zest december issue

DECEMBER 2014

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DorothyBullertshares herChristmasmemories

RennieMalinskidemonstrates how art can imitate life

A passion for pioneer lifeBetty & Bob Hermannhave shared their love of history for 35 years by volunteering at theForest City Stockade

MyraKohlscrochetstree skirt for U.S.Capitol Tree project

Trees and Traditions Trees and Traditions, a holiday

event in Hutchinson, will featureChristmas trees, table settings, collec-tions, music, quilts, lefse and krum-kake demonstrations, country store,bake shop, coffee bar, and train displayfrom 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at Christthe King Lutheran Church, 1040South Grade Road, SW. A light lunchis served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Forest City Pioneer ChristmasThe 19th annual Pioneer Christmas

will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Dec. 6 at the Forest City Stockade, 6miles north of Litchfield on MinnesotaHighway 22. Admission is $3 foradults, free for kids 12 and younger. Avariety of activities are planned —crafts, visits with Santa, Christmascarolers, horse-drawn sleigh rides, anddemonstrations of candlemaking,blacksmithing, spinning and weaving.Tour historic buildings and dine onstew, fry bread, lefse and ice cream.

‘Holiday Showcase’Litchfield Community Theatre pres-

ents its annual “Holiday Showcase,” at7 p.m. Dec. 6 at Bernie AakerAuditorium, inside the Meeker CountyFamily Service Center, 114 HolcombeAve. N., Litchfield. The “HolidayShowcase” will feature holiday songsand music performed by local resi-dents. Tickets are $10 for lower-levelreserved seats and $8 for generaladmission balcony seats. To buy tick-ets, call Litchfield CommunityEducation at 320-693-2354 or online tohttp://litchfieldcommunitytheatre.com/tickets.html.

‘A Christmas Carol’Dassel-Cokato Arts Association

presents “A Christmas Carol,” at 4p.m. Dec. 7 at Dassel-Cokato Perform-ing Arts Center, 4852 Reardon Ave.SW, Cokato. Charles Dickens’ adapta-tion of this story is brought to life by aprofessional theater touring companyfeaturing a cast of 23, live musiciansand Broadway-style scenery and cos-tumes. Reserved tickets are $25 foradults, $10 for youth. Purchase ticketsonline at www.dc.k12.mn.us/pac/, byphone at 320-286-4120, or in person atD-C Community Education Office.

‘Mark Twain:Life on the Mississippi’

Dassel-Cokato Arts Association wel-comes Don Shelby’s one-man show,“Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi”to the stage at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 atDassel-Cokato Performing ArtsCenter, 4852 Reardon Ave. SW,Cokato. Shelby, a former WCCO-TVnews anchor, portrays Twain and tellsstories with home-spun humor anddetail. Reserved seats are $20 foradults and $7 for youth. Member tick-et sales begin Dec. 22, and public tick-et sales begin Dec. 23. Tickets will beavailable online at www.dc.k12.mn.us/pac/, by phone at 320-286-4120, or inperson at D-C Community EducationOffice in the D-C High School.

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Senior spotlight:Myra Kohls’ crocheted tree skirtheads to Washington, D.C.

Cover story:Betty and BobHermann havespent countlesshours volunteeringat the Forest CityStockade to helpshare its history with thousands ofvisitors each year

DECEMBER 2014 | ZEST 3

PUBLISHED BYLitchfield Independent ReviewP.O. Box 921, Litchfield, MN 55355320-693-3266

Hutchinson Leader170 Shady Ridge Road NW, Suite 100Hutchinson, MN 55350320-587-5000

PUBLISHERBrent [email protected]

EDITORJuliana [email protected] Litchfield office320-234-4172 Hutchinson office

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSKay Johnson, Dorothy Bullert

ADVERTISING DIRECTORKevin [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION OR ADDRESS CHANGEMichelle [email protected]

PRINTED BYCrow River Press170 Shady Ridge Road NWHutchinson, MN 55350

Zest is published monthly by the LitchfieldIndependent Review and Hutchinson Leadernewspapers. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form by means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording or other-wise, without the prior consent of the publisher.

