Pelican Lake Memories Shared in the Era of the On - Line Blog! Key Words and Searches!

Snow and the Jenkins- Haeberle Shed 1970's. Windmill.... Winnie Leonard taught me that this shed was built on the boundary line between the Jenkins (right - N side) and Haeberle (left - S side) when they had a vision to create a boys, "Shattuck Camp" here in Sect 36 Pelican Lakes Twp in the early 20th Century.   The shed was taken down after a garage was build near it in 1982 to honor Paul H Weaver and the boundary line now Leonard- Weaver was changed with a land exchanged as the Weaver's divided up the Palmer Property to exchange lake front for wood land behind the Leanard New cabin.  

I am inspired to write on this blog after a time of meditation in the morning.  Last night I had a dream and vision about how getting to the roots of family love and connection, can happen while affirming our connection through heartfelt genealogy and connection to Nature.  The joy of being in the wood, of discovering a new connection.  Back in 2009 I visited the Mill District Arts Gallery under the direction and vision of a new friend, Xiaosong, "little tree" in Putonghua.  Today I awoke thinking of him and his gift of enthusiasm I witnessed in him and myself that year.  He turns 42 today, and I write this in honor of his sharing back then

 

Xiaosong, "Steven" Autumn 2009 visiting the Pelican Lake woods in Autumn - enjoyed his enthusiasm for learning back then! 

Trees as Teachers Poetry by mmh...

 Returning to nature to heal.....the trees beg me to walk deeper into the woods...deeper into myself and release all that is untrue.

And at the entry to the Art Exhibit in Dec 2009..and now an inspiration for the Genealogy work I am now envisioning as part of my healing vision for family roots and the values for the next generations. Thanks Xiaosong for the continued dreams kindled during our short time together.  Happy birthday -

生日快乐  shēngrìkuàilè  pengyou Xiaosong. 

Early 1970's aerial photo taken from Rita Orr's private plane, A Mooney flown up from Faribault. She was a member of the 99's, the same group of pioneering woman that includes Betty Wall Strohfus. 

My  good friend and seasoned pilot, Gary Engler of Cold Spring, say of Betty, native of Faribault and whose kids, that walls a guess were brought into the world with my MD father, Paul H Weaver at hand.. Here is link for this amazing woman who lives in Farbault with her son1

www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb/2012/10/05/female-wwii-pilot-visits-nellis-airmen/

Back up in the air  -The Weaver new digs are in the center. White building with beach in front and clearing behind is the main Palmer Cabin the three brothers owned in common at first. 

Early extended family photo, about 1968,Bunny Brick, Melanie's Mom, Harold Williams, Nellie's Williams  dad, Nellie with right hand waving, Jack Weaver left hand waving, Melanie Brick Weaver and Jim Weaver on the front porch of the common Palmer cabin. by TGW

1970 Swimming Beach to the north east,  Bruce Larson and Jim Leonard who both had family cabins to the north and east of the newly purchased Palmer Cabins.  Jim Leonard giving me his view of my taking their photo.  By TGW

Another early visit to Pelican, in 1970 I think, came from the outdoor and adventurous Kaul family of Betty (center) and Tom (Right with chain saw) from Faribault.  They were skiers and were coming back through MN from a skiing jaunt to the to UP of Michigan I recall...and re "Kauling "Faribault and forward thinking folks, the Kaul family occurs to me.  They were part of the Roman Catholic Community, which is strong in Faribault, and learning the issues are beyond any religion... Tom worked at the Faribault Woolen Mill in sales, and their oldest daughter Cassie is with the long blonde hair between.  I had met her again in the Cities in the early 70's and I recall her daughter was older than Betty and Tom's youngest...One is named Posie, I think the Sr Kaul's Youngest..and there seem to be 5 kids here and three parents.  Betty and I worked on an environment group called FACE-Q, that Faribault Area Committee for Environmental Quality and early group to bring recycling and other environmental idea to the people of Rice County.  This movement eventually morphed into River Bend Nature Center as an educational forum for Natural History.  The Weaver family gifted a 16 acre plot to River Bend in honor of Paul H Weaver MD the year after his death in 1982.

