PAGE 2 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - OCTOBER 5, 2011
Homecoming 2011
St. Croix Falls
St. Croix Falls homecoming royalty are pictured (L to R) front row: Ally Mahler, Alexis Erickson, Sarah Petznick, Caitlyn Olson and Jasmine Hoggatt. Back row: Jake Rademacher, Alex Frey, Alex Mikl, Ben Clausen and Matt Rude. Not pictured: Haley Anderson and Alex Bertram. Homecoming is this Friday, Oct. 7, against the Panthers. – Photo by Tammi Milberg
Immigrant violin/from page 1 place in the country and thoroughly enjoyed being in the cabin that Philip Selander built there for the Lindbergs. It was modeled after the houses in Sweden – red paint and all – so, of course, I felt right at home there. In the yard, I enjoyed looking at another waterwheel, much stonework and more lawn ornaments, all designed and constructed by Doc and Philip. One place I stayed away from, though, was the beach that Dr. Lindberg graciously donated for the community to use – didn’t want to get my beautiful wood wet, you know. Probably the most difficult time for me was when Dr. Lindberg picked up stakes and moved to Minnesota for six years. You cannot imagine how happy I was that day in May 1959 when he told me that all of us – me, Doc and Effie – were coming back to Grantsburg and would be retiring for good at the Mud Hen Lake cottage – my little piece of Sweden! Now I am getting ahead of myself. I wanted to tell you more about how important music was in the doctor’s life. Being a violin myself, I am very aware of such things, you know. Yes, Doc surely loved his music and I was thrilled to be a part of it. Not only could he play an instrument such as myself, he could also sing! In fact, in 1946, when Helene Stratman-Thomas toured the state looking for folk singers throughout Wisconsin, Dr. Lindberg was one of those chosen for her project. Ms. Stratman-Thomas recorded him singing several Swedish folk tunes by himself, and also a duet with Ruth Olson Sandberg (later married to Ole Rockland). I have heard that the recordings are archived in the Wisconsin Folksong Collection, 19371946 at the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison. Dr. Lindberg and I surely brought a little bit of our beloved homeland Sweden to the far reaches of rural Wisconsin. Come to think of it, perhaps I am more of a fiddle than a violin! But alas! Even doctors eventually face the end of life, which in Dr. Lindberg’s case came on Nov. 11, 1963, at the Veterans Hospital in Tomah. Oh, how I would have liked to have joined Betty Dewing when she accompanied Gene Gronlund and Francis Nero as they sang “Children of the Heavenly Father” in Swedish at Doc’s funeral service in a small rural Lutheran church about seven miles east of Grantsburg. You are probably wondering what happened to me, his faithful violin, after Dr. Lindberg passed away. Who would want
This customs stamp was put on the violin case when it came to the United States from Sweden in 1911.
Charlie Lindberg looks comfortable holding his great-grandfather’s violin. – Photos submitted such an old instrument? Who would value me like Doc did? Fortunately, he had already taken care of that. Remember his good and special friend, Philip Selander? Well, some years before the doctor died, he lovingly gifted me – his treasured possession – to Philip with whom I enjoyed several years of leisurely retirement. It was altogether fitting that I should go and live with Philip. Through the years, I had had many opportunities to observe that Dr. Lindberg considered Philip to be his right-hand man, both personally and professionally. The doctor expressed his gratitude in a letter he wrote to Philip on April 24, 1956: “It is indeed very gratifying to experience such results in workmanship as you have displayed at our lake home. Philip it is indeed astonishing. I am very proud of your ability and more so of your integrity. I shall always feel as though I am part of you because you know as well as I do, you and I kept Community Hospital in Grantsburg intact and self-supporting during the Depression days.” Things at the hospital moved along very quickly while I was staying at the home of Philip Selander and his wife Doris. I was out in the country now so I was no longer able to be part of conversations about the hospital. But I do remember hearing about Dr. Richard Hartzell, Dr. Roger Cutshall, Dr. Larson, Dr. Jensen and Frank Snapp coming on staff, along with wonderful nurses and workers like Audrey Branstad, Marcella Hanson, Agnes Peterson, Ally Ramsdell, Pearl Lindquist, Manda Swanson and many others too numerous to mention. Eventually the old hospital was outgrown and I recall that the community once again came together to fund a brandnew hospital that was dedicated in 1961. And, oh, the pie social that was held in June of 1959 – it netted $400 for the new hospital. I couldn’t believe it when they told me that 300 pies, 75 gallons of ice cream, 60 cases of pop – and gallons and gallons coffee – were consumed. Actually I heard that some of the blueberry pies were used for a pie-eating contest with the winners being Lloyd Kallman, first, Donny Erickson, second, and Larry Dahlberg, third. When Philip Selander passed away in 1974, I went to live with his daughter, Vranna and her family, in Middleton. Oh, boy, was that an experience! I would be the first to tell you that Vranna has no musical talent whatsoever in spite of the best efforts of her music teachers, Iris Erickson and Morris Skinner. So for years I sat in a corner