DECEMBER 2014Vol. 5 No. 10

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Senior spotlight:Rennie Malinski wins first placeat the Midwest Porcelain ArtShow for her sunset painting

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CONTENTS

4 In the news: New mobile app aims to help seniors live well at home and increase awareness of risk factors

4 In the news: Booklet helps seniors make Medicare decisions

9 Christmas memories: Reader Dorothy Bullert shares some of her favorite Christmas memories

14 Recipes: Decorative jars make great gifts when filled with dry ingredients to make Chocolate Chip Cookies or Hot Cocoa

8

6

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hen people share their time, talent and treas-ures, others are blessed. Such is the case withBob and Betty Hermann, whom we’ve featured

as our cover story this month. The Forest City couple hasvolunteered with the Forest City Stockade for 35 years.The stockade comes alive twice a year, summer and win-ter, when volunteers dress in time-period clothing andhelp visitors feel like they’ve stepped back in time to the1860s, when the original stockade was built.

The Hermanns, along with hundreds of volunteers,work throughout the year and during the events to helpshare the area’s history with the thousands of people whowalk through the wooden gates. Read more about theirdedication to the stockade and their love of history.

Also in this magazine, we have a special contribution.Zest reader Dorothy Bullert of Hutchinson took time tohand-write a two-page letter sharing some of her favoriteChristmas memories, which we’ve included. I’m sure someof her recollections will spark familiar memories for ourreaders of Christmases past.

It’s always fun to see how talented so many of our sen-iors are in this area. Rennie Malinski of Litchfield recentlywon first place for her porcelain painting at the MidwestPorcelain Art Show in Austin, Minn. And Myra Kohls, for-merly of Hutchinson, crocheted a tree skirt which was

sent to Washington, D.C., as part ofthe U.S. Capitol Tree project. Readmore about both women in thismonth’s magazine.

For many people, this time of yearis filled with traditions, celebrationsand special times with family andfriends. For others, it can be a lonelytime.

Even if your children are grown orgrandchildren don’t live near, youcan still attend a local school’s choirand band concerts. They usually arefree, and the students in this areaare so talented. The music will help put you — or keepyou — in the holiday spirit. The youth all dressed up andsharing their musical gifts are sure to put a smile on yourface and warm even Scrooge’s heart. If you’re looking foradditional holiday happenings, we’ve listed several eventsin our calendar on Page 3.

As the year winds to a close, we appreciate our loyalreaders and thank our advertisers for their supportthroughout the year. All of you contribute to our success.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season. We’ll see youin 2015!

WA WARM HELLO|||

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Juliana ThillEditor

IN THE NEWS||||||

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A mobile app developed for the Minnesota Board on Aging’s LiveWell at Home initiative with support from the MinnesotaDepartment of Human Services recently received a merit award inthe 23rd annual National Mature Media Awards Program.

The app, availableat no cost throughthe Apple Store andGoogle Play, featuresa seven-questionquiz to help usersidentify their own risks or another’s risk for moving permanentlyfrom their home. The app is designed to support older Minnesotansto live successfully at home by increasing awareness of risk factors.

The app poses questions about issues such as need for help witheveryday tasks, availability of family members and friends to help,whether the person lives alone, memory concerns and whether theperson is considering a move to assisted living or a nursing home toget more help.

“Using the Live Well at Home app and answering the quiz is a gate-way to a wealth of information and tools on the Live Well at Homewebsite (www.mnlivewellat home.org),” said Jean Wood, executivedirector of the Minnesota Board on Aging. “We are pleased to receivenational recognition for this part of our effort to help Minnesotansplan to stay at home as they age, if they wish and if possible.”

Minnesota’s Board on Aging’s mobile app,Live Well at Home, receives national award

The Minnesota Board on Aging publishedits 2015 edition of Health Care Choices forMinnesotans on Medicare booklet. Now inits sixth edition, the annual guide containscomprehensive information about Medicarehealth care plan options in Minnesota.

“Health Care Choices is a useful resourcefor older adults and family members mak-ing decisions during the Medicare openenrollment, which runs Oct. 15 throughDec. 7, 2014,” said Jean Wood, executivedirector of the Minnesota Board on Aging.“After Dec. 7, a change can only be made ina few special circumstances so it is impor-tant to use this time to make the best deci-sion possible. Any changes made will takeeffect Jan. 1, 2015.”

