The Peppermint Pig

Old Trunks learned of peppermint pigs while looking for a unique activity for residents in a nursing home. We had started a time capsule several years before which included list of residents and what they wished for in the new year and the front page of the newspaper. The event needed a finish and the peppermint pig was a perfect fit. The expression on the resident's faces while coming down with the hammer is pure determination!

Then, I retired.

Last year, Rachel and Ryen had such a good time crashing the peppermint pigs with a hammer! I promised them I would send them pigs for the holidays this year. Now is when I need that mailman to come through for me!

The pig is honored in Victorian holiday tradition. They were first molded in 1880.

They are a symbol of good health, happiness and prosperity. The concept is to put the pig in a red velvet bag, pass the pig in the bag around the table with the hammer and have each person hit the bag. Once the pig is broken, everyone has a piece of peppermint.

The idea is to remind us of a wonderful time when red-cheeked children laughed and rode old wooden sleds over fresh snow, when church bells pealed and warm memories were shared by a gathering of family and friends.

Perhaps you would like to Google "peppermint pigs" and enjoy this activity with your family. Or, get your imagination going and come up with a way to break something peppermint and share it at the family table sometime during the holidays.

Oink!

e

You've Got Mail!

Early mail deliver in Northern Minnesota

His name was Patrick and he had bad feet. He had been a postal worker for a long time. He seemed old; I wondered if he rode for the Pony Express in 1860. Of course he didn’t, besides, Patrick was not the type:

"Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert pony riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.”





1893
Thief River Falls Times: NOTICE if you didn’t pick up your letter at the post office after it was advertised in the paper, it would go to the dead letter office in 30 days. The notice says that when you pick up your mail be sure to state it was ‘advertised’. (All the names were listed in the paper).

1903
Thief River Falls Times: A mail man in Ransom almost had his ear bitten off by a horse

February 1907
Thief RIver Falls Times: Soo Line Hauls the Mail

Thief River Falls Times: Post office receipts for 1909 is expected to reach $10,000, if so, mail delivery will be free in the city.


1911

Daily flights where made between Garden City and Mineola, New York, dropping mail bags from the plane to the ground where they were picked up by the postmaster



JANUARY 1913

Parcel Post begins. It was an instant success. In all parts of the country, enthusiastic advocates of the service celebrated by mailing thousands of parcels in the first few days. The effect on the national economy was electric. Marketing and merchandising through parcel post gave rise to great mail-order houses. Montgomery Wards was first with a one page catalog. Sears followed in 1893. They boasted the company was selling four suits and a watch every minute, a revolver every two minutes, and a buggy every 10 minutes.


MAY 1923
Thief River Falls Times: Peter Nelson, 35, was a section hand on the Soo railroad. He was struck by a large iron hook attached to a swinging crane while he was working with the crew unloading rails three miles south of this city on the mail line. His frontal bone was fractured and his face was badly disfigured. The blow was so violent that a piece of the bone from the injured man’s forehead was removed and later found on the ground nearby a while later.

Rosewood News Percy Hanson opens store. Hanson took over the stock at the Peterson General Store and will lease the store building. He will take over the post office at this place as there have been no applicants. If the position is not filled by Saturday, the mail route will be established out of Thief River Falls.

1950

Mail delivery was cut from twice a day to once a day.



Are you remembering that Christmas cards were addressed as:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

City



Or in the case of Rosewood:

Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Anderson

Star Route

City



What happened if their were two people by the same name in a town and something was addressed by name and city? Who got it? There were two Stan Ranum's in Thief River Falls. Mother would write, WRONG STAN RANUM and have Daddy bring it back to the post office to be remailed. We didn't get our mail at home; we had a post office box. We didn't have junk mail because Daddy threw it away before he came home.





Could we use Zip + 4 instead of the city, state?

What do those codes mean, anyway?

1. broad geographical area of the United States, ranging from zero for the Northeast to nine for the far West



2 and 3. digits that more closely pinpointed population concentrations and those sectional centers accessible to common transportation networks.



4 and 5. designated small post offices or postal zones in larger zoned cities.



6 and 7. denote a delivery sector, which may be several blocks, a group of streets, a group of post office boxes, several office buildings, a single high-rise office building, a large apartment building, or a small geographic area.



