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Many years ago, my Dad went to work as a dishwasher at Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul. His boss was a woman named Maxine. They became real good friends. Her family also referred to him as Grandpa Bill. Maxine and Dad never lived together, but they ended up living a few floors apart in the same high-rise apartment building next to St. Paul Ramsey Hospital on University Avenue. When Maxine died, I attended the funeral and Dad surprised me by asking me to sing “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Amazing Grace” during the service. There was no piano, so I had to sing “a Capella”. It was ok.

One of the pieces of furniture that Dad brought with him when he moved into my house in Upsala was a corner unit with glass shelves and a glass door that had belonged to Maxine. Her family had given it to him. After Dad passed in 2005, I set out to clean his room.

One of the items in the corner cabinet was a small green egg with silver decorations and a seam abound the middle. I was curious to see what treasure was inside, but when I pried it open, expecting to find a doll, what came out were ashes! “OH MY GOD! IT WAS MAXINE!”. I spilled a little in my haste to put it back together and I quickly put it back into the curio.

A few years later my daughter bought the house from me. Every summer Kerry and her mother would have a garage sale. It happened again to Marcia while she was helping my daughter gather items for the garage sale.  After that I decided to dig a hole next to my Dad’s grave at Gethsemane Church in Upsala and bury the “egg” before there was nothing left of Maxine. 

“Tell me, what else should I have done?  Doesn’t everything die at last and too soon?  Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”  From The Summer Day by Mary Oliver

Category : General

Comments Off on January 26, 2024

57 years ago tomorrow, a telegram arrived at our studio on the third floor of Wimmer Hall on the campus of St. John’s University, authorizing KSJR to go on the air.  The first KSJR radio broadcast was on January 22, 1967. The first line uttered by engineer Dan Rieder was, “Heed my words, Earth People. You have 10 minutes to live.” The first concert aired was a pre-recorded concert by the Cleveland Orchestra. What began as Minnesota Education Radio became Minnesota Public Radio on January 1, 1975. 

Since then, MPR has grown to a network of 46 radio stations reaching nearly 1,000,000 listeners every week.  MPR has earned nearly 1,000 broadcasting and journalism awards, including seven George Foster Peabody Awards, six Robert F. Kennedy Journalism awards, a prestigious Alfred I duPont Columbia University Gold Baton Award and a Grammy Award. Programs and podcasts produced by Minnesota Public Radio’s parent company American Public Media, reach over 18 million listeners each week. 

This is one version of the story of how Bill Kling was selected to lead the creation of what has become the largest network of public radio stations in the United States. It was written by the first Collegeville Studio intern, Ellen Newkirk.

“The Saint John’s University monks chose Bill Kling to help start their public radio station, Minnesota Education Radio, because of his “bright mind” – literally. SJU graduate Marty Mahowald told Ellen the story of Bill Kling’s selection as the station’s first leader as told by his professor Fr. Gunther Rolfson. In the 1960s, Saint John’s had a mandatory lights-out policy at 10pm when the faculty residents would flip a switch that turned off all power on each floor of the residence halls. However, one evening, during a walk around campus , Fr. Gunther noticed a light illuminating from a single room in Benet Hall.

The next day, Fr. Gunther used a master key to enter the room and found a system rigged to keep the power on after the switch was flipped each night. The room belonged to Bill Kling. Eventually, the monks decided Kling’s innovative and determined spirit was just what they needed for their new endeavor. According to Mahowald, Fr. Gunther said: “We knew that starting a new campus radio station would present struggles, budget challenges and many other issues to deal with and it would take someone with a lot of moxie to lead it through to success.” It turned out to be a very good decision; Kling served as president of Minnesota Public Radio until 2010 and created one of the greatest public radio station networks in the country. “  Ellen Newkirk, CSB, Class of 2013.

“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping-stone. Close the door on the past.  You don’t try to forget the mistake, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.”  Johnny Cash    

Category : General

Comments Off on January 19, 2024

I was an army brat. Dad served in the Navy during the second world war and later he joined the Army. In 1950 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Army, stationed in Vienna. As “dependents” we were housed in an apartment building that was quite nice. There were two marble faced fireplaces and a baby grand piano along with a crystal chandelier in the dining room. I ran with a group of other army brats, and I was the oldest in the group.

