. One of these things has been totally joyous. We might thank God for this. It counterbalances the disturbing stuff. 

Oh I suppose I could throw in the bombshell Kristi Noem story. You probably know she's the governor of the bright red state to the west. Remember the saying promoted by "Andy's Pop Store?" "Johnson Minnesota where the pavement ends and the West begins!" 

Civilization might be a little sketchy out there. And be careful if you're walking along a roadside in our state to the west. Look at the horrible catastrophe of when the then-South Dakota attorney general was driving at night. Coming from a Republican fundraiser of course. (I initially wrote "GOP" instead of "Republican" but many people might not know what "GOP" is.) 

We're awfully close to South Dakota here in Morris. I cannot assume any level of refinement, certainly not among the men. The women bear our only hope for trying to avoid the existential dilemma of Trump actually getting back in power. 

I seriously think Noem's apparent tough sledding now only increases her chances of getting the VP selection. Trump's outrageous personal predicaments are not dropping his stock at all. Perhaps lifting his chances? I seriously think so. I was at DeToy's Restaurant at mid-morning today (Monday) and noticed the men holding forth in the middle section. We need women to turn out in force at the polls in November to counter the votes of these men. 

Women have lost the guarantee of  being able to make decisions to control their bodies, thanks to Trump and his three Supreme Court nominees. Brett Kavanaugh actually lied to Senator Susan Collins re. the "Roe" matter. We know what we are up against, all us sensible types who really want to weigh factual data and not just tune in to AM talk radio. I monitor radio out of personal curiosity. 

You can follow all the Trump legal news which will go on forever. Why are we seeing this phenomenon with this president and not others? Is it because a normal president sees himself as a public servant? So when a true public servant has something pointed out in his actions that was not according to Hoyle, he'd admit it and agree to remedial action. The motive is to serve the public. 

Otherwise get out of politics and go seek sexual satisfaction with the porn star and Playboy bunnies or whatever on your own private terms. You have the money so go do it. But what happened to Eliot Spitzer when he tried the very same thing? Wasn't he "busted?" 

Paying a woman to stay silent after a sexual tryst or simple "sex session" is the same as paying a woman to have sex. In the old days we'd use the term "prostitution." Has this term been shelved in the present day? Is it quaint to use? Can't sex just be transactional? Why not, if it's two consenting adults? Trump apparently thinks it's perfectly proper. 

Would it have really mattered if we had known about Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal leading up to the 2016 election? We did in fact know about "Access Hollywood." I guess that hurt Billy Bush, but nothing, absolutely nothing, hurts Trump. Just listen to talk radio. 

And now we'll see if Noem being a dog killer will hurt her. Or maybe even help her? In this age of Trump, we cannot rule out the latter. 

What about Trump and his autocratic aims? It's out there in full view.

I quote from an email I sent to a friend this morning:

 

Very seriously, if Trump takes over the Federal Reserve as reports indicate he wants to do, it is all over for this country. It will disintegrate. We will start seeing factions or mob rule taking over here and there. Law enforcement will devolve totally. It'll be like every man for himself. The Fed is a very delicate institution and Americans generally do not understand that. And Trump's supporters just want to let him do anything he wants. They won't question him on anything. The more trouble he gets in, the more they support him. The fact that Kristi Noem is in so much trouble for shooting her dog just raises the odds of her being the VP choice, seriously.

The middle section at DeToy's was filled at mid-morning today, all those guys who are in the category of total Trump supporters. Really I think it's just a macho thing for them. You're a "wuss" if you support Biden and even worse if you like Kamala. Of course Kamala is not a terrible person at all. Newt Gingirich says her laugh is a disqualifier. Really?

 

Know what's at stake

Here is a comment I posted to a Yahoo! News article this morning:

 

The only Trump news that interests me on this Monday morning is follow-up on his intentions to make decisions for the Federal Reserve, (wink) with interest rates. Odds appear good of Trump winning and then of essentially taking over the Fed, and I hate typing "essentially." Trump wants power. The reason the Fed is independent is that sometimes it has to make decisions that are bad in the short term but good in the long term.

