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  Henry and Mary Schmidt Interview, 1977

  Henry Schmidt and Mary Schmidt

  In this interview, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt discuss their years living near Morris and the District 8 school. They put 10 children through school in the district, and Mrs. Schmidt was on the school board for a number of years. They also provide a follow-up on each of their children and what they had done since leaving the public school.

  Stevens County

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  Jerry Schmidt Interview, 1978

  Jerry Schmidt

  Jerry Schmidt served as the Stevens County Clerk of Court and had been an active member of the Morris Fire Department.

  In this interview, he discusses area fires, department training programs, and organizations.

  Stevens County

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  Jacob Schmitz Interview, ca. 1977

  Jacob Schmitz

  Jacob Schmitz was 81 years old and was from Wheaton, Minnesota.

  In this interview, Jake discusses the first Schmitz moving to the Wheaton area in 1876. He also discusses his father's journey from Germany to the United States. He talks about his father's work as a blacksmith and his father moving to homestead in the Traverse County area. He discusses the conditions and life his father had homesteading in the area. He talks about his parents collecting buffalo bones to sell.

  In the second part of the interview, he talks about his father helping to start a school in the area. He discusses the smallpox epidemic in the area during his father's life, and the neighbor who had his own method of smallpox vaccination. He talks about the blizzard of 1880. He then talks about his own experiences farming in the area. He talks about his family (he and his wife had 20 children) and about how one of his children made a record for the largest baby born at 16 pounds and 24 1/2 inches long. He talks about the newspaper publicity of the story of his son being the largest baby.

  Traverse County

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  Mary Schumaker Interview, 1973

  Mary Schumaker

  Mary Schumaker was born in 1888 and was a teacher and principal in Ortonville, Minnesota.

  In this interview, Mary Schumaker discusses her family history, teaching, social and intellectual activities, the chautauquas in Ortonville, the G.A.R., Ortonville and the railroad, World War I and German citizen repression, storms, the Depression, and Lawrence Welk.

  Big Stone County

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  Kathryn Scott Interview, 1978

  Kathryn Scott

  Born in Correll, Minnesota in 1901, Kathryn Scott graduated from R.N. school in St. Paul in 1922. She came to Appleton in 1923 where she worked as a nurse until her retirement in 1971. For most of these years she worked for Dr. W.C. Kauffman, one of the first doctors in Appleton.

  In this interview, Kathryn Scott discusses early nursing, doctors' practices, the running of a private hospital, and changes in the medical profession.

  Swift County

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  Earl Scribner Interview, ca. 1976

  Earl Scribner

  Earl Scribner was 74 years old. His parents settled in Stevens County in 1895.

  In this interview, Earl Scribner talks about the depression and the drought that occurred in 1933, 1934 and 1935. He also talks about his different types of jobs he had and being the only saw sharpener in Morris at the time of the interview.

  Stevens County

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  Victor Setterland Interview, 1973

  Victor Setterland

  Victor Setterland was born on February 3, 1888 in a dugout in Erdahl Township and continued to live there all of his life.

  In this interview, Victor talks about how his parents came to Grant County in the spring of 1884. He tells about when his father bought the land where supposedly the mysterious town of Belview once stood. There were once a few dugouts on the spot. The town has never been mentioned except on a 1858 government survey of Grant County.

  Grant County

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  Margaret Sherman Interview, 1975

  Margaret Sherman

  Ms. Sherman was born in 1912 and graduated from the Minnesota School of Public Health. During the course of her career in public health nursing she worked with the Minneapolis Community Health Service in Stevens County. For the 15 years prior to the interview, she had worked in Wadena County.

  In this interview, Ms. Sherman discusses the attitudes of Stevens County residents towards public health, some of her duties as a public health nurse, and what happened in Stevens County after she left her position in 1958.

  Stevens County

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  George Shervey Interview, 1975

  George Shervey

  George Shervey was born on a farm near Barrett, Minnesota on October 18, 1904. He was involved in the business of farm implement sales from 1924 until his retirement in 1972. He was active in civic and community affairs, maintaining an interest in local history. During the time of this interview, he was the president of the Grant County Historical Society.

