Minnesota Prairie Roots

My father, Elvern Kletscher, left, with two of his soldier buddies in Korea, where he fought on the front line.

Tribute to a Korean War Veteran

He can still hear

the rattle of the tin pail

as the Korean children beg

for food scraps

from the young American soldiers.

****

He is there, in uniform,

looking into the dark, slanted eyes

that peer through the barbed wire fence,

eyes hungry for food,

eyes hungry for more than he can give.

****

The children tug at his heart

in this land so foreign to him,

so far from the flat lands of Minnesota,

where he worked the soil,

a young farmer until he became a soldier.

****

Orders. Sent to the front line,

rifle in hand,

armed to fight Communism,

a faceless intellectual word to the world,

but here a word with a face, the enemy.

****

He is dug now, deep in a foxhole,

hugging the earth,

boots planted firmly in the dirt,

braced for war,

braced for death.

****

It is all around him—

death,

this death for freedom—

young men like him blown up

before his eyes, blood everywhere.

****

The enemy is so close

he can see the whites of their eyes

before he shoots.

It is him or them.

He fires.

****

Death is always there,

like the cold that seeps inside his bones,

like the hunger that never goes away,

like the fear that keeps him alive.

Life or death in the trigger of a rifle.

****

It still haunts him, nearly five decades later,

when he is an old man

back home in Minnesota,

with war encased in a wooden box

hung on his living room wall.

****

His dog tags, his military-issue spoon, his medals,

the Purple Heart he received forty-seven years

too late

for the bloody wounds of war,

wounds that pierced more than his flesh.

****

Nine months of hell stretched into a life-time

of battles

of nightmares

of flashbacks

to the eyes of war.

#

The veterans of Shieldsville are honored in this "Never Forgotten" memorial. Even though labeled "the Forgotten War," the Korean War will never be forgotten by those who served and by those of us who loved them.

THE ABOVE POEM HONORS my father, Elvern Kletscher of Vesta, and his buddy, Ray Scheibe of Wolbach, Nebraska. They fought side-by-side on the front lines during the Korean War. My dad came home. Ray did not.

In May 2000, my father received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in February 1953 in Korea. This poem was made public for the first time at his visitation and funeral in April 2003 and was later published in the May/June 2009 issue of Minnesota Moments magazine.

I also wrote a story, “Faith and Hope in a Land of Heartbreak,” about my dad’s service in Korea. That was published by Harvest House Publishers in 2005 in the book God Answers Prayers Military Edition—True Stories from People Who Serve and Those Who Love Them, collected and edited by Allison Bottke.

Today, on Veterans’ Day, let us honor all who dutifully served, and serve, their country. Let us especially remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives for freedom.

My dad brought this "RETURNED FROM HELL" patch home from Korea.

A veteran's grave at Zion Evangelical Cemetery, rural Morristown.

A soldier at the Northfield Area Veterans Memorial in Riverside Lions Park, Northfield.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

NOMINATIONS ARE ONCE again needed for Minnesota Prairie Roots’ virtual Friday flowers feature.

Every Friday I select individuals, businesses or organizations deserving of recognition, needing encouragement or celebrating a special occasion. They are listed in a weekly Friday post that includes a photo of flowers.

You may submit a nominee via e-mail or a comment to this post. I’ll pull the necessary information and then delete your comment. Please include information explaining why the suggested recipient is deserving of virtual Friday flowers. In most cases, only first names of individuals will be listed.

I will review all submissions and reserve the right to decline any nomination. Please submit only one request per week. The deadline is today, Wednesday.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

The Los 3 Reyes Bakery in historic downtown Faribault, at the center of a controversy over exterior paint color. This photo shows the bakery before it was repainted.

ONCE UPON A TIME, a merchant opened a bakery in a very old town. All around him were rather plain looking shops that made him yawn.

So the shopkeeper, who baked delicious pastries and cakes and breads, painted his bakery a bright green. It was a happy color that made him smile.

But not everyone in the village liked the green paint. Offensive, they called it. Too bright, they said. Ugly, they thought.

He heard the angry whispers.

