Stevens County

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  Tib Kirwin Interview, ca. 1977

  Tib Kirwin

  Tib Kirwin was 75 years old. Tib's family was the 2nd Kirwin family in Morris.

  In this interview, he tells about what the town of Morris looked like back then and when they had to go to school with the horse and buggy. He attended St. Mary's School in the basement of the parish while the school was being built.

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  Ed and Lillian Koehntop Interview, 1995

  Ed Koehntop and Lillian Koehntop

  In this interview, Ed and Lillian Koehntop reminisces about the early days of television. Their first television was bought in 1955.

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  Jerry Kopacek Interview, 1990

  Jerry Kopacek

  In this interview, Jerry Kopacek reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Kopacek was born in 1930. She remembers listening to the radio in her childhood and adulthood.

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  Emil Kroening Interview, ca. 1976

  Emil Kroening

  Emil Kroening was 95 years old and was born in Winona County. He moved to the Morris area in 1920. He operated a dairy farm west of Morris.

  In this interview, Emil Kroening discusses farm life in the pre-tractor days.

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  Marty Kroening Interview, 1995

  Marty Kroening

  In this interview, Marty Kroening reminisces about the early days of television. Ms. Kroening was born in Morris, MN. in 1923.

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  Marie Krogen Interview, ca. 1977

  Marie Krogen

  Marie Krogen was 83 years old and was born on a farm near Donnelly. After she married, she moved to Morris.

  In this interview, Marie Krogen discusses attending rural school and how they determined if the weather was safe enough to walk to school. She talks about living and working on a farm. She talks about the games and sports they played as children. She discusses the town of Morris and the development of the east side of town. She mentions a time when the circus came to town and the band that played in East Side Park. Marie's husband worked in construction, and she discusses how they used to dig and pour concrete basements. She also talks about food prices and the number of bars in Morris.

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  Hazel Krueger Interview, 1995

  Hazel Krueger

  In this interview, Hazel Krueger reminisces about the early days of television. Her first television was purchased in 1957.

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  Leonard "Red" Kussatz Interview, ca. 1979

  Leonard Kussatz

  Leonard "Red" Kussatz was 70 years old and lived in Morris at the time of the interview. His dad immigrated when he was 4 years old from Germany and his mother was from Iowa. His parents worked as farmers.

  He discusses farm equipment, country school, and milking cows by hand. He talks about moving farms and the horses they had on the farm. He mentions planting corn and harvesting corn. He discusses playing baseball and his first tractor.

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  Edward J. LaFave Interview, 1975

  Edward J. LaFave

  Mr. LaFave was born in 1924 in Starbuck, Minnesota. Upon graduating from the University of Minnesota with an economics major, he returned to Morris and became a banker. He also served as a member of the Area Health Care Committee.

  In this interview, Mr. LaFave discusses problems in area medical care in Stevens County and Morris. He discusses how the community became aware of the problems and what has been done to remedy the problem. He speaks about the Area Health Care Committee, as well as the bonds used to fund the new hospital building.

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  Mrs. Henry Lampert Interview, ca. 1977

  Mrs. Henry Lampert

  Mrs. Henry Lampert was 86 years old and was born in Illinois. Her family moved to Iowa, she married her husband, and then moved to Minnesota due to cheaper land prices.

  In this interview, she discusses her childhood in Illinois. She talks about her father's occupation as an ice-man in Illinois. She talks about the train travel to move to Minnesota. She discusses her farm chores and the changes in farming and technology. She talks about the volunteer work she has done for her church, and the changes to Morris.

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  Cora Lange Interview, ca. 1979

  Cora Lange

  Cora Lange was 74 years old and was born in Iowa. Her family moved to Minnesota when she was a child. She has played in a number of bands.

  In this interview, she reflects on the differences between Iowa and Minnesota. She discusses her family's move to Minnesota and farming. She talks about her interest in music, the bands she was in, and the changes in music over the years. She discusses handicrafts and her work with the Senior Citizens Center.

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  Aleck Larson Interview, ca. 1979

  Aleck Larson

  Aleck Larson was born in North Dakota to Norwegian parents and was 86 years old. HIs family moved to a farm in Kandiyohi County when he was 7 years old and they came to Stevens County in 1911. He lived in Donnelly at the time of the interview. He was active in the Donnelly ASCS and on the Board of Trustees of the Kongsvinger Church. For 37 years, he was actively involved in a general co-op store.

  In this interview, he recalls the change in the types of crops over the years and talks about marketing farm products in the 1920s. He talks about the price of land and the prices of crops. He discusses his involvement in the cooperative general store.

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  Blanche Larson Interview, 1978

  Blanche Larson

  Mrs. Larson is active in the Morris Senior Citizens Center.