One day in February we were hanging out in front of the large estate on the corner next to our apartment. One of the kids stuck his hand in the fence opening and a dog took his mitten. I bravely offered to go through the gate and recover the mitten. I still remember starting my walk across the large yard toward the two “Boxers”. They greeted me by jumping up and knocking me to the ground. They proceeded to chew on my arms and legs until an Austrian man who we referred to as the “fireman”, (he took care of the furnace in our apartment building) came in and pulled the dogs off me.

I walked home nearly naked, and my mother fainted when she opened the door. I spent about 6 weeks in the army hospital. It took me a while to get over my fear of dogs. The occupant of the estate was a Colonel in the U.S. Army, and he gave me a new winter coat. 

In April of 2019 I returned to Vienna, and I was able to take a cab ride to 41 Gregor Mendel Strasse.  We had lived in that apartment building, on the second floor.  I told the cab driver to wait for me and I approached the front door. A resident was getting into his car, and he asked me if I needed help. I shared with him that I had lived there as an Army brat in the fifties and was hoping to see our apartment. He told me to push the button for Benedict, the owner of the building.  Someone buzzed me in, and I walked up to the second floor.  The lobby looked very familiar.  The elevator was new.  The faucet which provided water for the flower garden was still there.  Marcus let me in. He was a live-in boyfriend of the owner, Verena Benedict.  He let me in, but he would not allow me to take pictures.  I would like to return to Vienna to take Marcus and Verena out for dinner.  I love it when a plan comes together.

Lesson learned this week: “Any sentence that starts with, “Don’t you”,  “Didn’t you…”  , “Shouldn’t you….”,  or “Couldn’t you…”   implies that the person that you are addressing is “deficient”.   GMO

Category : General

Comments Off on January 12, 2024

I celebrated my tenth birthday on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. My mother and her four children were returning from a three year stint as a U.S. Army Dependent Family stationed in Vienna, Austria. Dad was in the Fifth Army.  He and the family dog, Mickey, got to fly home later. 

When Dad arrived in Upsala a few weeks later, Ma and baby brother Brian were in New Ulm visiting her cousin Helen. Dad borrowed a brand new ‘54 Chevy from Uncle Duke who owned Hagstrom Chevrolet in Upsala. My brother Bill and I rode along with Dad to New Ulm.

I was napping in the back seat, and I woke up when our car was broadsided by a dump truck. I had a broken leg. I can still remember the excruciating pain when they lifted me on to the X-Ray table at the hospital in Cokato. The cast that they put my leg on went from my toes to my crotch. I was in the hospital for a few weeks and when it came time to transport me back to Upsala, Dad took me to Uncle Elmer’s house which was the Dokken Funeral Home in Cokato.

I had to spend a night on a cot on the main floor in the living room next to the viewing room. The next day they transported me to Upsala in a black Studebaker hearse. That explains a lot, huh!

I spent the next two months sleeping on a cot in Grandma Laura’s dining room behind Ramlo Grocery.  I think that I gained 30 pounds.  When I went back to Upsala school, I remember falling down a flight of wooden stairs the first day.  No one had taught me how to use crutches to go down the stairway.  I quickly learned how not to do it.

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”  Eleanor Roosevelt. 

Category : General

Comments Off on January 5, 2024

In 1976 I gave up Old Grand Dad 80 proof for Lent. I gutted it out and in April of 1977 I went on a retreat at the Cenacle Retreat House in Wayzata, Minnesota. Sister Ten-Tie Saniel presented “Effective Living” a seminar based on John Boyle’s “Omega Seminar”. I learned the following affirmations. Affirmations are stating future goals in the present tense. They have made a big difference in my life.

The six basic affirmations are as follows:

1. “I am loved; therefore, I like myself, unconditionally as I was created.” (Repeat five times)

2. “I never devalue myself with destructive self-criticism.” (Envision yourself doing something that you are very proud of)

3. I see love in others and have warm regard for all persons at all times. (Envision yourself doing something nice for somebody else)

4. “I am easily able to relax and with every affirmation I become physically and mentally healthier.” (Envision yourself doing something relaxing)

5. “I am completely self-determined, inner directed by the spirit of love and allow others the same privilege.” (Repeat five times)

6. “I accept total responsibility for the consequences of my actions and reactions.” (Repeat five times)

7. You may add more affirmations which focus on specific areas of your life such as “I especially love and enjoy weighing 170 pounds”.

