Stevens County

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  Helen Rhyn Interview, 1995

  Helen Rhyn

  In this interview, Helen Rhyn reminisces about the early days of television. Mrs. Rhyn was born on May 24, 1911 in Framdish Township in Stevens County.

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  Hervey Richardson Interview, 1975

  Hervey Richardson

  Mr. Richardson was born in 1901, went to Macalester College, and a retailing school in New York City. He started farming in 1924. He sold his farm in 1963 and moved to Morris. In 1965 he became the city assessor. He was also involved in DFL politics starting in the 1930s. He was an active member in many cooperatives in the Stevens County area.

  In this interview, Mr. Richardson discusses his cooperative memberships, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party and its politics, and the 1948 presidential election.

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  Hervey Richardson Interview, 1977

  Hervey Richardson

  Hervey Richardson was born in 1901, went to Macalester College, and a retailing school in New York City. He started farming in 1924. He sold his farm in 1963 and moved to Morris. In 1965 he became the city assessor. He was also involved in DFL politics starting in the 1930s. He was an active member in many cooperatives in the Stevens County area.

  In this interview, Hervey Richardson discusses his role with the Federated Telephone Cooperative in Chokio. He talks about the phone and other general information such as switching and line repair. He discusses the reason the 24 mutual phone companies in the area combined to form Federated Telephone Cooperative. He talks about the early development of Federated and its dealings with the Bell system. He also talks about Federated's dealings with the Rural Electrification Administration (REA).

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  Hervey Richardson Interview, 1979

  Hervey Richardson

  In this interview, Hervey Richardson discusses life during World War II. Mr. Richardson was born in September of 1901 in Morris, MN. During the war he was a farmer and post war (1960's) became a state representative.

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  Hervey Richardson Interview, ca. 1976

  Hervey Richardson

  Hervey Richardson is 75 years old and was born in Morris. His father was a congregational minister. Hervey Richardson graduated from Macalester College and received a fellowship to study retailing in New York. He returned to farm outside of Morris.

  In this interview, Hervey Richardson talks about farming and early tractors. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1960, and he mentions his role in determining the state bird. He then became the Morris City Assessor and he discusses the various aspects of that job.

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  Norah Ambler Richardson Interview, 1979

  Norah Richardson

  In this interview, Norah Richardson talks about life during World War II. Mrs. Richardson was born in February of 1898. Norah was active in Morris Civic affairs during World War II.

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  Thomas Riley Interview, ca. 1977

  Thomas Riley

  Tom Riley was 72 years old and was born in Murray County, Minnesota. His family then moved to Stevens County when he was a child. He was a farmer for his whole life.

  In this interview, Tom discusses the stagecoach in Murray County. He then talks about country life in Stevens County and St. Mary's Catholic School in Morris, Minnesota. He discusses living on a farm and threshing. He talks about picking corn by hand. He talks about the various crops he planted through his lifetime, and the changing trends in farming. He talks about bad winters and blizzards in the area.

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  Al Rinkenberger Interview, ca. 1979

  Al Rinkenberger

  Al Rinkenberger was born in Illinois in 1892. At the time of the interview, Al lived in Morris and worked in Stevens County and in Hancock since 1926. He was a policeman in Morris before the department had a car.

  In this interview, Al remembers living in northern Minnesota. He recalls blizzards of the north and compares farming in northern Minnesota with what he did in Stevens County. He talks about his work as a police officer, and how he got into the position.

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  Harriet and Joe Rinkenberger Interview, 1995

  Harriet Rinkenberger and Joe Rinkenberger

  In this interview, Harriet and Joe Rinkenberger reminisces about the early days of television. Mrs. Rinkenberger was born on April 14, 1935 and Mr. Rinkenberger on May 24. 1929. They purchased their first television in 1957.

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  Mike Roggeman Interview, ca. 1977

  Mike Roggeman

  Mike Roggeman is 70 years old and was born in Belgium. He immigrated to the United States when he was 4 years old.

  In this interview, he discusses immigrating to the United States and his time working as a farmer. He discusses playing as a musician at barn dances and other parties and shivarees. Then he discusses other occupations he held, such as working in a blacksmith shop and creating a new farm implement and purchasing and operating the liquor store in Alberta, Minnesota. Finally he discusses the softball games played in Alberta and the surrounding area.

