Here are some beautiful photos my friend Bruce Berg took following our Christmas Eve service this year at my “home” church ~ Atwater United Methodist.
Click here and here to reflect more about this wonderful season.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank You to All of Our Veterans!! Thank you to those who are presently serving our great nation, the United States of America!! Thank you for your courage and dedication. Thank you for our freedom. THANK YOU & GOD BLESS!!
Photo from the Past / Journal Pratriot Newspaper / Eden Valley, MN / April 30, 1997
Caption in Journal Patriot: Ole Iverson and James Pinch, 1919: Ruth Swenson of Atwater submitted this photo of her grandfather James Pinch, a former resident of Eden Valley who died in 1923. James Pinch (on right), according to Ruth, built the Eden Valley Creamery, Assumption Church and the Soo Line Depot, along with several barns in the area. Ruth’s father, Ole Iverson, is the doughboy on the left.
My mom, Ruth Swenson (November 12, 1919 – March 1, 2004) was born in Burbank Township north of New London, MN, her parents were Ole and Mabel Iverson. My Grandpa and Grandma Iverson were proud American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary members at three different posts during their lives: New London, Cosmos and Atwater.
U.S.A. Flags at ACGC South Elementary, Cosmos, MN / Photo: Tami Tagtow
Atwater American Legion Honor Guard at Union Cemetery, 2010 / Photo: Tami Tagtow
Veteran’s Day Program at ACGC South Elementary, Cosmos, MN, November 11, 2010 ~ West Central Tribune Video by Carolyn Lange & Edited by Jannet Walsh ~ Minnesota Native Daughter
God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood YouTube Video by littlebrat672 Jul 10, 2007
Lorraine Larson Kragenbring~Jon, Colin and Kendall Kragenbring~Kendall Kragenbring
As I watched Colin Kragenbring being crowned the 2011 ACGC Homecoming King, I was also remembering the night his Great Uncle Kendall Kragenbring was crowned the 1974 Atwater HS Homecoming King during my own high school years.
My dad graduated from Atwater High School in 1936 and he used to talk about Watermelon Days. Kendall’s mom and Colin’s great grandmother Lorraine Larson Kragenbring was crowned 1936 Miss Watermelon Days in Atwater. So, of course I thought of Lorraine when Colin was crowned also.
The day following coronation, I congratulated Colin. That’s when Colin told me that his dad Jon Kragenbring was Homecoming King at Atwater HS in 1981.
Just to add to the trivia: Ryan Larson was the 2010 ACGC Homecoming King and Ryan’s grandfather is Gary Larson. Gary and Lorraine were brother and sister.
I was a sophomore in high school when Kendall became our King. Homecoming has always been a lot of fun and it is one of the memories we seem to keep. As our local High School Alumni President it is fun for me to observe how classes recall who their Homecoming Royals were during their reunions. It doesn’t seem to matter whether they graduated 70 years or 50 years ago, they can name their own Homecoming Royalty.
Atwater ~ Cosmos ~ Grove City High School (ACGC) continues to carry on the traditions of Atwater High School, Cosmos High School, Grove City High School and Atwater-Grove
City High School. The mascots were: Panthers, Royals, Eagles and Blazers. Today ACGC’s mascot is the Falcon. Go Falcons!!
There is still a lot of Panther, Royal, Eagle and Blazer blood coursing through our Falcon veins ~ that’s what makes the ACGC Falcons so powerful.
“Memories Are Forever” ~ Grove City High School Homecoming Reunion, Fall, 1983
Football Game Announcer: Terry Miller
Photos by: Jean Kragenbring, History of Atwater, MN (John Holm), Atwater HS 1975 Yearbook, Grove City HS 1984 Yearbook
Videos by: Tami Tagtow
The 25th Annual Atwater Threshing Days ~ “Silver Anniversary” ~ will be held again the first weekend after Labor Day ~ Sept. 10 & 11 ~ it’s located on the Kandiyohi ~ Meeker County line. I grew up on the farm bordering the Threshing Show property. It’s a great show, I hope to see you there! I’m usually in the County School House, so stop by and say hello.