 

"Jack" responded:

He won't win, people will flock to the polls to shut him out.

"Ron" echoed this:

It’s a moot point! Trump will never win the general election! He will get beat like a red-headed stepchild!

 

"Warren" responded:

The only news I am interested in hearing this Monday morning is that Karma has finally visited "Dump" once and for all.

  

"James" was skeptical toward me:

Not a lot of critical thinking going on here. You know they could use some volunteers in the Ukraine.

  

"Bonnie" offered a response:

Since he can't do that, would be interesting, but he does want to destroy the country, did a good job, million dead from covid, a virus he admitted was deadly and downplayed, more people out of work since the '30s, 8 trillion in debt, telling people to inject bleach, treason, a tariff war that cost us billions, trashed our allies, wrote love letters to our foe.

"Steven" responded:

Housing is just NOW starting to soften because of the interest rates. The FED will manage it. It's POOR management like Trump did, that started all of this in the first place. Trust smart people. Distrust elementary minds like Trump's.

 

Jerome Powell

"Ted" responded:

Trump replaced Janet Yellen as Fed Chair with Jerome Powell in 2018. Read about it. He said Powell was the "man for the job and will do great things to boost the economy." Now Trump wants to get rid of Powell.

"Dickie D" responded:

You realize the Federal Reserve is private. Those families will not let Trump anywhere near their operation, unless it makes them money, but stability is more important to them.

 

Kristi with the pretty face?

Here's a comment I posted to Yahoo! News about Kristi Noem before the dog incident got out there.

Is her biggest strength this commonly-heard perception that she's "good-looking?" It's not me saying that, I'm citing the "meme" or whatever. So a fair number of people must subscribe to it. Standards on judging women by this yardstick evolve. It is no longer so important to be "thin." Noem is quite thin of course. Then again, we could simply throw out the yardstick. IMHO the governor looks a little anemic.

 

Kristi Noem (facebook)

"Isk8ill" responded:

She's a 50 year old having a tough time accepting that she's 50.... Half the women in their 50's today struggle with this issue from what i can tell. Then when they don't have makeup on, they look like a 21 year old aging lizard. Its weird. They look weird.

"YasGoddess" responded:

Both times I voted at the civic center and Kristi Lynn was on the ballot, the overwhelmingly male crowd (I guess most women aren't allowed to vote here) unanimously agreed "she sure is a cutie!" Some of these highly evolved beings audibly described what they'd like the Snow Queen of Aberdeen to do to them; the few women there just treated it as any other day in this enlightened state.

 

"Riley1981" responded:

It's all makeup and hair and dental work. Lipstick on a pig. She still looks like a man.

 

"Wild" responded:

Wonder if she is the orange racoons type? That is the only thing he judges women by. Gross.

 

"TurtleBlue" responded:

Yeah well. . .we know Donnie Bamboozle wants beauty near him to make him look better. Bhim bhos allowed.

"Chuck" responded:

Sounds like something a guy with a chubby wife would say.

 

"Philip" responded:

Tell us, since you are obviously against identity politics, why was Harris chosen as VP?

Oh my, here's "Todd":

IMHO you are the same two face hypocrite that you complain about!

The "hush money" trial

Here's another comment I posted to Yahoo! News this morning:

I think the media has adjusted its wording in one aspect of this case. I now see the term "sexual tryst" instead of "affair" (Trump with Ms. Clifford of course). Legal proceedings require precise definitions and "affair" has bothered me. At present I think "sexual tryst" still obscures too much. Can't we deduce what Trump was after? Same thing as with Eliot Spitzer? Didn't he get in trouble?

 

"Bosh" responded:

Trump used the proper wording when he said he could grab women by the kitty and get away with it because he was famous.

 

"Robert" responded:

Karen McDougal had a ten-month "affair" with Donnie and she is a part of this trial. As for "tryst," he definitely had one with his Trump tower maid (who had his child). . .