8 and 9. delivery segment, which might be one floor of an office building, one side of a street between intersecting streets, specific departments .



58103 2577

5=MID WEST

81= FARGO

03=PRAIRIE POST OFFICE



25=THIS ROUTE AREA

77=NORTH SIDE OF STREET



When zip code started in the late sixties, Lawrence, Kansas had two assigned; one for the city and the other for the college, 66044 and 66045. Leavenworth, Kansas was assigned 66048. As Lawrence grew, additional codes were needed. We lived in 66046, and the city had 66047 but because Leavenworth already had 66048, Lawrence got 66049. Someone did not plan ahead.

Lansing, Kansas has 66043 and Lecompton, KS has 66050. So how does a city zip code concept work in a place like Lawrence that is growing by leaps and bounds?







Are you remembering that a sealed envelope cost a penny more than unsealed? Do you remember if your family sealed their envelopes? Mother sealed hers; my grandparents did not.





Are you remembering that it didn't make a difference how small the envelope was? This was changed in 1980. Present standard is least 3 1/2" high and 5".



How many cards do you send by post office verses email cards? Is your snail list getting shorter as your electronic list gets longer? I have a friend in Wisconsin who thinks Christmas cards should be received in a mail box.



What about our on line buds that we don't know their address? We may not even know their town. It doesn't matter, does it?



Whether you are opening a post office box like Jimmy Stewart and Van Johnson, or hearing, "You've Got Mail" as Tom Hanks, staying connected is the goal.

Kudos to the postal service.

e

Ode to Ralph Lawrence Rye

Clifford and Ralph Rye at the house near Rosewood
Ralph and fishing buddy showing fish, probably caught at Warroad, MN
Ralph Rye with Dick (L) and Bob Anderson

Today we celebrate the birth of Ralph Rye, the youngest of the eight children born to Henry T and Julia on December 5, 1929. Julia had 20 child bearing years, she was forty when Ralph was born; twenty when Oliver was born in 1909.



Ralph Lawrence Rye was born in North Dakota, Walsh , Lankin , District 29. His only living sibling, Ella, states the family were gypsy-like and moved around. Ralph was the only one born in North Dakota.



Ralph went to Columbus School near Rosewood. As we know from previous blogs, the Henry Rye family moved to the area in 1931. In 1938, Ralph Rye wins candy for selling the most seals at Columbus School!



Let's see what else the Times says about Ralph:



JULY 1941
7 3 Mr. And Mrs. Lloyd Anderson, Dorothy and Dick; Ralph Rye motored to Enos Olson’s
(Enos Olson is Ralph's uncle, the sister of Julia)



NOVEMBER 1944
Mrs. Lloyd Anderson, Mrs. Louis Cloutier, S/Sgt. Clifford Rye, Ilene Rye, Oliver and Ralph Rye were callers at Thief River Falls on Monday afternoon. We are certain this is when the last formal family picture was taken.



Sunday evening callers at the Lloyd Anderson home were S/SSgt. Clifford Rye, Oliver and Ralph Rye and Miss Ilene Rye and Melvina “Luckseer”. This was just before Cliff and Mel were married. The newspaper didn't know how to spell



AUGUST 1945
Ralph Rye and Miss Ethel Gulsvik called at the Lloyd Anderson’s on Sunday afternoon. I would love to know who Ethel is!!!



MAY 1946
5 16 Ralph Rye arrived here from Spokane, Washington on Sunday.



FEBRUARY 1947
02 20 Ralph Rye left for Spokane, Washington Monday were he will visited Mr. and Mrs. Louis Cloutier



JULY 1947
07 10 Clifford Rye, Ralph Rye, and Waldo Thompson motored up to Bemidji Friday, from there, Clifford went on to International Falls



SEPTEMBER 1948
09 30 Ralph Rye, who enlisted in the Air Force recently, left Monday for Kansas City where he begins his training.



AUGUST 1949
0616 Ralph Rye was taken to the Veteran’s hospital on Friday



AUGUST 1952
0709 Ralph Rye, who is working in Desoto, KS is spending a few days at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rye.

AUGUST 1952
0828 Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Rye, Linda, and Ralph Rye of Desoto, KS and Delores Nelson of Newfolden were supper guests at the Lloyd Anderson home on Tuesday night.



