Malley in Richfield

Richfield 1955 - 1962

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The Property	We moved from the top of a duplex with a small yard and alley to a SUBURB - you know, no curb, no sidewalks and no alley. Richfield is Minnesota's oldest suburb and I think we bought the oldest house which was a two story with an unfinished stand up attic. Three bedroomsIt was the oldest house in the neighborhood. The siding was wooden shakes and tar tiles on roof. It was white when we moved in and we painted it a sort of orange. It had a huge oil fed furnace (I liked to watch the oil drip down into the flame and was amazed that such a small fire could warm the whole house) in the basement and large tank out the back door. I would get on the tank and from there I could get onto the roof, which I liked to do on warm summer evenings. We had an old fashioned wringer washing machine which required many steps to get the job done. Everyone else had modern small gas furnaces and automatic washers. We also had the only LPG (natural or rock gas) kitchen stove fed by canisters on the side of the house - the others had electric stoves or used the underground gas lines. Driveways back then were covered with crushed rocks - ours were white.	Oil Tank behind us Gas tanks
The Attic	It was divided into three rooms. The far one didn't have a floor. I had a room up there for awhile. Dad even put up a thin fibrous board over the insulation for my room only. The other rooms remained untouched and a cloth was used as a door. A rope across uprights became my closet. Yes it was cold in the winter and hot in the summer. But it kept me isolated from the family, something that I have continued doing over the years. I discovered that the place was built during WWII. Because the insulation was made up of bundled newspapers. I had great fun pulling out the comic strip pages of the early 40's. There was Superman fighting Germans. For my desk I used an old pedal Singer sewing machine. My bed was a metal box spring without legs put onto the floor so it could be put under the roof slant and I had a big thick feather blanket. I remember putting together and painting most of my models up there.	boxspring
The Garage	It was a two car but we only ever had one so that left a large space for storage and playing in. One side had two concrete strips for the car. The other side had a dirt floor. When the living room got new carpet we put the old one into the garage. Large and heavy bench at the back. Two story with a floor of loose boards across the rafters. We could get to the attic which was mainly storage for cartons and junk, by a "ladder" built into the back wall. Dusty and stifling hot up there in the summer and yet we would go up there (couldn't stand) and lie reading comic books.
The Windows	Unlike the then modern ranch ramblers with aluminum windows that would slide up to expose screen or down for winter, our place had wooden sash windows which required changing. You had to wash the dust and junk from storage before putting up the screens for summer and for winter they were replaced by the storm windows. They were heavy and I had to change 4 attic ones on a heavy wooden ladder. They had been left on the garage dirt floor. One year I made a hanging system over the garage bench. Each window was hung from the rafters leaving space between them. In the attic two rooms did not have wall coverings so the workings of the windows was exposed and I saw how there was a metal weight on a rope system.
The Yard	Front yard had a large elm and on the driveway there was a large poplar. Near the garage were three small elms on the edge, but they were soon removed. In the back there were two medium sized elms. A wild rose bush under one end of the clothesline. We didn't know that it should have been pruned. Being Austrian my mother put a flower box under the large front window and each year it was filled with petunias. Our mailbox was attached to the house next to the front door, unlike the other modern houses which had a slot for the mail to go into the house. There was a lilac bush behind the garage and I loved that scent. Three apple trees by the garage
The Lawn	We were the only family without a power mower. So it was up to me to push our mower and then rake the grass clippings. I recall the one time that my father lost his cool about me being lazy and not doing the lawn. Behind the garage was dirt, making for a great play area for the kids. One year my mother hired a rotary hoe and dug half of it and planted a veggie garden.
The Water	There was no city water connection so each house had its own well. I remember seeing a square glass in the middle of concrete steps leading to the back door. Finally many years later I figured out that it could be broken if the well needed to be drilled deeper. Our pump was under the stairs to the basement and it was a dark and scary place. Three lower steps could be removed so we could get to it. And I remember my father having to go in there and do something to repair the pump. I also remember helping Gene Newstrom prime his pump.
The Sewer	There was no sewer connection so each house had its own cesspit. My father took a petition around the block getting neighbors asking for a sewer. It happened in 1961 and there were two things I remember. For a long time the whole street was one very deep hole. I believe a water system was also installed at the same time. As each house was hooked up it was then covered. The other thing that I can still see in my mind was these guys putting large metal pipes from below our bathroom and down into a hole they had made in the basement. What I really remember is the welding which filled the whole house with smoke and an acrid smell.
The Phone	We had one on the wall in the kitchen and next to the livingroom. With a long cable so you could sit in either room. But most of my calls were handled standing up. In January 1957 the phone number changed from Rockwell 6 to Union 6. Don't remember the remaining 4 digits.
The Bicycle	My father found the bike at shop on 13th and Chicago. I loved it. Chrome fenders, springs under leather seat and a front shock absorber. It came with streamers. He brought me to the shop on his way to work one summer day and I had to ride it home from there. A distance of about 5 miles which seemed very far. Back then you rode bikes on the sidewalks so traffic wasn't a worry. And there was no such thing as burglars so you could leave it outside overnight. But on Apr 18, 1959 someone slashed the tires while Iwas at the Elliott school fair.
The Babysitter	In the photo of me and Chris on the bike I am taking him to the McKays who were on the corner of 67th and 13th. He would spend the day there. Mrs McKay also did our ironing. Her husband was a large man who drove trucks. There were two girls and a boy about Chris's age name Steve. One time Chris cut his head and needed 7 stitches. Mrs McKay told mom that he ran into a wall corner, but Steve had slammed a door on him.
The Milkman	Can't remember the company's or milkman's names, but can still picture him. Tall and thin with black hair under his hat. Very polite. In most cases the milk would be delivered very early so's to be fresh for breakfast. And most people had a cubic galanized storage box at the back door to put the empties. But we didn't. Our milk was delivered to us personally so I imagine we didn't have a regular order. I can also recall that upon occasion he would stop for a cup of coffee, so we must have been the last delivery. I always thought that milk truck were so cool, with the driver on the wrong side and the seat way up high so he pretty much stood as he drove. My mother married a different milkman - Bob, in the photo.
The Telethon	Jerry Lewis' MDA telethons were something new back in the 50's. One year Dad drove me and Angie to Wold-Chamberlain airport so we could donate our money. I recall that we went into a hangar and that we were given giant-sized Baby Ruth bars. Angie recalls that Flash Gordon was there and we were given plastic spaceship savings banks.
Baldies vs Greasers	This is from a website: "The Mpls 'Baldies' of the early 60's were a gang who adopted tight, high-riding trousers and reinforced steel-toed shoes (and wing tips) and Ghant shirts (with the loop at the back of the neck). The original Baldies best known for fighting almost exclusively with their feet were immortalized in 1964 by the Deacons in the Twin Cities hit "The Baldie Stomp." "The Baldies" was originally a gang of skinheads (but after '64 wore their hair in a Beatle cut) who fought a group of greasers (reknowned for filing their teeth to points) in the same city. Men from the police forces in the Twin Cities were in "The Baldies". As far as American skinhead history goes, 1962 is as far back as I have gone. At this point The Deacons was the first US skinhead band 1964". Tom Nordmeyer informs me that: "The Baldies were the rivals of a gang that called themselves "The Animals". The Animals did file their teeth to points and some of them actually carried knives! The Baldies kicked their rivals with vigor in hopes of getting tooth marks on the toes of their wing-tips. They also set the trend of wearing a wide belt with a heavy buckle that could be stripped quickly from the high-waisted, green or white denim jeans. The belt was either wrapped around a clenched fist or was swinged around the area of an outnumbering foe". I, as did almost everyone at De, dressed like a Baldie but wasn't in a gang. I did know guys in Richfield gangs from both sides who actually had "rumbled". But I kind of always thought that it was mostly bravado and just "talk". We called them "Greasers" because they had the long, greasy, 50's, Elvis-ish hair and they also had extra long metal combs with the solid side honed into a blade. I know because I had an aluminum one, without the blade conversion, and I could whip it out of my back pocket and "slash" many a hand in school. Yep, fastest comb.	Listen
The Cottonwoods	There must have been a forest of them before the houses were built. There were at least 14 with most of them in Fair's yard and a few in Roed's. There was one on the border of Breth's and our property. They were magical. In spring they had millions of seeds which were about the size of pea and we would shoot them using a pea shooter. Those seeds which matured would float to the ground via a white cottony fluff. It would look like winter. Autumn meant a never ending amount of leaves to be raked and burnt (back them it was allowed). Didn't seem fair as most of them came from neighbor's trees. Signe writes that she hated raking the thick sticky leaves. They had two on the side yard with a patio and picnic tree between them. On Aug 20, 1960 Mr Roed with the help of Mr Fair brought down a giant one on the corner. They spent two days digging a deep hole to remove the roots while a group of us kids watched on.	in background
The Tree	The Roeds parked their car off the road under a tree. It was a great tree for climbing. One time when I was in it, they arrived home. I kept perfectly still and held my breathe as they got out of the car and walked to the house. I got away with it. Always wondered what would have been said to me if I had been caught.