One day, as he was pulling a tray of besos from the oven, men dressed in golden robes came with their official papers. “By edict of the magistrate, you must hereby repaint your bakery,” the proclamation read.

The baker did not want to change the beautiful green color. But he felt he must. He was, after all, not one of them.

“You must not follow this decree,” several merchants advised him.

“You must rebel,” the peasants urged.

But the lowly merchant kept quiet. He did not want to fight.

And so, one day when the humble baker was pulling a tray of gallinas from the oven, a painter came with his brushes and his cans of drab green paint. He brushed the paint across the bright green walls.

Then the golden-robed men returned. They stood outside the bakery. Just right, they agreed. A lovely color, they concurred. Beautiful, they exclaimed.

Inside the bakery, the lowly baker watched as he punched a ball of bread dough.

THE END

The Los 3 Reyes Bakery after it was repainted a subtler, almost gray, green last Thursday.

THE ABOVE STORY is a fictionalized version of a real-life issue that arose in Faribault recently regarding the Los 3 Reyes Bakery. Some business owners objected to the bakery’s bright green exterior, deeming it inappropriate for the historic downtown.

Last Thursday, the bakery was repainted a subtler, almost gray, green. The aforementioned business owners paid for the project because bakery owner Mariano Perez could not afford to repaint the building.

In speaking twice with Mariano, I believe that he may have felt pressured into repainting his bakery. Because of language barriers, he may not have fully understood that he had not broken any laws, ordinances or historic district guidelines.

He told me on Saturday that “the committee” presented him with paint color choices, the new hue among them. Then the painter showed up without informing him.

Mariano added that he received strong customer support for the bright green exterior and experienced increased business due to the color controversy.

This Latino business owner seems to harbor no resentment toward those who found the bright green color objectionable. Rather, he maintains a positive attitude.

Though the building exterior has dimmed, inside the bakery remains as bright and cheery as pre-repaint days. Nothing, it seems, can dim Mariano’s smile and upbeat spirit.

For more background, read my previous posts, “A controversy over color in downtown Faribault” (Sept. 30) and “Inside the colorful Los 3 Reyes Bakery” (Oct. 6).

What’s your take on this story? Please share your thoughts.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

"Charlie Brown and the Pumpkin Patch" won a blue ribbon for Deb Kasper's second hour American Sign Language class from Faribault High School.

STUDENTS AND STAFF at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in Faribault recently decorated the campus with Halloween-themed displays during the school’s annual Scarecrow Fest. Community members also participated. The result was a tribute to creativity, as evidenced by the displays I photographed. Check out these images and others in my Nov. 2 post.

This picturesque campus with its beautiful old buildings and abundance of green space provides the perfect setting for this annual festival.

A close-up of Charlie Brown with historic Tate Hall in the background.

Those who make the scarecrows get creative as shown in this "leg" made of leaves stuffed into a stocking in the Charlie Brown grouping.

Kids, if you eat too much candy and don't brush your teeth, you'll get tooth decay and lose your teeth seems to be the lesson learned from this pumpkin head scarecrow.

Bobbing for apples at the Fest.

There are always a few especially frightening "scarecrows" at the MSAD fest.

Emma Krump's tombstone brought back memories of the gravestones from the ghosts of birthdays past, like when I turned 50.

The cutest "scarecrow" at the MSAD Fest, in my opinion.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

IT’S TIME FOR FRIDAY FLOWERS, a new Minnesota Prairie Roots feature focusing on recognition, celebration and encouragement.

Each Friday, selected individuals, businesses and/or organizations will receive virtual flowers. These are intended to recognize those who deserve recognition, celebrate with those who are celebrating and encourage those who need encouragement.

So, with that said, this week’s virtual Friday flowers go to:

This week's Friday flowers come from the Virginia Clemens Rose Garden in St. Cloud, where I photographed these beautiful roses this past summer.

Burkhartzmeyer Shoes, a third-generation family shoe store celebrating 60 years in downtown Faribault. This is one of those old-fashioned style shoe stores with great customer service. Best of all, Burkhartzmeyer Shoes employees still tie white cotton string around boxed purchases. A sucker is optional. For more information, go to http://burkhartzmeyershoes.com.