I recite these affirmations every morning after I go through my stack of readings which helps me to stay sober.   If you would like a copy of “Gary’s Koping Kit”, just ask.

“Let others lead small live, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you.

Let others leave their futures in someone else’s hands, but not you.”   Jim Rohn

Category : General

Comments Off on December 29, 2023

In 1976 I gave up Old Grand Dad 80 proof for Lent. I gutted it out and in April of 1977 I went on a retreat at the Cenacle Retreat House in Wayzata, Minnesota. Sister Ten-Tie Saniel presented “Effective Living” a seminar based on John Boyle’s “Omega Seminar”. I learned the following affirmations. Affirmations are stating future goals in the present tense. They have made a big difference in my life.

The six basic affirmations are as follows:

1. “I am loved; therefore, I like myself, unconditionally as I was created.” (Repeat five times)

2. “I never devalue myself with destructive self-criticism.” (Envision yourself doing something that you are very proud of)

3. I see love in others and have warm regard for all persons at all times. (Envision yourself doing something nice for somebody else)

4. “I am easily able to relax and with every affirmation I become physically and mentally healthier.” (Envision yourself doing something relaxing)

5. “I am completely self-determined, inner directed by the spirit of love and allow others the same privilege.” (Repeat five times)

6. “I accept total responsibility for the consequences of my actions and reactions.” (Repeat five times)

7. You may add more affirmations which focus on specific areas of your life such as “I especially love and enjoy weighing 170 pounds”.

I recite these affirmations every morning after I go through my stack of readings which helps me to stay sober.   If you would like a copy of “Gary’s Koping Kit”, just ask.

“Let others lead small live, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their futures in someone else’s hands, but not you.”   Jim Rohn

May you have a wonderful New Year.   

Category : General

Comments Off on December 29, 2023

Three days until Christmas. I have my shopping done and now I simply have to pace myself on the cookies and candy.

Children love Christmas, as well they should. As with most families, some years, Christmas gifts were easy to come by and some years the budget would not allow for much. The Christmas of 1956 was a memorable one for me. My mother had to move from our home in St. Louis Park due to Dad’s inability to handle booze. Ma’s mother, Grandma Laura Ramlo, drove her 1952 Chevy from Upsala to 1620 Colorado Avenue South in St. Louis Park, put Dad in the back seat and drove him to the VA Hospital in south Minneapolis. She told them, “He is a veteran, he is a drunk and he is your problem, not mine”.  Then she took us all back to Upsala to live in the apartment above Ramlo Grocery in Upsala.

I am not sure what the reason was for our ending up living in an apartment in Little Falls in December. It had something to do with getting financial aid. That Christmas, Santa brought us six big Tonka Toy 18-wheel trucks. There was a cattle truck, an oil tanker, a freight truck and three more. This was a perfect gift for a family with five boys. I was 13 years old and brother Bill was 10. We played with them non-stop. I am not sure what my sister Kathie got that year.

For many years I had the impression that they were from some sort of social agency that served the poor. It turned out that “Santa” was Dewey Johnson, a classmate of my mother’s from Upsala High School class of ’37. Dewey’s cousin was one of the founders of Tonka Toys. Dewey had already passed on before I learned the “rest of the story”, so I never did have a chance to thank him.

Perhaps you know of a family that has come upon hard times and they could use a “Secret Santa” this year.  

“Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men”.   Angel    

Category : General

Comments Off on December 22, 2023

In December of 1984 I was employed at Dayton’s Commercial Interiors in downtown Minneapolis.  I was sleeping on my dad’s couch in St. Paul during the week. My family was still living in the home that we had built on Cedar Lake west of Upsala.  My daughter Kerry was 16 years old and her art teacher in Upsala was pushing her to produce a lot of work.  For Christmas that year Kerry presented me with a pencil drawing of a Golden Retriever with a pheasant in its mouth.  She had an uncanny ability to make the eyes so very lifelike.  She had reworked one of the eyes to the point that there was almost no paper left. 

