25 Years Ago - 1984

The Staples Fire Department responded to a grass fire at 2 a.m. November 15 about two miles west of Staples. Firemen reported the fire was in the railroad right of way near the Dower Lake Crossings. High winds fanned flames making extinguishing difficult.

This week the Staples Theatre is featuring "The Karate Kid."

Jim Rollins has been named the Staples Jaycee of the Month.

The Staples Jaycee

Women have started a "Mitten Tree" project to

provide needy people in the area with hats, mittens and scarves for Christmas. Trees have been set up at all local financial institutions. Deadline for contributions is December 10. Distribution will be during the annual Toys for Tots giveaway.

Cardinal senior Penny DeMars took the top honors as the Most Valuable Player of the 1984 Cardinal Girls' Tennis Team.

50 Years Ago - 1959

The Motley High School basketball team opens their 1959-1960 season at Deer Creek on November 24. Team members are: Richard Hazuka, Phil Trout, Larry Johnson, Byron Skeesick, Mike Johnson, Ed Jordahl and Larry Holub. Other members are Duane Steinbrecher, Gary Martin, Jack Jacobs, Larry Brown, Derald Steinbrecher, Art Bjerga, Gary Stevens, Roger Nichols and Ernest Converse.

On Wednesday morning, November 11, several members of the American Legion Auxiliary delivered an apple with an invitation for pie and coffee to each teacher in the public and parochial schools. After school apple pie and coffee were served in the school lunch room. Among those attending were Bertha Sperley, Lucille Miller, Lanetta Engel, Gladys Dodge, Esther Bottemiller and Naomi Larson.

An early morning fire last Saturday completely destroyed the house on the farm owned by Frank Erbe, located about two miles southwest of Staples, formerly the Richard Anderson farm.

REMINISCENCES:

I've been "going home" quite often lately in memory. This sort of trip is great for re-visiting relatives who are no longer with us or for reliving fond memories of great holidays together. Memories of Thanksgiving dinners at our childhood home rank at the top of my good list.

Remember when you could count on snow for Halloween and Thanksgiving? I remember the kids in the neighborhood taking time to sled and skate in the ditches together before going in for the feasting. Also, is the memory of most of the playing being done by boys as the girls were in the kitchen with mother "helping." Remember the song with the lyrics, "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go…," we sang it but didn't do it. In our neighborhood, the southwest edge of Staples, for some peculiar reason, nobody left to go to Grandma's for the holidays. If memory serves, most of the grandparents either went elsewhere, only occasionally visited or lived too far away to be part of holiday celebrations. But, there was a warm and cozy feeling about being home and with all the neighborhood kids in similar situations.

Traditionally, my parents would invite one or the other of two elderly ladies over to the house for holiday dinners. Their families were usually too far away. One of the women was a remarkable woman named Hannah Anderberg who originally came from Sweden as an indentured servant and used to tell me stories (when I would come by her house) about early Staples and how she came to be here. I can still see in my mind her hands as she crocheted doily after doily. She had had a tough life and her hands were crippled from arthritis but she took the time to talk to me. Staples history is full of Anderberg's who were here before Staples was. She lived on the Dower Lake Road also, the opposite end from the Clemans'.

The other lady was Lulu Clemans who was raised by a Winkelmeyer on the old Dower Lake settlement. Her husband Tony, han been the son of Isaac Clemans who owned farmland at the Dower Lake settlement and on whose land the first schooling was done. She was one of those people who couldn't help but teach. Strangely, I remember her hands too, they were soft and shiny in spite of all her working. She gave me two old, old Church of Christ hymnals, one so old it had a canvas cover and she would talk all the while she did household chores. Lulu became a school teacher and history buff, Tony became one of the many railroad men of the era. Their families had also been here before Staples was.

My father's family, the Martin's were here since 1879. Ten years before Staples became Staples, they settled east of town. My great, great - grandfather was one of a few Caucasian men who worked at King Staples original mill - most of the workers were local Native Americans. If you consider my father, Hannah Anderberg and Lulu Clemans you might begin to understand how I became so interested in Staples history.

We used to be together and didn't realize we were making memories that would sustain us for the rest of our lives. I am thankful for the memories of the neighbor kids, these ladies and my family. Combined with the memories of my mother's cooking, I just had a gluttonous feast for my soul.