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By Rin Porter Kathryn Jakubik, born in Browerville in

1914 and now living in Osakis, will cele-brate her 96th birthday on April 29. Manyof her six children, 21 grandchildren, and37 great-grandchildren plan to attend her birthday gathering to wish her well andgive thanks for her influence on their lives.

Kathryn Jakubik’s story is similar to thestories of many descendants of Polishimmigrants who settled in Todd County inthe late 19th century. Large tracts of landbecame available after the Civil War and

after the removal of the Dakota people toDakota Territory.Kathryn was the eighth of 14 children

born to Anton Wiersgalla and FrancesMotzko Wiersgalla in their Browervillehome, about two miles north of town.There were eight boys and six girls.

Her father Anton Wiersgalla was bornin Poland in 1875, and emigrated to theU.S. with his mother, Barbara Kowal, inMay 1888 on the ship, California, alongwith his two younger sisters. Theyplanned to join their father in Browerville.One sister died aboard ship, and the other died soon after reaching the U.S. Anton’sfather, Ignatz, had come to the U.S. earli-er, in 1885, to find a place for the family tolive. Ignatz and Barbara Wiersgalla andtheir son began farming here after their arrival.

Kathryn’s mother Frances Motzko was

born in 1884. She was the daughter Albert Motzko and Frances WyrMotzko. They were all born in the towUpper Salecia, in Opole, Poland. Tfamily emigrated to the U.S. in 1889, came to Browerville.

The Wiersgallas and the Motzkfarmed, as most people did in those dayIt is likely that Anton and Frances meither at school or at St Joseph’s CathoChurch. They were married in 1900.

The Wiersgalla’s eighth child was tonamed Barbara Catherine, after h

grandma Barbara Kowal Wiersgalla.an aunt took the baby to St Joseph’s to bbaptized, and she mixed up the nameBarbara Wiersgalla was baptized Catherine Barbara Wiersgalla.

“So I was called Barbara at home aCatherine at school,” Mrs. Jakubremembered.

Mrs. Jakubik spells her nam“Kathryn” today. “I went to schooBrowerville and finished the sixth grashe said. “That was all the school we hin those days. We lived two and a hmiles out of town, and I stayed with grandma in town when it was storming

Kathryn married Peter Jakubik October 1932, when she was 18 yeaold. Her wedding write-up appeared inBrowerville Blade on October 20, 19

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

Thursday, April 22, 2010 Volume 97; Number 45

www.bladepublishing.net

Wed. Apr. 21Sunny67°/35°

Thu . April 22 Mostly Sunny

69°/43°

Fri. April 23 Showers65°/45°

Sat. April 24Showers62°/39°

Sun. April 25 Partly Cloudy

64°/39°

Mon. April 26 Partly Cloudy

66°/38°

Tue. April 27 Partly Cloudy

66°/41°

Wed. April 28 Partly Cloudy

69°/42°

W EEKLY W EATHER R EPORT

Can co-ops and organic garlicrescue farming?

Grandma Jakubik celebrates 96 years

Patricia Ann Taylor, 56, Browervilleas charged Friday in Morrison Countyith third-degree murder in connectionith the Feb. 12 death of a 27-year-oldort Ripley man. After a lengthy investigation byorrison and Todd County deputies, offi-rs from Little Falls and Long Prairie andents from the Central Minnesota Drugd Gang Task Force, it was discoveredat Taylor sold her prescription Fentanyltches to Jason Ramsdell in Todd

ounty on Feb. 12.Later that day, Ramsdell was foundad in his Fort Ripley home. The

amsey County medical examiner deter-ined that Ramsdell died of a lethal doseFentanyl.Morrison County Sheriff Michael

etzel said he and his department wantegal prescription drug sellers to take

otice of this case. Morrison Countyssistant County Attorney said, “Theree a lot of people out here selling andading prescription drugs. If you sell it andat person dies, you could get chargedith murder."Taylor is currently in custody in the

orrison County Jail. Bail without condi-ons was set at $250,000; bail with condi-ons was set at $100,000 bond or 5,000 cash.

Head on accidentwith injuries

The sheriff’s department responded to atwo vehicle head on accident with injurieson County 15, Birchdale Township, at 7:44

am, April 16. A vehicle driven by AbbyHolmquist, Mantorville, was traveling northon County 15 when it went into the oncom-ing traffic lane. A second vehicle, driven by Amber Johnson, Sauk Centre, was south-bound in her traffic lane and attempted toswerve to avoid hitting the Holmquist vehi-cle. Both Holmquist and Johnson had pas-sengers in their vehicle. All four peopleinvolved in the accident were transported toSt. Michael’s Hospital in Sauk Centre.Holmquist’s passenger, Derek Bienusa wasair lifted to St. Cloud Hospital with severeinjuries. After being treated for her injuries,Holmquist was transported to the ToddCounty Detention Center where she isbeing held on Criminal Vehicular Operation

and DUI. Formal charges are expected.The Todd County Sheriff’s Department wasassisted at the scene by MN State Patrol,Sauk Centre Fire/Rescue and AmbulanceService and the Sauk Centre PoliceDepartment.

Browerville womanfaces murder charges

By Jennifer VogelMinnesota Public Radio News

Second of four parts: This series hasbeen prepared by Minnesota Public RadioNews as part of its Ground Level project,which explores Minnesota communitiesfacing their futures.

In the well-lit basement that serves asheadquarters for the Whole Farm Co-opin downtown Long Prairie, a handful of farmers sit around a table munching local-ly-baked cookies and drinking a locally-made milk beverage called kefir.

“We say, know your farmer, know your food,” says Robert Bromeling, who man-ages the co-op, which sells everythingfrom lamb chops to maple syrup. “If wesay it’s raised in a pasture, it’s raised in apasture.”

Started in 1997 with the idea that farm-ers should set the prices for their productsand reap most of the proceeds, the co-opwas somewhat ahead of its time. Time,however, appears to be catching up.Whole Farm represents 30 farmers (49, if you include seasonal contributors) andsells directly to a growing base of cus-tomers, mainly in the Twin Cities, whodesire local and organic foods.

The co-op, which saw a 25 percent jump in sales over the past five years, isan example of how some residents arethinking creatively in a county that’s seen

more than its share of difficult economictimes.

It’s been, as they say, a tough row tohoe in Todd County.

As agriculture, long an economic driv-er, became increasingly corporate andglobal, more small producers weresqueezed out. Not only has the number of farms declined over the years, but the

manufacturing sector has taken hits awell. RR Donnelley trimmed hundredsworkers and now has a staff of aroun400. In 2008, Stearns Manufacturinwhich employed nearly 100 peoplclosed its doors in Grey Eagle.

A dearth of job opportunities has l

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Above: Katheryn Jakubik and some of her family enjoyed a visit after Easter. Seated: Daughter Lucycker, great-granddaughter ZuZu, Grandma Kathryn Jakubik, granddaughter Carol Lins. Standing:

on-in-law Orville Packer, granddaughter Kathy Thurston, granddaughter Mary Kay Hawks.

Kristin Wilson in the meat locker at Whole Farms Co-op inLong Prairie. MPR News photo/Chris Welsch.