I found more slides from my dad's collection, organized by my mom recently. I understand dad, Pete Weaver purchased a Zeiss Ikon Camera in 1959 just before Peg's blooming interest in mushrooms where he learned to take close up photos. In addition to nature photos, he took many around his cottage at on Sunset Beach. Peg did the reflections through her writing in Rememberings.
From Rememberings of an Eighty-tree Year Old Grandma, by Margaret Glessner Weaver 1994
"One by one our best friends left Faribault. Frances and Brad Craig moved to San Antonio, Texas, where Brad was to head Texas Military Institute. By Berhow received an offer which was too good to turn down, to be Superintendent School of the School for the Blind at the Vancouver, Washington. How I hated to see Marde Berhow, my very best friend, leave. Marge and Ed Silvis joined us in their farewell party when we gave them silly and practical going-away presents and shed tears. Then, Marge and Ed left to go to Viet Nam, a position with the U. S. Information Service. (This was before the Viet Nam War.) Helen and Wayne Hultquist moved to Anoka, then to West Bend, Wisconsin, then back to Anoka. Our bestest friends were gone. Always hating to leave Pelican to return to Faribault, we decided that when Pete retired we would winterize the cottage, sell our Faribault home and move to Pelican. " p88
"We drew our own plans for remodeling and I was the architect in residence, staying at the lake while the work was being done in case there were questions about the amateurly drawn plans. We were fortunate to get the Sander brothers to do the carpentry, Archie, Clarence and Cecil. They did beautiful work and were very pleasant to have around. Realizing that in these days digging a basement would require using a backhoe, and since we didn't want trees uprooted and the land surrounding our cabin torn up by heavy machinery, we decided to skip a basement to accommodate a furnace and to install electric baseboard heat. Electric heat would be expensive; so would digging a basement and installing other heat.
The cottage remodeling was done in three stages. Stage I: building a two-story garage (1972) to provide storage space when everything would have to be moved out of the cottage for the second and third stages. From pictures of Swiss chalets in a National Geographic magazine, I designed face-boards for each end of the garage and cottage roofs. A two-car garage was to house a second car for emergency, in case Car #1 wouldn't go. We soon learned that the battery of the emergency car, our four-door Plymouth, wouldn't function without use, so sold it to Tom.
The following year (1973) Stage II : the sleeping porch was torn down, bedrooms and living room remodeled, adding the necessary insulation in the walls and ceiling. Because the original cottage roof, with too many angles and only a slight slope, encouraged leaks, the new plans called for a rectangular dwelling and a roof with a steeper incline. Two small bedrooms provided ample closets with rods and shelves, eliminating the need for chests of drawers to simplify cleaning. We decided not to change the front porch, leaving it insulated for summer use, only, the heavy, shutters replaced by windows from the former sleeping porch. Now I sometimes wish that the porch had been incorporated in our remodeling plans in some way so that there was more living space. Except in the summer, I am cramped to have supper guests and to work on projects. The living room was enlarged, extending it beyond the wall which supported the roof making it necessary to install a support beam. This beam was long and in turn needed support, which was given by an attractively turned cross-piece from our Faribault grape arbor. A new back entrance was necessary, since the old one was sacrificed for a shower stall. "
In 1974 the final stage, Stage III: a drain field and septic tank installed (after getting a permit to put it in the old driveway near the Relyea lot line), the kitchen and bathroom remodeled with an abundance of cupboards. Putting in a new door between the kitchen and the porch necessitated removal of the door frame which had annually (more or less) recorded the new heights of our growing boys. Their final heights were: Jim - 6'3"; Jack - 6'4"; Tom - 6'9"; dad - 6'3"; mom - 5'8 34". The old door frame was incorporated in Jack's cottage when he built. An insulated toilet bowl and tank took care of the problem of fixtures sweating in hot, humid summer. When the new fiber-glass shower stall soon became rust-stained by the water from our well, I was surprised with the recommendation of Turtle Wax as an effective, nonabrasive cleaner. From Sears we purchased a new stove and refrigerator. Although the refrigerator had been sitting in the remodeled living room for at least a week, the space made for it in the kitchen was inadequate, the molding around the door next to it having to be removed to squeeze the refrigerator into the allotted space.
1975 photo by PHW, Peg knitting on the old Eicher daybed, that Pete's grandfather, Henry Eicher created in Ohio. The "H" for Henry was Paul Henry Weaver's middle name. (Note Bond Street Tobacco below the toaster. In 1978, at age 68, my dad had a bout of angina and heart arrhythmia after which he quit smoking his pipe, at the same time Peg quit smoking her Phillip Morris cigarettes. See p 104 Rememberings.
My parents loved to watch and record nature. Not only the birds...the weather too. Here is Peg looking at the read out for a anemometer, wind measuring device that was mounted on the peak of the roof during the remodeling. I remember little twirling cups and it worked for some 10 years or so. This is in 1975 prior to Peg and Pete's moving up from Faribault. Note the bright red pitcher pump on the sink. This is from the pre electricity days when they had indoor plumbing in 1947, one pump at the kitchen sink (here) and one in the bathroom that filled the tank behind the toilet. I think the Weaver's had the first cottage on the beach without an outhouse.....