of her rec room, where I found myself becoming almost as sad as the day Doc and I had to wave goodbye to our beautiful Sweden. Life has been very good in America, but now I found myself wishing that someone would again pick me up and play some old folk tunes as Dr. Lindberg had done so many years earlier. Vranna would dust my case occasionally and took pretty good care of me – she even had my frayed strings replaced—but she just didn’t seem to realize how I yearned to be back with family. Until – One day she got to thinking about the good ol’ days of growing up in Grantsburg. Suddenly, my attention was awakened. Silently I held my breath as she remembered how Dr. Lindberg provided work for her father when there was not much to be had during the Depression. She recalled how Dr. Lindberg could be stern and down-to-business when someone’s life was at stake, but he also had a humorous side and a hearty laugh. And there was a very gentle side to the good doctor, as well. I know for a fact that Vranna still remembers the box of chocolates he surprised her with one Christmas – all in the shape of sewing objects. (Personally, I think they should have been in the shape of a violin, but I was not consulted!) The candy is long gone, but the memories linger of the gift given by a generous family doctor. Another year, I was along when he picked out a book of Bible stories which Vranna still has, complete with the original paper jacket. I never asked him, but I think he liked giving things to a little girl because he had no daughters of his own – only a son and some grandsons. My hopes were roused even further as Vranna recalled that in 1946 her cousin, Armand Luedtke, was seriously injured in a farm accident. It was Dr. Lindberg who saved his life as he took care of Armand for 101 days in the hospital. There was no elaborate equipment or drugs back then, only the tender care of a loving and skilled rural doctor who cleverly devised a tent over Armand’s body to keep out the germs. I recall that his trusted nurse, Miss Okerlund (Oakey) deserves some of the credit, as well. And I often wonder if Armand heard the doctor and me playing Swedish folk tunes in the parlor of his house only a couple of blocks from the hospital. I would like to think that maybe I had a small part in helping him to get well, too. Memories of Dr. Lindberg came to light once again when Vranna read that the Grantsburg Area Historical Society was putting on a program about historical personalities in the community. Berdella Johnson narrated the performance with Merlin Johnson playing the part of Dr. Lindberg. Yes! It only seemed right that I should be given back to the Lindberg family. That was the thing to do. But how to find them after all those years? The answer came easily. With the help of Trade Lake historian Stan Selin, Vranna was put in touch with Dr. Lindberg’s daughter-in-law, Beulah Lindberg, who still lives in Siren. On a hot August day, I was delivered to Beulah’s home where her son Joe and her grandson Charlie came from Frederic to meet me and take me home with them. How excited I was to discover that Joe
Philip Selander and his bride, Doris Bowman, in 1942. and his three brothers—Bob, Andy and John (grandsons of Dr. Lindberg)—are all musicians involved in local bands with names like the Butanes, Bill Bittner Memorial Dixieland Band, Dan Zimmers Polka Band, the Lindberg Brothers Blues Band and Intensive Care! If violins had hearts, you could have felt mine racing! This was way too good to be true! But there is more. All of Dr. Lindberg’s great-grandchildren are musical as well. Angela had her own band in her teen years, played guitar and sang, and wrote her own music. Jess plays saxophone and bass guitar. Sara plays keyboard. Charlie played trumpet in school and has learned guitar. David played baritone in school. As far as I know, none of them plays the violin – but be assured that I will do my best to tempt them! After all, their great-grandfather on Beulah’s side was an excellent musician, as well, and even played the violin. Furthermore, I was overjoyed to learn that the name Charles Lindberg is carried on by a great-grandson. Another greatgrandson, David, has had some thoughts about becoming a doctor (but he still has some years to decide). I am thinking that things may have come full circle for me! As I look at the original customs stamp on my violin case and reflect on the 100 years since Doc and I emigrated from Sweden, I am grateful to be back where I should be – in the Lindberg home with relatives who are very talented musicians and who carry on the family name. ••• Acknowledgments: Berdella Johnson for documents from the Grantsburg Area Historical Society; Billy Haraldson for photo of the old hospital; Wisconsin Historical Society for 1946 photo of Dr. Lindberg and Alf Olson (WHS Image #25300).