 

Thank you

And there's a million stories in the naked city.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

MACA softball climbs to 8-1

The MACA softball express rolls along. Following the three wins the team notched on April 20, it was more of same for April 25 action. The Tigers took to the diamond Thursday to face Benson. Shall I assume Benson is still the "Braves?" Not sure what I should assume. If Benson still goes by that, it would contradict the spirit of state law. So I wonder if the P.A. announcer for Benson home games still uses the long-established nickname. 

The argument against such a name is that "Native Americans are not mascots." The matter appears to be bogged down now. Remind you of anything? Donald Trump's legal escapades maybe? Never any light at the end of the tunnel? 

People my age remember the "light at the end of the tunnel" expression from when the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam war. Don't ever bet against cynicism. I am a cynic and not necessarily proud of it. When I gather evidence to change I will change. Right now the daily headlines are an endless mish-mash about Trump, making him front and center still. 

And he would not be in this position if a whole lot of grassroots support was not available for him, like what we see in our Morris area. The current Trump trial news appears to have the MAGA crowd more agitated than usual. Will they become prone to violence? Will these people continue to fill our local church pews? Good Shepherd Church? What is all this going to do to the long-term image of Christianity? 

I happen to care about this. I write more about the political mood I sense around Morris on my "Morris of Course" companion blog site. Here is the link. Oh and thanks so much for reading, for checking in here. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2024/04/trump-trial-makes-local-supporters-ugly.html 

 

Tigers 15, Benson 0

I shall just refer to Benson as "the Benson softball team." Actually that's a nice way to do it, isn't it? Do we need "nicknames?" 

Benson was no match for MACA softball Thursday. Coach Mary Holmberg's Tigers took care of business most decisively. The score was 15-0 in abbreviated action. They'll go on the road next Tuesday at Litchfield. 

One-sided games are nice, right? Not so fast. Because, maybe the Tigers would benefit from playing more challenging competition. Sharon Martin told me once "we're in a weak conference." The Tigers have a pattern of doing so outstanding in the regular season but then, too often, their climb seems to be stopped prematurely in the post-season. 

The Thursday game was a perfect example of the Tigers not being tested well enough. 

Remember all the years when Benson was with Hancock in softball? I remember back in my earliest years with the Morris paper, so much talk "on the street" was how Hancock was on its last legs as a school. Such dispiriting talk. And now today, business is booming over there! 

Back when I started with the paper, the Democratic Party was strong out here. Just think! Today it is risky in the Morris area to even be known as a Democrat. "Make America great again." We'll see the flags on the back of pickups driven by the Apostolics again (the Apostolic men). All I can do is observe. 

The MACA softball Tigers scored 13 runs in the very first inning Thursday. You know what? Maybe the Benson school administration has bigger fish to fry than to fight for their school nickname. Can't their AD push for a little higher standards? 

The Tigers scored their other two runs in the second. Whew! We played errorless ball. The West Central Tribune reports that the game was played "in Morris" but I have seen the paper make mistakes with this kind of info before. 

Nora Boyle was a prime individual in our win. She pitched a three-hitter. She was only required to pitch four innings. She struck out seven batters and walked just one. The losing pitcher was Presley Nygaard. Oh, just six of the 15 runs that Nygaard allowed were earned. She struck out two batters and walked four. 

Let's move on to the hitting category. The Tigers had ten hits in all. We can count on Lauren Hottovy for pretty solid hitting. She came at Benson with two-for-two numbers. She drew a walk, scored two runs and stole two bases. 

Brianna Marty had a hit, scored twice, drove in a run and stole a base. Amaya Raths had a hit, drew a walk, stole a base, scored two runs and drove in three. Cate Kehoe hit a home run as part of a two-for-three line. She stole a base, scored two runs and drove in four. Boyle walked and drove in two runs. 

Makenzie Konz socked two triples plus she scored two runs and drove in two. Piper Swanson doubled and drove in a run. Haley Kill had a hit, stole a base, scored a run and drove in a run. Sophie Anderson stole a base and crossed home plate twice. Kaylin Steen walked, stole a base and crossed home plate twice. 

