Taking the backroads at 35 mph
I ran across this newspaper story related to Dad’s dad, Harold Cornelius Angland. It was in a youth section of the 1902 Minneapolis Journal. The paper had asked people to send in funny stories about things that happened in school. What I don’t know is if Harold wrote this article or if he was the child in the story. I’m thinking that he wrote it. In 1902 he would have been 15. Harold grew up on Monroe Street in MPLS.
Here is a pdf of the full newspaper page
Birth 6 October 1875 in Hastings Dakota Co. Minnesota
Death 7 November 1918 in Chester, Liberty, Montana
Download Dennis Storres’ Life Overview (pdf)
Application to War Dept for a military gravestone
A search of US military records for Storres brought up this application to the War Department for a gravestone. On first glance, I saw that Dennis Storres, my father’s great Uncle, died in 1918. I thought, “Oh, so he died in WWI.” A closer look shows that he was not a WWI vet but was a veteran of the Spanish American War. Dennis Storres was living in Montana at the time of his death. My father, Dennis Warren Angland, was named after him.
There is a book about the 15th Minnesota Infantry. Dennis Storres is listed as having been in a private in Company “E” at time of muster out at the end of the war. The book tells of a typhoid fever outbreak at camp in St. Paul and of a mutiny involving 50 or so men. The war ended before the 15th was called over seas. This is notable as there is a family story around a pocket watch with a dent in it that was to have shielded Dennis from a bullet. My brother Tom has that pocket watch. Dennis Storre’s gravestone has him as Col. Dennis Storres, Date of death, Nov. 7, 1916.
Anglands ca 1978
The Jack and Caro Angland family ca. 1978. One of few photos that include Jack and Caro and all six sibs. This was taken at our family home in Robbinsdale, MN. Not a bad out-put for two only-children. Family gatherings have swelled to over 40 when all are present.
It is nice to think of Annie as healthy and enjoying a moment during the harvest in their western Minnesota farm’s apple orchard.
Annie’s parents were both born in Germany. German would have been her native tongue. She would have learned english in school. She was born on Christmas day (as was her mother) in 1882 on the Spilker family homestead in Johnson Minnesota. Annie was the second child baptized in the newly established german communitie’s recently built church. Annie was the oldest of 5 children. Her father died when she was 16. Annie was a fine seamstress and she cut hair for people in the area. She had an artistic flair. The photos she took of her flowers arrangements, vegetable harvests and of young daughter Caroline are well thought out compositions.
Someone from Northfield wanted to pay her tuition for college – she declined.”
She worked for Dr. Olive in Graceville. She did housework and sewing. She also worked for Obrien in Graceville and was Richard Obrien’s nanny
At 16, after her father died, she worked for wealthy people in Graceville. She would sew for them and she would live with them while she was fitting them and doing the sewing. She sewed all of Caro’s clothes. She cut hair for people.
She did field work. She used to enjoy working in the garden and with trees and flowers. She used to enjoy growing things. I don’t recall her joining in on the fun with her sisters. Her sisters were more fun loving. Annie was always there to keep them out of trouble. On Sunday afternoons, she and Detlef would lie on the couch together. Also on Sunday afternoons Detlef would make up food in the kitchen for the animals and young Caro would look in and see her parents embracing.
Denny remembers Annie taking him aside and telling him that he shouldn’t watch cowboys. She said this with such fervor you’d think you would go to hell for it.
Annie told him that she worked too hard when she was young and that was why she got so sickly when she was old.
Annie and Detlev lived in an apartment in our basement. Annie was bedridden, thin and frail when I knew her. When I was no more than 5 she called me over to her bed and gave me a silver dollar saying she and Detlev wanted me to have it. I remember feeling very special and thinking that there must be more to the story. I have no memory of what happened to that dollar.
Louise (Weiss) Spilker
S
In the 1880 census Louise’s immigration year is listed as 1880 while her obituary states 1879. She lived in Northfield, Rice County, MN from her arrival until her marriage in 1882.
Per Ron Nelson May, 2014
Immigrants often got money for their tickets by agreeing to work off their trip once they arrived. Possibly Louise was working off her trip in Northfield for the three years between the time she arrived and the time she married.
Their marriage certificate states that Louise and William were married on March 3, 1882 in the private Ramsey county home of witnesses Regina and Carl Zimmerman. William was living in Big Stone county in western Minnesota and Louise had been living in Rice county in south eastern Minnesota.