The Treeforts	I. Richfield - Big cottonwood on the Breth border was perfect and in 1960 we had crude boards going up it to a small floor that would only hold two. It was from this launching point that we would ignite magnesium shavings (Steve's father brought them home from his work) and push them over the edge to put on "light shows". In 1961 I expanded it to be a bit larger (just squeeze in four) and we put low walls on three sides. I even hung a tarp over it as a roof. In 1962 we went for gold and built a large 6' x 6' platform, using the old fort as a platform from which we could open the trapdoor and enter the larger building. This had walls 3' high all the way around then 3' of screens with tarps that could be dropped in wet weather. It had a proper roof complete with roofing tiles. Benches on two walls with a collapsable table. It easily held the four teenagers in the club and we could get a couple more in. Ran electricity from my garage to give us lighting at night the all important radio for music. Unfortunately, a big storm blew in and the main branch pulled away from the trunk cracking a main support. I was positive that all we needed to do was nail in a new support below the bad one, but Mr Newstrom declared it unsafe and we had to take it down. And no one ever got a photo of it!!!! So we built a clubhouse inside our garage, putting in on stilts so the car could drive under it. That didn't last long as we moved to Bloomington and had to take it down. The next spring Mr Breth let us build a clubhouse behind his garage. It didn't fair well over the winter and we took it down in 1964. II. Farm - In 1961 I built a simple platform in the grove next to the house. The following summer Chris and I built a proper one in an adjacent tree.	backyard Farm
The Clubhouse	We built our clubhouse inside our garage, at the back up on a pole in one corner. That way my father's car could still fit in with the hood going under the place. We could only use the floor entry when the car was out. We called it the "Rendezvous". It was narrow but the four of us managed to "sleep" in it on August 9th, 1962.
The Toothache	I got this toothache one summer and so I put Chris onto the bar of my bike and we went to the store where I got a popsicle thinking the cold would help numb the pain. So began riding north toward Lake Nokomis, thinking I'd peddle around it. By pushing my jaw onto Chris' head the pain would ease. So when we got around the lake I just kept peddling north. We ended up near our old neighborhood, about 4-5 miles and once there I rode over to where Mrs. Hansen now lived and "dropped in" on her. She called Mom who drove over and brought Chris home, leaving me to peddle back on my own.
The Swimming Pools	Breths had a wading pool (8 inches of water) and that's me and Chris in the photo. But we had a large round pool 18" deep with an 8 foot diameter that was a big hit the one summer we had it up. I can still remember its vinyl smell and how warm it got compared to the wading pools that tended to get fresh water everyday and were a bit cooler, but cleaner.
The Coffee Parties	My mother loved to get out her fancy china and serve coffee and pastry. Vienna style coffee with whipped cream on top. This photo is from 1958.
The Theaters	The Richfield Theater was on 65th and Nicollet and I recall it having a very stylish entry. Went to quite a few movies over the years. My sister, Lynn H and Sandy Breth were once thrown out for talking too much. Saw "Tom Dooley" and "Three Stooges in Orbit" in 1962. Ticket cost a quarter.
The DriveIns I	The nearest one was "Bloomington" on 78th and 12th and we went there quite a few times with the family. I vividly remember seeing "Tall Story" "Godzilal" and "It Happened to Jane" there.Next closest was "Mann France Ave" in Edina and I went there a few times. One time Jim Mulville and I smuggled Newsy (hidden in trunk) into the Lucky Twin in Burnsville.
The DriveIns II	These were the ones that served food brought to your car. Tom Tom on Cedar Avenue (Signe worked there one summer) was the closest. Nelson's was the next closest and it had great strawberry pies. Then there were Currans, El Dorado and Comanche.
The Apple Tree	It was gone in 2005. I carved my and Signe's initials on it (using my Swiss Army knife - which also has her initials engraved upon it). This tree and its sister behind the garage provided many missiles for our apple fights. They were only good for eating when still green. But its main purpose in my life was access to the garage roof, where we would assemble and just sit for hours doing nothing.
The Fruit Trees	I never thought about this until 2017. In our neighborhood there were only five fruit trees. We had two apples and Hines' had one. Daniels had a cherry tree (betwen we kids, eating or throwing and birds I doubt that the family ever got any to eat) and Olson's had a peach. I suppose it was because of the harsh winters. Here in NZ we had more than 5 fruit trees in every property that we have owned including this small one at the village. And in NZ I learned that one needed to prune back fruit trees to get bigger and better fruit. The Richfield ones were never pruned.
The Apples	One year as large apples were falling from our trees my father thought he'd make some money. So he had us put them into a bushel basket. He would shake the tree to make more come down. I told him that they weren't good apples, so he took a bite out of one and said there was nothing wrong with them. He brought the apples to a veggie stand on Cedar Avenue. I don't recall if he sold them or not. I preferred to eat the apples while they were still green and crunchy.
Der Strudel	Making it was a family affair. When my mother had worked the dough to the right consistency she would plop in onto the center of the table. She then set about strecthing in all directions. We kids each had a side of the table where we would hold down our edge of the monster as my mother carefully pulled it on the opposite side. She was often successful ending up with an extremely thin pastry which hung over the sides of the table. Quite often a hole would appear and depending on the size and the state of the stretching she would throw it all in and start over. But I recall many a strudel being made with holes. See, we would fold it over, add the apples and spice sauce and continue folding until you had a strudel. Much finer than flake pastry - a real delicacy if done right.
The Garbage Man	In the photo of the apple tree you see a 56 gallon steel drum that has a cover made of wood that has sheet metal nailed over it. In the early hours while most people are sleeping the garbage man would carry a canvas bag into which he would empty our drum and haul it to the truck. Most people had the modern smaller trash can. I felt sorry for the guy who had to hoist our monster. My dad would buy the drums cheap. We had a second one which I used almost everyday to burn our "rubbish".
The Dentist	He had an appropriate name, Bussen (pronounced buzzen) as in drilling noise. He was remarried and had 11 kids. He didn't use painkillers and so when he was drilling I was saying Hail Marys in my head trying to take my mind off of the pain. He removed part of a front tooth so the new invention, floss, could go between. Left that tooth with a brown area. I would get a voucher for an ice cream cone which I would get from the drug store in the Plaza.
The Millers	An American Association baseball team The Minneapolis Millers played at Metropolitan Stadium. My mom worked at the stadium as a cook and somehow got me a team photograph with autographs. At least five of the players made it to the majors. I went to a few games over the years. My favorite wasfirst baseman, Gail Harris.
