DHA L
(3/4/2004)

(Continued from last week...)

Neelna (Jespersen) (Mrs. A.B.) Clausen enclosed the following letter with their contribution to DHA's funding.

"Thank you for sending a copy of the (DHA) letter to me. (M)y contribution is enclosed. I enjoy reading your articles in the Enterprise, and I am glad that you are collecting and preserving the history of the 'Daneville' area.

"I went to the Viborg school in the 1920's and 30's, graduation in the class of '35. We (the Jespersens) lived 3/4 of a mile south of town on the east side of the road. As children we walked to school ninety-nine percent of the time. We walked down the driveway, turned north and walked past Jake and Clara FLint's, the Folker Hansen's place, Erik Knudsen's, The Sorensen's, the 'Little Lady Without a Nost's' place (I can't remember her name now), then up the hill past the cemetery, and across the street that leads to the South Lutheran CHurch and the alley that I often took to get to my Grandmother's house.

"If you stayed on the east side of the road you passed the first house on the corner, across from the cemetery. I never knew who lived there, but Mrs. Hegaman lived in the next house, the house that is now the Funeral Home. She was a window who lived there with her sons, Carlyn and J.J. Then came the Charlie Nelsen's, Anton Sorensen's, the Methodist Parsonage, and the Methodist Church.

"Continuing on that side of the road, in a big open space, was the Farmer's Elevator, the railroad tracks that went through town on an angle from Sioux Falls to Yankton; then I remember a small gas station, Martin Olsen's Hardware Store, and Keller Drug. (My Mom always said what a pleasure it was to shop at that Drug Store as the Kellers were always so polite and courteous.)

"But to follow our route to school, we have to go back to the cemetery and cross the road to the west. Where there are now four houses (I think), there was only Marcussen's, then open space. We took the path that cut across that empty lot, down a slope, across the railroad tracks, bore left, walked around where the Lund family lived and then to the right and over to the school. That was our rote for 12 years.

"Going back east on the street from Lund's were a couple of houses and then Aggergaard's Garage, which was constructed to house the aeroplane that the Aggergaards built. It was exciting to know that there was an aeroplane in there! Later, Saturday night dances were held in the building.

"Continuing pas the Aggergaard's Garage was another small gas station and the Wumken's Barber Shop. (Does anyone remember the Wumkens? Mr. & Mrs. Wumkens, their son Verlyn, who they called "Sonnie," and Mr. Wumken's brother lived in the building. Mrs. Wumkens used to refer to the family as "Hy, Wy, Sonnie and I.) Next door was a Millenary Shop, then "Candy Pete's" Ice Cream Fountain (with booths to sit in while you ate on of his delicious Sundaes on Saturday night--when we could afford them; I can't recall the exact price, but I suspect they were probably about 15 cents.

"North of Candy Pete's was Emil Larsen's Grocery Store, Otto Nelsen's Meat Market, Hansen's Cafe, and then the bank--Guarantee National, I think with 1st National kitty-corner across the street. Pete Hendricksen's Corner Store was on the fourth corner where we could sometimes buy penny candy.

"Going west from the Corner Store, on the north side of Park Street, was another Drug Store with Dr. Cramer's office upstairs (I think this building burned). The Enterprise office, as I recall Thompsen's Barber Shop and his wife's Millenary shop, and the "Black Pete" Hansen's Shoe Repair Shop. I have no idea why he was called "Black Pete" unless it was because of the leather dye he used.

"On the south side of Park Street, there was a building next to the bank with a clothing store on the first floor and the veterinarian, Doc Griffith, living upstairs with his wife. The Pool Hall came next and then Charlie Nelsen's Cream and Egg place and, maybe, the Bakery. This was long before the Creamery moved into Viborg from Center Point. Across the street where the Coop Gas Station is now, was the Goodhope's Blacksmith Shop, their house, and then Good Ole' Viborg School with the primary grades downstairs and the High School upstairs.

"Recalling this 'walk uptown' to school from about seventy years ago, I can't promise that all the businesses are where I remember them or that the names are spelled correctly. I was between six and seventeen then and never considered that I would be taking this stroll down memory lane in the 21st Century. Had I known, I would have paid closer attention.

"A sidelight: The Hagamen boys were rascals. In the late 1940's Carlyn and his wife, Vivian, visited us here in Oakland and he told me the story of the time he and JJ threw rocks at the church and Pastor Lerager chased them down the railroad tracks. Halfway to Irene, Carlyn turned around to see and discovered that Lerager was still following them. He also told the story of how his grandfather lost his pocket watch on the farm and when, years later, they butchered a cow, there was that watch, wrapped around the lungs, keeping perfect time. I'm not sure that I blieve both stories.

"My son asked me if I have any memories from north of the flagpole, but that will have to wait for another day. Thank you againf or pursuing the history and keeping us up to date with your articles in the Enterprise."

(LRL comment: Neelna's wish to remember more points up the importance of keeping diaries, scrapbooks, photo albums, records, and all kinds of artifacts and memory supporters.

While cattle are notorious for having "hardware" in one of their stomachs, some of that watch story needs a diary to support it.)