MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)
Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 45 – In Book, Page 108
On The Road Again, Family Visit to our Home on Grassy Knoll, Steve’s Family Reunion Party at St. James’ Place, Beati and Donnie Nehl’s 50th Anniversary, At Pioneer Park, Dick’s 71st Birthday, Julia Mueller’s Birthday, Mom’s Terrible Infection, A Letter to Stephanie’s Mom from a Mother with a Diabetic Child
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
We stopped at Winterset, Iowa, to see where John Wayne (Marion Robert Morrison) was born May 26, 1907. Winterset is a small town, and the house in which he was born is very small. We were allowed to enter it. There are memorabilia inside it, which were John Wayne’s, even an eye patch like he wore in “True Grit” as Rooster Cogburn. Also there is a wonderful life-size statue of him in cowboy clothes, hat, and he is holding a gun. Dick took a picture of me with that statue. John Wayne died June 11, 1979.
We went to see the six Covered Bridges of Madison County in Iowa. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford starred in the movie. They are very rustic, and we enjoyed walking around inside them; even finding the hole (we think) through which Meryl Streep watched Robert Redford work.
On the way back to Wisconsin we stopped at Dyersville, Iowa, to see the “Field of Dreams” where the 1988 movie was made starring Kevin Kostner. “Build it and they will come….”, intoned the deep voice of James Earl Jones in the movie. Thousands stop by the baseball diamond carved from a cornfield. There is not much out there except the diamond, the beautiful farmhouse which you are not allowed to enter, and a gift shop. We got some T-shirts for our family which show the old-time famous baseball players coming out of the cornfield when the light shines on them. They disappear into the cornfield when the light doesn’t shine on them – fascinating!
Have you ever heard of the song “The Little Brown Church in the Vale”? We found that church (Congregational) at Nashua, Iowa. It is a beautiful little church which was built from 1860-1864. It took awhile to build because of the Civil War. The lady who was playing the organ there said it is still used for worship and for weddings. There is a lovely quilt displayed there on the wall.
Dick had told me often about a “clock place” which his parents had taken him to when he was a little boy. We found it at Spillville, Iowa. Not having been there before, I got out of the car and opened a door which WAS FULL OF COFFINS! What a shocker! The clock museum is next door. Composer Antonin Dvorak lived there in 1893. Wow – what fabulous clocks! I can understand why a little boy was so impressed with them. Most of them are huge and intricate! Chimes and music ring out hourly. It was well worth the stop, even if I opened a door and saw a roomful of coffins!
JULY 27, 2000 – FAMILY VISIT TO OUR HOME AT GRASSY KNOLL TRAIL
Dick, Wanda, and family, Sue, Tim, and family, and Sue, Jim, and family came to visit us. It was the first time Dick, Wanda, and family had seen our beautiful home. The guys and some of the girls hit golf balls into our pond, some of the children rowed the boat out on the pond and rowed around on it (sometimes Dick took me out in the boat around the pond and we would see little turtles sunning themselves on logs, frogs jumping into the pond, and ducks swimming around). The trees across the pond were beautifully green at that time.
We didn’t see any deer while they were there, but at other times Dick and I saw some. We fed them corn and watched them eat it. One time we put corn on a table just outside one of the living room windows, and a doe and her fawn came right up to the table and ate the corn. What an unforgettable sight that was to behold!
AUGUST 16, 2000 – STEVE’S FAMILY REUNION PARTY AT ST. JAMES PLACE
Wow! What a great time we had again at the clubhouse and swimming pool at St. James Place where Steve had his apartment in Milwaukee. The Wilsons were there, including Elaine, Glen’s Mom. David and Ann came with little Emma who was born May 21st. As my Oma Koplin used to call my sisters and me, she was a beautiful little “doll” all dressed up in a white dress. The Chmielewskis, including cute little Cassie who was now two years old, Sue and Tim Mueller family, including Kevin Poston (Jenny and Kevin were married June 9, 2001), Sue and Jim Weiland family, and Steph and Jeff Heitsch, and family were there. Sad to say, Wanda, Dick, and family from Orlando, Florida, were not with us at this time. What a memorable time we had swimming in the pool, sitting in the Jacuzzi, and sitting in the sun (Dick with his cowboy hat on) visiting with one another! Steve told us that if the manager knew how many of us were sitting in the Jacuzzi, he would not be pleased.