The Twins	In 1961 The Minnesota Twins joined the American League. Sept 6 my mom had a sports reporter bring me to the game a couple hours before the start and we were able to go onto the field and talk to players. I got a few coaches' autographs. Then we had seats right behind the dugout. The big ticket was the Yankee games. Mom worked at Perkins Pancakes and she managed to talk two young waitresses (Charlotte) to bring me to one of the games (Jun 23). We sat in the left field side bleachers, so not a good view, but still a great memory for a teenage boy as Twins won 4 - 0. I had to leave my Babe Ruth game after three innings so I could go to the game. That first year I sketched some of the Twins and even had them autographed by players (see them). Unfortunately, most were lost in a house fire. The big ticket was the Yankee games. Mom worked at Perkins Pancakes and she managed to talk two young waitresses (Kathy and Charlotte) to bring me to one a Yankee game on June 23, 1961. We sat in the left field side bleachers, so not a good view, but still a great memory for a teenage boy. I had to leave my Babe Ruth game after three innings so I could go to the game. I listened to and watched as many games as I could. There was solid, boring Herb Carneal with a real character, Halsey Hall doing radio.
The Trees	On the back border of the Tanner/Fair lot were a row of trees. At the Roed end was a big one that had many spreading branches at a low height which created a "bowl". I can remember groups of us kids sitting on the branches and "hanging out". One day I decided to try to start at that tree and make my way across the trees to our yard without touching the ground. I did it, but can't recall if it was easy or difficult.
The Flowers	On one side of the house along the driveway there were Lily of the Valley flowers. On the other side of the house a row of hollyhocks were perennially in bloom. I love them so much that I have planted them in every property we have since owned. My mother harked back to her Vienna home by putting flower boxes under windows and filling them with petunias. She also planted chrysanthemums.
The Farmhouse	A couple blocks away there was a derelict farm. Most of the buildings were down but the house was a haven for young boys to explore. We had dirt ball fights with half inside. Once when I was ducking away from a window on the second floor I flew down a hole in the floor. My arms stopped me from falling through, but I was rubbed raw on my sides, back and front. Ran all the way home and into the bathtub.
The Police	For some reason the cops decided to round up the dirt throwers. Pretty much everyone got away except me, who tried to lie low in the weeds. I was taken to the cop car and interrogated. In the process I told them a couple of the other boys' names, thinking that nothing would happen. They drove me home and for some reason I pointed out Knoss's house across the road. Well, later that summer, Donnie and his gang beat the crap out of me at Christian Park.
The Fireflies	We would see and chase these in our front yard on hot summer nights. Only other time I saw them was in 1980 in Pittsburgh at Gail's relatives.
The Fence	Mr Palmer put up a fence. It was redwood, which is a very soft wood. After a few years of neglect and us kids climbing over it to get to the swing set the boards loosened. I had always liked to walk along the fence top. Each section was about 6' long. It was like doing a 1" wide tightrope, except it slowly became wobbly which made it a big challenge. When the Newstroms moved in, Gene did a very wise thing. In 1961 in addition to repairing the loose planks, he also put an opening in the fence, so we wouldn't climb it. It was this same fence that I would soar over. You got a good swing going and then on the way up you let go and off I went into my yard. As far as I know I was the only one to do it.
The Flight	We were swinging at Palmer's and I got so high that I almost went right over. I recall that I was the only one who dared to launch himself from the swing and fly over the fence into my yard; an exciting feeling because you are almost vertically pointing up at the beginning and need to right yourself for landing on your feet.
The Kool Aid Stand	I built one and painted it the same color orange that we put onto the house. We set it up by our rear steps and relied on word of mouth for customers to arrive with their pennies. Not just Kool-Aid. Angi and I went to the grocery store in the Hub and bought popcorn, small paper bags to put it in and chewing gum (selling the individual sticks to make a profit). Later I moved the stand behind the garage, so as to be in the shade, under the apple trees. We may have sold candy, but I'm not 100% sure.
The Whomping	One summer day I was biking to the drug store on Chicago Ave and going from the school you went across vacant lots. I came upon Larry Moos fighting a boy a few years younger than him. The kid's big brother (a few years older than us) and a friend were telling him to beat the crap out of Larry (I have no idea why). So I stopped and watched (I am no hero and I quickly ascertained that I would be slaughtered) and was there to help Larry once the pummeling ended. It did and while I was helping Larry up the big guy said: "you want some too?" I, of course, replied "No thank you". Whereupon they sent the little terror into me. Now then, I was big for my age and much bigger than Moos. So I was a different prospect and the little kid was weary of me and didn't want to. So what ensued was basically a pushing contest. He couldn't get close enough to me to actually hit me. I thought I would try to end the thing, so I blasted him one into his solar plexus and floored him. That didn't end it so I decided that I should let him hit me a few times and pretend to cry. I never made it to the shops. Went home with a busted lip.
The Plaza	The drug store mentioned above was at the ChiPlaza where there was also a grocery store, beauty parlour, our doctor (Lindblom) and dentist (Bussen). I would go in there at other times to have a flavored Coke® - the usual was cherry; sometimes I would try lime.
The Sprain	Have only sprained an ankle severely twice. First time was when chasing around Palmer's back yard. The grass (weeds?) behind the garage was very tall and so I didn't see the pipes (from swing set?). My foot went between two pipes and when I turned I really wrenched my ankle.
The Typewriter	I was given one for Christmas. Best gift ever. One summer I produced a neighborhood newspaper. Using the typewriter and carbon paper I whipped out a two page edition complete with a sports section (Babe Ruth standings), want-ads, TV listings, a crossword puzzle, a "Just Ask" section, what's playing at the theaters, a political cartoon and did a whole page of cartoon strips.
The Store	On 66th and 15th. It was called Bill's and renamed Pik Quik around 1957. This was the store that we returned our empty drinks bottles for cash and use the money to buy a Popcicle.
The Flip	One summer day I was biking to Pik Quik to return bottles which I had in a bag on my handle bars. As I was going up the hill on 14th I was standing pumping hard swaying the bike sideways back and forth and this caused the bag to go inbetween the wheel's spokes which brought the bike to an immediate stop. It happened so fast that I don't remember it happening. But I do remember laying on my back holding the bike straight up above me. I was winded, but was able to finish the trip.
The Atlas	One birthday or Christmas I was given a large Atlas. I fell in love with it as it not only had maps but it was loaded with facts. And the part I loved the best were the maps in ancient times. I spent a lot of time pouring over that book.
The Tavern	On 66th next to Quik Pik. I am pretty sure we would have called it a "beer joint". We knew it as "Frenchie's". I see in 2013 it goes by "Frenchman's Pub". I was in it as young boy and I remember playing the bowling machine. You slid metal hockey pucks on the oily sawdust lane and tripped metal switches knock "over" the pins. I don't recall ever eating there.
The Supermarkets	For the big shop we would drive to Penny's at the Hub or Red Owl across the road from there. For smaller needs we would go to National Tea which was only two blocks away on 66th. I have the interior of it memorized. At Penny's you could leave your trolley and get a number. Get your car and drive to the store and a boy would unload your trolley into the car. Great service in the middle of winter.
The Horse Races	The National Tea on 66th gave Horse Race "bets" with each purchase. Then once or twice a week races from Florida were broadcast. You would watch and if your horse won a race, you brought it back to the store and got a prize/$$$.
The Drug Store	Condon Drug was next to National. Owner/pharmacist was Chester Karnowski. It had a soda fountain, model kits, magazines, comic books, paperback books and toys all which interested me. I recall sitting at the counter and having a coke with schoolmates that I may have run into there.
The Television I	In the early days televisions used tubes (bulbs) and they burnt out on a regular basis. That made the bulb tester at Condon all-important. You'd guess which ones might be causing the problem based on their looks. Then you put them into the tester to find out if they needed replacing.
The Barbers	I went to Gaspard's on 66th. It was a hunters and fishers haven and the talk was manly. The barbers only new how to cut hair short, not much on styling. One year I asked if he would shave half of my head for Halloween and then I would come back afterwards and have the other side buzzed for no extra charge. He wouldn't - I didn't.