Health Care Choices is available online,by calling the Senior LinkAge Line: A OneStop Shop for Minnesota Seniors at 800-333-2433, or by visitingwww.MinnesotaHelp.info and using thechat live feature or leaving an email afterbusiness hours.

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By Juliana ThillEDITOR

As Rennie Malinski read theLitchfield Independent Review inJuly, she was drawn to a color photo

at the top of the Community page.The photo showed a red, yellow and orange

sky as the sun set over Lake Ripley. In theforeground people appear as silhouettes, busi-ly playing and interacting on the sandy beachduring Watercade, Litchfield’s annual sum-mer celebration.

“It’s gorgeous with the sunset,” Malinskisaid.

For Malinski of Litchfield, it was the perfectimage to paint on a porcelain tile that shecould enter in a contest at the MidwestPorcelain Art Show.

“I wasn’t going to enter, and then the pic-ture got in the paper. It just came to me afterthe picture ran in the paper,” Malinski said.

The photo was taken by Litchfield residentLesha Johanneck, who submitted it to thenewspaper. Malinski called Johanneck to talkto her about the photo, “and she said shewould be happy if I painted it,” Malinski said.

Malinski spent several weeks painting thetile, firing it seven times in her kiln.

“I did the background first,” she said, spend-ing time getting the colors of the sunset justright before painting the silhouetted people.“It takes lots of time and tinkering.”

Besides the beautiful sunset, one of the rea-sons Malinski likes the photo is that almostevery person in the photo is doing something.

Malinski even asked Johanneck if she setup the photo before taking it, but Johannecksaid she didn’t.

“It’s so unique. It’s good advertising forLitchfield, this picture is. The Chambershould use it,” Malinski said.

Malinski made a few changes to her paint-ing from what the photo shows. For example,a person on the right side of the photo doesn’tappear to be doing anything, so Malinskipainted a bicycle next to the person. She alsomoved the boat, that sits in the water at the

horizon, down a little so it could be betterseen.

Malinski entered her painting in theMidwest Porcelain Art Show in mid-Octoberin Austin, Minn., and won first place in thecategory, Life on the Lake.

“I was surprised to get that,” she said of thefirst-place finish.

Her painted tile “was different than any-body else’s entry they had there,” she said. Ofthe six to eight entries in the Life on the Lakecategory, some were of a loon or a duck, butnot a picturesque scene. “They (the judges)said, ‘It looks like so much fun. We’d like tojoin the party. Lovely painting.’”

The Midwest Porcelain Art Show is madeup of artists from four states — Minnesota,North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.Malinski paid a $5 entry fee and won $15 forher first-place finish, but prize money wasn’tthe reason to enter. “It’s for the fun of it,” shesaid.

At 84, Malinski isn’t sure her health willallow her to attend the show again in twoyears, so she was pleased to end her showattendance on a high note.

Malinski, who has been painting since 1975and began attending Midwest Porcelain ArtShows shortly after that, won’t give up herhobby, though. “It’s fun and relaxing. I can sitand do it all day,” she said.

Rennie Malinski ofLitchfield, whobelongs to theWest CentralPorcelain Artiststhat meets inGrove City duringthe summer, hasbeen painting since1975. She recentlyentered her sunsetpainting, done on aporcelain tile, inthe MidwestPorcelain Art Showand won first placein the Life on theLake category.

PHOTO BY JULIANA THILL

Rennie Malinski wins first place at theMidwest Porcelain Art Show for herpainting of a sunset scene. She was

inspired by a similar photo thatappeared in the Litchfield newspaper.

Art imitates life on porcelain tile

I wasn’tgoing to enter(the contest),and then thepicture got in

the paper.It just came

to me after thepicture ran in

the paper.

RENNIE MALINSKI

“6 ZEST | DECEMBER 2014


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By Kay JohnsonCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Former Hutchin-son residentMyra Kohls has been in theChristmas spirit since March.

Kohls, 95, who lived in theHutchinson area for 89 years, movedto Walker, Minn., six years ago to becloser to her daughter.

In March, U.S. Forest Serviceemployee Mary Nordeen visited theMay Creek Senior Center in Walkerand talked to residents about the 2014U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree project.

