This collection contains oral histories pertaining to life and events in Big Stone County, Minnesota. The oral histories range greatly in topic and time period.
The digitization of these oral histories was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee.
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Boyd Sigloh Interview, 1980
Boyd Sigloh
In this interview, Boyde Sigloh talks about his life during World War II. Mr. Sigloh was born in North Dakota in 1911 but moved with his family to Ortonville, MN. During World War II he was a Captain in the Minnesota State Guard.
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Rose Taffe Interview, ca. 1979
Rose Taffe
Rose Taffe was 80 years old and was born in Nebraska. Her family moved to Minnesota to get away from the drought. She lived in Barry at the time of the interview. She worked in a bank for three years.
In this interview, she talks about working in the bank in Barry and describes what main street used to be like in Barry. She talks about what housekeeping was like before electricity, especially concerning washing clothes, ironing, butchering, and gardening. She discusses the school her children went to and her introduction to radios.
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George Weick Interview, ca. 1979
George Weick
George Weick was 86 years old and lived in Graceville, Minnesota at the time of the interview. He was born in western Nebraska and moved to Minnesota when he was 21 years old. His family homesteaded in Nebraska.
In this interview, he talks about his family homesteading, World War I, and his own farm in Minnesota. He discusses raising angus cattle, the price of land and the changes in farming.
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LaRae Wellendorf Interview, 2025
LaRae Wellendorf and Jason Frank
LaRae Wellendorf discusses her father's welding shop in Ortonville, Minnesota, as well as Main Street business in Ortonville.
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Cleda Wernsing Interview, ca. 1979
Cleda Wernsing
Cleda Wernsing was born in Illinois and was 83 years old. Her father was a farmer and her family moved to Minnesota because of cheaper land.
In this interview, Cleda discusses the changes Chokio and Johnson have undergone over the years. She discusses what they did for a social life. She also talks about some of the changes in home appliances over the years.