  In this interview, Mrs. Larson discusses and comments on the committees, functions, bylaws, and changes of the Senior Citizens Center.

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  Marie Larson Interview, 1974

  Marie Larson

  Mrs. Larson was born in 1888 and is the last surviving daughter of one of the first families to settle in Stevens County in 1866. She was a farmer's wife.

  In this interview, Mrs. Larson gives a short family history. She talks about the life of an early settler on the prairie and home remedies. She goes into social activities and education in Stevens County and childhood memories. She discusses the Great Depression and talks about family life.

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  Alma Lee Interview, 1978

  Alma Lee

  Alma Lee was born in Vergas, Minnesota in 1900. She moved to Morris in 1936 along with her husband and operated a restaurant until 1958.

  In this interview, Alma Lee discusses her career in the restaurant business in Morris from 1936 to 1958. Topics include the effect of prohibition, the depression, and World War II on her business.

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  Hilfred Lee Interview, ca. 1977

  Hilfred Lee

  Hilfred Lee was 76 years old and lived in rural Morris. His father homesteaded the same land, and immigrated from Norway.

  In this interview, Hilfred discusses homesteading in the early years, including breaking sod and plowing with oxen. He discusses the Morris Indian School and the land that currently is the University of Minnesota Morris. He talks about the Pomme de Terre River and the fish in it. He discusses working at the Ford dealership in Morris and some details about Ford vehicles, including both cars and tractors.

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  Mrs. W.J. Lee Interview, ca. 1977

  Mrs. W. J. Lee

  Mrs W.J. Lee was 85 years old and was born in Iowa. She was living in Morris at the time of the interview. She was educated as a schoolteacher in Iowa and taught for six years in a country school in Iowa. She married and moved to Minnesota in the early 1920s and lived on a farm for 25 years. After retirement, she travelled extensively throughout the world.

  In this interview, she reminisces about early farm life and farming methods. She also talks about the travel she did in her life.

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  Art LeSage Interview, ca. 1975

  Art LeSage

  Art LeSage was born in Illinois and came to Morris in a boxcar with his father. He farmed outside of Morris, and is known as "Mr. Baseball" of Morris. He discusses his baseball career and baseball in Morris today.

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  Verena LeSage Interview, ca. 1979

  Verena LeSage

  Verena LeSage was born in Iowa and was 90 years old. She moved to Minnesota when she was 13 years old. Her father was a carpenter.

  In this interview, she discusses the school system in Morris and teaching. She talks about her wedding, life on the farm, and her experiences during World War II when she worked at an airplane factory in California.

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  Fran Marks Interview, 1995

  Fran Marks

  In this interview, Fran Marks reminisces about the early days of television. Mrs. Marks was born in Dreighton, N.D. and moved to Stevens County in 1952. Her first television was purchased in the early 1950's.

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  Thor Mathison Interview, ca. 1975

  Thor Mathison

  Thor Mathison emigrated to the United States from Norway at 15 years of age. He moved to North Dakota to become a cowboy. He served in World War I as a cook and farmed outside of Chokio. He reflects on the farming transition from horse to tractor. He was 81 years old.

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  George Maughan Interview, ca. 1975

  George Maughan

  George Maughan was 85 years old and was born 3 miles from Morris at Muddy Creek Hill. He taught in a Common School at 18, then he entered the lumber business. He served as a mechanic in World War I. He received a law degree and practice in St. Paul and Morris until 1946. Then he returned to teaching and taught in a variety of small West-Central Minnesota towns.

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  William E. Maughan Interview, 1977

  William E. Maughan

  In this interview, William Maughan discusses his years as a student in the Morris schools. He attended elementary and high school in town in Morris. He graduated from Morris High School in 1912. He discusses academics and social activities in the schools.

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  Howard Maxfield Interview, ca. 1978

  Howard Maxfield

  Howard was 83 years old and was born in New York in 1895. His father was a tinsmith, plumber, and steamfitter. His family moved to South Dakota when he was a child.

  In this interview, Howard talks about his experiences with the Boy Scouts, including the camping trips they had and building fires without matches. He then discusses his time in Europe in World War I and the weapons they used. He worked in the granite works for a while, then went into farming. He discusses an incident that happened while working at the granite works. He mentions the changes in farming and the change from horses to tractors. He talks about some of the prices of crops.

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  Ken McKay Interview, ca. 1976

  Ken McKay

  Ken McKay was 80 years old and he came to Morris in 1920 to farm in Morris Township. He was elected Stevens County Treasurer in 1939.

  In this interview, Ken McKay discusses school district consolidation, the county hospital, the courthouse and district highway building. He also talks about the old personal property tax.