Nicki and David did all the cooking in the clubhouse, and we had a great time eating all the delectable food they cooked. Thank you soooo much, Nicki and David!
AUGUST 19, 2000 – BEATIE AND DONNIE NEHL’S 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
My sister, Beatrice, and her husband, Donald, celebrated their 50th anniversary at Donnie’s Restaurant at Pipersville, Wisconsin. Our mother, “Ma” (Frances Kuckkan), Michael and Patsy Golden (their children), Meaghan Rowland (Patsy’s daughter), Janet (my sister) and her husband, David DeVries, and other guests were invited. The food was very delicious, and all of us had a good time. It was a blessing to see and visit with everyone. Some of them had come a long way to be at the celebration.
AT PIONEER PARK, LAKE DELTON, WISCONSIN
Wow, where have all the little boys gone? We have pictures of three grown-up grandsons sunning themselves at the swimming pool. It’s hard to believe that Timmy, Chris, and Matt are now young men. It seems like yesterday when they were born. Where do all the years go? Yes, they are sunning themselves, but when they are not, they are working hard at various places in the Wisconsin Dells working for their college tuition.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2000 – DICK’S 71ST BIRTHDAY
As usual we were invited to Sue and Tim’s home in Medford to celebrate Dick’s birthday. Hey, how could he be 71 years old? Unbelievable! And, as usual, there was a birthday cake. On the picture it looks like one of my angel food cakes. But, I KNOW that again we had another one of those delicious meals at Sue and Tim’s home. Awwww – there is the same tablecloth on the table with colored balloons which is still being used in their home for birthday parties even now in the year 2009. And there are pictures of the trees across the pond beginning to change color.
OCTOBER 30, 2000 – JULIA MUELLER’S BIRTHDAY
Again there was a birthday party in Sue and Tim’s family. Julia had a beautiful delicious birthday cake adorned with 14 candles. How fast the children grow up.
OCTOBER – 2000 – INFECTION!!!!
In October, I had a bad pain in my abdominal area, so I told Dick I had to go to the doctor. He took me to the Medford Clinic and they transported me in an ambulance to St. Joseph’s hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin. I was in terrible pain for the next three – no, four weeks. Dick tells me that I was out of it for one week. Sue, Jim, and their children came to see me. Sue said that if she had known in what condition I was, she wouldn’t have brought the children. She told me later that they nearly lost me. I was delirious with fever most of the time and did not know who came to visit me. I was told by my doctor though that because of my infection, there was a cancerous spot on my right kidney which showed up on a scan. So I was scheduled to have an operation to remove the kidney on February 1, 2001. The infection I had actually was a “life saver”, as someone I met in the hospital told me. God in His loving kindness took care of me, and I was home for Christmas. God blessed us again. We take “One Day at a Time” (as sung by Tennessee Williams), as our Lord wants us to take them.
NOVEMBER 8, 2000 – A LETTER TO STEPHANIE’S MOM
Dear Stephanie’s Mom:
My name is Vickie Spires, and I am a friend of Stephanie’s. We met over a year ago, through a mutual pharmacist friend, because we both have a child with Diabetes. While I regret the circumstances under which we met, I can honestly say that meeting Stephanie has been one of the best things in my life. Since she’s your daughter, I don’t have to tell you how compassionate, energetic, upbeat, dependable and fun she is. Instead, I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for raising her. She has truly been a gift! My only criticism is that I think you should have named her either “Hope” or “Joy”.
Once again, thank you!
Vickie Spires