Wishing you and yours a Blessed Christmas and a Joyful New Year!
In this Issue:
[1] 1st GSHSI Barn Dance Well-Attended Fun for All Ages
[2] Friends Came from Near and Far
[3] Barn Dance Balance Sheet Outcome
[4] Community Dance Tradition in the German Settlement
[5] Reaching Beyond 100 Charter Members
[6] Charter Membership Application Form
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[1] 1st GSHSI Barn Dance Well-attended Fun for All Ages
The 1st Barn Dance of the German Settlement Heritage Society, Inc. was held at the Michael and Evonne Ganz farm, 565 Country Road U (the pioneer Barth Schwalen farm). More than 185 attended on that Saturday, October 7. There were 50 from the German Settlement neighborhood. It was like a big block party. There were 16 who previously lived in the German Settlement, and 16 descendants from the pioneers and early settlers, plus their spouses, children, and many other friends. They came from as far as Virginia, North Carolina, and California. It was a grand reunion for many who had not seen each other for years and strangers became friends.
 Jim Schwenk, Lynn Johnson, & George Bruhn |
 Mike & Eddie Show Band |
The evening began with an exhibit of vintage photos and books about local history. A social hour followed with German snack food and live music by the Pioneer Grove Band of Jim Schwenk, Lynn Johnson and George Bruhn. Dance music was provided by The Mike & Eddie Show Band, members of the Trigger Happy Band who played a wide variety of popular dance music which was much applauded by the audience. The barn acoustics and ambiance enhanced a most enjoyable evening. A unanimous shout was given to hold another barn dance on Saturday, October 6, 2007. See you there!
Members of the core planning committee were: Gene Bonnes (chair), Margaret Strehlo, Mary Deb Larsen, Evonne and Mike Ganz with support from the rest of the Board of Directors and volunteers: Charles & Barbara Garbe, Mel McElwain, JoAnn Carlson, Linda & Wayne Nelson, Wally & Lil Riedel, Hazel Fern, Gloria Knott, Judy Marek, Mary Bonnes, Darlene Jones, and Richard Schwenk. Expert parking lot care was by Mike, Ryan, Alicia & Amber Ganz and by Mel, Alisa, & Ashley McElwain.
 GSHSI Board: Gene Bonnes, Mel McElwain, JoAnn Carlson, Evonne Ganz, Ric Schwenk, Margaret Strehlo, Charles & Barbara Garbe |
Major donors from Hudson were: Family Hair Care, Winzer Stube Restaurant, Tires Plus, Sharon Raley, Brueggers Bagels, Perkins Restaurant, Sports Club Restaurant, Applebees Restaurant, Hudson Star-Observer, Badlands Recreation, Jim & Ethel Larson, Econo Foods, Charles & Barbara Garbe, Mike & Evonne Ganz. Other Major donors were: Lund’s Hardware, Treasures from the Heart and Kilkarney Golf Course from River Falls; Gasthaous Bavarian Restaurant, Stillwater; Nancy Esperson, Roberts; Whispering Gardens, Cottage Grove; Michaels Candy, Wausau; Gene & Mary Bonnes, New Richmond; and Richard Schwenk, Pasadena.
[2] Friends Came from Near and Far
50 German Settlement area
25 Hudson
19 River Falls
18 St. Paul
12 Amery/Balsam Lake/Milltown
10 Roberts-Hammond-Baldwin
10 Houlton /New Richmond
9 Woodbury/Newport/Hastings
6 Forest Lake/WhiteBearLake
4 Minneapolis/Minnetonka
4 Waupun, WI
3 Wausau/Rothchild, WI
6 Elk River, MN/Virginia/South Carolina (2 from each place)
1 Pasadena, CA
8 unregistered persons & places
185 Total counted in attendance
[3] Barn Dance Balance Sheet Outcome
Food – $235.00 gross amt. – $154.98 Expenses = $80.02 Net profit
Door prize tickets – $174.00 $174.00 Income
Donation Bucket – $394.00 $394.00 Income
Donation for band – $300.00 $350.00 Expenses
Porta Potty (2) $87.15 Expenses
Thank You Ad in Hudson Star-Observer $48.36 Expenses
Barn Dance Net Profit for Historical Marker Fund = $462.51
 Ric Schwenk, Wally Riedel, Margaret Strehlo, Gene Bonnes, JoAnn Carlson, Barb & Chas Garbe & Evonne Ganz present plans for 2007 |
[4] Community Dance Tradition in the German Settlement
According to Edwin Mayer (1906-2004) before radios and TV, there were monthly dances held in homes, school houses, granaries, or barns in the German Settlement. At the turn of the century new granaries were constructed on most of the farms. The second floor made a nice dance floor, especially in Spring and early Summer before harvest. Edwin Mayer also reported granary dances at the farms of Barth Schwalen, Matt Knott and Christian Bonnes. Families took turns preparing and serving coffee and snacks.
Those were the times when young people learned social graces and to waltz, fox trot and polka. It was where romantic relationships often began and led to marriage. Barn Dances were more likely held when a barn was newly built and when the smooth hay mow floor was exposed as in early June. An occasion to celebrate or raise funds was an added incentive for dancing. Some German Settlement dances remembered:
June 1908 Christian Bonnes granary at 963 Cty. Rd. N. Wedding dance of Jim & Gertrude (Bonnes) Hunter.
