An Allium Tale (2012)

 

A writing for my father, Marvin Edward Trogstad, who was born on May 16, 1932, in Freeborn County, Minnesota. Marvin's father is Orin Joseph Trogstad, Orin's parents were Mina Luella Michelson, who descended from a Norwegian, Christen Haagenson, given the last name Trogstad, due to his being directly a Norwegian emigrant of Trogstad, Norway.

 

My father's mother was Myrtle Mae Larson, her parents are Alma Amelia Ayars, descended from original colonial settlers, Alma was married to Edward Anton Larsen, he was also an emigrant of Norway, but from Askershu, Norway.

 

I had one of those I need my daddy moments. I was living four miles outside of Willow River, Minnesota on a 160-acre farm which I was renting. No one around for miles here and there and I had a flat tire. So, I did what I do and called my father for help. He made the two-hour trek from Mora, Minnesota where he lives with my mom, to help me fix the tire.

 

I watched my dad fixing the tire and learned some tricks I'm sure if I needed to ever fix a tire again, I could use, but I hoped I'd never have to. When he was done with the tire, I talked him into buying me lunch, he tilted his head I'm sure I heard him thinking I should be buying him lunch, but he smiled and pointed me to the truck. We headed West on County Road 43 towards Willow River and to Peggy Sue's Cafe. We strolled into the restaurant like we were two hungry cowpokes and sauntered up to a booth, gave the waitress our orders and waited for our food. Suddenly and to my surprise my dad just stared talking about his life as a child, he began sharing those memories of his childhood down in the southern part of Minnesota, near the County Line, and a day I started out feeling desperate and isolated became one of my most memorable times with my father. I never expected him to open up about his youth and he had on occasions taken the time to show us places in his past so when he started to talk, I quickly started to jot down what he was saying on a piece of napkin. Here is what he shared with me.

 

Places they lived:

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March 1938 - March 1939 - Twin Lakes, Minnesota
March 1939 - Marh 1940 - Hartland, Minnesota
March 1940 - March 1944 - Lived on the farm on the County Line in Minnesota
March 1944 - March 1947 - Clarksgrove & Bath Minnesota
March 1947 - Albert Lea, Minnesota
 

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• Grandpa O. J. Trogstad worked at 'Rilco' where he laminated rafters.

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• Grandma Mrytle Trogstad worked weeding onions when he was little, and she 'earned money 'dat-a-way'.

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• My father recalled when he was about seventeen, his sister, my Aunt Merilda got married to Merlin Seath.

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• Spanish Rice was a favored meal in his home.

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• My father, Marvin, received an Honorable Discharge in the Spring of 1958 after World War II. He was just back from Germany on his brother Roland's birthday, which is the 2nd of February born the year of 1926. God rest Uncle Rollie's soul, he was a good man, and greatly missed by us all.

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• My Dad met my mother, Donna, at the hospital where my father's cousin Esther was working, he had gone to visit Esther and he saw my Mom and asked her to go to Canton's Cafe for a malt in the spring of 1958.

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• Marvin and Donna married in October 1958. Then, Donna was five months pregnant with my half-sister Julie. Wow!

 

That is what dad shared with me that day at Peggy Sue's café in Willow River, the spring of 2012 (my little sister's name is Peggy Sue).

 

My parents, myself and others have worked hard to keep our family alive, our history, and be in full view of people without retribution.

 

Our family has learned a lot about our ancestors through research and travels of my parents, with the aid of computer technology, the internet and information and what many others have been able to provide.  Many people have brought great pieces of historical data that complements our family existence to the surface. We are grateful for the knowing for there were limitations to our abilities during the last ~sixty plus years as we've attempted to piece information together.

 

We are proud of our ancestors and who we've discovered we are descended from which connect us so deeply to historical milestones of history.

 

We, myself, my parents, and children and their children have been able to know this while living so that we can share in the richness of our history young and old.

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Most importantly we get to connect many families, to our own family, which is what my parents have wanted all their lives, for myself, my sisters and the grandchildren for us all to remember them. That is what Grandpa Orin said to his son, "Marvin, do not forget us".