Researching how William and Louise might have met has been a fun challenge. Witnesses Carl and Regina Zimmerman might have been in-laws of Louise’s sister Ernestine Zimmerman. Two years earlier per the US Census, Regina and Carl Zimmerman had been living in Rice County. Ernestine and Louis lived in the Johnson, area but had come from Northfied (per the Trinity Church 1882-1982 history). It might be that Louise and William met when one family visited the other. The Weisses and Zimmermans may have known one another back in Baden Germany. The Weisses were from Blankenloch, the Zimmermans were from the town of Graben, just a few miles away.
“Louise Spilker, nee Weiss, was born that she was born in Blankenloch, Baden, Germany on the 25th of December 1858. Baptized in her infancy, she was later instructed in the Christian faith and at the age of 14 became a member of the Lutheran Church through confirmation. In 1879 at the age of 27, she came to America and spent 3 years at Northfield, Minn. On the 2nd of March 1882 she was united in Marriage to Wm. SPilker. He died 36 years ago leaving her with 5 children, all of whom survive. To them the mother with her quiet and loving disposition, her christian fortitude and simple faith must always remain an example worthy for them to follow. These children are Anna, Mrs. Detlof Behrens with whom she made her home; Louise, Mrs. John Nornberg, both of this vicinity; Lydia, Mrs. Emil Mowdrow; Fred and August, these three from Clarissa, Minn.. In Mrs Spilker, our congregation has lost the last, local, surviving member of the founders of Trinity church 51 years ago.
She passed peacefully Sunday morning after but a few hours illness. Her days numbered 80 yrs. 10 mos. 6 days.”
Louise’s date of death was October 1, 1933
Caro’s (Caroline’s) Grandma Spilker had a sister that lived in the Johnson, MN area. Caro knew her as Tante Zimmerman. She was dark complected and heavy set. Grandma Spilker was light complected and slight. All of Grandma Spilker’s kids were dark complected.
Caro thinks she remembers the hearse with Tante’s body drive by her parent’s farm near Johnson, MN when she was a girl. Grandma Spilker was too sick to attend the funeral.
Detlev Julius Behrens and daughter Caroline
Detlef Julius Behrens was born February 23, 1872 in Worden Germany. He journeyed to America at the age of 14 with his 19 year old sister. He lived with an older brother in St. Paul and then left to work on a farm on the prairie near Morris MN. Eventually, Detlef homesteaded a place of his own. Detlef was a kind, honest and respected man with a twinkle in his eye. Wife, Annie, grew up on an adjacent farm. They were married in 1919. Detlef was 47. Annie was 37. When I was young and they were old, they lived with us in a basement apartment. My mother, Caroline Louise (Behrens) Angland, was their only child.
Harold Cornelius Angland with father, Bjor, Mother Annie, and sister, Marion
Harold Cornelius Theodore Angland, my paternal grandfather, was born June 5th, 1888 in Minneapolis MN. His father was a wood carver and was born in Sweden. His mother Anna (Mattson) Angland was born in Minnesota from Swedish born parents.
We do not know much about Harold. What I do know is that my father’s cousin, Barbara Mirabido, spoke fondly of him. Harold and Inez visited her family farm near Litchfield MN when she was about 10 years old. She called him Uncle Harold and enjoyed his sense of humor. Barbara told me that her mother Francis (Hendrix) McGraw spoke well of him too.
Harold was a farm hand in South Dakota in his 20s and later a chief auto mechanic in the army during WWI. He served in Michigan. He married Inez Hendrix at the age of 33. He had been a boarder at the Hendrix family hotel in Chokio, MN in 1920. His occupation was listed as Mechanic in the 1920 census.
After they separated, Harold lived in Minneapolis. He remarried in 1937. By 1948 he had moved to California where he died in 1962 at age 73. He left property to my father who went to California for his funeral. My father corresponded with Harold’s sister, Marian Dean, regarding the management of the property until it sold.
Barbara Inez Hendrix and sister Agnes Elizabeth Hendrix. I will find another picture of Inez. She deserves better.
Barbara Inez (Hendrix) Angland, my paternal grandmother, is the sad young girl sitting on the chair. She was born a twin on August 6th, 1894 in Wendell MN. Her twin sister died as a baby and Inez was a sickly child. Inez’s parents left farming to own and operate a hotel in Chokio, MN when she was 13 years old. She cleaned rooms at the hotel. At the age of 26 she became pregnant with my father by Harold Angland who had been boarding at the hotel. They were married when she was 3 months pregnant. The couple moved to Minneapolis but she returned home with the baby. Harold was villainized by the Hendrix family. Inez developed rheumatoid arthritis as a young woman. She was disabled when I knew her. She died in her 60s. Inez had 3 sisters and a brother. My father, Dennis Warren (Jack) Angland was her only child. Her older sister Agnes Elizabeth (Hendrix) Davidson was as sparky as she appears in the photo. Agnes was like a grandparent to us.