  In this interview, George Shervey discusses the contest between Elbow Lake and Herman for the county seat and courthouse.

  Grant County

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  Henry Thornberg Interview, 1974

  George Shervey

  Henry Thornberg was born on January 3, 1891 in Sanford Township of Grant County, where his parents had immigrated in 1888. He was drafted on July 23, 1918 at the age of 26 into World War I.

  In this interview, Henry Thornberg tells some of his life history and his experiences in World War I.

  Grant County

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  Roy and Frieda Simpson Interview, ca. 1977

  Roy Simpson and Frieda Simpson

  Roy and Frieda Simpson were both born in Janesville, Iowa and met in school. Roy was 97 and Frieda was 95. They had been married for 77 years.

  In this interview, they talk about farm life, canning and washing clothes, early town life, and the "dirty thirties" (aka the drought back in the 1930s).

  Traverse County

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  Charlotte Skrien Interview, ca. 1978

  Charlotte Skrien

  Charlotte Skrien was 87 years old and lived in Morris. Her grandparents came to the United States from Norway.

  In this interview, Charlotte relates some stories about her grandparents' and mother's trip from Norway to the United States. She also discusses childhood deaths and diseases, as well as medical care during that time. She talks about her son, who played football with the University of Minnesota Gophers.

  Stevens County

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  William Sloneker Interview, ca. 1979

  William Sloneker

  William Sloneker was originally born in Illinois, but moved to Minnesota as an infant. William lived in Hancock at the time of the interview and was 91 years old. He grew up on a farm and farmed throughout Stevens County. He retired from farming in 1948 and moved to Fairmont, Minnesota for a few years before moving to Hancock.

  In this interview, William Sloneker recalls early forms of power on farms in Minnesota and South Dakota using horses and artesian well water pressure. There is some mention of farming in the "dirty thirties."

  Stevens County

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  Walter L. Smedley Interview, 1975

  Walter L. Smedley and Gladys M. Smedley

  Walter Smedley was born in 1885 in Illinois. He moved to a farm near Norcross, Minnesota with his family in 1902. He returned to Illinois a few years later, to attend a veterinary school in Chicago. When Walter Smedley graduated in 1912, he came to Herman, Minnesota and established his veterinary practice. At one point, he owned a portion of the Helsene Prairie.

  In this interview, Walter Smedley recalls his early experiences as a veterinarian and his life in the Herman area. The discussion centers on the prairie land which he owned, including what he used it for, its management, and other related topics.

  Grant County

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  Warren Smith Interview, 1981

  Warren Smith

  Warren Smith was the Morris City Finance Director.

  In this interview, Warren Smith discusses the Morris Taxi Service (1945-1981). He discusses the goals of mass transit in Morris and the different mass transit systems offered in Morris compared to the old taxi services. He also talks about the funding needed to keep the transit system running and his views on the future of the system.

  Stevens County

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  Elvira Soberg Interview, 1979

  Elvira Soberg

  Elvira Soberg talks about her work as a Grant County country schoolteacher in the 20s and 30s in the beginning of the interview. The remainder of the tape discusses various aspects of the "Senior Federation" organization in Minnesota. The Senior Federation is a non-governmentally funded group of people 55 and up who confront problems of the elderly and fixed income members of society.

  Grant County

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  Oscar Sorby Interview, 1973

  Oscar Sorby

  Oscar Sorby's parents arrived in Montevideo in 1879 and he was born here in 1884. After attending public school through the 6th grade and spending one year at Windom Institute, Oscar Sorby began his career with the railroad. He was affiliated with the railroad for 71 years.

