MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)

Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 42 – In Book, Page 101

Back at Pioneer Park, In Merrill, Mark’s 19th Birthday, Kevin Poston Appears, Party At Steve’s Apartment, Trav Visits Luther Prep, Concert at Northland Lutheran High School, Dutch Hollow Property Sold, Happy Memories at Dutch Hollow, New Home Outside Medford, Wisconsin, Grandchildren’s Events in Medford, Location of Photo Albums, Winter at N5185 Grassy Knoll Trail, Medford, Wisconsin, How Great Thou Art

BACK LIVING AT PIONEER PARK, LAKE DELTON, WISCONSIN

We were with our loved ones again in Wisconsin, and enjoying our visits with them. We went to Merrill to visit Sue, Jim, and family. We have pictures of our Sue with her wonderful horse, Sassy, on the parsonage lawn. Then we have pictures of farm buildings outlined by a spectacular sunset. Also there are pictures of a beautiful double rainbow. I remember I took those pictures when we were driving on our way to Medford to visit Sue, Tim, and family. We celebrated Mark’s 19th birthday on August 9th, and Glen’s 45th birthday on August 12th at Debbie and Glen’s home in Colgate. Wow, what a pose, Glen! And Cassie, you are walking now!!!!

September 5th found our families together with us at Pioneer Park, our home, during the days swimming and visiting around the pool, and during the evenings around the campfire eating s’mores, roasting marshmallows, etc Besides our loving families, the Schleiss and Strong families were there. Kevin Poston now appears on the scene. He and Jenny met at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota. They are classmates (he became a member of our family when they were married in Tim’s church in Medford, Wisconsin, on June 9, 2001). What wonderful memories we have!

We had a family get-together September 17, 1999, at St. James Place in Milwaukee where Steve had an apartment.. There is a beautiful big swimming pool and a Jacuzzi which we all enjoyed. Mark even picked up Steph and threw her into the pool. Yes, all our families need is a swimming pool, and we’ll DEFINITELY have a great time! Steve also brought out some games, among them “Guesstures” and “True Colors”, etc., which everyone enjoyed playing.

Steph took Trav, their oldest, to visit Luther Prep on September 18th. What a blessing and joy it was for us to know that another one of our dear grandchildren would be attending Luther Prep (Northwestern when our children, some of our grandchildren, and we attended), the very same place where Dick and I had met, walked, and gotten our Christian education so many years ago.

On October 11th we went to Northland Lutheran High School in Wausau, Wisconsin, to a concert in which Jimmy and Brian Weiland, students there, participated. Jimmy sang in the choir, and Brian played the drums. We were happy and thankful to be there with Sue, Jim, and family watching our talented grandsons perform.

OCTOBER 5, 1999 – DUTCH HOLLOW LOT SOLD

Living at Pioneer Park, we knew that the water would again be turned off on October 15th. We had not yet sold our condo in Weslaco, Texas, so what were we going to do for the winter? We needed the money for a down payment on a house. Also, we needed to sell our beautiful lot at Dutch Hollow Lake so we could use that money, too, for buying a house. There wasn’t enough time before winter to build a house there. We put our lot at Dutch Hollow up for sale, and it didn’t take long before a middle-aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hinz, bought it. They were in love with it too. We reluctantly (especially me, who in the lawyer’s office said “NO!” when it came time to sign the papers) sold our lot at Dutch Hollow Lake. You should have seen the look on the faces of the Hinzes! It took me a few minutes, but sign the papers I did.

We had so much fun with our families at Dutch Hollow Lake for so many years. While the older ones fished off the piers, the little children would splash in the water near the shore. Once Dick had his fish pole sitting at the edge of the pier when it fell in. One of the older grandchildren, Timmy, went down and got it, and it had a fish at the end of the line! And oh, how much fun it was when all of us sat on the piers down from the clubhouse and caught crappies, crappies, and more crappies! We could see them in the water! And how delicious they were when we ate them! As Dick always says, “The Lord will provide” (as the members of the congregations he served heard him say so many times). When we water- skied and went tubing, our boat was driven right up to the pier. After the fun, we would gather near the clubhouse and have our happy family picnics.