My brother Jack, AKA John Eicher Weaver, still with his I think, Irish based red hair, early on worked with his father in law Harold Williams ( from Illinois ) and older brother, Jim AKA James Cowles Weaver to maintain the two Palmer cabins that came from our family purchase in 1967.

Harold using his excellent carpentry skills to be our supervisor on re-roofing and changing the roof lines to avoid water damage.  Jim Weaver smiling from the ladder . Always love the pencil stuffed on his ear! By TGW

Brother Jim with wife Melanie behind, talking with our dad, Pete. Paul Henry Weaver,with his ever present pipe, taking photos of the early years when the Weaver brothers owned the Palmer Cabins together and managed them together.  By TGW

Prior to 1967, I think this is dated 1960, when Jack was a newly licensed drive driving the 1949 Buick Woodie Estate Wagon, sitting on the right....Over on the left with the newer 1958 Mercury is this author, Tom next to oldest brother Jim, who was a student at Carleton College, Northfield and dad, Paul H Weaver. Photo by Peg Weaver on MN Hwy 25 between Becker and Brainerd. By MGW

The site of the above photo by a country school house, Note blackie our black lab mutt from the dog pound in Faribault, my best friend during my Jr and Sr High Days (she always listened and never carried any judgements, unlike some of the two legged I have known :-)

Mid 60's fall gathering at the Sunset Beach cottage of Paul and Margaret Weaver, I sense this is 1965, when Nellie Jane Williams of Monmouth IL and Jack Weaver were dating, with me holding Jack's German Shepard puppy, named Budweiser I recall, and Jim Weaver, with Melanie Brick his finacee' at the time.  Photographer was Paul H Weaver, and Jack and Nellie were married in Illinois the summer of 1969 and Jim and Melanie in Connecticut in the summer of 1966. By PHW



1958 October visit with my dad, to close up the cabin for winter  - Carrying aluminum boats, 14' Crestliner from the Pelican Lake side for storage in the sleeping porch and the lighter 12' from Markee Lake side were part of the process  -Here I am at age 11, leaning against our mailbox --with my short legs and Red Wing Irish Setter Boots from Burkharzmeyer Shoes in Faribault --likely size 11 at age 11
 
1958 October, Tom Weaver, age 11, with aluminum boat that his dad, Paul H Weaver and he carried from Markee Lake to store for the winter in the family cabin on sunset beach - photo by Paul H Weaver 

Honoring Paul H Weaver on his 103th Birthday - Legacy of Natural Learning and Curiosity for coming generations

Here is my dad, Paul Henry Weaver, as age 8, likely before his 9th birthday. This is labeled 1919 Christmas in my grandfather Noah Elwood Weaver's album and I note the books and toys under the tree.  He was the only child of Edna Eicher and Noah Elwood Weaver. She had been a country school teacher and always encouraged, Paul Henry to further his eduction. Edna's older sister Esther in her diary sometimes commented on how shy Paul Henry was from her view when he was a teen. Emma lived with her father, Henry Eicher and in her diary she mentions him stopping by often in his youth.  I remember that my dad cared deeply about his aunt.  I remember visiting her in a group home later in her life in Ohio. See else where on this blog for more about Emma Esther Eicher. 

Paul Henry Weaver 1928 Portrait for his graduation from West Carrollton High School.

When at Antioch College in nearby Yellow Springs, he seemed to bloom in his independence and creativity.  The bas relief of Mozart that I have on my apt wall is a product of how his creative juices were encouraged here at Antioch.  He became on oil painter and when I spent time with Addie Langevin his office assistant at the East Side Faribault medical Center Building in the late 50's  early 60's remembered him painting and working on his stamp collection between seeing patients. It was while he was a student at Antioch he was hospitalized in nearby Xenia, where after having his appendix removed, he got curious about learning about medicine.  As Antioch did not have the curriculum to support his interests, he transferred to Ohio State, where he received is BS and MD the same day in 1938 .