This year’s tree was taken fromMinnesota’s Chippewa NationalForest, and Nordeen talked aboutways Minnesotans could get involvedwith the national event. Opportunitiesincluded helping to make 10,000 orna-ments for the 88-foot Christmas tree.The Forest Service also was lookingfor individuals to make 12 tree skirts.

That is when Kohls stepped up. Shecrocheted a tree skirt, and presented itto Nordeen in July.

“I finished just before I turned 95. Ittook me about 1 1/2 months to makeit,” Kohls said. “It was my biggest chal-lenge. I had very little to go on. Whenyou use directions, it tells you howmany stitches to make. I had to do alot of figuring to get the right sizes.”

Kohls was told the tree skirt had tobe 35 inches in diameter, one sidemust open so it could go around thetree, and she had to use ChippewaForest colors of brown and green.

She used dark brown fabric onwhich she sewed eight crocheted greenevergreen trees. She finished the edgewith ecru lace.

“I had some cardinals, so I put themon the trees,” she said.

Nordeen said Kohls’ tree skirt, aswell as a second one made by MayCreek residents, are “unique and craft-

ed by people with strong ties to north-ern Minnesota. Everyone is so proudto be part of Capitol Tree, and we trulyappreciate the time and love put intoeach item.”

‘The People’s Tree’Known as “The People’s Tree,” the

tradition of the Capitol ChristmasTree started in 1964. However, it was-n’t until 1970 when the U.S. ForestService was asked to provide aChristmas tree. It comes from a differ-ent national forest each year.Minnesota provided a white spruce in1977, when it came from the NemadjiState Forest; in 1984, when it camefrom the Superior National Forest;and in 1992, when it came from theChippewa National Forest.

The Chippewa National Forest, inpartnership with the Leech Lake Bandof Ojibwe and Choose Outdoors, host-ed a public cutting ceremony Oct. 29

for this year’s Capitol Christmas tree,a white spruce. The Capitol Christmastree-lighting ceremony will take placeDec. 2.

In addition to the selected tree, theMinnesota Tree Farmers Associationsent 70 smaller trees to Washington,D.C., which will be used to decoratethe inside of the Capitol.

Some of those trees will be placedinside offices of Minnesota legislators.This is where Kohls’ tree skirt will beused. According to Nordeen, Kohls’tree skirt is marked for the office ofU.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

Kohls is excited to have her artworkshown in Washington, D.C.

“It’s one of the biggest achievementsin my life,” Kohls said. “I put a lot ofhours into making this. When I toldmy son my work was going to D.C., hecouldn’t believe it.”

Kay Johnson is a staff writer at theHutchinson Leader.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT||||||

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Myra Kohls crochets tree skirt for U.S. Capitol Christmas Treeproject. Her creation is markedto encircle a tree in U.S. Sen.

Amy Klobuchar’s office.

Kohls finds creative way to skirt the issue

Myra Kohls,formerly ofHutchinson,displays thehandcraftedtree skirtshe madeearlier thisyear. Kohls’work willgrace aChristmastree in theU.S. Capitolbuilding inWashington,D.C.

SUBMITTED PHOTO


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By Dorothy Bullert

For over 70 years, Christmas Eve has been spent at myhometown and church in Belle Plaine, Minn.

It started with the Sunday school Christmas program atSt. John’s Lutheran Church. My brother, Don, and Iworked every day before the program learning our pieceand Christmas songs. It also was a time when we got newclothes, which was rare in poor farm families. After Mom

died in 1954, my Aunt Irene wouldmake me a Christmas dress.

Following the Christmas Eveservice, all the Sunday school chil-dren received a paper bag full of in-the-shell peanuts, an apple ororange, and some hard candy. Then,Dad and Mom drove the half-blocksouth of the church to Grandma’shouse. Often, my brother and Iwalked, enjoying the gentle snowfalling on our faces.

I don’t remember the light lunchGrandma and her two maidendaughters served, nor what ourgifts were. But, I do remember thatour family always gave them 2 pounds of butter. It was always

my brother’s “job” to carry it in the house. And Grandma,who always knew what was in the brown paper bag, stillwould always teasingly ask her only grandson at the time,“What’s in there?”

Of course, Don always answered, “butter!”After Grandma’s passing, the light lunch became a full

meal supper. And it included a “rare” green that most peo-ple had never heard of — watercress — which my AuntElsie cut in the cold, spring water running through thecow pasture at the family farm. After she painstakinglycleaned it, it was ready to be served in a large bowl with aMiracle Whip/milk dressing in another bowl.