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  Clara Rose Interview, 1995

  Clara Rose

  In this interview, Clara Rose reminisces about the early days of television. Mrs. Rose was born in Hancock, MN on August. 12, 1915. She purchased her first television in the early 1950's

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  Robert Rose Interview, 1975

  Robert Rose

  Mr. Rose was born on January 7, 1923 and was a registered pharmacist and owned a drugstore for twenty years. Through his drugstore's association with the hospital, Mr. Rose became the Stevens County Memorial Hospital administrator.

  During this interview, Mr. Rose 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 the situation. In particular, he discusses recruitment of doctors to the area and the hospital.

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  Greg and Delia Ruff Interview, 1990

  Greg Ruff and Delia Ruff

  In this interview, Greg and Delia Ruff reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Ruff was born on April 30, 1905. and Mrs. Ruff was born on November 6, 1903. They talk mainly about having a radio in their home after they were married.

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  Walfred Sanders Interview, 1990

  Walfred Sanders

  In this interview, Walfred Sanders reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Sanders was born October of 1914 in Grant County, MN. The first experience Wilfred had with a radio was in 1928 when he listened to a neighbor's set.

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  Anna C. Sather Interview, ca. 1977

  Anna C. Sather

  Anna C. Sather was 74 years old and was born in Madagascar to Lutheran missionaries. She lived in Madagascar until she was 9 years old when her father died. Her family then moved to Minneapolis where she grew up.

  She discusses living in Madagascar and the trip back to the United States. She talk about her education in the United States, including getting her degree at Augsburg University. She discusses the differences of rural and urban living after she married her husband and moved to a farm with him. She talks about her misadventures in cooking and the difficulties of being a farm wife. She discusses being a teacher and the differences between education when she was teaching and modern teaching.

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  John A. Scharf Interview, 1981

  John A. Scharf

  John Scharf was born on October 30, 1929 in Minneapolis. He graduated from Washburn High School and received his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Minnesota. He worked with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as the Area Game Manager starting in 1959 and lived and worked in Morris.

  In this interview, Area Game Manager Scharf tells about the history of the Wildlife Management Areas statewide and within Stevens County. He reflects on his years of managing Wildlife Management Areas. Additional topics covered were: the number of WMAs within the county, acquisition of lands, management processes, uses of the areas, and the future of the wetlands.

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  Martha Scheelk Interview, 1990

  Martha Scheelk

  In this interview, Martha Scheelk reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Scheelk was born in February 1901 in Iowa. Martha remembers first listening to the radio in the early 1920's.

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  Harold Schinzel Interview, ca. 1977

  Harold Schinzel

  Harold Schinzel was 77 years old. Harold's father helped work on the inside work of the Le Grand Hotel and built the steeple of the Pepperton Church. In South Dakota, Harold herded cows on the Sutton Ranch. He also worked for the railroad in the Twin Cities and talked about tying up locomotives. He farmed in Donnelly with failing eyesight and now he makes doll furniture that has gone even to Africa and Tokyo.

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  Gilbert Schmidgall Interview, 1990

  Gilbert Schmidgall

  In this interview, Gilbert Schmidgall reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Schmidgall was born in Hancock, MN. in 1929. His first radio listening experience was in 1941.

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  Henry Schmidt Interview, ca. 1976

  Henry Schmidt

  Henry Schmidt was 89 years old and was born in Illinois. He moved to Morris in 1900.

  In this interview, Henry Schmidt remembers Morris as a town with "19 saloons where everybody drank." He talks about pre-tractor farming and farm prices. He operated a thresher for surrounding farmers. He talks about self-reliance and discusses the dwindling number of family farms and makes some judgements as to its cause.

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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.

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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.

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  Francis Schroeder Interview, 1990

  Francis Schroeder

  In this interview, Francis Schroeder reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Schroeder was born in 1909 in Rosco, MN. Francis' first memories of the radio are of taking turns with her brothers and sisters using her uncle's headset.

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  Spike and Betty Schultz Interview, 1995

  Spike Schultz and Betty Schultz

  In this interview, Spike and Betty Schultz reminisces about the early days of television.

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  Mabel Schulz Interview, 1990

  Mabel Schulz

  In this interview, Mabel Schulz reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Shulz was born in 1911. She remembers listening to the radio as a child but was not that interested due to the poor reception at the time.