Ralph married Atropa Roberta Moncrief on May 16, 1953 in Olathe, Kansas. To their marriage three children were born: Lora, Reta, and Hank.



Although Ralph may have had a gas station for some time, I will always remember him as being a hunter and fisherman as well as having a trading post type business. It was interesting to look in the show cases of jewelry and other and see what he had found at flea markets or bought in Mexico.



Like his sister, Ella, the household was always open to visit. Ralph has a real gift to BS and will tell stories and stories and stories. If anyone is a keeper of photographs, it is this family. Ralph is a photographer and his daughter, Lora has inherited the gift.



Ralph, being the youngest, naturally heard all the family stories. And the story teller he is, it is certain he has past the magic unto his children and grandchildren....and by now, even great grand children.



We salute you, RLR.



e

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow

In a one horse open sleigh

O'er the fields we go

Laughing all the way

Bells on bob tails ring

Making spirits bright

What fun it is to laugh and sing

A sleighing song tonight

James Pierpont went to the home of Mrs. Otis Waterman, who owned the only piano in town, and he of course went there to play the carol. After he played the piece for her, Mrs. Waterman's reply was that it was a very merry little jingle, and he should have a lot of success with it.

The sheet music was first published in 1857 by Oliver Ditson with its original title, "The One Horse Open Sleigh." When the song was published again two years later, the only change was a new cover with the name the public had chosen for it, "Jingle Bells."



It was first written for a Thanksgiving program at his church in Boston. It was so well received that the children were asked to repeat it at Christmas. It has been a Christmas song ever since.


Obviously all of us have sung this since child hood. (I always thought the song was wrong, even I knew Bob didn't have two tails, I later learned bob tail was a horse's tail that had been cut short). If you stop and imagine the song, didn't you always think about the sleigh being pulled by horses? Can you hear the jingle of the bells with each trot of the horses?

In early times people didn't always have a team of horses AND a team of oxen. They "made do" as my grand parents used to say.

No oxen?

No horse?

No sleigh?

No sleigh robe?

Bet you have a bell to jingle

Jingle all the way.

e

What Color is Magic?

Today is Ella's birthday~~She is 92. Happy Birthday, Ella and thanks for the memories.

I know there are a zillon pictures of you, this is one of my favorite because it is what you are. You represent all that one can be in a grandmother. You have led your grand children and great grandchildren along a path as tall and flowering as the hollyhocks in your front yard. For those who knew you in your petunia era, you have given us an image of a safe path to you. And we all appreciate that.

Here you are with a bag of little what nots that didn't mean a tinker without you. Here you are; changing the mood of the whiney crowd with a little Pluto puppet. Closest to you with red sleeves and reaching is Vincent Hagen, behind him with a band aid on his head is Bud Anderson, behind him in wet hair is Rachel Anderson. Looking at the camera is Brenda Hagen. Lisa Arnold has her hand over her mouth. Her friend from the cities, Angie, (no relation) is behind her. Shirley Hagen is in the chair, talking to someone out of the camera eye.

Ella. you always have had a sense of how to change the mood of the crowd and get children off in another direction without scolding them. Your house was always had a big enough, regardless of its size, to have room for everyone. It didn't matter what time you came to youe home, you graciously inviting everyone in. It was okay to unroll sleeping bags on the floor of your living room even if you had numerous empty beds upstairs.

And today, its your 92nd birthday, I am hopeful you are surrounded by loving friends and family although I know you had a party on Saturday. Let's hope people think if you this day and remember you with a card or call.

And for those of us who know you, may we always have a magic bag of our own.
e

What a Difference a Photo Makes.

The above picture was glued down on to black photo paper in a scrap book. It is a picture of Andrew Opseth and his grand sons Harry, (L) and Stanley. It is not known what the name of the dog is. As you can see, the paste has ruined the clarity of the picture. If this was not your relative, it is doubtful you would take the time to look at the details.

This is the same picture which has been processed to try to get rid of the discolorization and allow for some detail. The picture was actually sent to a lab in the late sixties. (My grandfather gave me all the pictures after Grandma died in 1966). It gives better detail. I certainly wished for more but settled on for it because I never though my wish would ever come true. I hadn't messed around with it on my equipment, I have been working on another family.