When Aunt Irene, who was the chief cook, candy andcookie-maker passed, the cooking duties were taken overby my daughter and myself. And when Aunt Elsie movedto Kingsway in Belle Plaine, the tradition still continued.Aunt Elsie passed in 2012, and there was fear that thetradition was over. No, now we walk a half-block east tomy cousin Carol’s home. No more watercress or turkeyand all the fixings. Papa Murphy provides the three kindsof pizza, daughter Kyla and her three daughters bake anddecorate the many cookies, and the men (husband, Randy,and son-in-law, Dan) provide the drinks.

How many more Christmas Eves in Belle Plaine? I’mnot sure, but we have many, many years of memories ofthe ones we have had.

— Dorothy (Stoppelmann) Bullert lives in Hutchinson

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Dorothy (Stoppel-mann) Bullert ofHutchinson wasin fourth grade in1951.

Christmas brings back memoriesof Sunday school programs,

time with family and good food

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By Juliana ThillEDITOR

Bob and Betty Hermann weartheir love for the Forest CityStockade on their 1860s-erasleeve.

For 35 years, the Forest City couplehave rolled up their sleeves andworked hard behind the scenes to helppreserve the Meeker County land-mark. They also are busy helping dur-ing the stockade’s summer Rendez-vous and winter Pioneer Christmasevents, which allow visitors to feel likethey’ve stepped back in time and expe-rience life in the 1860s.

Betty’s love for baking lefse, home-made bread and gingerbread cookiesfor visitors is seen on her sleeves, which

become dusted with flour as she rollsout dough in the stockade’s bakery.Bob’s love for the stockade shows on hisbillowy shirt that collects dust and dirtas he helps wherever needed on thestockade grounds.

“This (the stockade) is our life whenwe’re not living this life,” Bob said.

The Hermanns became involved andstayed involved with the stockade forone simple reason, Betty said, “Ourlove for history.”

They share their passion for historywith others by devoting countlesshours to the stockade, so visitors cansee, hear, taste, smell and touch itemsfrom the past.

In addition to the summer and win-ter celebrations, the stockade drawsabout 1,000 school children from


PHOTO BY JULIANA THILL

Bob and Betty Hermann of Forest City have a love for history and a passion for sharing it with others. For 35 years, they’ve helped visitors at the Forest City Stockade feel like they’ve stepped back in time as they experience life in the 1860s. The Hermanns also visit classrooms, bringing their own historic items for display toeducate children about the past. The couple, along with more than 100 volunteers, are preparing for the 19thannual Pioneer Christmas, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at the stockade.

Sharing a passion forpioneer life

Bob and BettyHermann

volunteer countlesshours at the ForestCity Stockade andvisit classrooms

to educate othersabout what life was

like in the 1860s

across the state each year for histori-cal tours that Bob and other stockadecommittee members lead.

The Hermanns also give classroompresentations at local schools, bring-ing their own collection of historicitems for children to have a hands-onlook at history.

The Hermanns’ dedication to shar-ing history impresses even theirdaughter, Tami Watt of Forest City.

“One of my dad’s favorite quotes is,‘If I can teach one student about histo-ry, I’ve done my job.’And that’s how helives,” Watt said.

“Yet, it’s thousands and thousandsof kids they’ve come in contact with (atthe schools and stockade). Dad putshis farming on hold in the springbecause he’s arranging for all theseschool kids to come to the stockade (fora tour). He knows in May, that’s whenthe school kids can come out, so hemight not cut hay because he’s at thestockade,” Watt said. “Anyone who’swilling to listen, he’ll tell you the story.My Mom will, too, but my dad is morethe driving force with the tours. Ialways say he was born in the wrongera. This is his passion. He eats, sleepsand thinks the stockade.”

The Hermanns are happy to sharetheir love of history because it’s some-thing they enjoy, and they think it’simportant for others to know.

“The best part of life is being able togive back to the people and communi-ty we love,” Bob said.