The Barbers II	When I was older I began going to the barber shop in The Hub. Four chairs and always busy. The owner was a World War II survivor and liked to give butch haircuts and talk loudly to everyone. There was a real old barber who gave traditional short back and sides. The third was always someone different. But the one I chose to wait for was Chuck, a youngish fellow who played a saxophone at night clubs. We conversed quietly and got to know each other, so much so that I never had to say how I wanted my hair cut. In 1965 a haircut there cost $2 and in 1968 it went up to $2.50.
The Army	Speaking of World War II, I found my father's Army uniform, hat, canteen, sewing kit (still have it) and duffle bag (which I used on my way to Hawaii/Fiji) in the attic.
The Empty Cans	Back when my feet were smaller we would attempt to crush beer/pop cans (steel back then) so that the top and bottom curled up around our shoe and became attached. Then we would walk around until they fell off.
The Shoes	I remember that we had Kiwi shoe polish cans. And what pops into my mind is "Oxblood" which is a reddish one and I had a pair of shoes for it. Also for some reason I had "Cordavan". But the coolest were my white shoes which needed a liquid polish.
The Car	My father decided to paint his car, a Plymouth. For some strange reason he chose what I would call an ugly "Grasshopper Green".
The Fire	One day smoke rose in great amounts out of the chimney. This attracted crowds and the fire department. It wasn't serious, just embarrassing. Chimney probably hadn't been swept for years and caught on fire.
The Fish	24 May 1959. Mom bought the kids fishing sets and we went to Lake Pepin by Lake City where we fished and played baseball. Brought home the extra minnows, but no fish, so we roasted weiners.
The Transfers	I had a special color book that came with sheets of colored patterns. You would put a pattern over the drawing and rub, so that the pattern transferred onto the page. I have never seen the like since then.
The Magazine	I fell in love with MAD and decided to make my own - see it.
The Hole	The garden hose was left running over night and caused a sink hole in the front lawn. About 4 feet down there was a wooden cover. I reckon it was either our septic tank (which I didn't know we had but obviously needed prior to city sewage system) or the sewer pipeline to the street.
The Luge	Breths built a garage next to ours. In the winter I would push the snow from the rooves to the space between them. We extended the slide into our back yard. After it was built we then iced it down with water. Was a great ride for the kids but not so great for the garage walls.
The Old Folks	Behind Roed lived an elderly couple (fellow's name was Art) in a very small house and a very large garden. Going to and from Christian park or the bus I would walk along their dirt driveway. And along that fence they grew raspberries. I dared to pick a few as I walked along and was never caught. In fact, I can't rightly remember ever having seen them out and about.
The Cherries	Daniels had a cherry tree and I wonder if they ever got any. We kids would fill our mouths as soon as they began to look mature. And even before that we throw them in cherry fights.
The Castle	Probably my favorite toy was the Prince Valiant castle set. Tin castle with plastic tower caps and working drawbridge. I would set it up behind the garge and dig a moat around it. Besides storming the castle I would also hold jousting matches. If I were now living in the States I would buy one on ebay. Thanks to those who saved their's and put up photos.
The Park	Christian Park was just a short block away. Most of my Babe Ruth games were played there. At the other end was the park building which held all the items needed to play. You had to register for some reason. My favorite was box hockey which used a puck inside of a box. The box had walls with slots just large enough for the puck. You needed to get the puck into opponent's corner slot. You began with a "top of the knob" to see who got first choice; choices were which stick, fast/slow, which direction... Puck placed in the middle and for a fast game, the players tapped the other's stick 3 times and it was on. Winner played again until defeated. Also in the park was a basketball court and tennis courts. In the winter a level area was flooded and made into a skating rink. I saw in 2020 that two city blocks on the north of it were demolished and the park extended.
The Lake	At Portland and 66th to the American Legion was this swamp filled with plants. Its name is Legion Lake which made sense. We called it "Mud Lake". I never really got into ice skating, but I had skates. One winter Gary Olson, Lee Fredricks and I skated around the whole lake.
The Church	We went to St Peter's on Nicollet next to Holy Angels Academy (girls) and near the Hub. Angie and I were confirmed there. We went to Sunday School on Saturdays, well I did. The head nun was Sister Aquin (purple face) and she had been to Bechyn in the old days, so had an affinity for me. Plus I was the smartest student in the class due to my photographic memory and I could recite the Catechism. So, she encourged me to go to De La Salle. I would often ride my bike to Mass, but most times Dad would bring us to the Noon Mass and we usually ended up standing at the back. Once in awhile we would be in a basement classroom listening via a speaker. It was demolished and rebuilt in 1981. The church in the 2000's became a Spanish speaking church.
The Confirm	Angi and I both were Confirmed at St Peter's. My Confirmation name is Bernard. Grandparents came with Angela and Ralph.
The Horrors	Every Saturday night Channel 11 had "Shock Theater" at 10:30PM. It was hosted by Mel Jass who would tell facts about the movie. Dad was at work until 3AM. And mom was in bed needing to get up early for her job. So I would sit close to the TV with the sound down low. Part of my ritual was to get a bowl of chocolate ice cream and eat it slowly as it melted.
The Organ	Angi got an organ for her birthday in 1960 and was very good; even appearing on a local TV show, "Organ Notes" (Sept 18, 1960) and being paid to play at Southdale. Me, I memorized the beginning of "Exodus" and then when at some place with a piano I would casually play a couple bars. Impressed people.
Weird Warren	Warren wasn't normal. Unfortunately, he lived a couple houses away and we were in the same classes in Jr High. So we "saw" each other. One time when he was over he locked himself in my room and didn't come out until he had read all of my comics.I have to hand it to him, though. He was the only person to ever beat me in a race around the block on a bicycle.
The Races	As mentioned above, we had races around the block. Since I was the biggest in the neighborhood I would give others up to 4 house lead and then generally catch them before half way. The secret was to be brave and take the corners fast without worrying about cars being in the area.
The Bloody Nose	During my early teens I used to get bleeding noses for no reason at all. And it was very difficult to stop one. I would go into the basement and lay on my back on the floor, head titled back (not recommended procedure these days) until it would end. I can recall at least one time that mom brought me to Dr Lindbloom who cauterized my nose vessels.
The Art of Snowballing	I thought up a tactic which worked, but only once per fight and enemy. I would prepare two snowballs. Loft the first one high into the air and when the person looked up at it I would let go with a straight shot that always caught them off guard. I once knocked a squirrel off of a power line in our back yard. We used to throw them at the corner street light, too.
The Art of the Rock	I was in Hughes driveway of white stone rocks. I picked a hefty one and threw it somebody(s) in Fair's driveway (across the road). Well, it broke the saltine (large 4-square one) that was being held up to a face. I thought it was a fantastic result. Only in later years did I realize that I could have caused great damage to someone if it had hit the head.
The Art of Soap	My first attempt at carving was with a bar of soap. A seal. My brother brought it to school for "Show and Tell".
The Art of Halloween	Competition. I don't recall who partnered me. Each team was assigned a gas station and we would paint our picture on a large window. I recall that ours was at the Pure Oil station on the corner of 66th and Portland. I also remember how cold it was in the unheated room. Don't recall what the design was, but I do know that we didn't win.
The Art of the Darts	We made "dart boards" with girls names instead of numbers. You would try to hit the girls you liked best. At one stage we had three going. I would stand in the doorway and threw like I was pitching a baseball. One day I was lobbing the darts back to the doorway when one stuck in the back of Johnny Windom's head. He pulled it out and ran like hell for home.
The Trip	I remember being in bed and out of it by some illness. As I lay there I would hold my arms up and touch my fingers tips together. And then I would pull them apart and they remained connected as the fingers got longer.
