Friday, July 14, 2017

“Prayer of Abandonment” of Blessed Charles de Foucauld.

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
Do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you.
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
And in all your creatures –
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
For I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
To surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
And with boundless confidence,
For you are my Father.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The Past makes us who we are today

"What happened in the past that was painful has a great deal to do with what we are today, but revisiting this painful past can contribute little or nothing to what we need to do now."  William Glasser

Smells revive the Past

"Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it. " Vladimir Nabokov

Monday, August 22, 2016

Famous Quote

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. "  -- Earl Nightingale

Monday, April 28, 2014

52 Ancestors: #1 - Sidney Orin Baxter (1914-1968)

I am going to share some of the knowledge and memories that I have about one ancestor in my family weekly.  I am going to start with my Grandpa Sidney Orin Baxter.

Sidney was born 28 March 1914 in Dawson, Lac Qui Parle, Minnesota. He was the 11th of 14 children born to Orin William Baxter and Lillian Odelia Darling. According to the 1920 and 1930 United States Census Sidney was living on a farm with his siblings and parents in Lac Qui Parle county in Minnesota.
Sidney Baxter and Florence Sims Wedding Photo.
On the 18th of October 1933 Sidney married Florence Ellen Sims. The following is transcribed from the Graceville Enterprise Newspaper located in Graceville, Minnesota.

SIMS-BAXTER WEDDING TUESDAY AFTERNOON
   Florence Sims, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Sims, and Sidney Baxter were married Wednesday afternoon, October 18, at the Mt. Olive Lutheran parsonage in Graceville with Rev. Lenz officiating.
   These young people will make their home on the Baxter farm southeast of Graceville after a short honeymoon trip.  We join with their many friends in extending congratulations and best wishes.





   According to the 1940 US Census Sidney and Florence Baxter, along with their children, were living in Toqua, Big Stone County, Minnesota. Sidney and Florence had 8 children.  They farmed in Big Stone county until 1956 and then they farmed in Round Prairie township, Todd County, Minnesota.

Here is a photo of Sidney with his siblings taken around the year 1962 :


   Sidney Baxter died on 17 January 1968 in St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota. The following is transcribed from the Long Prairie Leader on Thursday, Jan. 25, 1968:

Sidney Baxter Dies Suddenly

Funeral Held At Round Prairie


  Sidney Baxter, 53, a resident of Round Prairie township, died Wednesday,
Jan. 17, at the Midway hospital in St. Paul following a week's illness.


  Funeral services were held at the Round Prairie Congregational church Saturday,
Jan. 20, at 2 P.M., with the Rev. Ed Kaltenbach officiating. Interment was made in
Evergreen cemetery. The pallbearers were Jesse Martin, Verneal Goertz, Paul
Nyheim, Lester Newton, Harvey Mattson and Ray Waller.


  Sidney Orin Baxter was born March 28, 1914 in Dawson, Minn. residing there
until 1932. His parents were Orin and Lillian (Darling) Baxter. In 1932 he moved
to Graceville, Minn., and there married Florence Sims on Oct. 18, 1933. They lived
in the Graceville area until 1956 when they moved to Round Prairie township in
Todd county where he has farmed since.


  He is survived by his wife and the following children: Mrs. Marvin (Arlene) Bengen
of Farmington, Darrel of Lincoln, Nebr., Orin of St. Paul, Jackie of Long Prairie,
Mrs. Dennis (Lilly) Barthle of Alexandria and Mrs. Henry (Ione) Borchert of Long Prairie.
There are 15 grandchildren also sisters and brothers, Mrs. Joe Waller of Ortonville,
Mrs. Nettie Getter of Marietta, Minn., Mrs. Nick Wynia of Springfield, S.D., Mrs. Gust
Nyheim of Wegdahl, Minn., Ora Baxter, Basil and Gordon Baxter of Graceville. He
was preceded in death by twin boys who died in infancy.




NEXT WEEK I will be spotlighting Sidney's wife - Florence Sims.....

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Faith & Family

"Lord,  I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace."
quote from Pope Francis. The Joy of the Gospel = Evangelii gaudium : apostolic exhortation. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013.

(A Beautiful Morning Prayer)

Friday, June 14, 2013

Memories



Friday….schools over….packing and loading car….Dad home from work….squeezing in the backseat with the family….watching the miles go by…trees, grass, farms, towns, other cars and trucks…streetlights coming on…winding and curving black roads with the white lines reflecting in the headlights….enclosed on the sides of the roads with tall trees….recognizing buildings that say we are close…excitement building…looking for the Baxter farm, the “Leeches For Sale” sign, Granary elevators where we turn, take the winding highway to the Bruder farm….bark of a dog….getting out of the car in the dark….entering the house from the back door, the familiar smell of barn, cows, and wood stove from the coats in the mud room that will linger forever….quietly walking through the house and heading upstairs, crawling in bed, hearing the cuckoo clock…sleep, peaceful sleep…waking to the smell of voscht* frying for breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa Bruder’s farm. We are in Long Prairie for the weekend and surrounded by family.

This was a very frequent ritual for us as I grew up and when I take this trip now these items and smells take me back to those memories. These were wonderful times and there was no place that felt more like home to me than the Bruder farm. It was the only consistent place in my life that did not change.

*voscht was a breakfast sausage that my grandparents made with deer, pork and spices then was smoked and I am not sure of the spelling.