Victoria MN Newspaper

To the Editor:

After 32 years of serving the Carver County area, Birthright of Waconia is closed. We thank you for putting our ad and phone number in your paper every month. We appreciated your support.

Birthright of Waconia

Waconia, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Merry Christmas to Sue and her crew and the thousands of fans of the Gazette. Christmas when I was a kid meant Mom is baking cookies while us kids sleep. On a Sunday afternoon, while we're outside playing, she's making red and green popcorn balls.

Then come the homemade caramels. It's not just a couple dozen, but about 500 caramels. When I'd see Mom with the box of wax paper and a ruler, I can tell she's getting ready to make wrapped caramels. She is measuring and marking the paper and cutting it into small squares. The squares get laid out on a cookie sheet and dabs of caramel get placed on these individual pieces of wax paper. When cooled completely, they get twisted shut and hidden away in a red polka-dot metal cannister. My older brothers Jack and Greg and probably the others too are on a hunt for the caramels under Mom and Dad's bed. One time I heard Mom say, "Who found the caramels!" Then she says, "Ach! I got to make more and hide them someplace else." They'd still be found. I'd be lucky to get any. They're bagged before I even get one.

In the early 1960's, Mom made her own Santa suit out of a men's pajama pattern. She got a beard from a costume shop in Minneapolis called Teeners, still in business. A strip of jingle bells and black boots completed it. Mom went all over town. Through word of mouth and by phone, she'd get clients. One year she came home with 35 cards, small gifts of cookies, candy, cheese and sausage, or fruits or wine.

Back in the 1980's when Mom's mom (Grandma Poppler) and Dad's mom (Grandma Meuwissen) were in the Friendship Manor home in Shakopee, Mom volunteered to be Santa there, too. They'd have their bingo and Christmas party all in one day. Gifts were marked with names and room numbers. Dad's sister, Ethel Schneider, volunteered calling bingo and still does. Mom in her Santa suit went to see people that were not at the party and made personal visits. Sometimes it would be a Chaska person she'd known from years ago and have a good visit.

In Christmas 1982 we said Merry Christmas to Grandma Meuwissen in German, and I and others held her hand. She couldn't talk or walk but she could hear. She usually sat in her wheelchair sleepy. When we said Merry Christmas in German to Grandma, all at once she opened her eyes and we could see tears in her eyes. She passed away in the last week of January 1983.

Kay Meuwissen

Chaska, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Thank you for working with Kim and publishing the amazing tribute to Genarose Boessen Hohertz and the "She Will Fight" foundation in the November issue of the Gazette. It was so darn beautiful and made me so sad at the same time. I miss Genarose every day. The photo journal of her blog posts as she fought ovarian cancer for more than two years was a poignant reminder of her spirited personality and her high-heeled fight to overcome ovarian cancer.

I went to the Victoria Gazette website to see if there was a way to send a link of the article to the head of the She Will Fight Foundation and her sister in Florida but I could not find a way to access it there. Is there a way for them to see it online? Thank you again for all you do.

Kim has mailed out physical copies. I am sure they will love it. I'll send your PDF to the Foundation.

The cover story on my parents' 50th last month was great. Loved it.

Mary Lehner Sumners

Chanhassen, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Hello, Sue. My name is Jeff Jackelen and I am a teacher at Victoria Elementary School. I got your contact information from our Academic Dean, Andrew Gilbertson. I understand there would be interest from your paper about our student voting day. Just wanted to let you know that I will be the contact person from our school who will be working with you. Thanks for allowing us to get the story in the newspaper. Students really had a good time voting. Thank you for your time and partnership with our school activity.

Jeff Jackelen, STEM Teacher, VES

Victoria, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Hi, Sue. I thought you might enjoy this small town newspaper article giving some history of a local historic house in Aitkin, Minnesota.

Tom Knowlton

Excelsior, Minnesota

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