The Trip II	Jul 12, 1959. Daddy brought us to Owatonna and we ate at his friend, Bert's, drive-in. Then we went to Buddy Schneider's but he wasn't home. We then went to the Lucky Twin drive-in movie and saw "Operation Mad Ball". I still remember Mickey Rooney as a drunk sailor saying "Skeeee-bo".
The Club I	On Oct 5, 1959 Gary Olson, Lee Fredrickson and I formed a club in 5th grade. I don't recall what it was called, but I did make a logo for our tee shirts. We had meetings, usually at Olson's. One time we got dressed up in suits and took the bus to downtown Minneapolis and we had lunch at Dayton's restaurant (Olson's aunt worked there and ate with us). We went bowling and we went to a Millers baseball game.
The Club II	I formed a club with neighbors Billy, Steve and Kincy. We had meetings in my basement mainly trying to figure out what to do. I decided that we would build clubhouse in the tree on Breth's border. And since we would be in a tree I came up with the name Night Owls (website)
The League	I was in a junior bowling league at Luxury Lanes. (web page)
The Little League	I was on a team for three years. Details.
The Babe Ruth	I was on a team for three years. Details. In 1961 I got Kincy to be our batboy and he even got a uniform.
The Dog	We had a stray dog for a day or two. I remember it sleeping with me and how its farts were so horrid. I am sure that is why we got rid of it. I don't recall how that was done.
The Marbles	Every kid and maybe a girl or two had a bag of marbles. Cat eyes were considered special. Extra large ones were even better, but the best were the "steelies" being large bearings. We played in our backyard. There are several variations. We played for keeps. We flicked our shooter trying to knock an opponent's and thereby claiming it.
The Fads	These things come and go over the years. A couple guys put on a yo-yo show at school and soon after everyone had one and were trying to do tricks. I never got very good but had fun trying. Hula Hoops were another fad in the late 1950s. Biggest toy seller in 1957. Everyone including my baby brother had. I, of course, had to have one. I even got my grandmother to give it a go. Then there were the fortune telling origami things. And there was a large plastic black ball. You asked question and then turn the ball over and it revealed the answer. But the biggest thing to happen in 1960 was "The Twist". Young and old, everyone was doing it. Another one had people putting aspirin into Coke® to get a buzz. 1960 also found Trampoline City open, but along came winter and it shut down permanently. And then along came Silly Putty.
The Russians	It was the Cold War and people were building fallout and bomb shelters. In school we practiced getting under our desks, though I wonder what good that would be against a nuclear bomb. My mother was in Austria at the end of WWII where the great fear was that the Russians would get there before the Americans. She so feared these evil creatures that she told us that she would kill her children before they could get to us.
The Desk	1956 - a gift from my parents. My dad and I put it together (put the top on backwards). In 1985 we shipped it and the chair that came with it to New Zealand. 1993 I cut it in two. 2008 I gave the book shelve half to Stephanie. Sold the drawer half in 2011.
The Invasion	No, not the Russians. In 1959 I drew and colored in an oversized comic strip type story (on a scroll) called "Invasion" meaning aliens from outer space. I also drew a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Typed up tickets and refreshment prices. Got a carton for National Tea and cut an opening in the base. Hung a curtain across the hole. The "strip" would be pulled across the opening. And I, with Angi and Bill would read the text and make sound effects. We also used a record player for musical background at times. We set up in the garage, put material over its windows to darken it. We set up a refreshment stand (Kool-Aid and candy) at the rear and it was run by Lynn. I typed up contracts for each "employee". Made up tickets and sold them to neighborhood kids. We called the place "Wolf Theater". Takings. And now I can't recall the plot.
The Box Canyon	Mar 1961. Worked on paper roll movie (as above), "Box Canyon" - made the poster, drew in the movie cells, news and a cartoon.
The Squirrel	I had a pet one named it Squeaky. webpage
The Golden Arches	The third McDonalds store to open in the Twin Cities was in Bloomington on Nicollet, just south of Highway 100. It was a small place and in the boondocks surrounded by farmland. We didn't go there much, but I do remember going to it one evening.
The Other Lake	Minneapolis is the City Of Lakes. The nearest one to Richfield was Nokomis. Cedar Avenue was bridged across it. It is ringed with large leafy trees. The Main Beach, on the northern side, has a very large bathhouse. But we usually went to the smaller beach on the east side. It would warm up in the summer. My mom would load us and our friends into the car and bring us there. A few times we guys would bike there and then around the lake looking at the girls. My dad brought us fishing on the smaller side a couple times.
The Chants	Olson and I went to a few Richfield high school games each year. We would sit at the top of a bleacher and when an opposition player was having free throws we would yell: "See that basket, see that ball. Come on Meathead, hit the wall". This was years before Archie Bunker. We also yelled: "Regurgitate, regurgitate. Throw up all the food you ate".
The Sandwiches	During WWII food was hard to come by. My mom developed a taste for white lard on rye with salt sprinkled on top. So once in awhile she would make them for us. I actually liked it. But what I liked better was dipping white bread into Coca-Cola®. Try it.
The Stash	Mom would buy a wooden crate of 24 7-Up bottles and keep it in the basement on a shelf. Such a big temptation and I think I would have succumbed more than once.
The Peaches	Mom would buy a wooden crate of peaches for canning. That was always the plan but I think we probably ate more than what ended up in Mason jars.
The Radio	Like almost every our suburban house the radio was found in the kitchen. Unlike most others who listened to WCCO my mom preferred WDGY and so at age 8 in 1955 I heard Bill Haley, Fats Domino and Elvis. I don't remember when it happened, but my mom bought a new radio and gave me the old one. It was white plastic and had tubes that glowed and probably not the best speakers, but it was in my room and I could listen to rock 'n roll non-stop. KDWB, "63 That's Easy To Remember", was my favorite.
The Windows II	Each year my mom would take us via street car to downtown Minneapolis where we would join others to take in the Christmas scenes in Dayton's and Donaldson's large display windows. The movie "A Christmas Story" has a good scene of what it was like.
The Santa	Each Christmas Eve we would drive around looking at the decorated houses. But each time I would make an excuse to go back inside before we left. Then I would quickly put out Chris' gifts from Santa. He never caught on.
The Noise	New Year's Eve. We would normally play board games. At midnight we would go outside and bang on pots. Since it would be very cold, we didn't stay out for long. We never ever got complaints from neighbors. In 1960 Dad made it home in his taxi in time to join in.
The Smoke	Each autumn we would rake the leaves (and there were plenty from the ancient cottonwoods) and make a big pile in the backyard, which was good fun to run and jump onto it. Then we would burn them. The neighborhood seemed to be in perpetual smoke from all the neighbors doing the same thing. It was a sweet smell that I won't forget.
The Dandy	Dec 26, 1960. Family went to Dandy's for supper and then Bridgeman's for dessert.
The Homecoming	Oct 1961. I only went to one high school football game. Steve and I walked to Richfield High with Debbie and Angie. Since it was the homecoming game there were floats with Queen and Princesses in a parade around the field. It was like a homecoming for me as I ran into so many friends from my days in Richfield schools.
The Ghost	Halloween was always a great night out, but as I got older I stayed home and divvied out the treats. I put up a wire from a wall to the side of the front door and on it was hung a white cloth (ghost). I had a spooky sounds album which I played. Turned all the lights off and had a flashlight shining along the wire. So when someone came to the door the ghost was released and slid towards the door. And sometimes, after most of the Trick or Treaters had finished Steve and I would go out soaping windows and doing other tricks. Something that we never did was to TP a tree or house. That means throwing rolls of toilet paper to make streams of paper.
The Magician	I was given a Magic kit and a chemistry set one year. I set up a lab in the basement and proceeded to do all the experiments. Even sent away for more chemicals. I combined the two things to put on a Magic show in our basement, e.g. turning blue liquid red on 31 Oct 1959 for Kincy, Terri, Danny H, Lynn, Chris and Angi.