Paul H Weaver and Margaret Mary Glessner wedding photo Sept 1935 Findlay OHIO

Paul H Weaver MD, intern at Swedish Hospital Minneapolis MN 1938.

Here is my mom, Peg Weaver, in 1958 working on their hobby of stamp collecting.  She relates in her memoir that he first showed her his stamps while they were dating in Columbus when they took the interurban to West Carrollton.  This hobby then grow after he completed his training an they moved to Faribault in 1939. 

For me, postage stamps have provided an education about nations, their history, their heros, how the economy is doing and they are expressions of art and culture of the times.  Here on a sheet given to me for my kids, by Eric Hoopes of MKP Washington-Baltimore Community of the over run nations in WW II.  All but Korea are in Europe. Curious that China and others we not included from the view of the US Politics at the time. 

The first airplane on a stamp for airmail 

Peg was a Camp Fire Girl in Findlay Ohio in her youth. This is a stamp when a first class letter was 4 cents in 1960 that I collected.

Also, the first automated Post Office around the same time in the 60's. The beginning of the automated systems that have expanded until today. 

 Commemorative Stamp Scott #1159 with 2 colors and the Washington Monument in Washington DC and  Cherry Blossom symbol of Japan issued for a centennial in 1960. 

When first postage went up to 5 cents and later 6 cents by 1969, the US Postal Service chose to commemorate  Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Nation. I like the art statement here as well.

My parents encouraged a liberal arts education.  Emerson, one of the classic writer of 19th Century America is honored in 1940 in this 3 cent mono colored purple. From my Al Anon courage to Change meditation book "Nothing Can Bring you peace but Yourself” Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

James Whitcomb Riley is a poet who according to Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Whitcomb_Riley

James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. His poems tended to be humorous or sentimental, and of the approximately one thousand poems that Riley authored, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man".

Riley began his career writing verses as a sign maker and submitting poetry to newspapers. Thanks in part to an endorsement from poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, he eventually earned successive jobs at Indiana newspaper publishers during the latter 1870s. Riley gradually rose in prominence during the 1880s through his poetry reading tours. He traveled a touring circuit first in the Midwest, and then nationally, holding shows and making joint appearances on stage with other famous talents. Regularly struggling with his alcohol addiction, Riley never married or had children, and created a scandal in 1888 when he became too drunk to perform. He became more popular in spite of the bad press he received, and as a result extricated himself from poorly negotiated contracts that limited his earnings; he quickly became very wealthy.

Here are a couple of post cards in young Margaret Glessner's post card collection from the early 20th Century that clearly affected her in her youth. 
Hoosier Poet with little friends.  "Riley never married or had children, and created a scandal in 1888 when he became too drunk to perform. He became more popular in spite of the bad press he received, and as a result extricated himself from poorly negotiated contracts that limited his earnings; he quickly became very wealthy."

Another of my mom's post card collection.  The Indiana Swimming hole?

Another poet of Leaves of Grass Fame. On a 1940 Blue 5 cent stamp.

Alway found this 3 color interesting back in 1957 when I learned about the endangered species . The baby chicks seemed to glow... My parents were avid bird watchers.  I did see sandhill cranes that are common in Minnesota and I continue to follow the story of the whooping cranes and there guided migrations despite the continued encroachment of the 2 leggeds in North America 

Back in 1961, the US press was filtered to consider Taiwan, The Republic of China as the only China  I just loved the mystery that is China and its long civilization.  As a boy, I subscribed to getting Taiwan Stamps from the Philatelic Agency directly, so I would purchase stamps at the face value....and learned about history the way the Taiwanese told it.  Not until Deng and Nixon did any opening happen for the common people of America.  Dualistic thing of the time  Red China was "bad" ROC was "good".... It always stuck me humorous that there was a huge nation of Chinese on the mainland that shared the the long culture.  The long civil war (no wars of the 2 leggeds seem to be very Civil) between the KMD and the Red Army, like all civil wars just seemed be fanned by resentments, quest for land and power..the usual drama.  Sad so many people continue to suffer with this continued drama and addiction to the "illusion of control " in my humble opinion.  Lots of fear based rhetoric all around. (do it our way, or we will hurt you! Poly tics as usual??)