Becareful what you wish for! My wish came true. As you know, I have been processing Anderson/Rye pictures which I picked up from the Steinhauer house in October.

I got an email from Judy recently, stating she had gone through the other....considered newer pictures and had a packet of the children she would send.

Yesterday the mail man delivered the pictures with a note about the above photograph. It is an original. It is printed on a postcard. Look how clear it is! It has never been glued.

Now, relative or not, one can see Andrew's hook! We can see clearly see the leaves on the plant and for those of you who are gardeners, you may even be able to identify what is in the pot. Stanley also has real legs!

It is hard to know why or how the house became part of Ella's collection. I am wondering if it was left in the house in Rosewood when Gust sold it to Anderson's. I do not recognize the house in the back ground. Was it Olaf's house across the road from Anderson's? Was in Benhard and Julia Ranum's house? It does not look like the hut that Andrew lived after Hannah died. Harry was tall and Daddy was not. If the boys were 12 and 10, that makes the photo date mid twenties. Could the picture have been taken at the Opseth farm? Why in the name of heaven who anyone put the door on the edge of the house like that? The steps are made with logs between the planks. Why are there two doors right together? Did one go up and the other down? That is, is the one door into a cellar?

Thanks to Judy for sending the picture.

e

December Birthdays and anniversaries

December birthdays and anniversaries

1. Lynn Thomae (51)
Jaeme’s father
*1. Oliver Newman Rye (98)
Great grand uncle of Jaeme and Kelsie
*1. Ella M Backlund (113)
Daughter of Thorinus Mellem, 2nd grand aunt of Kelsie and Jaeme


3. Ella Rye Anderson Steinhauer (92)
Great grandmother of Jaeme and Kelsie
*3. Olaf Adolph Anderson (136)
2 Great grand father of Jaeme and Kelsie


*4. Clarence R Mellem (97)
First cousin three times removed. Clarence is the son of Pete and Lena Mellem

5. Ralph Rye (78)
Great grand uncle of Jaeme and Kelsie

*5. Newell E Anderson (98)
Great grand uncle of Jaeme and Kelsie


5. Bruce Steinhauer (56)
First Cousin twice removed of Jaeme and Kelsie


9. Julia Olson and Henry Rye (99)
2 great grand parents of Jaeme and Kelsie


10. Matthew Chamberlain (14)
This is Reta Rye’s son, Ralph Rye is her father
2 cousins once removed of J and K
*10. Carrie Lundberg and Leonard Johnson (95)
Jaeme’s 2 great aunt, sister of Phillip Lundberg
10. Arlen Sorum, (Judy’s husband is 68 but Judy says the big 70 is looming).


*11. Hannah Nordhagen Opseth (166)
Jaeme’s 3 great grandmother


*16. Henry T Rye (128)
Grand father to both J&K


*16. Freeman Ranum (116)
2 great uncle of Jaeme
16. Eric A Chamberlain (20)
This is Reta Rye’s son, Ralph Rye is her father
2 cousins once removed of J and K
Brother of Matthew Chamberlain
16. Donna Steinhauer Folsom (58)


*18. Otto Ranum (108)
Jaeme’s ½ 2 great uncle, (half brother of Benhard)


20. Nicholas Ranum (21)
Nick is Greg Ranum’s son, who is the son of Greg Ranum
Jaeme’s second cousin
*20. Olaff A Opseth (132)
2nd great uncle of Jaeme


*25. Benhard Ranum (128)
2 great grandfather of Jaeme
25. Shirley Anderson Hagen (56)
Kelsie’s grand mother
Jaeme’s grand aunt


28. Judy Anderson and Arlen Sorum (21)
Grand aunt to Kelsie and Jaeme


*28. Carl O Bloom (116)
Carl is, by all blood lines, only the husband of the girl’s 2nd great grandmother. However, in the hearts of those who knew him, he is, indeed the 2nd great grandfather.


*31. Harry A Ranum (96)
Jaeme’s great uncle, brother to Stanley


31 Shirley Anderson and Keith Hagen (38)
Shirley and Keith are Kelsie’s grand parents
Shirley is Jaeme’s grand aunt.

* Anniversary of their birth