Brad and Patty Holter, grieving the loss of their son, Curtis, who died Sept. 30 after he was struck by a truck while biking across a Faribault street. He would have turned 13 on Nov. 4. The Holters celebrated Curtis’ birthday by going to his favorite restaurant, an Italian place at the Southdale Center in Edina. They also met family members at Calvary Cemetery with a chocolate cake and joined hands surrounding Curtis’ grave. Patty says the family “attempted to sing Happy Birthday…….the tears did overtake the words.” Brad and Patty, may you always find comfort in cherished memories of the son you loved. Check out my Oct. 24 post about Curtis, “God gave us tears for a reason,” and this website, http://curtisholter.org.

My niece, Lindsey, who is taking her Graduate Record Exam today, one of her last requirements before applying to graduate school for physical therapy. Lindsey, we need compassionate individuals like you to care for us aging baby boomers. Best wishes on your GRE from your parents and me.

The Faribault Rotary Club, which brought Rachel’s Challenge to Faribault this week. Rachel’s Challenge shares the story of Rachel Scott, who was killed in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. The program brings messages of hope and inspiration that includes five challenges. Among those: To start a chain reaction of love, kindness and compassion in your family and community. Visit http://rachelschallenge.org.

My Aunt Marilyn, who each Halloween sends me a greeting card from Annie Mary Twente. See my Nov. 4 post, “Annie Mary Twente sends Halloween greetings.” I enjoy this annual tradition that always makes me smile.

Mike, who celebrated his 50^th birthday on Nov. 4. He is among the kindest and most caring individuals I know. Mike is quick to listen, slow to judge, willing to help and always supportive. So if you’re in Faribault, stop at Erickson Furniture and wish Mike a belated “Happy 50^th!”

That’s it for this week’s Friday flowers recipients. If you know of an individual, business or organization deserving of virtual flowers, submit a request to me for consideration via email or via a comment. Deadline submission is Wednesday of each week. One nominee per week, please.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Rachel Scott, the inspiration for Rachel's Challenge.

SWAT TEAMS pushed toward the school. Students fled. Parents checked lists for students’ names. Mothers embraced sons and daughters. Tears fell.

I watched as the tragic scene unfolded Tuesday night in the Faribault High School Performing Arts Center during a presentation of Rachel’s Challenge. The non-profit, through video footage and a speaker, shared the story of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre that left 12 students and one teacher dead and 27 wounded in 22 minutes. Rachel Scott, 17, was the first killed, as she sat outside eating lunch.

Her story inspired formation of Rachel’s Challenge, now the largest school assembly program in the country. The program reverberates with the message to treat others with kindness, just as Rachel did.

“People will never know how far a little kindness can go,” Rachel wrote in a “My Ethics, My Codes of Life” essay she penned for a high school class shortly before her April 20 death. She urged others to begin a chain reaction by showing kindness and compassion to others.

This teen, who befriended others, chose Anne Frank as her role model, kept journals and expected to die young, has significantly impacted the world, just as she predicted. At age 13, Rachel traced her handprints on the back of a dresser and wrote: “These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will someday touch millions of hearts.”

Rachel Joy Scott touched my heart Tuesday night. And judging from the attentive audience, some of whom were wiping tears from their eyes like me, she touched many hearts.

Owatonna native Sarah Branion was so inspired by Rachel’s message that she decided to dedicate her life to Rachel’s Challenge, she told audience members. She presented Tuesday evening’s program, one that included five challenges.

Tagged as “Rachel’s Challenges,” Branion encouraged attendees to:

1) ELIMINATE PREJUDICES in your heart. Look for the best in others. Give people three chances before judging or labeling them.

The back of Rachel's last journal, found in her backpack. She wrote on the cover: "I won't be labeled as average."

2) DARE TO DREAM. Write down your goals and keep a journal for 30 days, leaving a legacy for your family. (Rachel left six journals for her family.)

3) CHOOSE POSITIVE INFLUENCES. Input determines output.

4) Use KIND WORDS. Little acts of kindness can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

5) START A CHAIN REACTION of love, kindness and compassion in your family and community.