The Breths	They were next door. One boy, Billy, who had five sisters. When they built a garage, Mr Breth left put a backboard onto its roof. I spent many days/evening shooting buckets and we got up many games with - even with girls. In 1960 Bill and I built a chug that even had a glove compartment and license. He was on the young side but we included him in our Night Owl club. Sandy was Angi's age, but she went to Catholic schools so was sort of an outsider.
The Daniels	My best friend from 1955-1960 was Kincy and I spent a lot of time his place playing cards, ping pong and pool. His mother was short and loud, his father was a math/economics teacher, his sister, Terri, was sassy and loud. I dated her a few times which made her hard core Lutheran parents very nervous. Lauren was Chris' age. There were quite a few foster children who came and left, but Mary and Gail who stayed. They built a garage in 1960.
The Newstroms	They moved in behind us in 1960 and slowly Steve became my other best friend. His mother, Grayce, was a funny lady. His father seemed very serious and was an exceptional artist at that time make metal pieces. Always a cigarette in his hand as his read large paperbacks. The two sisters, Karen and Julie didn't mix with the gang. And rare in the neighborhood, they had a dog, Missy. Gene had a large speaker that had a blue light when being used. Great sound.
The Roeds	Harold was an aircraft engineer and looked like a jock with crewcut. Mary was beautiful. I had a puppy love crush on Signe. Then there was freckled Karen and short Joan. Cherie was born at the same time as the Four Seasons "Sherry" came out so I always associate the two together.
The Henkels	Lynn was a classmate/friend of Angie's. She was Minnesota archery champion for her age group. Her parents, Ernie and Lorraine, and her uncle were also champions. They made their own arrows in a workshop in the backyard. One time they let us kids use their state-of-the-art bows to shoot at proper targets. We once saw her uncle shoot three arrows into an apple at 20 yards. I was able to hit a box. Ernie was good with cars and sold his VW to Steve N.
The Ministers	The other house next to us was owned by a church and there were two families while we lived there. The Tanners had three boys. The Fairs had Lester (wanted to be called Jerry and like to spit) and Danny, and a couple girls.
The Other Girls	Judy, a beautiful girl who was an only child and sort of a hanger on being younger than the rest of us. Debbie, who I dated a couple times and her older sister Sharon. Rene who's mother was a Lakota Indian. Rene married a pro baseball player. Sisters Marsha and Gloria who rarely joined in. Georgie who was a scatterbrain. I brought Terri's friend from St James, Debbie Jamieson, to the State Fair. Vicki Spooner and Genell Martin, both lookers, could be found with Terri. Paula McFarland with Signe. And then there was Linnea Travis, from Apple Valley, who visited Signe and had me phoning her in vain. Beth Forkenbock moved in to the new house built next to Newstroms. Linda Overdahl was down up the block and a classmate of Angi's but we never saw here.
The Boys	A few doors away were the Williams brothers, Craig and Steve, but I had little to do with them. Once in awhile Milo Hines, who lived next to the Henkels, would play with us. Bob Piram, who never said a word, was Chris' best friend. Windoms, Warren and Johnny were mentioned above. Then there was dopey, sleepy, sluggish Steve Rogers, who was a classmate and came to play. Dick Sandeen also came around once in awhile.
The Kid	One summer I somehow holed up with Donny Shellum, who lived near the Petersons. He was two years younger than me. Somehow he had managed to get bowling pins from Luxury lanes and we would "bowl" in his basement. But more times than naught we would play baseball at nearby Washington and Wilson parks.
The Horseshoes	Mr Roed had a horseshoes pit and let us kids play (in those days they could be left outside without fear of being stolen). Daniels also had one and we played there more often. I became pretty good at it. In 1975 I bought a proper set in Minnesota. Brought them to New Zealand but never actually used them and sold them off at a garage sale in 1979. In 1976 I bought a rubber set and would play with the kids in the back yard.
The Vacation	The family only had two real vacations. One was to South Dakota, but I stayed home to play baseball. The other was in August 1958 (baseball season ended by then) when we went to stay in a cabin on Little Man Trap Lake. It was a big adventure for us; especially the fishing from a boat. I caught some decent sized bluegills. I also managed to catch Uncle Fred's bill of his baseball cap on a back swing. It was lucky to not damage his head/face. He came down from his farm to join us one day. We also took in Paul Bunyan land. In 1982 I repeated that trip with my kids.
The Bunko Artist	We kids played all kinds of card games and often; mostly canasta, rummy (all its version), poker and 500. In 1961 Steve and I extended that to a game of 5000, which took us a four days to complete and I won 5170-4090. Since I had great eyesight and sensitive fingers, so I was able to pretty much cut to what card I wanted. So they called me a card shark and that led to me getting the nickname "Bunko".
The Archers	Not the Henkels, but Kincy who got a decent bow and arrow set. We spent hours honing our skills in his back yard. My brother got a rubber suction set at the farm one summer. It seems that they would have been more fun if there were several, so you didn't have to wait for your turn to shoot.
The Picnic	Jul 10 1960 the Twin Cities Teamsters union held a picnic at Eagle Lake (a little past Medicine Lake). Dad brought us along and we kids loaded up on free pop, ice cream, popcorn and Popsicles. There were pony rides, merry-go-round and a whip ride. There were several contests and races between the main companies. The only one that I remember is that my dad was on the Blue & White taxi team for a tug of war against Red & White taxi team.
The Sleepovers	These were very common as we were all the right age for it. We would sleep in tents in backyards. We also slept out in our treehouses and other club houses. And we did the normal thing staying overnight at each others places. Once when Kincy was at my place we snuck out after midnight and bothered Terri and Signe, who were sleeping in a tent in Daniels backyard. But most of time we slept at Daniels, sometimes when Terri had girls overnight.
The Intercom	Daniels kids got an intercom for Christmas. I managed to take it apart and get the wire through the heat ducts from Terri's room to the basement below. Reconnected the unit and hid it in Terri's wastepaper basket. That night when Signe was sleeping over we listened into them…until the unit was discovered.
The Dark Games	We were lucky to grow up in safer times, when we would stay out until dark and then often even later. Four that I remember is the obvious "flashlight tag" which we could only play rarely as it was difficult to organize the flashlights. Then there was "Starlight, moonlight hope to see a ghost tonight". Someone would be the ghost and the remaining kids would count to 100 before setting off to wander through the yards waiting for the ghost to pop out chase down someone to be the next ghost. If you made it back to home (usually the back steps to our house). It was great because there were many large trees that would hide a body. But since I was so much faster than the others we changed it into "Malecek Catchem" where I was always the ghost (or wolf) and I had to capture as many as I could instead of just one. Finally, we lie down in the middle of the street until a car approached and then waiting as long as possible, get up run and hide behind a tree before the car reached us.
The Asians	Back then Richfield was 99% white. So it was a big deal when a Japanese family moved in a block away from us. I think there was a boy my age, but by then I wasn't attending a Richfield school. Update: In 2018 a Latina was elected mayor. In 2023 Richfield is mostly Latino and St Peter's has its Masses in Spanish.
The Teeter-Totter	Swings sets usually came with one of these, nowadays called a "glide-slide". In 1959 I was on Breth's with Billy. Somehow he fell from a swing and his upper leg was slashed by the foot rod of the teeter-totter. It was ugly and he ended up getting 22 stitches.
The Fromers	An elderly couple on the other side of Breth's. I don't know if he was retired or worked. All summer long he would sit on his back steps, with his two hunting dogs (one named Queenie), drinking beer. Always quiet with a smile. He once gave me a lift home from Condon, so he knew who I was. Hardly ever saw his wife. But once in a while she would visit Evelyn.
The Pirams	Strange family who never said a word. Have always wondered if they knew English. The parents were very short as were the kids, Bobby, Carol, Chuck and Gary. Bobby was Chris' friend.
The Lundgrens	Lived on the corner next to Daniels. A young couple with two kids, Nancy and Paul. Paul was Billy's friend. Dale, the father, was in the military and was cool dude. He played baseball with us. When they moved away I wrote in my diary all the girls were sad that Paulie was gone.