 Interesting another famous writer on Famous American issue of 1940. The bright pink "red violet" color here is seen to  be remarkable for the time  "In 1940, the U.S. Post Office issued a set of 35 stamps, issued over the course of approximately ten months, commemorating America's famous Authors, Poets, Educators, Scientists, Composers, Artists and Inventors. The Educators included Booker T. Washington, who now became the first African-American to be honored on a U.S. stamp. This series of Postage issues was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. These stamps were larger in size than normal definitive issues, with only 280 stamp images contained on the printing plate (400 images was standard for the Presidential series). Notable also is the red-violet color chosen for the 3¢ stamps, a brighter hue than the traditional purple."

In conclusion for today, Christmas Eve 2013,  I honor both Peg and Pete Weaver for their long term curiosity on this planet. 

When Peg got "hooked" on Mushroom identiffication in the early 1960's they gradually shut down their extensive world exchange of stamps and letters.  Here in 1967 are the two of them with the trailer they began to pull behind the 1965 Chrysler Station wagon they purchased through Schreyer Motors in Faribault. They camped all over the mid west and wrote notes in travel logs...Always curious ------Remembering the times and life of Paul H Weaver 1910 - 1982. Thanks dad for the memories...

Annual Pre Solstice and Holiday Gathering - St Cloud Weaver Food, Games and Story Telling

Our annual St Cloud Weaver Gathering occurred on Dec 7, 2013 at the home Jesse has worked on for at least four years. Jesse and Amy wanted an Easy Does It time with the family this year, their first after their May Wedding of 2012 and free of renters. Wonderful open energy as the reflection of their growing life together. 

  Jesse with a morning up of coffee, giving me the early tour of his home, my being the first parent on the scene, Here is a moveable cart in the basement that works for him for one of his many computer screens. 

 

Jesse with coffee in hand, giving me the upstairs tour soon after I arrived. 

 Jess and Amy in the kitchen around 10:30  AM or so, prior to Sue and Nate arriving for preparing for for our easy does it grazing and card playing gathering.   My parents portable roaster from 1945 sitting on the counter with an organic turkey from the Wedge Coop in Minneapolis  I stuffed it with cornbread stuffing at my apartment and started it heating at 4:30 AM, and what a great smell to have in my van. 

 

Amy was busy, making meringue  whipping egg whites. For her lemon meringue pie - Nice and tart!  Perfect!  Thanks Amy..

 

   Fun to sit with Amy as she was cooking and noticing her homemade newspaper, cat-resistant Christmas Tree, with mushroom ornaments.  Very sweet. Cool to see the creative art all around . Sitting on the table is the book I made for Jesse on the Macrorie Family history, back to Scotland.  It has not yet occurred to him the source of his middle name!  Great to have the smells of cooking food

 Fun display of photos and artwork in the living room alcove .....

 

Sue arrived and for a while, Jesse and Tom, Sue and Amy played a game of cribbage and after Nate arrived driving his Jeep, Sue and Nate followed with a game as well. (see in the background Nate is looking a a MacBook with Sue on the couch.   Jesse has several computers and screens around the home,  and he helped me discover that my MacBook  had a bad hard drive.  So wonderful he had a back up he installed in my laptop and I was able to re load all my saved programs and data at home, as I have been using Time Machine to back up my files regularly. Thanks A & J, Amy and Jesse for being such open and generous  hosts again!  

One the table are both genealogy books I created for Nate and Jess, regarding the Blair and Macrorie family trees from their mom's side of the famil.

 Here is a general overview of the kitchen and first floor, with Amy looking her colorful triptych 

 Amy shared her awareness of the element is her evolving art, something about earth, air, fire and water as I recall.  Fun to see her creativity reflected in their home, and such great colours!!