  In this interview, Oscar Sorby discusses Montevideo before the turn of the century and his father's lumber, carpentry, and ice businesses. He talks about his first assignments with the railroad and the life of a fireman on the trains in the early 1900s. He discusses the need for a strong railroad union, the union and management, and railroad union action. He discussed life on the railroad during World War I. Finally, he discusses politics, including meeting Taft and William Jennings Bryan campaigning for the presidency in 1908 and George McGovern.

  Chippewa County

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  Amy Spaulding Interview, ca. 1975

  Amy Spaulding

  Amy Spaulding was 83 years old and was born in Iowa. She moved to Chokio area at 10 years old. She attended country schools and taught for a year before marriage. She was a 4H group leader, Sunday school teacher, and superintendent. She was a charter member of "Country Girls", a homemakers group. She reflects on a farm wife's experiences then and now.

  Stevens County

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  Art Splitstoser Interview, ca. 1977

  Art Splitstoser

  Art Splitstoser was 74 years old and was a lifetime resident of Morris. Art owned a meat market for many years, and his father also was a butcher.

  In this interview, Art discusses some of the changes in processing and in pricing that have occurred through the years in butchering and the meat industry.

  Stevens County

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  Bonnie Stahler Interview, 1976

  Bonnie Stahler

  In this interview, Bonnie Stahler discusses sports in high school before and during the depression, primarily focusing on girl's basketball.

  Stevens County

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  Dr. John Stock Interview, 1975

  John F. Stock

  Dr. Stock was born in Alexandria, Minnesota on February 9, 1947. He attended the University of Minnesota Morris for three years majoring in biology and the University of Minnesota Medical School for four years. After completing his internship, Dr. Stock came to Morris to become a general practitioner in 1972. He was very active in procuring new doctors to the area.

  In this interview, Dr. Stock discusses problems in area medical care in Stevens County and the City of Morris. He discusses how the community became aware of the problems and what has been done in the past four or five years to remedy these issues, particularly what has been done in connection with the Doctor Procurement Committee.

  Stevens County

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  Zola Stohldorf Interview, ca. 1977

  Zola Stohldorf

  Zola Stohldorf was born in Haddam, Kansas in 1893.She moved to Minnesota in March 1914 when she became engaged.

  In this interview, Zola discusses farm life in Kansas. She discusses travelling by covered wagon as a child to Nebraska. She talks about farming in Minnesota as a newly-married couple. She discusses a bad hailstorm that destroyed their crop and the blizzards in the area. She mentions the first radio their family had and all the moving around that her family did. She talks about Morris when she first moved to the area.

  Stevens County

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  L.O. Strand Interview, ca. 1979

  L. O. Strand

  L.O. Strand was 87 years old and was born in Terrace, Minnesota. His parents were from Norway. He lived in Donnelly, Minnesota for most of his life.

  In this interview, L.O. discusses his schooling, farming, the cyclone of 1916, road construction, and some of the positions he held including county commissioner, member of the PCA board and member of the creamery board. He talks about the Kongsvinger Cemetery in Donnelly and his record keeping of the graves in the cemetery. Finally, he discusses his recent trip to Norway.

  Stevens County

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  Elisabeth Strandness Interview, 1975

  Elisabeth Strandness

  Elisabeth Strandness was born on April 5, 1896 on the farm on which she was residing at the time of the interview. After working for the U.S. Forest Service for 30 years, she retired to the farm. She was the former owner of the Strandness Prairie tract recently acquired by the Nature Conservancy.

  In this interview, Elisabeth Strandness discusses the history of the management of the land, the flora and fauna, activities concerning the prairie since the Nature Conservancy acquired it and her attitudes towards the land.

  Pope County

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  Luther Sunquist Interview, ca. 1976

  Luther Sunquist

  Luther Sunquist was 83 years old and was born in Nebraska. He was forced to support himself at age 12 and worked as a hired hand. He came to Morris in 1913. He worked construction and built some of the WCSA buildings. He worked 44 years for Home Builders.

  In this interview, Luther Sunquist discusses his time as a hired agricultural hand. He discusses the Corn and Alfalfa Show in Morris. He reflects on his various jobs and experiences.

  Stevens County