Their passion for the pioneer way oflife was sparked in the 1970s, whenMeeker County led an effort to rebuildthe Forest City Stockade, which wasoriginally built in 1862 during theU.S.-Dakota Conflict. The restorationof the stockade was a bicentennial proj-ect for the county in 1976. The stock-ade and the two-story cabin museumwithin its walls were constructed as amemorial to the pioneers who settledin Forest City and sought safety with-in its walls more than 150 years ago.

“I’ve loved stockades since I was asixth-grader. So, when they were talk-ing about building this one down here,I thought, ‘Life doesn’t doesn’t get anybetter than that, to have a stockade inyour backyard,’” Bob said. “It had suchmomentum going when they put it upthat we enjoyed going down there tovisit. About three years into it, wewondered what their long-range plan

really was. We were at that stage inlife when your head is full of ideas.”

Sharing a love of history The Hermanns joined the stockade

committee, shared their ideas andsoon moved into more of a leadershiprole. In 1979, “that’s when we gotstarted with the Rendezvous. That’sbeen going on for 31 years,” Bob said.

“The first year we worked with theRendezvous, we had 200 people come, andwe thought, ‘Man, did we have a crowd,’”Betty recalled. “We were so excited.”

Through the years, the stockadecommittee has expanded theRendezvous experience, adding newfood items, new activities and newbuildings to tour. Just as the stockadeand its activities have grown, so havethe crowds that attend.

Two years ago, the stockade had5,000 people walk through the gatesduring the two-day Rendezvous. Thewinter Pioneer Christmas has drawnas many as 1,700 visitors on its one day.

The committee added the PioneerChristmas 19 years ago, and it is sim-ilar to the Rendezvous but offers a fewdifferent activities such as holidaycrafts and visits with Santa.

The summer Rendezvous, which ison the third weekend of August, andPioneer Christmas, which takes placeon the first Saturday of December, aredesigned to be enjoyable, educationalevents for all ages. After paying admis-

sion, visitors are free to roam thestockade grounds and tour all thebuildings, including a general store,gunsmith store, blacksmith shop,woodwright shop, newspaper office,U.S. Land Office, chapel and school-house.

Volunteers dress in 1860s-era cloth-ing and offer pioneer activities such ashorse-drawn wagon rides (sleigh ridesin the winter if there’s snow), kidsgames, as well as a variety of demon-strations such as blacksmithing, can-dlemaking, horseshoeing, ropemak-ing, wheat weaving, yarn spinningand pottery throwing.

An assortment of food and bever-ages are served, including buffalo beefsandwiches and sweet corn in thesummer or stew and lefse in the win-ter, as well as buffalo jerky, pickledeggs, fry bread, homemade ice cream,and apple cider. Each year, theHermanns drive to Ipswich, S.D., tobuy the 400 pounds of buffalo meatneeded to make the buffalo sandwich-es served at the Rendezvous.

Visitors also can listen to live musi-cians, whether it’s a bagpiper orChristmas carolers, and visit the buckskinners, a group that the stockadecommittee invites to set up camp out-side the stockade to do demonstrationsand sell various wares.

Betty, 71, who has volunteered in thekitchen or where needed at the stock-ade, now can be found in the bakery,

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FILE PHOTO

Bob Hermann, right, helps attach the American flag to a wood pole beforeits raised at the Forest City Stockade during a summer Rendezvous.

which was built about five years ago.There she rolls out dough, cuts out gin-gerbread men, bakes them and givesout free samples of warm cookies.

“That I really like,” she said.Meanwhile, Bob, 72, ventures

around the stockade grounds in hispioneer clothing — donning a long,brown wool coat and fur hat in thewinter — checking on the volunteers,chatting with visitors and giving outfree bear hugs.

“They truly step into that era. Whenthey put their (stockade) clothing on,they’re living it,” Watt said smilingbecause she knows this is what herparents live for each year.

“I’ve always told my kids, ‘Grandmaand Grandpa are not defined by thecar they drive or the house they live in.They live their life serving and helpingothers,’” Watt said.

Family ties to the areaThe Hermanns’ family history in the

area goes back to just after the originalstockade’s construction.

Bob grew up four miles east of thetwo-story farm house he and Betty livein, and Betty grew up about four milessouth.

“My mother’s family came in the1860s, and my dad’s family came inthe 1880s when my great-grandpacame,” Betty said.

Bob’s side of the family has lived inthe Forest City area almost as long,with his mother’s family settling in the1800s, and his dad’s family arriving inthe late 1930s.