In 1917 the 120 ft.-long barn of Edward & Helena (Bonnes) Mayer barn at 784 Cty. Rd. N was completed and about six dances were held to raise money for the American Red Cross and U.S. War Bonds. This was a way for the descendants of Prussian-German immigrants to show their American patriotism. Many came from the neighborhood and the surrounding towns. A Delco generator provided illumination. It was a novelty much brighter and safer than kerosene lamps.
1930 Edward Mayer barn again was the venue to celebrate Vivian Mayer’s graduation from the River Falls Normal School as a teacher. Viv & her cousin Helen Hunter prepared several dances that summer. This may have been the first gig for Harold Hunter and some of his classmates from Hudson High School. His band became most popular as the Black Hawk Band which was the band for several counties up through the 1950s.
May 24, 1958, from about 2 to 4 p.m. a tornado spiraled in a NW to SE direction blowing down the barns of: Lloyd & Vivian (Mayer) Schwenk at 777 Carmichael Rd.; the J.R. Ranch; Lester Baker on Co. Rd. N; Laura (Von Kuster) Johnson; and Al & Helen (Rohl) Larsen, both on Brummel Rd.; Bill & Marie (Martin) Linehan at 529 Cty. Rd. U.
The following barns were rebuilt and celebrated with barn dances and music by the Valley Boys Band: Bill Linehan’s barn dance was the 1st gig of the Valley Boys Band composed of: Lynn Johnson (guitar), Steve Feyereisen (accordion) and Henry Marson (drums). They were a smash hit with the dance crowd that August night. They recorded at least 3 albums in their 25 years. That same Fall, Lester Baker also celebrated the rebuilding of his barn with the Valley Boys Band. Laura Johnson’s 36×108 ft. barn was rebuilt by October 1958. The Valley Boys provided dance music to help celebrate, that Fall or the next Spring. All these families had a connection to the German Settlement.
In 1965 Jon & Maxine Schiltgen bought the Johnson farm (the pioneer Peter B. Mayer farm). Within a year, they celebrated the purchase of the farm with a barn dance.
Oct. 7, 2006 Mike Ganz barn. To raise funds for Historical Marker in the Pioneer Grove.
Every generation ought to experience such evenings of family fun—barn dancing and remembering our roots. See our website: http://home.earthlink.net/~germansettlement/
[5] Reaching Beyond 100 Charter Members
Charter Members in the German Settlement Heritage Society, Inc. at this writing are 93. With your help, we should reach beyond 100 by the end of 2006. Since the year 2007 is so near, the Board of Directors has agreed to apply payments for 2006 as also dues for the year 2007. Those paying before December 31, 2006 will be honored as Charter Members, the same as the following:
Bill & Pat BADER; Rick & Nancy BANES; Daniel & Barb BEEBE; Gene & Mary BONNES; Charles BROWN; Lee & Michele (Bonnes) CAMERON; Heidi CARLSON; JoAnn CARLSON; Arlene & Don CROES; Elaine DeWITT & Edwin MAYER; Darwin & Lucille EDGAR; Leon ELDEN; Hazel (VonKuster) FERN; Carol (Mayer) & George FLORY; Gordon FOUKS; Bob FREIERMUTH; Rosella (Mayer) FREIERMUTH; Mike & Evonne GANZ family; Charles & Barbara GARBE; Doris GARBE; Roger GARBE & family; Sue (Mayer) & James GENTLE; Douglas & Carrie JOHNSON; Lynn & Flo JOHNSON; Dick & Leona KINNEY; Ingrid KIZEN; Harry & Bess KNOTT; M. Deborah/John T. LARSEN; Bob LARSON; Don & India LINEHAN; Shirley & Norm MATZEK; Jack & Betty MAYER; Wayne & Marian MAYER; Mel & Kathryn McELWAIN & family; Jeanne (Wanner) MORREIM; Thomas & Susan NAU; Linda (Mayer) & Wayne NELSON; John OVERBY; Ruth Lenore (Schwalen) & Earl PECHUMAN; Wayne PETERSON; Todd & Patrice PIERCE; Wally & Lil RIEDEL; Barb & Dora ROHL; Larry & Joan ROHL; Fred & Delores SCHULTE; James SCHWALEN; James & Mary SCHWENK; Richard & Caring SCHWENK; Margaret (Bonnes) STREHLO; Marian (Frey) SWANSON; Gretchen & Dan ZBICHORSKI.
Among the above were 25 members who gave more than the basic dues. There were 10 Contributors ($30), 4 Supporters ($50), 6 Benefactors ($100+), and 5 Life ($500) members.
Linda (Mayer) Nelson, Jim and Ric Schwenk invite you to join GSHSI now. |
[6] Charter Membership Application Form
All interested in preserving German Settlement history are urged to join GSHSI before the end of 2006 to become a Charter Member. Please fill out and send to our Treasurer, Evonne Ganz, at the address below. Please mail before 12/31/2006.