What a parade of offensive contributors! 

Benson's hits were by Mya McGeary, Paige Wrobleski and Megan Wrobleski. 

The MACA won-lost mark is a sterling 8-1. We're 5-0 in section, 5-0 in conference and 6-1 at home. I'll bet our "softball complex" is a mighty wet place today (Friday).

 

The macro picture

"Fake electors" for Trump in Arizona? Now they're indicted? When it rains it pours? Here's a comment I posted with a Yahoo! News article in the last 24 hours:

 

The Arizona news pushes all of the developments with Trump to a new level, a disconcerting and embarrassing one, as if it wasn't bad enough before. Gerald Ford responded to a situation like this with his pardon of Nixon. I feel something comparable is coming and it will be sudden, leave many people breathless. Could happen in next couple weeks. Trump will be guaranteed a reasonably comfortable life for the rest of his life. He will not be able to run for office again or even give quotes to the media again. He will agree to this if it serves his own interests, and he has always put his own interests first. A wide swath of wrongdoers will simply be set free or forgiven, the idea being they were just following Trump's wishes from the top. Outlandish? It will be interesting to see if I am right. Anything to put this whole national mess behind us. The deep state will get it done.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Tigers thump "Braves" or whoever they are

Is Benson still the "Braves?" Do the P.A. announcers there still intone that? Braves? It's contradicting the Minnesota legal intentions at the present time. But who knows? I am only wondering, asking questions.  

"Braves" or no, the Benson athletic cause was quite futile on Tuesday. Native Americans would not have wanted to answer for Tuesday's athletic performance. The action was in Benson. Their opponent was our Morris Area Chokio Alberta Tigers.

This game marked the start of a road stretch for the baseball Tigers. "Minnesota Scores" reports that we're in a series of four road contests. Sauk Centre is the foe for April 25. And then, Melrose for a doubleheader on April 30. We own a 4-4 record but are 0-4 in section. Conference play has the orange and black sitting at 2-2. At home we are 3-4. We're all hoping for continued cooperative weather. 

Click on link below to read about the MACA softball team's 14-0 win over KMS. This post is on my "Morris of Course" companion blog. Thanks for reading.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2024/04/lauren-hottovys-bat-packs-punch-in-14-0.html 

 

Success vs. Benson

The "Minnesota Scores" site has the MACA Tigers defeating Benson 20-0. But the West Central Tribune reports that we won 21-0. Brings back memories from when I was in the community press and I'd get game information from two different sources sometimes. And of course in many cases their information was not going to match. 

It gets to the point where you'd feel shocked if the information did match! And of course readers can be so unforgiving. Writing as I do today, online-only, if I feel I really have to make a correction, I can do it by just going in and making a change. With print it's a whole different story, so for example if you write "Human Society" instead of "Humane Society," it is there forever. 

The West Central Tribune of Willmar tells us that the Tigers had 20 hits in beating Benson. We displayed a constant onslaught of scoring runs. So let's review: three runs in the first, one in the second, two in the third, eight in the fourth and seven in the fifth. We complemented our offensive onslaught with a mere one error. 

Oh my, not only did the "Braves" have zero runs, they were held to three hits and committed seven errors. Looks like maybe the Benson school administration has bigger fish to fry than sports nickname. 

Our winning pitcher was Alex Asmus who worked 3 2/3 innings. He gave up two hits, walked no one and fanned five. Ozzy Jerome finished up with 1 1/3 innings. He was mighty effective as he set down four batters on strikes. 

The pitcher of record for Benson was Alex Claussen. 

The Tigers had a parade of offensive contributors. Let's start with Andrew Marty with three hits in four at-bats, two runs, two RBIs, a walk received and a stolen base. Riley Asmus had a two-for-four boxscore line with both his hits doubles. Riley drew a walk, scored three runs and drove in one. 