As I contemplated those five challenges, I also considered the words of Craig Scott, Rachel’s brother. He was with his friends, Matt and Isaiah, in the school library, where most of the Columbine students died. Isaiah, one of only a few black students in an all-white school, was taunted with racial slurs before he was killed. Craig recalled Isaiah’s final words: “I wanna see my mom.”

Rachel’s first challenge: Eliminate prejudices in your heart.

#

(For more information about Rachel’s Challenge, go to http://rachelschallenge.org. Thank you to the Faribault Rotary Club for bringing this powerful and inspiring program to Faribault. Images are courtesy of Rachel’s Challenge.)

A.M. (Annie Mary) sends greetings each October.

HALLOWEEN BRINGS the macabre, the horrible, the frightening.

And for me, it also brings a message from Annie Mary Twente, or someone impersonating her. As legend goes, the 6-year-old fell into a coma and was buried alive in 1886 in Albin Township near Hanska. For the complete story, go to www.minnesotamoments.com and read blogs I posted there on Oct. 30 and 31, 2008.

For years and years and years, I’ve received a Halloween greeting card from the ghost of Annie Mary. This year was no exception, except for the card’s two-day late arrival.

As always, the envelope bore no return address, only the initials “A.M.”

As always, the envelope bore a postmark from my hometown of Vesta.

Inside this witch-themed card, the little ghost girl signed her name and the chilling message, “I MISS YOU!” I don’t know why those words send shivers tingling down my spine, but they do. It’s as if Annie Mary is taunting me, in the sing-song chant of a child: “I MISS YOU! I MISS YOU! I MISS YOU! Na-na-na-na!”

I suppose if I considered this rationally, I would realize how very nice of Annie Mary to remember me on Halloween. But I can’t get past the possibility that she is trying to haunt me, to scare me, to….

Despite my concern over the intended meaning of A.M’s Halloween greeting, at least I have not been the recipient of correspondence from Norman Bates, the psychotic owner of the Bates Motel. My cousin Dawn tells me of years past when Norman contacted her, even sent dead box elder bugs. She is thankful, she says, that he has forgotten her and moved on.

I have five words of advice, Dawn. Don’t let down your guard.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Recipients of "Friday flowers" will receive virtual flowers, like these coneflowers in my garden, via a Minnesota Prairie Roots post each Friday.

WEDNESDAY MARKS the deadline for submitting nominees as possible recipients of virtual “Friday flowers,” a new Minnesota Prairie Roots feature.

Each Friday, I will post the names (first only, in most cases) of individuals, businesses and/or organizations that are deserving of “Friday flowers.” See my Oct. 30 “Friday flowers” post for examples and a more detailed explanation.

Perhaps you know of someone going through a tough time. Offer your encouragement via “Friday flowers.” Has a business or individual gone the extra mile? Share your gratitude. Look for the positive in those around you and publicly show your appreciation via Minnesota Prairie Roots.

To suggest a name for consideration, email me or submit a comment on this post. My blogging software allows me to review all comments. I can simply pull the necessary “Friday flowers” information, save the info for my weekly post and delete your comment.

All submissions should include a sentence or two explaining why you nominated this person, business or organization. Please, only one submission per week. I reserve the right to edit and/or decline requests.

Check back on Friday to see who will receive this week’s virtual “Friday flowers.”

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Jack-o-lanterns cozy together at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf annual Scarecrow Fest.

EVERY OCTOBER, for as many years as I can remember, my family has driven across the viaduct to the east side of Faribault to view the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Scarecrow Fest. Fall simply would not be fall without this event.

So Saturday my husband and I, minus the kids because two are grown and the other is a teenager, trek across town to the MSAD campus.

When I step from the van, I notice something I have not previously seen. How could I have missed the handprints? But they are here, a long row of handprints embedded curbside in the cement. These have nothing to do with the fest, but I pause before aiming toward the scarecrows.

Handprints in the sidewalk at MSAD.

Ever have a bad hair day like this student in "MSAD Ghost Scare?"

As Randy jots down information about the scarecrow displays, I search for the unique, the interesting, the artsy, the frightening—anything that may make for an interesting photo.