“We both have a pretty long history,”Betty said. “Our families have alwaysbeen here. We’ve always stayed righthere. We like it. This is home.”

Bob and Betty attended countryschool together and then LitchfieldHigh School, with Bob graduating in1960 and Betty in 1961.

“We rode the same school bus. Wewere good friends all through highschool, but never dated,” Betty said,not until a few years later.

The two reunited after Bob returnedfrom Texas, where he completed basictraining with the Air National Guard.

While in Texas, “a tornado hit thebase at 10:30 in the morning. I remem-ber very plainly. I thought I’d never seeMinnesota again. We had no base-ments. I was just sitting in the class-room. It got dark out, and you could

hear the howl of the tornado. I thought,‘any minute, it’s going to lift us up inthe air.’ It didn’t,” he said, recallinghow scared he was at the time.

“You go through a thinking process,and I said, ‘If I ever make it toMinnesota again, farming would bemy occupation, and I would look veryseriously for a wife,’” he said, gettingchoked up thinking back on the fright-ening time and realizing how quicklylife can slip away.

He returned to Forest City, “andbegan to check who was available,” hesaid breaking into a laugh. “I had goneto a party Betty was at. One of mybuddies put on a little party after I gothome from the service. I had gone (tothe party) with another girl thatevening, but shortly after that starteddating Betty.”

“And that was history,” Betty saidwith a smile.

They married in 1966, and movedinto a “rundown, rickety old farmhouse,” Bob said, where they still livetoday, after having fixed it up from topto bottom.

“I was all fired up because Dadhelped me buy this farm,” Bob said oftheir 400 acres, where he grows corn

and soybeans and raises 100 beef cattle. After buying it, Bob brought Betty

over to show her the farm, but she did-n’t share his enthusiasm for the house.

“It was bad; it was really bad,” Bettyrecalled. “Filthy, filthy dirty. The hard-wood floors were coal black. We didn’tknow if it was wood or linoleum. Everysingle ceiling hung. There were cracksand big pieces of plaster hangingdown. Cracks on every single wall.”

It wasn’t until eight years later thatBetty told Bob what she really thoughtof the house.

“I said to Bob, ‘I knew I loved him,but I really questioned whether I lovedhim enough to live in that house,’” shesaid laughing.

However, after spending yearsrefurbishing their house, which is 130years old, “we’ve love it,” she said.“We’ve raised our kids here, and thishas been our home. It’s not our house,it’s a home for us.”

“That’s why it works so good to be atthe stockade because we’ve lived in ahouse that’s almost as old,” Bob said.

Their appreciation for history andbeauty of the area extends to the CrowRiver that winds its way throughForest City. For about 40 years, theHermanns have owned Forest CityCanoe Rental, which is operated out ofRiverside Store in Forest City. TheHermanns rent canoes so people canpaddle along the Crow River.

“It introduces a lot of people tocanoeing,” Bob said. “Everybodyalways talks about going up to north-ern Minnesota to go canoeing, and Ialways felt that people should havethe opportunity to go canoeing on theCrow River because it’s such a neatriver. There’s so many beautiful thingsto see there. And you don’t know whenyou’re back on the river, are we way upnorth or are we in Meeker County.”

Generations involvedVolunteering with the stockade has

become a family affair for many, Bettysaid, with several volunteers havingthree generations participating.

“It’s a neat way to keep the programgoing,” Bob said, because that appreci-ation for history is handed down to theyounger generations.

Such is the case with Bob and Betty’sdaughter, Tami, and her children,Dylan and Sophie, who grew up at thestockade and continue to volunteer

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FILE PHOTO

Betty Hermann keeps busy in thebakery at the Forest City Stockade,rolling and cutting out gingerbreaddough, baking cookies and givingaway samples to visitors. Learnabout the stockade online atwww.forestcitystockade.org.

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during the two annual celebrations.While Dylan works in the blacksmithshop, Tami and Sophie staff the old-fashioned root beer stand in the sum-mer, and make lefse in the cabin’skitchen in the winter.

The Hermanns’ son, Todd, also wasinvolved at the stockade for a numberof years.