The Palmers	Young family who lived behind us until 1960. Kathy was a blonde, Angi's age. Bobby was Chris' age. He would say "die" for "there" as in "over die".
The Army II	I bought a Boy Scouts Handbook and decided to do some of the things within it. Instead of scouts I formed an army with the usual group of kids. I would give out promotions on a regular basis to keep the troops happy. We made backpacks using pillow cases. We had hot dog holders using wire hangers and we gave them names, mine was "wiener-snitchell". We made sewing kits and maps of the neighborhood. We even went to Paulie's grandfather's place to get his canteen. And, of course we slept out in the back yard in tents made out of sheets. We built forts that were destroyed by Craig and his gang.
The View	1960 we went to the top of the tallest building west of Chicago. The Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis. I recall looking south trying to see our house. We had been there for Angi to be recorded playing an organ for a future broadcast of "Organ Notes".
The Magazine	Kincy got a job selling TV Times (competitor to TV Guide) subscriptions and roped me into helping so for a few we knocked on doors and made our pitch. For 15¢ a week it would be delivered to them. You guessed it, by Kincy - and then while he was on vacation I did it. Can't find any mention of it online, so it probably didn't last long.
The Hub	A shopping center at 66th and Nicollet. In fact, the first outdoor strip mall in the USA back in 1954. So it was brand new when we moved to Richfield the following year. These are just some of the businesses. 1. KORNER PLAZA was known as "Kiddie Korner". I think because Jerry Robitz was part owner and he owned "Kiddie Korner" in North Minneapolis. It was a sports and shoe store. I got my baseball and bowling gear there. I am pretty sure that the basement was where the shoes were found and I think Gary Olson's father worked there before going to a downtown shoe store. 2. PIGGLY WIGGLY was a supermarket and it was our main grocery stop, though we would also shop at Red Owl across the street from the Hub. You would leave your trolley outside and when you brought your car around a boy would put your groceries into your trunk. Very handy service in the winter. 3. WALGREENS was and is a drug store. I think we got our prescriptions from Condon Drug which was a lot closer. But Walgreens had much more to offer and we would sometimes shop there, especially with Sunday newspaper coupons. 4. FANNY FARMER - candies and chocolates 5. HUB ARCADE BARBERS 6. PIXIE DINER was a small place hidden at the back and a good place to get a quick snack or drink while shopping and we kids would eat there with mom. I don't think I ever ate there on my own. 8. ANDERSON'S GIFT AND RECORD STORE claimed to be the largest in the Twin Cities. That is where I bought "Rockin' Robin" and "The Big Country" album in 1958. But it was my mother who bought the most albums there, mostly by Ray Conniff. 9. J C PENNY the nationwide chain store with some quality items. Don't think we shopped there much. 8. BRIDGEMAN's is a Minnesota chain of ice cream parlors. It had excellent quality ice cream. I think it opened in the Hub after we moved away to Bloomington as I remember going there with Gail in 1969. 10. KINNEY SHOES is a nationwide shoe store and I know that was where we bought most of ours. In 1959 I bought a pair of black loafers with tassels. 11. HUB JEWELLERS - Absolutely sure that I never went into this place. 12. PLYMOUTH OPTICAL is where I got my glasses. 13. KRESGE - another chain, this time more like a "Five & Dime" place. A good variety and almost everything could be found there. So it was a place that I visited often.	diagram
The Bank	In 1955 I opened a savings account with the Richfield State Bank through a school scheme. Because I was leaving the States I let the account drop to a low amount. For years the bank would send me a monthly statement. The air postage cost more than the money I had banked. I wrote and asked to stop sending statements. It didn't help. So when we returned to live in 1975, I finally closed it.
The Restaurant	The Heidleberg was a fancy restaurant/bar in Richfield at 66th and Lyndale. My mother worked as a waitress. We would get all dressed up and eat there once in a while. Known for its authentic German cuisine and especially for its popovers. Menu from 1960.
The Silly Songs	I remember singing two once in awhile. "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" where you started out normal and then each time you repeated you lowered the volume until you were whispering and finally silently, except you always screamed the JJJS part. The other was "Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts" which may be the Gopher State, Minnesota's State Song.
The First 45RPM	The first record I ever bought was Bobby Day's 1958 "Rockin' Robin" b/w "Over and Over". I would stand in front of the living room mirror and lip sync to both songs, if you will forgive me, over and over again. And 65 years later it is probably the only song that I know the lyrics to.
The Cats	A tabby, Pixie, came with us from Minneapolis. Angie says that it stared too long at Mom's ultra-violet (tanning) light and was blinded and had to be put down. Then we had Princess Misty a long haired stuck up thing.
The Burn	It had to be mum who burnt a hole in the arm of a sofa piece. No big deal, but I found intriguing was the old lady who came and meticulously stitch a repair job so good that you couldn't tell that there had been a hole.
The Windoms	I wrote about Warren above. His sister, Georgie, was Angi's age and a scatterbrain. Johnny was Chris age. There was no mother (never asked them why). The father, Warren Sr, had a wooden leg (never asked why). He was a writer of some sort and worked from home.
The Gartlands	Judy, a beautiful girl, who was an only child and sort of a hanger on being younger than the rest of us. Her mother, Venita, was an office worker and a regular bowler. The father, Howie, worked in automotives and was pretty much a sit around and drink beer type of guy.
The Bakers	Debbie, who I dated a couple times, was fun. Her older sister Sharon had nothing to do with us. Parents, Harold and Harriet were avid card players.
The Sandquists	Rene was a regular with our group. I used to tease her by saying that I wouldn't touch her with a 10 foot pole. I had always thought that her mother was Mexican. I found out 40 years later that she was a Lakota Indian (Native American). Rene married a pro baseball player. She had a couple sisters, Cindy and Denice, and a brother, Jeff, all too young to join us. Her father owned a café/pool parlor on Lake Street. My father would sometimes stop in there to eat.
The Olsons	My best friend from school was Gary. He lived 6 blocks away. His father, Ernie, was a very laid back fellow with a crew cut. He was a shoe salesman. His mother, Annie, was short and round and screeched a lot. They had an incredibly small kitchen and I couldn't see how anyone could fit in it with Annie. Gary had a sister Susan, about Angi's age but I don't think they knew each other. Gary ended up living in that house his whole life (into his 70's).
The Fliers	Jul 12, 1960. I helped Kincy deliver fliers for his uncle Leroy's Skelly gas station grand opening. We spent a day putting them into nearby mailboxes. We ended the day by standing outside Minneapolis Moline as workers came out at the end of the shift. The next day we put fliers onto cars around the railway tracks, in parking lots around Minneapolis Moline. We went to the store for an old lady. Then we stood in front of Western Electric and gave the fliers to employees as they left. We were paid $2 each. There was a drawing for prizes for customers who came to the Grand Opening. Well, I won a fishing rod and fishing gear including a net. Mr Daniels tried to talk me into giving it to Kincy. I refused.
The Glasses	I noticed that while bowling the pins seemed blurry and so I got a pair of glasses at age 12. It didn't help my bowling, but apparently my baseball batting average made a big jump the next year. One day Billy hit me in the face with a baseball and my glasses broke. When I told my mother she hauled off and slugged me on the chin.
The Big Chow	A new restaurant, Sweden House opened in Richfield and we went to eat there. It was interesting. Instead of sitting at a table and having your order taken, you went into a line along where food was set out and took what you wanted. And you could go back as many times as you wanted all for $1.29. Couldn't figure out how they made money. It was called a smorgasbord and it was the first time that I had a Swedish meatball.
The Birthday	I only recall having one birthday where I had friends attend. 1959 and Gary Olson, Gary Johnson and Lyle Malotky came. Probably the only ones I invited. I was given plastic models which I was into then. Photos show Angi and Chris joined in for the singing and the cake.