I loved the “magic hour” (twilight) sitting on the pier, the quiet time between day and night and everything is very still and tranquil. When autumn came, the colors of the leaves on the trees were magnificent! I don’t think any painter can capture the true beauty of autumn leaves. How glorious and wondrous are God’s creations! There are little farms nestled in the valleys of the hills of Dutch Hollow, and I dreamed of our home being on top of Summit Street looking down into those beautiful valleys. From the top of the highest hill we could even see Wonewoc, a little town where Dick has preached in St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. But our wise and omniscient Lord had His plan for us. We know that He knew, and always knows, what is best for His dear children because He loves us so much.

GOD’S PLAN FOR US – A BEAUTIFUL HOME IN THE COUNTRY NEAR MEDFORD, WI.

Trusting in God and praying, we started to look for a house either in the Merrill (where Sue, Jim, and family lived), or the Medford area. We went with our Sue and a realtor to look for a house in and around Merrill, but there was nothing really available in our price range. Then Tim called and said, “Mom, Dad, I’ve found the perfect house for you”. On September 30th we went to look at it.

It is a beautiful redwood three-bedroom home with a deck and two-car garage, nestled among tall oak, maple, birch, and pine.trees ten miles from Medford. And below the hill on which it is perched, there is a big pond with a pier. Of course, we fell in love with it.

GOD ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS!

Miracle of miracles, we sold our condo and received the check for it on October 5, 1999 !!!! Our possessions were brought out of storage in Fond du Lac and we moved into our Medford home on November 4, 1999. We now had a place of our own to live during the winter! And another blessing – we became members of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Medford, Wisconsin, where our Tim was Pastor, and we were blessed and privileged to hear and see him preach many inspiring and wonderful sermons.

Our families in Wisconsin came to visit us in our new home, and we went to visit them. When we went to Merrill, Sue brought her horse, “Buddy”, to the parsonage-church lawn, and we all took turns, if not riding him, sitting on him. Of course, our “kids”, Susie and Tim had to gallop around the church a few times. They had learned to ride well on “Ma’s” horses.

The children came to Sue and Tim’s home for treats at Halloween. At Christmastime the Immanuel Ladies Aid had a fun party at which Tim read the story of the candymaker who made the candy cane into which he incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. It is very interesting. Julie took up playing the flute, and played it in a concert at her school. Sue played in the Immanuel handbell choir. Timmy and Chris played a lot of exciting Medford “Red Raiders” basketball games. Julie and Matt participated in the Immanuel 500 Pinecar (they made their own pinecars) Derby for all Boy and Girl Pioneers and their families at Immanuel :Lutheran School. We were very privileged to attend all of these events. And last but not least, both Timmy and Christopher were on the Medford High School Honor Roll as stated in the Star News. Good for you, guys, we are proud of you.

We have a picture of, oh, so cute Cassie in a cheerleader outfit, another cute picture of Christina and Laura which I took while we were watching Becky play a soccer game, a picture of Oreo and Rocky, Debbie and Glen’s cats, and a picture of Phoenix and Sasha, Sue and Jim’s cat and dog.

Can you imagine, if I were to include pictures in these Memoirs, how thick the book would be? Impossible! If someday they do become a book, just refer to the collection of many, many, picture albums we have (the albums are at this date on shelves in the master bedroom closet and on a bookshelf in our bedroom in our condo at 1520 Lakeside Terrace, Watertown, Wisconsin, and also some are on the shelves of a bookshelf in the master bedroom. Good luck!)

TREES TRIMMED IN SILVER

Winter came, and looking outside all around our lovely home (N5185 Grassy Knoll Trail, Medford, Wisconsin) in the woods, and from it down the hill at the trees and pond, everything was transformed into a fantastic white silver world. It was unbelievable! The four verses, refrain, and melody of HOW GREAT THOU ART, hymn number 256 in the Lutheran Christian Worship Hymnal remind me of our Medford home. They fill my heart, as I am sure they do yours. All of the verses of God’s awesome wondrous creations and gift of His Son, Jesus, are more than inspiring! Our souls sing in the refrain:

“Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to thee
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to thee
How great thou art! How great thou art!”