The Way They Were

As I mentioned, the old school at Immanuel Lutheran Church, out amidst the cornfields, has become a museum. The Kruses, my wife's family, have long been prominent in the area. They are well-represented among the displays.

If I am not mistaken, the top picture contains Mrs. C's first grade photo (top row, second from left). 

The middle image is of Mel Kruse, my wife's youngest brother, his wife Pat (they run the old family farm) and their four children. My guess is that this is about 25 years ago. All of the kids now have children of their own.

The bottom picture has the family's military veterans, my late father-in-law, Wilmer, a dashing young intelligence officer during World War II, and brothers-in-law Ron and Jim, probably in the 70s. The label is incorrect. Ron, lower left, was stationed in Germany while Jim was in Vietnam.                                                    

Heartland Monuments

Eye-poppers on the prairie.

My wife's biannual family reunion is held in the parish hall of Immanuel Lutheran Church, way out in the soy and corn fields. Its mailing address is Bremen, Kansas, the town of 50 I alluded to yesterday, but that has to be six or eight miles away. My wife and her siblings went to the parish school, now closed due to dwindling population. There is a museum inside now, more about which soon. The white siding just pops against the boundless summer sky.

The next big town to the north is Beatrice, Nebraska (population 12,400!). The old railway station has been beautifully restored and now used as the county historical museum. A small model of the Statue of Liberty stands in front. There is very little information about it online. It seems to have turned up about 1970 and was made by a sculptor from Los Angeles. Doesn't have quite the same patina as the original.