The Banshee	One afternoon I was in my room doing homework when at my window appeared Mrs Daniels who was out for blood. She screamed that Chris had broken a window. Well, my parents were working so I had to calm her down myself. So I emptied out Chris' piggy bank and off she went with a handful of pennies.
The Concrete	The summer of 1959 66th Street was concreted. It was a major project and seemed to take a couple months just to do from Cedar Avenue to Nicollet. We would watch the giant machine pour the concrete sections.
The Coffee	On June 26 1967 I drove Gene N to get his car from a gas station and he bought me a coffee at a little cafe on 66th Street - we discussed camping. I ate over and when Steve got home, we went with Kincy to Holiday to get camping supplies. The photo is from 2023, so that cafe is long gone.
The Bunkies	Apr 22, 1961. I was sleeping over at Daniels. Kincy and I were using the bunkbeds in the basement. We were in the lower bed and whispering when Mr D showed up at 2AM and told us to get to sleep. I always wondered if he may have thought we were gay, eh?
The Bang	Terri and I were in the treehouse sitting together on a bench when the trapdoor in the floor swung open rapidly and hit me on my shin. It was her father trying to catch us doing something. We were perfectly innocent. I don't think he ever apologized.
The Hideout	We were playing a sort of hide and seek game on bicycles. Signe and I were being chased. We hid our bikes in the garage and hid up in the treehouse. I remember bringing us Cokes®.
The Hunt	Daniels were going hunting and Signe was going along. I was invited but felt that I had to stay home that weekend and study / do homework. Signe was so sad that time and it really hurt me to turn Kincy down. I have few regrets but that is certainly one of them.
The Club III	In 1961 Angi started an activity club which met in Roed's basement and I helped them to saw wood for a nick-nack table. Another time I gave them an art lesson - drawing cartoons. They baked cakes.
The Collector	Like every other boy I had baseball trading cards (loved the gum that came in each packet of three cards). But I also had president cards, country trading cards which are now long gone. I kept getting cards through the years see them. In 1960 I counted my cartoons = 1758. [ed. - I cut them from magazines, then sorted by topic and or cartoonist - something I have done my whole life by 2000 I had over 7000 and I have digitized them]. I made lists of everything as a challenge to my memory (cowboys, their horse names, movies etc…) and to use when we played Charades.	1961
The 4th	For the 4th of July we would either go back to Powderhorn Park or to Lake Nokomis to see the fireworks display. In 1961 Daniels put on a display in their backyard.
The Gophers	The Minnesota Golden Gophers beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl and ended up the Number 1 team for 1961
The Spartans	The Richfield Spartans made it to the 1960 High School State Tournament and were the favorites. However, dinky little town Edgerton beat them in the semis. This was when a team could hold a ball for minutes as a stall tactic. Richfield won the consolation game on the back of Bill Davis (back then 6' 7" was a monster tall) scoring 40 points, who was MVP of the tournament.
The Songs	My favorite year for songs while in Richfield was 1962. Some of my favorites are: "Sherry" by Four Seasons, "Sheila" by Tommy Roe and "Loco-Motion" by Little Eva. Billboard's Top 100
The State Fair	As a very young boy I had gone to it with my uncle Ralph and all we did was watch cars racing. In 1961 the Newstroms brought me along. Steve and I had great fun in the Midway and I got joke licenses and future wife cards in the arcade. We went through Ye Old Mill and animal buildings. In 1964 I went with Kincy, Terri and Debbie Jamieson.
The House	I have a memory of going into a house across the road from Newstroms before Posorskes moved into it in 1961. I imagine that a boy about my age must have lived there.
The Cave	Crystal Cave near Spring Valley, Wisconsin. We went there in August 1960 where we saw the penny wall, stalactites and stalagmites, wedding room and dance hall. First experience of total darkness. Wiki
The Village	Video Village was a 1960 television show where contestants moved along a track by answering questions. I was intrigued with it and decided to replicate it on a large piece of cardboard.
The Television II	Aside from the shows mentioned above, I remember after school kids shows: Pinky Lee, Gabby Hayes, Howdy Doody, Pow Wow The Indian Boy, TNT Tatters and Crusader the Rabbit. Casey Jones lunchtime show. Then there was a swathe of cowboy shows: Jim Bowie, Kit Carson, Davy Crocket, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Annie Okley, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Cisco Kid. I fell in love with Steve Allen's Late Night show and its followup Jack Paar on The Tonight Show. Twilight Zone and Outer Limits. Ozzie and Harriet. The Untouchables. Afternoon quiz shows. And the list goes on.
The Star	Axel had a local after school Kids Show: "Axel and His Dog". In 1959 we saw him at a church fair and I got his autographed photo. We saw him again at a fair in Richfield's Augsburg Park in 1960. Webpage.
The Car	A very big deal for us; in the autumn of 1959 my father bought a brand new 1960 blue Chevrolet Bel Air. Rear fins were in those two years. Breths and Roeds had similar models.
The Rat	Kincy had a white rat, Fluffy. I rat-sat it in August 1959 when they went on vacation for a week.
The Circus I	Went to the Shriner Circus with Paul Oberg and Larry Moos. A girl in our class had special seats right on ground level.
The Circus II	Mar 2, 1959. We went to the Shrine circus at the Minneapolis Auditorium. Afterwards, mom got us down to backstage and spoke to The Human Cannon Ball, Hugo Zacchini. I got his autograph [ed. - but haven't seen it for at least 50 years].
The Circus III	Feb 27, 1960. Went to the Shriner Circus with Daniels.
The Catalogues	I imagine every house had the latest large Sears catalogue I think we also had a JC Penny one. I really looked forward to annual Christmas catalogue from Sears. So many toys, so many dreams.
The Night Sky	In those days satellites were rare, so seeing one, Echo, in 1960 (Aug 16) was a rare event. The news would advise when it could be seen. While camping at the farm on 1964 we saw a mighty meteor shower.
The High Jump	In 1961 I built a high jump in back yard and attained 4'9", Steve 3'4" and Bill 2'8".
The Hair	It was deemed proper for men to use hair cream (Brylcreem). I preferred to use Vitalis oil.
The Pens	At some stage I added pens to pencils for writing. Your basic ballpoint. If you made a mistake in ink it was difficult to correct. This was before Twink or White Out were invented. There was a liquid that was supposed to dissolve the ink and not leave a splodge. Then there were ink eraser (combined with a pencil eraser) which pretty much tore the paper in addition to the ink. I also had fountain pens and loved the ink bottle that had a small well in the corner that you would suck the ink out of by working a lever on the pen. In additon to blue, I also had red and green ink.I also had an India Ink pen, for art and technical drawings.
The Hole-In-The-Wall	That is what I called it. In fact it was the area beneath the stairs tot he attic and it was in the back porch. It was used for storage but once in awhile I would play in it.
The Relatives	Jun 21, 1959. Ralph and Angela brought Grandma and Grandpa, Angi and Chris (who didn't want to stay on the farm after I left yesterday) home for a rare visit. We ate outside on Palmer's picnic table and when it rained we put a blanket over the clothes lines. Brought them to see the airport, Lake Nokomis, Little League ball parks, and Metropolitan Stadium.
The Raleigh	Kincy had a red Raleigh 14 bicycle and I thought it was super cool. Despite it being small for me, I loved to ride it.
The 40th	Oct 22, 1961. We went to 10AM Mass at Bechyn, then to the farm for grandparents' 40th Anniversary. The men were sitting around in the garage drinking beer from a keg. Cousins Steve and Mark played softball with me and Chris. I counted a total of 23 cars in the yard. We went in to eat and I spoke to Roseanne. After a meal Steve and I listened to the men talk about world conditions. Jerry gave us some pumpkins before they left. I talked to Father Pistulka and he brought up that he knew Zetah (who used to live by Bechyn) and he also knows Father Clay [priest at St Peter's in Richfield]. I played "blow out the light" with cousin Gregory.
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