Mike Hanson

Note from the author: The Historical information received required some degree of inference, but the narrative has a major degree of accuracy – the jewels which will follow in the coming weeks are the letters dated late summer into the fall of 1918, a time that saw the end of WW I and the great influenza epidemic that struck the world and killed thousands.This is a trail of two families’ immigration adventure; how they responded to the times and how their fortunes and destiny ended up in Loman, Minn.Lars Johnson was born in Sweden in June of 1819, his bride Merit (Maria) Christopherson was also born in Sweden, in 1846.

Mame self-declared that after moving to her homestead she had a lot to learn: How to get along without many things she felt were necessities, how to share with neighbors and tired travelers.

More about Mary (Mame) Earley and her adventures south of Frontier as a teacher at the Paul School:She described that during school vacation she could travel by riverboat or cross the river into Ontario and take the Muskeg Limited to visit relatives or to attend “teacher meetings” in the Falls.

Four of the Earley sisters became educators to serve the growing number of homesteaders who flocked to the northern border.

Paul Earley did business with Chief Horton across the river and occasionally joined him just to visit and sometimes let daughters Margaret and Isabelle, “Isy,” tag along.

The Earley Family has impacted the International Fall area for many years, multiple generations.

And then there is Contemporary History.

Jennie Rasmussen delighted in spilling the beans about the all the good meals of fish they had; they prepared whitefish fresh or smoked and naturally walleye.

Samuel Plummer generally carried a gun when he went to the field, even when hilling potatoes, he kept an eye out for deer.

Many Homesteaders who came to our area in many cases felt “Nature will provide sustenance;” seldom did the “free harvest” not require sustainable effort.Every spring, children worked with their parents in the maple syrup harvest.