I took it to Vern Carver Frame Shop near our office in LaSalle Court across from the Dayton’s department store.  One of my co-workers begged me to have Kerry draw another one so that he could present it to a client as a gift.  Kerry tried but finally we had my friend Dave Oswald print 130 copies and we sold them as limited edition prints for $25 or $95 framed matted and glazed.  I simply carried the original in my trunk and if someone was interested, I would go back out and bring it in to show them.  We sold most of them.  I have the original hanging in my office in Wimmer Hall at St. John’s University. It was awarded a yellow ribbon at the Zapp Bank art show.

In 2002, Kerry’s first born, Kaylin Marie, created a picture of an angel. Kaylin was 7 years old at the time.  (It started out as a Christmas tree). I marveled how she was able to capture the puffed-up cheek on the angel blowing on a horn.   It was a gift for Kaylin’s grandmother Marcia.  I borrowed it from Marcia and that year I sent out the very first “Angel Christmas Card”.  ( pdf attached)  

In 2008, Kaylin’s younger sister Christen created her first “Angel card”.   She was 5 years old. I have attached a jpg of this year’s angel card drawn by Christen age 20.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours.

“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind.”  Henry James

Category : General

Comments Off on December 15, 2023

In 2000, I purchased a house from the estate of my mother-in-law Irene Rudie.  I bought the house “lock, stock and barrel”.  One of the many treasures that I found was a diary that Irene had started on March 1, 1927.  Once I started reading it, it was hard to put down. She started the diary when her husband John and her were moving from a rented house in South Elmdale, to a forty-acre farm northeast of Upsala.  John had remodeled a lumber jack’s shack which they would have to live in until he finished building the barn and the house.  The cows got priority over Irene and the children. 

At that time, they had three children. The youngest was Jacky who was less than two years old.  The journal started with Irene getting the car stuck in the mud on the way to their new farm.  She had to walk the last two miles with Virgil and Theresa walking beside her while she carried the baby.

One of the stories in the diary dealt with a cow getting mired in a mud pit. She and John had to leave the children on their own in the shack while the two of them worked long into the night to free the cow.  The fear of loss was evident. Every nickel was important. Their abundance was in their capacity to work.

A few years later there was a single entry in the journal for the day.  “Bessy got stuck in the mud pit.  John shot her.”

Tomorrow morning you will have an opportunity to enjoy a very special Christmas concert at Ritsche Auditorium on the campus of St. Cloud State University.  The St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra will be performing “Children’s Holiday Sketches” at 10am.  Another “Holiday Sketches” performance will be at 3 in the afternoon You can purchase your tickets at stcloudsymphony.com or at the door. I hope to see you there.

“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”  Leonard Cohen

Category : General

Comments Off on December 8, 2023

It looks like the ice on the pond is not going to be very safe for a while.  Do not go out there unless you are with a buddy and be sure to check the ice often.  When I was a wild youth in Upsala, we used to drag race our cars across the ice on Cedar Lake west of Upsala. To my knowledge, no one ever went through the ice. We got away with a lot of stupid things as kids.  One winter we made a game of standing on the hood of an old DeSoto, using it as a giant snowboard as we were towed in the ditch behind a car.  Dumb and dumber.

After a heavy snow we would party by driving into the Burtrum Hills with our old cars,  just to try and get stuck.  These were not SUVs, we had a 1954 and a 1952 Chevy. We simply packed a lot of crazy boys in the cars with snow shovels in the trunk and went for it.  My sister Kathie and one of my classmates both ended up in casts after a toboggan run down a steep hill in the Burtrum Hills.

Try to not let your young children read these Friday notes.

You may want to come to St. Joseph tonight for the annual tree lighting at the corner of College Avenue and Minnesota Street.  Also, Great River Chorale is presenting “Wintertide”, tonight at St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown St. Cloud.  The program begins with a prelude performed by the St. Cloud String Quartet at 7:15.  Sunday’s performance is at 4pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church om St. Cloud.  Tickets can be purchased at www.greatriverchorale.org  or at the door.  I hope to see you there on Sunday.  I do have two pair of tickets for tonight’s performance.  Simply respond to this email and I will make sure your tickets are at the will call desk tonight. 

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.”   Seneca

Category : General

Comments Off on December 1, 2023