“He was the first rope-maker,” Bettysaid. “He bought that first rope-makerout of his own money. He had seen it ata flea market, and he asked, ‘Is thatsomething I can do (at the stockade)?’He was probably 12, 13 at the time.”

Todd enjoyed showing visitors how tomake rope, but he also was a competi-tive person and organized pioneer kidgames, from two-people wheel-barrowraces to pie-eating contests. He alsowas an excellent black powder shooterand craftsman. He helped constructsome of the buildings at the stockade,and made tomahawks, bows andarrows. His involvement in the stock-ade was cut short, though, when hedied in a motorcycle accident in 1997.

Following Todd’s death, “the first

couple Rendezvous were very difficultfor me,” Betty said, “because Todd wassuch a big part of it. To watch the rope-maker, to see somebody else do that,and to hear the black powder guns gooff ...,’” she said, her voice trailing offas tears welled up in her eyes.

However, as more time has passed,Betty views the stockade differently.“Now, I’d say, it’s more of a comfortbecause I knew his love for it,” shesaid.

Early on, “there were thoughts,‘Should we quit and give it up,’” Bobsaid, choking up as he recalled howdifficult it was coping with the suddenloss of their only son. But Bob seestheir involvement as continuing some-thing Todd loved.

Todd’s memory lives on in variousparts of the stockade, and his familykeeps him close at heart. The beadnecklaces Bob, Betty and Tami wearduring stockade events were onesTodd made.

Keeping history aliveBob and Betty are quick to point out

that it’s not their efforts that havemade the stockade successful, butrather the work of hundreds of volun-teers. Stockade committee membersvolunteer and are responsible for all ofthe design, construction and recon-struction, fundraising and mainte-nance at the stockade. Those whowork behind the scenes, as well as thevolunteers who work during the stock-ade’s two events are key to keeping thestockade open for visitors.

“The volunteers are a big part of ourprogram. If it weren’t for them, wewouldn’t have a program. They arewho make it happen. We have theutmost respect for them,” Bob said.

The Hermanns are pleased with thesuccess of the Rendezvous and PioneerChristmas, as well as the community’ssupport through the years.

Keeping history alive and relevantis important to the Hermanns.

“Unless history lives in the present,it will not live in the future,” Bob said.“If we wouldn’t be doing this now, itwouldn’t carry on into the next gener-ation.” �

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Crossword puzzle answer on Page 15

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Crossword puzzle

Decorative jarsfilled with dry ingre-dients make greatgifts any time of year.

Making gift jars iseasy:

� Collect or purchaseattractive glass jars.

� Arrange all ingredi-ents on a counter, in theorder they’ll be used.

� Measure ingredientsinto each jar.

�Write out recipesto attach to jars.

� Decorate jars witha festive ribbon or bow.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour3/4 teaspoon baking soda3/4 teaspoon salt1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) Nestlé

Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

3/4 cup packed brown sugar1/2 cup granulated sugar

Combine flour, baking sodaand salt in small bowl. Placeflour mixture in 1-quart jar.Layer remaining ingredientsin order listed above, pressingfirmly after each layer. Sealwith lid and decorate with fabric and ribbon.

Recipe to attach: Preheatoven to 375. Beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2sticks) softened butter or mar-garine, 1 large egg and 3/4 tea-spoon vanilla extract in largemixer bowl until blended. Addcookie mix and 1/2 cup choppednuts (optional); mix well, break-ing up any clumps. Drop byrounded tablespoon ontoungreased baking sheets. Bakefor 9 to 11 minutes or untilgolden brown. Cool on bakingsheets for 2 minutes; remove towire racks to cool completely.Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix In A Jar

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Answer toCrosswordPuzzle published on Page 14

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517 N. Sibley Ave.

6 cups Nestlé Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk1 1/2 cups granulated sugar1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Nestlé Toll House Baking Cocoa1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows (optional)

Combine dry milk, sugar, cocoa and marshmallows inlarge bowl. Pour into 2-quart jar or tall container. Seal withlid and decorate with fabric and ribbon.

Recipe to attach: Measure 1/2 cup cocoa mix into mug.Stir in 1 cup hot water or milk.

Hot Cocoa Mix In A Jar

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traditions trees

mark twain

reserved tickets

dc community educationoffice

annual pioneer christmaswill

featurechristmas trees

annual holiday showcase

holiday songsand music