Highway 11

That's the road across the top of Minnesota we traveled so many times in our childhood. Mom, my sister, Trenda, and I went from Baudette to Warroad with little sashays on either side to explore our old stomping grounds.

Is there still a flowing well at Vernon's home place? That must be where Gingerich's used to live. What is their daughter's name? The one that used to ride a pig bare back? Debbie!

The tiny Mennonite Church at Graceton -- trees growing in the yard and even in the parking lot out front. What happened to Willie Big George? The tall Native American who stepped inside to listen to the singing some random Sunday evenings. He usually wanted money or a ride to the next town. How brave our Grandpa and Dad and the other men were to talk to him and figure out a plan to help, while Leah and my sisters and I shivered in our bench and tried not to stare. 

Any chance I get I'll come to the top of my state and wander down memory lane, even when the occasion is a funeral of a family member. 

My mom's sister, Mary, went home to be with Jesus. Her husband, Uncle Paul, is buried near Warroad so that's where Mary's home going was celebrated. Such a relaxed, happy funeral - if you can describe a funeral in that way. 

The Stoll cousins sang and played guitars and Alvin's wife, Rita, played the accordian. They invited the audiance to help sing a lot of Mary's favorite songs, the ones she sang and whistled even after she had forgotten her children's names. Even though she forgot her family she didn't forget Jesus, her Savior. 

We heard these comforting verses again. Psalm 23 and John 14. Stories and memories shared by many people ... worshipping our faithful God with songs and prayers and Bible verses. 

After the graveside service Nelson and Rhoda, Trenda, Mom and I started out on our adventure. We drove to Grandpa and Grandma Skrivseth's homes near Roosevelt. Then Trenda found the little church in Roosevelt where Grandpa had Sunday School and church for that community. 

It has seen better days. I remember a Christmas pageant in that little church complete with angels. Seems like someone shone a bright light down from the loft and a booming voice proclaimed to the shepherds that a Savior had been born.

We stopped at Blueberry Hill and drove around the old paths. We used to have potluck lunches there on a Sunday afternoon. If we could talk fast enough to persuade Dad we got to climb a fire tower before we went home. We hardly ever found blueberries there but we picked red wintergreen berries from waxy green plants and devoured them.

The town of Williams came next where we went to grade school. I didn't take a picture of our sad school house. It is all boarded up. 

We stopped at the family/neighborhood cemetery where our Skrivseth family has several family members resting. 

A train went past and I attempted to video that event for my grandson. It was a miserable failure.  Apparently I need someone to show me how to take a video.

We lived about one fourth mile from that busy railroad track. A train went past every hour ... about 23 trains a day according to a friend's count. I love the sound of a train horn tooting a warning at a railroad crossing. 

Eventually we came to Graceton and the little church where we went to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School every summer.

Photo credits to Arlene Pierce

A winter scene

Graceton had a post office and small store on the corner. A book mobile stopped there during the summer so we could keep on getting library books to read. I just finished rereading a book that I found in that book mobile so many summers ago. 

The Taste of Spruce Gum by Jacqueline Jackson  I read it out loud to Ellis when we traveled this summer. 

The depot was moved away from the railroad tracks, there it is in someone's yard.

We drove to Graceton Beach and stood on the shore of Lake of the Woods.

The house where our great aunt lived.

Morris Point Resort was another stopping place. We ate our supper on the deck of the restaurant there. The weather was perfect! 

The food was delicious! Catching up with Nelson and Rhoda was a treat. Nelson is Mom's brother and Rhoda is Dad's sister.

We had to say Goodbye at last then drove to Baudette where Trenda had reserved a room in a motel. 

Hmm! I forgot to take a picture of Willie Walleye in Baudette. You can Google it and see what he looks like. This is not the original Willie Walleye that we used to pose beside for pictures. 

Saturday morning we met a grade school friend for breakfast. Arlene and Trenda were in the same grade. Her older sister, Ellen, was in my grade and they have an older brother, Andrew. Their family went to the same church we did. So many memories surfaced. We had a wonderful time.

After visiting with Arlene we drove on a wilderness drive from Williams over to "The Bog Road" which is really Hwy 72. We found our way to the little community of Rako and had our picture taken by this sign. Trenda loves traveling down dirt roads when she gets a chance.

One of these days I hope Ellis and I can take our family on that wilderness drive and show them all the old places in Lake of the Woods County. 

   This is how we ended the day at Trenda's        house. A couple scrabble games in which Mom won the first one and Trenda won the second.