Jerome came through at two-for-five with two runs scored and three ribbies. Alex Asmus was a major force at the plate at four-for-four including two doubles and a triple. Alex scored two runs and drove in one. Also batting a thousand on the day was Owen Anderson at three-for-three including a double. Owen scored three runs, drove in one and stole a base. 

Kleindl (first name not available) scored a run and drove in one. Justin Giese had a hit in his only at-bat, plus he scored a run and drove in one. Jackson Hallman delivered two hits in as many at-bats, one a double. He drew a walk and stole a base. He scored two runs and drove in three. 

Landen Gibson had a hit, scored two runs and drove in one. Ashdon Hacker was two-for-four with a run scored and an RBI. 

Hey the individual hit totals add up to 20! Sometimes things do go right.

Benson's hits were by Alex Claussen, Garrett Lenz and Noah Grossman.

Addendum: Just to remind, the main argument against Native American-themed sports nicknames is that they suggest Natives should be mascots.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

When grandparents depart too early

Carrie Williams

How many of you never had the opportunity to meet one or more of your grandparents? Doesn't it sort of gnaw at you - the mystery. Would I feel a true family bond with that person or not? Would it be like oil and water? Or like we're best friends? 

How would grandma or grandpa judge me? My friends know that I'm always worried about people judging me. I have to wonder if I'd click with my grandma Carrie. That's the grandma on my father's side of the family. An air of mystery has always pervaded in my head because I never got to meet her or her husband, my grandpa Martin. 

Martin and Carrie Williams of Glenwood. Actually they lived along the shoreline of Lake Minnewaska outside of town. It was not a lakes recreation type of place. My family could see the old house on many trips to Glenwood. In Glenwood we visited my uncle Howard and his wife Vi. 

My father Ralph and Howard were among five sons of Martin and Carrie Williams. Carrie obviously deserved a medal for guiding five sons to adulthood. This period of time included the Great Depression. It included the John Dillinger gangster period. Dillinger was tracked down and killed in the summer after my father's graduation from high school, 1934. Hardscrabble times for all. 

Martin was a plasterer. He died too young of course, in 1933. Upon seeing the doctor at the onset of symptoms, the doc first responded "how's your soul?" So much less that medical science could do in those days. 

Carrie lived until 1949. She was felled by a stroke. I was born in 1955. So, my father was a Depression kid and I was a boomer kid. Such a huge contrast in the tenor of the times. I was able to grow up with TV. 

The house where the Williams boys grew up is no longer there. I think I could pinpoint the place if I drove to Glenwood. There was a lot of swampy land on the other side of the highway. 

My father got attracted to music and built his professional life around that. There were many elements to it outside of his involvement here at UMM. I think he wanted me to follow in his footsteps. I was not cut out for that. If I were to live life over again, I would want to try the most menial occupation beginning at age 18. Experience normal maturation and development. I can only imagine how this would have gone. A psychologist would have greatly pushed me in that direction. 

 

Haunted, perhaps

I think Martin's death was hard on my father. I had no recollection of ever visiting the cemetery in Glenwood until 2018, shortly after my mom's death. Perhaps Mom didn't want Dad to go out there. Would have made Dad distraught. Dad wasn't yet done with high school when Martin died. I heard it was a painful cancer death. I think it's likely he was exposed to materials in his occupation that led to his cancer. 

Grandma Carrie was age 63 when she died. I have a couple photos on display in my home that show her in her older years. And she looks older than 63. You might know that people tended to look older in long-ago times. So I am reminded of that. But Carrie looks so gentle and loving. 

Martin and Carrie won the highest respect in their community. But I am puzzled by how I heard such little interesting background about their personalities when I was young. I heard good things but no substantive things. No interesting stories. Outside of learning about how and when they died, there was really nothing. 

And then in communicating with my cousin Robert a few years ago, he shared with me the same observation from his perspective. Robert was the son of the oldest of the five sons, Clyde. And Robert told me that his parents never said very much about Martin and Carrie. No stories to give color to their personalities? Well I guess not. 