We were excited last year when some of the members of the Nowthen Threshing show brought their 65-horsepower, 1911 Steam-powered Baker Tractor to the Atwater Show. So, this year we had to go visit their show in August. We look forward to their return to Atwater this year. I took a short video of their Steam Tractors in the Nowthen parade of power in August.
Of course, I’m excited about the Bolstad & Nordlie Jack Sprat Food Store Sign being on display this year too! To read more about the history of this sign go back to previous entries in the Look At This AreaVoices Blog: Jack Sprat Food Store Sign ~ A New Home for Jack Sprat ~ Jack Sprat Newspaper Ad ~ Jack Sprat Food Store in Fillmore
County
In front of the Wetter Display of Steam Tractors at Nowthen Threshing Show, John Wetter is visiting with Lloyd Swenson from Atwater Threshing Show.
Steam Tractors from NowThen Threshing Show coming to Atwater Threshing Show again!
Jack Sprat Food Store Sign ~ come on out to see it at Atwater Threshing Days!!
Click here for more information about Atwater Threshing Days.
Steam Tractor Photo and General Store Photo: Tami Tagtow
Nowthen Tractor Parade Video: Tami Tagtow
It seems like yesterday when my husband Dale invited me to go with him to see the old cars go through Manannah (Meeker County) in 1987. The second year we brought my Grandma Iverson and Marv Otto with us back to Manannah and then into Litchfield, where Sidney Strong was sitting in his 1915 Pierce Arrow in Fenton’s car lot. His car was too new!
In his youth, Marv started working at the Strong Gas Station in New London. He used to pump gas for my Grandpa and Grandma Iverson when they lived in New London also. The Ottos and Iversons later lived in Atwater at the same time too. If you are from the Atwater area, you know that Marv worked for Sidney many years and later became a partner with others at the Ford Garage in Atwater. The Antique Car Parade also goes by the former Strong Gas Station each year in New London.
After the second year of going to Manannah we found out there was a parade in New London the night before the 120 mile car run to New Brighton. Of course we started going to see the parade. We have always stopped at the New London Legion parking lot to see the display of cars. The past three years we have been able to follow the cars all the way to New Brighton. However, we take the main roads for safety reasons, rather than the roads the Antique Cars travel on.
This year was extra special, not only because it was the 25th Car Run. But on Tuesday, August 9, about 25 cars came to Atwater as part of the Pre-Tour. I rode my bike down to see the cars with my camera. As I turned the corner by Sidney and Katherine Strong’s old house, I couldn’t help think to myself how happy Sidney would have been to see all the old cars sitting in the Atwater Clinic parking lot. If you look at my photos in Flickr, you will see in the background what once was the Strong House, the Strong Motor Company Garage and Strong’s Storage Shed for Antique Cars. David Strong’s 1977 Ford Thunderbird is also there.
Sidney Strong’s son David attended the driver’s meeting at the ArtMeyerson Building (Former Strong Garage) and gave an Atwater Automobile History Lesson that day. He talked about how his Grandfather James H. Strong (at age 25) established the Pioneer Livery in 1878. In 1905, his salesman wanted cars, so he licensed Cadillac, Glide and Halliday.
The first section of the garage was built in 1908, which is now the ArtMeyerson Building. Also in 1908, James H. Strong became a licensed Overland and Studebaker dealer and became an exclusive Ford Dealer in 1909, as Strong Motor Company. There is more history, but I will stop here, because David Strong gave me his notes and they are now in a folder at the Atwater Historical Society if you would like to read more.
My husband Dale worked in the old Strong Motor Company building washing cars. Dale also took part in the move in 1975 to the building on Hwy 12. That’s when the name was changed to Atwater Ford. After college and a few other jobs, Dale has sold cars at Atwater Ford for 25 plus years. I think it’s cool that my husband is part of the Atwater Automobile History.
The rest of the week was awesome as more and more cars started showing up in Spicer on Thursday, New London on Friday and then Saturday morning we went over to Grove City to see the cars come into the Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot.