" MORE PELICAN DOINGS In 1974 Jim and Jack made their first trips to Pelican with their families when Valerie and Kristin were about six months old. After arriving at Pelican, Jack promptly drove down to our place to show off his new daughter, his car with trailer attached becoming stuck in the spur to the Relyea's driveway. Tom to the rescue in his secondhand Studebaker truck, pulled the vehicles out. At first Jim flew with his family from Massachusetts to the Brainerd airport where we met them for their two weeks' vacation. Now he finds it a better bargain and more convenient to fly to the Twin Cities, then rent a car to drive to Pelican." p87
Val and Chris Summer of 1974 on a quilt on the Sunset Beach Floor, photo by PHW
"When we remodeled our cottage, we were very glad that the boys had their own places at Pelican, so we didn't have to consider making our place large enough to try to accommodate the boys and
their families on vacations. With their own quarters they can enjoy
their vacations doing what they want when they want, not needing to
worry about how it fits in with our plans, and vice versa."Gradual Development of the Palmer Property by the Three Weaver Brothers, beginning in 1967
From 1967 - 1977 The Three Weaver Brothers Worked out a way to share the 90 acres, 1000 ft of Lakeshore and two cabins, Big Palmer, first built by the Haeberle's of Faribault in 1912, and graduatlly remodeled after Haeberle died at Pelican in the 1940's by the Palmers. And upper Palmer, built as a guest house over the ice house after Lower Palmer (with 100 ft of lakeshore ) was sold off to Bill Hokans, a Minneapolis police officer, in the 1950's.
After each receiving gifts of Detroit Edison stock from their investment wise grandparents, Harry and Inez Glessner, 1967, the three Weaver Brothers, Jim, Jack and Tom chipped in money to purchase the Alden C and Edyth Palmer Property a mile east of the Sunset Beach Lot, Pete and Peg settled on.
Pete Weaver, captured the family in photos during this time, that are credited here, along with a few by this author.......
Neighbors to the East at the time of purchase, included 1) Dave and Winnie Leonard with their two teenage children from South Minneapolis, Jim and Terri, who carried the legacy of "Pappy" Frederick Jenkins, who first build the Leonard Old Cabin in 1913. He worked at St James School in Faribault MN whereas Fred Haeberle worked at Shattuck School in Faribault. And 2) Lois Bargen, who had with her husband, built a log cabin at the far end of the Leonard/Jenkins property, and to whom the Leonards eventually sold a 100 ft lot.
Lois Bargen in her kitchen in the log cabin.
Here is Winnie Leonard, with Melanie, Peg and Jim Weaver supporting the Weaver's on their newly acquired property, telling stories and encouraging the family to sort and clean up the place.
The first visit by Jack and Nellie, with Harold Williams, Jim and Melanie with Bunny Brick joining in was in the fall of 1967.
Early on, here in 1973, we brought families from the shore who had common roots together to share stories over slides and beverages. Here is Winnie Leonard a native of Faribault, sharing stories with Ken Relyea, a Faribault neighbor of the Weavers, and also part of the Kiekenapp clan who shared the cabin next to the Weavers on Sunset Beach, lot 12. Ken had married Ruth Kiekenapp and was a rabid outdoorsman here smoking a cigar in the Palmer Big Cabin when we had big USGS maps on the wall. Hosts Melanie and Jim Weaver. Photo by PHW
Melanie, Jim and Tom Weaver (this author). Flash photo by PHW 1973, in the large Palmer cabin.
byPHW.tiff)
In the fall of 1974 the family gathered at the large Palmer Cabin for a Wedding Celebration on Aug 31, to celebrate the Marriage of Tom Weaver and Sue Johnson, who had legally been married in Minneapolis on May 31, 1974. The celebrant at both ceremonies is Rev Tom Maurer whom Sue and Tom met at the U of M Program in Human Sexuality when Rev Tom was a regular faculty. The first ceremony was done in Rev Tom Maurers office at the U of M Research East Building on University Ave with Jim Flax and Cece Ridder as witnesses, who were also students at the U of M>
Aug 31, 1974 Wedding Celebration and resharing of vows L - R Joan Murray, Susan Johnson, Rev Tom Maurer, Jim Weaver, Tom Weaver -
L-R Ralph Johnson, father of bridge, Joan Murray, Sr Siena art teacher of Susan's Little Chute St John's Susan Johnson Rev Tom Maurer, Jim and Tom Weaver
Rev Tom Maurer, Tom Weaver, Peg Weaver, Paul Rosel, Jim Weaver (with Box of TS cupcakes)
Paul H Weaver, Rev Tom Maurer, Greg Larsen, Kris Weaver, Lois Hanggi, Jack Weaver, Hanggi daughter, Peg Weaver
Winnie Leonard with Terrie and Jim Leonard with Paul Rosel at the wedding Aug 1974.
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