OUR MOVE TO MINNESOTA

by Harry Kaler

In March of 1915, my parents, William and Grace Kaler, together with my sisters Ruth, Mary and Helen, and brother, Charlie, and me, Harry, left Illinois for Minnesota. I was nearly seven years old and my sister Helen was just a baby at fifteen months. My brother Charlie was the oldest of the children, at nine years.

Uncle Charlie and Aunt Mina Kaler and their children, Violet, Howard and John, went with us as Dad had made arrangements for a place for them to live in Minnesota.

I didn't realize why we were moving at the time, but since I became a man, I asked my parents. I learned that Dad had a vision as Abraham had seen Genesis 12-1, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee, Genesis 12-4. So he departed.

Dad had made a trip to Minnesota in the fall of 1914. The Murray Land Company of Wadema showed him various farms in the area. After much looking, he bought a 200 acre farm south of Sebeke in the Blue Grass Community School District *14.

Our last night in Illinois was spent some at Grandpa Kaler's, Uncle Henry's and Uncle George Helle.Dad and Uncle Charlie had loaded an immigrant car with machinery on one end and eight horses on the other.. .household goods and personal effects were next to the machinery, barrels of water and loose hay next to horse stalls. Uncle Charley used this for a bed as well as to feed the horses. He said he rode in the car most of the way, but sometimes would ride in the caboose. The rest of us rode in the passenger train, arriving in Verndale a day or so later.

We stayed at the hotel for a few days. Olavus Ainunlson, the seller of the place, came to town with a team and bobsled and took us out to the farm which was ten miles north of Verndale. It was a cold trip. I had never been this cold before. Charles, Howard and I walked many miles behind the sled to keep warm. Still my fingers were numb from the cold and I nearly wet my pants before I could get them warmed up.

Dad had bought about a dozen cows with the farm so we were busy right from the start. Uncle Charlie stayed with us about a month until they got possession of their farm near Leaf River.

One day Howard and I tried to play hooky but Mother and Aunt Mona spied us hiding behind the machine shed. Needless to say, we both got the business end of our Dad's razor strap, and sent to school. The school was about one mile across a field through a woods with the snow about two feet deep.

About 1919 Uncle Charlie sold his farm and moved to Highmore, South Dakota, near his in-laws, the Fosters. A year later he returned to Minnesota and farmed near Wing River until the fall of 1922. Times were real hard then, prices very low for anything they had to sell.

Uncle Charlie had an opportunity to go to work in a Roundhouse for N.P. Railways in Staples. He lived there on a farm until his death. His starting wage was 48 cents an hour. His son, Howard, worked there too. Today his grandson is an engineer for the railroad.

Will and Grace Kaler and their family lived at the Blue Grass farm until the fall of 1922. It was there that Joe Pauline and Bernice were born. We moved to a farm three miles east of Verndale in 1922 and lived there until the fall of 1924.

Dad and Mother always felt that it was of the Lord's doing that they settled in Minnesota because it was eight years later after moving to Verndale that they heard the gospel.

Two of God's servants had came to our community and preached as Jesus and his disciples had preached. My parents accepted this and forsook the old former system.

Dad sold the Blue Grass farm and took a small farm in on trade, located near West Plaines, Missouri.

Dad bought a 1921 Ford touring car and a two wheel trailer. We sold everything with an auction sale, loaded all of our personal effects on a trailer. We had a tent to use for the journey. So we left for

Missouri, Mom, Dad, and my now seven brothers and sisters and of course me.

We started for Missouri, which would be

our first camping trip, and we really enjoyed it. Charlie and I rode on the trailer, the rest in the car. Our only trouble was a flat tire or two and replacing the tongue on the trailer. We broke the old tongue with the first unhooking of the trailer. It was a trip of about 900 miles and cost a total of $39.50.

Dad bought another farm near West Plaines in Homeland community. It was there that Floyd was born.

Charlie and I started working away from home about this time. We worked on bridge and highway construction near Gainesville and Pomoma, Mo. We both moved further north. Charlie to North Dakota and myself to Iowa. I think this prompted Dad and Mother to move back to Minnesota in the fall of 1930. They settled at Staples and Motley area and resided there the rest of their lives. They both said in later years that in searching for something for their children, they had found life, peace and hope for themselves.

Mother died in January, 1967 and Dad on September 30, 1974. I am happy to say they both kept the faith until their deaths.

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