A Life Well Lived
The boys at this boarding school had the best made beds in town when Mom was a housekeeper here in the early 1940s
What is Shattuck
Grandpa Spinler had to be called to shoot this rapid animal after it jumped on the dog and chased the cattle.
What is a skunk
Not a Romanov, but Mom’s real father, shared this first name with the last Russian Emperor and both died of gunshot wounds
Who was Nicholas (Eischens)
Seals, turtles, ducks, pigs, teapots, trees, and many more items made up this collectable menagerie Mom kept on display
What are Salt And Pepper Shakers
This church named after one of the archangels is where you could find Mom and Dad on Sunday and where their daughters were married.
What is St. Michael's in Kenyon
Mom was a member of this organization along with women named Renata, Betty, Martha, but sadly there was no member named Peony or Tulip.
What was the Eklund Garden Club
Once, when the bull got loose and was chasing Mom, she used this implement to stun the bull so she could get away.
What is a pitchfork
This name which means “ready for battle” is the real first name of Mom’s only brother that she affectionately called, Bobby:
Who is Alphonse
Pledging her head to clearing thinking, Mom was a Parent Leader for this long gone, 4-H Club
Who were the Richlanders
Mom and Dad visited all their kids and Dad’s sister at this Minnesota town, which gets its Dakota Indian name from the Bluish-Green earth found there
What is Mankato
What 1862 event, near New Ulm did Mom’s ancestors live through and wrote a firsthand account
What was the Sioux Uprising (Dakota Wars)
This “golden” critter may be popular at the state university, but Mom often set traps to stop it from wreaking havoc on her garden
What is a gopher
This German grandfather, whose name means to “free free to express yourself,” raised Mom and her brother, Bobby after her father died.
Who was Frank Manderfeld
Introduced in 1911, this base of Mom’s cake frosting was originally made from hydrogenated cottonseed oil
What is shortening/Crisco
A trip up to this Minnesota town named after a French trader would have included a college visit to Paul, a visit to Mom’s half-sister.and a meal on Grandma’s deck.
What is Duluth
On the day Mom was born, this President of the United States was embroiled in the Teapot Dome Scandal and would die of a heart attack six months later in San Francisco.
Who was Warren G. Harding
This farm animal was given a death sentence it scratched Mom’s face with its spurs
Paul's pet rooster, "Rooster"
Playing an accordion and dancing the polka was in the Manderfeld blood as Mom claimed to be distantly related to this famous polka celebrity
Who is Whoopee John
Mom was always willing to sew, or teach you how to sew, on this trusty sewing machine brand that has been around since the 1850s.
What are Singer
Mom had a nickname for this gas station/convenience store that is a misspelling of the word that means do something in a short time
What is the Kwik Trip (the Quicky or K-wik
During the late 70s and early 80s, Mom brought home many stories when she worked at this long-gone local institution
What was the Faribault State Hospital
Mom often claimed that the red hair found in the plaster in the house on the farm was our great grandmother’s hair, but the hair was actually from this animal.
What is a horse
The double-in-laws of John Spinler and Elsie Manderfeld included Mom’s favorite uncle and a fellow member of the Garden Club.
Who were Tony and Martha (Spinler) Manderfeld
To make these warm winter coverings, Mom and Dad hunted thrift store treasures for these clothing accessories
What are tie quilts
Mom and Dad joined the local Aerie of this group which is dedicated to liberty, truth, justice and equality. It was also a fun place to dance polkas
F.O.E. Fraternity of Eagles