Some scarecrows make me smile, even laugh out loud, while others produce an “I’m not photographing that, it’s too scary” reaction. Halfway through our walk, our fingers are freezing and we are wishing we had dressed for the cold, brisk wind that sweeps across this campus. You would think we would learn. Every year we complain that we are cold.

As we walk, we observe how the winds have ravaged some of the displays. We guess that vandals have destroyed a few too.

And then, as we round the bend by the softball diamond, the cold-nipped fingers, the biting wind are forgotten. I discover candy inside a plastic pumpkin. Deb Kasper and her fourth hour Faribault High School American Sign Language students have left Snickers bars, Tootsie Pop suckers and other treats.

I grab a Snickers, not thinking to also take one for my husband. Back in the van, I rip off the wrapper and stuff the bite-sized piece into my mouth. But instead of biting into smooth chocolate and creamy caramel, I chomp into a chunk of weather-hardened candy.

My surprised reaction elicits laughter from Randy, whom I can almost hear thinking, “that’s what you get for forgetting me.”

So, before he can toss a barb, I am back at the plastic pumpkin snatching a Snickers bar for him, and another for myself. Snickers, even if half-frozen, still taste pretty darned good.

So Deb Kasper and students, your chocolate bribery worked. I award you the Woman’s Choice Award in the 16^th annual MSAD Scarecrow Fest.

Friendly Casper greets visitors at the award-winning display where I discovered chocolate.

This "Halloween witch" won a blue ribbon for the ECE class.

Remember when the house landed on the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz? Look at these legs.

These darling ghosts won my heart at the "Ring around the ghosty" display. Arent' they cute?

Now here's a dog I could love in the "Old lady escaping a dog" display.

Check back for more Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf Scarecrow photos in a future Minnesota Prairie Roots blog post.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

A serene and picturesque cemetery rests next to the 1862 and 1894 Valley Grove churches near Nerstrand.

My favorite of all the gravestones at Valley Grove, beautiful in simplicity and beautiful in name, Berit Hope.

FOR YEARS, CEMETERIES scared me. Not in the sense of ghosts or spirits or anything evil. But rather I cringed at the thought of stepping upon graves, knowing that underneath the layers of earth and of grass, within a box, a body lay.

Eventually my perspective changed, evolving as I aged. With maturity come wisdom and an acceptance of death. Loved ones pass on—first my grandparents, then great aunts and uncles, a cousin, a brother-in-law, friends’ husbands, my mother-in-law, a nephew who died too young, an uncle, and, finally, my own father nearly seven years ago.

With each death, I grieve. Yet I become more comfortable, stronger in my faith, more at ease in cemeteries where my loved ones lie.

I’ve come to appreciate cemeteries as a reverent place of peace, of art and of history.

The peace comes in understanding that life after death brings total peace.

The artistic angle stems from headstones viewed as works of art with words and images sculpted in stone.

History lies in the inscriptions of dates and names and carefully-chosen words, all of which tell the stories of individuals who once walked this earth, loved and were loved.

There is so much to learn and value in a cemetery, in a place like Valley Grove Church Cemetery, founded in the late 1800s by Norwegian immigrants northwest of Nerstrand.

I doubt that I’ve ever visited a more serene cemetery, set high on a hill overlooking fields and woods. This is a place of peace, of art and of history—restful and pleasant, rooted deep in the land.

A strong Norwegian name, in strong letters at the base of a weathered and strong tombstone.

For the Feldman children of Northfield, Emmalee and twins Owen and Cooper, a red wagon memorial.

A family gravestone that seems oddly out of place in this primarily Norwegian cemetery at Valley Grove. Perhaps these were refugees welcomed to America.

Across the fence line, a spectacular autumn view from inside the Valley Grove Cemetery.

A touching tribute to Emmalee Feldman, who was born with a heart defect and lived only 13 days. Her brothers, Owen and Cooper, were born prematurely on Feb. 8, 2009, and lived for 19 minutes.

Trees and prairie embrace the country churches and cemetery of Valley Grove northwest of Nerstrand.

© Copyright 2009 Audrey Kletscher Helbling