Back to Rochester for some more good things.

July was a packed month all the way to the end...

On our way back to Rochester we got to stop and watch our youngest grandson Lewin play baseball. 

He went 3 for 4 with the bat! So fun to watch him play

Celebrating Dad's (heavenly) 90th Birthday 

All 4 of us siblings were able to take a little road trip down to (as dad would say) God's country.

i.e down to the bottom of Southern Minnesota.

All 4 of us took many rides with dad through the years so we wanted to remember him on his special birthday in heaven by visiting some of his special spots!

Randy #3, Me #2, Rick #1 and Jodi #4

Bucksnort Dam (near Chatfield) one of my favorite places dad and I always stopped to see.

One of dad's favorite spots to stop for lunch Pedal Pushers cafe in Lansboro.

Southfork Church (Filmore county), we remember having family reunions here when we were little.

The Benson homestead, My great-grandpa's place,

 The windmill still stands that he erected himself.

 I've always found it very cool to walk the land that my ancestors farmed.

Riceford Church, Relative from my Grandma'a side of the family are buried here (Benson's)

My dad a few years back (his Great-grandparents)

The church is in bad shape....makes me sad.

We were gone for several hours and drove by more special places like the 

Storlie school house that Dad attended, the first farm our Grandpa Alfred bought, 

and my Great-uncle Grants farmsted across the valley.

There are so many more places we didnt get to...that will be another trip.

I image dad and his twin Gerald along with Grandpa and Grandma were smiling down on us

The trip had to end with one of Dad's favorite things, Dad always had to stop for ice cream!

This time we stopped in harmony at Breakers. Highly recommended

 

A day with dad

This week has been a fun week spent with family....

Tuesday my sister came down from the cities to spend the day with me and dad.

We wanted to go with dad to see the places of his childhood. We saw many old homesteads, (or what's left of them), we visited the house he and his twin brother were born in. We visited many churches and cemeteries to see family plots from the past. We learned some history from the years gone by and found it facinating to hear dad's stories of his "growing up years"

~~~

We started in Rushford MN

Its where my great great grandfather Eric Madson

started working when he came over from Norway.

The old wagon factory.

Eric's son, Anton (my Great-gradfather) also worked here. He changed his name to Anton "Eric"son, because he was eric's son....I guess that was common practice. So thats where my maiden name came from.... ERICKSON

While in Rushford we stopped in at the lefse factory to watch the production.

I've made lefse at home and it don't get it done quite this fast & perfect.

Speaking of perfect.....

"not only am I PERFECT.... I'm Norwegian too".

Jodi and I are 1/2 Norwegian, dad's full-blooded

~~~

Next stop....Henry town cemetery

My Grandpa & Grandma Erickson

Great-grandparents

Thought this was one of the cooest headstones....ever (no relation)

~~~

Ever heard of a state farm or poor house,

well this was one of them

It's A farm that houses, supports, and employs the poor at public expense.

...and when those folks died....

they were buried here with only a #number on a tiny stone.

~

Then we came to this old amish farm...The people who live here all know my dad

The old amish lady sitting at the kitchen table points over to a near corner and says...

"the twins were born right over there"

the twins were my dad and his brother.

~~~

This little one lives here now. I wonder if she was born in this house too.

~~~

Next stop...Sheie Church... the church my dad grew up in

it's a beautiful church

with REAL wooden pews....remember those ?

***

The road to my grandpa's old farmstead...

..or what's left of it. My grandpa actually built this windmill

Looking across the field from the farm to this little country school,

Dad only attended here a few years.

The old creamery that my dad hauled milk cans into after milking their cows.

***

The southfork church, my sister and I remembered being here when we were little...

we had a picnic here...I remember :)

***

Favorite picture,

it was fun visiting with the amish family, they are very hospitable and seemed to enjoy having visitors.

It was a great day to spend with dad, he had many great stories to share.

He even showed us the l-o-n-g downhill 2 1/2 mile road he had to walk to school each morning, he really did have to walk 2 1/2 miles....that's not just a story