So I have formed some resolve, in the event I go to heaven when I die, to meet up with Martin and Carrie and really get a feel for them. Oh but my, what would they think of me? Yours truly, an indulged boomer kid who grew up in the late '50s and '60s. Look at it this way: at least I wasn't sent to Vietnam. My father was a lieutenant in the Navy in World War II. That was a necessary war, at least we seem convinced today. I don't know. 

I think Martin was a young man when his services weren't needed for the military. So fortunate. Man, to raise five sons to manhood during the challenged era that included the Great Depression! It inspires awe. But I never could meet him. Neither him nor his wife Carrie. So I have always just wondered. 

The Williams family lived between Starbuck and Glenwood. Howard's big claim to fame as an adult was to be the well-known banking big shot in Glenwood! With Glenwood State Bank. I continue to have accounts there today. I sure hope CD rates can stay reasonably high through the end of this year. Americans have pushed so hard for low interest rates. I guess they need loans. 

As for me, because I grew up in a family so strongly influenced by the Depression, I have always prioritized saving money and I have NO faith in the stock market. We'll see if my attitude is vindicated, won't we. 

I am pleased to share in the remainder of this post the newspaper obituary for my grandmother Carrie who went to her eternal rest in 1949.

 
A large number of relatives and friends of a long-time resident of this community gathered at the Glenwood Lutheran Church Friday afternoon, June 17, at 2 p.m. to pay final tribute to Mrs. Carrie Williams of Glenwood, who passed away early in the morning of Tuesday, June 14, at the Glenwood Hospital, where she had been brought immediately upon suffering a stroke. 

The master monument

The funeral service was conducted by Reverend David J. Quill. Mr. E.M. Wollan sang two solos, "O Morn of Beauty" and "Abide With Me," accompanied by Mrs. Edw. D. Smith at the organ. The church was beautiful by the many lovely floral gifts. Interment was made in the family lot in the Glenwood Lutheran cemetery. 

Casket bearers were Robert Winters, Carrol Savre, Ernest Pederson, Harvey Ellefson, Vernon Hegg and Herman Quist. 

Carrie Avdem was born in Lesja, Gulbandsdalen, Norway, Feb. 17, 1886. Her parents were Hans and Marit Avdem, who pre-deceased her. She was confirmed in the Lutheran faith in 1901 at Lesja Kirke in Norway. In the year 1905, she came to America and settled in Glenwood. She was employed in Glenwood and in Carrington ND prior to her marriage to Martin Williams of Glenwood on May 15, 1908. 

Five sons were born to their union, namely, Clyde of Duluth, a decorator; Howard, cashier of the Glenwood State Bank; Andrew of Minneapolis, who is engaged in construction work; Joseph, shop foreman of the Wright County Journal Press at Buffalo; and Ralph, one of Minnesota's contemporary composers of choral music and a teacher at the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. 

Mr. Williams was a plasterer and mason and the family made its home north of Lake Minnewaska during all the time the boys were growing up, except for about two years when they lived in the city of Glenwood. Mr. Williams passed away June 22, 1933. 

During the last few years, Mrs. Williams did nursing work in Detroit Lakes, Minneapolis and Glenwood. Besides her five sons, she is survived by six sisters and three brothers, all in Norway except Andrew Avdem of Pekin ND. Two sisters preceded her in death. She is also survived by four grandsons and one granddaughter. A second cousin, Mrs. A. Ellefson, also lives in Glenwood. 

Those from a distance who attended the funeral service were Mr. Andrew Avdem of Pekin ND, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Leonard of Minneapolis; Mr. Albin Sather and daughter Norma of Oslo MN. All of the sons of the deceased were also present. 

In her passing, Mrs. Williams leaves among her family and friends memories of many happy times enjoyed in the hospitality of their home.

"Until at last, when earth's day's work is ended,

All meet Thee in the blessed home above,

From whence Thou camest, where Thou has ascended,

Thy everlasting home of peace and love!"

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com