Saturday afternoon we watched the Antique Cars arrive at the Buffalo school. Finally, New Brighton where the cars drove over the Finish Line at Long Lake Regional Park. Of course both Mayors of New London and New Brighton welcomed the cars at the Finish Line.
I would like to thank a few special people (you know who your are) for making this Silver Anniversary Antique Car Run a very memorable time for Dale and me.
Please enjoy the video and photos of the 2011 New London to New Brighton Car Run that Dale and I had fun filming.
The 25th Annual New London to New Brighton Antique Car Run is Saturday, August 13, 2011 ~ ”Silver Anniversary Run”
Click here to read about the elegibility, history, schedule and map of this event.
My husband Dale has been a transport tow vehicle driver for the past two years. We are looking forward to this adventure again this year. Here are some videos from the 24th Run in 2010:
Finish line in New Brighton, MN. Dale’s comment at the end of this video ~ “the only thing you don’t get is the smell!”
1904 Ford Model C
1906 Buick Model F
Check out more videos of the 2010 Antique Car Run at Tami’s YouTube Channel here.
Here is what is happening on Saturday, August 13 – The 25th Anniversary Grand Tour:
The antique autos will begin to leave New London from Peace Lutheran Church at 7 am. There are hospitality stops at Grove City, Litchfield, Kingston, Buffalo, and Crystal. The finish line is in New Brighton at the Long Lake Regional Park, site of the City’s Stockyard Days festival.
Videos by: Dale and Tami Tagtow
Last year at the Kandiyohi County Fair, my family ~ Swenson Dairy ~ was one of the recipients of the Century Farm Award. It was an honor for me to be a part of the recognition on the stage. We were eight family members present for the award.
That day was also emotional in both happy and sad ways. I remembered family and friends who are no longer here with us. However, I celebrate the people in our life today. 100 years is a long time.
My brother Lloyd is a proud Dairy Farmer, representing Swenson Dairy, Atwater, MN. Look At This picture on the right.
AgWeek information click here. More than 200 honored ~ MN county click here. Century Farm recognition information at Minnesota State Fair click here.
Video: Dennis Baker, Minnesota State Fair President and Phil Hoffer, Farmer’s Union Representative at 2010 Kandiyohi County Century Farm Award Ceremony.
Farm History Pamphlet Designed by: Victoria “Swenson” Fett & Valerie “Swenson” Werner
Farm History Written by: Lloyd Swenson & Victoria “Swenson” Fett
Photo and Video by: Tami “Swenson” Tagtow
Follow my brother Lloyd Swenson on twitter click here ~ Minnesota Farmer living on a Century Farm.
The 13th annual Kandiyohi County Horticulture Society free garden tour was held in the Atwater area on Tuesday, July 26 from 4 to 8 p.m.
There was a beautiful article in the July 23, 2011, West Central Tribune. Click here to see how to get a copy of the WCTRIB garden photos by Rand Middleton.
There were 10 Gardens to tour in the Atwater area ~ only 9 were listed on the maps at Schmidty’s and in the West Central Tribune article. However, if you were a good detective, you would have discovered the 10th house was on HWY 2 and Wyoming Avenue ~ Alan and Tammy Moll’s garden.
For me, walking up to the Moll’s backyard brought back a lot of memories. I grew up on the farm at the east end of Wyoming Avenue and I attended grades K-12 at Atwater Public School (now ACGC North Elementary). Of course I walked by that house on my way home from school.
When I was a kid, Jenny Flygare lived in that house. Across the street was Andy and Dora Hegre, next to Jenny’s house was the Bethlehem Lutheran Parsonage, then Bill Broman’s and across from Bill was Gladys Brandt to the south of Jenny Flygare’s house was Sigurd and Lillie Christenson.
Usually I didn’t get home from school in a timely manner. Of course there weren’t any cell phones back then, but my parents always knew where I was after school ~ visiting with one of the neighbors. I think that is how I learned to “visit” ~ they were all friendly neighbors. Gladys often invited me in for a glass of lemonade and a homemade cookie.
I have not walked that path for many years, but it is certainly nice to see that the people who continue to live in that house are welcoming neighbors. Alan said, “our garden was not listed on the maps, so we just put up a sign and people are coming.”
