This collection contains oral histories pertaining to life and events in Stearns 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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Mrs. George Jergenson Interview, ca. 1976
Mrs. George Jergenson
Mrs. George Jergenson was 93 years old and was born in Stearns County outside Donnelly. Her parents emigrated from Norway and were charter members of the Kongsvinger Lutheran Church.
In this interview, Mrs. Jergenson talks about attending and teaching in a rural school, and the tasks involved in being a farm wife. She also reflects on her favorite presidents.
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Monsignor Petermeier Interview, ca. 1977
Monsignor Petermeier
Monsignor Petermeier was 86 years old. He was born in Melrose, Minnesota.
In this interview, he talks about his schooling and the three parishes he served as priest in. he also tells how he got the Villa of St. Francis started and what he had to do to go about doing it.
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Henry Swanson Interview, 1973
Henry Swanson
Henry Swanson was born in 1892 and was Swedish. He farmed in the White Rock, South Dakota and Munson Township area.
In this interview, Henry Swanson gives a brief history of Munson Township, the opening of South Dakota's Sisseton Indian Reservation, and White Rock, South Dakota. He discusses farming, the Great Depression, storms, diseases and medicine, the Hutterite Colony, and farm and labor movements.
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Alice Tripp Interview, 1979
Alice Tripp
This interview deals primarily with Alice Tripp's campaign for Governor in the 1979 DFL primary race (in which she won 20% of the vote, the first woman in the state to do so), but it also touches upon Tripp's family history, the development of her political ideals, and her role as a woman activist in West Central Minnesota. Some of the political issues and concerns which Alice Tripp comments on include: international politics, energy and corporate power, labor unions, and cooperatives.