 Amy testing out one of the desserts as Nate and Sue focus on their cribbage gane.

Jesse supports his brother and mom with their cribbage progress..Thanks everyone for the peaceful and healing gathering.  Easy Does it vacation...Glad not to be so tightly wound and less type A...And loving the family stories and connection of genealogy. Mitakuye Oyasin "we are all connected" 

YMCA Wilderness Camp Widjiwagan BWCA from 1978 - 83 Adventures with Camp Superkids

Dr Tom Weaver (this author, 1978 on the trail as a Super Doc :-)

I have always had an interest in nature, environmental education and sharing health learnings on my path.  I completed my formal medical education at the U of Minnesota in 1974 with graduation with an MD.  That summer prior to starting an internship at St Lukes Hospital in Duluth, I had the chance to teach Wilderness First Aid at ACM Field Station on Basswood Lake.   I had done a special study of Wilderness First Aid, Using a Book Medicine for Mountaineering, under the direction of Dr Jim House, a respected orthopedist I studied with at the U of M Med School the prior year.  So in the summer of 1974 I also continued to build on my canoeing and camping experiences I had informally developed in  college.  Working with Rev Ernie Campbell, Dean of the Faribault Episcopal Cathedral, who loved to work with teens in the church, created a place to blend spirituality and nature...When Dean Ernie  asked me to co lead at trip in 1967 to the  BWCA after my sophomore year at Carleton, I said sure, I am willing to learn and be mentored.  I had a lot of book learning about biology and when I got my hand on a canoe paddle on Lake One near Carlson's Outfitting on Moose Lake, I began a life long learning curve.  Learning the J stroke is an art, and can only be learned doing it...So Learning to face my fears in a good way, has brought many adventures my way. Thanks to Ernie for his trust for 3 years, BWCA 1967, Then a Grand Tetons Adventure 1968, and then a trip down the Big Fork River to  Canada, my first time out of the US, in 1969 byAge 22.   So this set the stage for my next adventure.  

Wilderness Camp Superkids 1978 Camp Widjiwagen

Widji, run by the St Paul YMCA,  has a seasoned counselor go on each trip.  Here is Doug "Habes" Heberman pointing out our route to some of the guys at Widji Base Camp on the North Arm of Burntside Lake near Ely MN

Down time throwing frisbees, the guys with Steve Smith (yellow shirt) the director of the American Lung Association in Minneapolis that co sponsored this camp.  The Camp Superkids Local Camp was at Camp Iduhapi on Lake Independence west of the Twin Cities. It was here I first met, Dr Dick "Cush" Cushing the medical advisor, and pediatric allergy specialist who, with his nurses got me up to speed on  asthma and allergy management in the Camp Setting. Dr Cushing was a founder of Camp Superkids, and practiced out of St Louis Park Medical Center in those days. Note the frisbees some of the guys took on the trip. 

I had forgotten this year was an all boys group.  Sue Weaver, my wife of then four years on the right in blue , was game to join us on the trip  .  Still at Camp Widjiwagen , I am waiting on Eric Thompson, 6th from the left, to help with the ID's.  Doug Haberman is in the cap and our Widji Counselor.  In the Superkids Yellowshirt is Steve Smith of the Sponsoring Hennepin American Lung Association, I remember visiting on Portland Ave S near Franklin to work with Steve at the building there . I recall Steve Moved to New Hampshire many years ago.

Widji Vee Cee (Vomit Comet) for the bouncing center of gravity issue, pulling a trailer of canoes to start the trip

Vee Cee unloading canoes. 

 The Break In trip to Slim Lake to test out skills, after camp demo's, demonstration of camping set up, making wood skills.   Here practicing canoeing skills  Habes waving from the right canoe, likely on North Arm Burntside Lake.

T.L. "Trail Mix" with Doug Haberman, with campers.

Lunch on a rock....during the trip

Camper looking at some of the marsh plants as we paddle up a stream.

Aluminum Canoe loaded with 3 campers and our Duluth Packs.