So, yes, Tammy and Alan, there were 10 gardens on the KCHS garden tour in 2012.
The othere gardens on the tour were: Gary and Marilyn Larson, Virgil and Dawn Nelson, Richard and Lorna Thorp, Rosie and Herman Witte, Dorothy and Elden Pickle, Peg and Marvin Sacket, Russ and Janet Johnson, Dave and Jean Ahl and Roger and Jo Holm.
Thanks all for inviting us into your yards for the wonderful tour, it was a perfect night. Thanks also to the planners of the KCHS tour.
Photos: Tami Tagtow
Come join the fun on Friday nights starting at 7:00 p.m at the Atwater Karting Speedway. August has four scheduled racing nights.
Click here for more information.
Atwater Karting Speedway is located 1 mile east of Atwater, MN on US Highway 12, then 1/4 mile south on Kandi-Meeker Road. The street address is: 1100 Kandi-Meeker Road, Atwater, MN 56209
Racers and spectators, please leave comments below ~ let us know what is happening at the track.
Here is a cool video made on July 29 at Atwater Karting Speedway.
Photo: Tami Tagtow ~ June, 2009
Video: Reed Allex ~ July 29, 2011
Gordon Frederickson will be in the craft and toy tent at Farmfest 2011 on August 2-4 at Gilfillan Estate, Redwood County, MN.
Troy Krause, Redwood Gazette Editor, posted an article about Gordon on July 25 at www.redwoodfallsgazette.com click here to read the article.
The MEMO staff are cheerful and efficient. Joan, the lady on the right, gives us our badges and tells us that we have our choice of author tables.
All the tables offer great views of the River.
We eat a tasty hot breakfast and stay for the keynote speaker, Buffy Hamilton, who discusses how to meet the many new challenges facing the media specialists today. As she compares the work to a balancing act, her words ring true and take me back to my days of teaching.
After her speech, it’s time for the author spotlight, where each author has a few minutes of stage time to highlight what he or she has to offer at a school visit. Wanda Erickson, an enthusiastic media specialists from Upsala, introduces our session.
After the spotlight, media specialists stop to chat with authors and schedule them to visit
schools. A couple schedule us immediately and others plan to send an email after checking with teachers. Nancy and I enjoy talking to these professionals because they are interesting, hard- working people, who dedicate every day to providing the best leadership they can for their school programs. However, it’s especially fun, when we meet people we know from the present and the past. Cousins Nick and Joyce Cervenka give us a surprise visit, and I am especially happy when they ask me to autograph my newest book, A Farm Country Thanksgiving, for them. After they leave, I remember that we should’ve taken a photo with them.
When a former student, Sandi (Kasper) Ferris, stops by and we both recognize each other immediately, we take out the the cameras without hesitation.
I notice her smile and personality are even more winning than they were when I was her high school English teacher. She is now a Media Specialist at St. Michael-Albertville Middle School.
Another former student, Nancy (Girard) Eull stops by to say hello. We both readily recognize each other.
Holly Thompson introduced herself as the daughter of Donny and Julie Speiker. Donny and I grew up in the same farm neighborhood, and although he was a few years younger than I, we shared some of the same farm experiences, like chores and threshing. It was great talking to Holly, who now works at the Osseo School District.
Seventeen authors are at the event, each with special talents to offer schools they visit. I feel really lucky to be part of a group of such diverse and wonderful authors.
Note that I am not the only author in costume. Here I chat with David Geister and his wife Patricia Bauer, who are each authors on their own but take great joy in working as costumed interpreters at Ft. Snelling.
We stay for supper, which is at 6:00 P.M., and share a table with several fun people, including Tami Tagtow, a media specialist at ACGC (Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City).
Tami agrees to take a parting photo of Nancy and me before we start on the trip home.
Our smiles are genuine because we had a great time at the conference. We sold books and met new friends, old friends, relatives, and neighbors. We met many wonderful media
specialists, many of whom I am sure will become our friends. And the authors I met were wonderfully talented and unique. Nancy and I wish them all the very best.
