Leila's Birthday, Mom's Visit, Aunt Irma's 90th

 

Jon's always looking for deer in the farm fields

 
 

 I'll start this blog with a couple of photos Jon sent me from "work". As a heavy equipment operator for a company that builds power lines, he spends most of his workday outside.

 

Mud, mud, and more mud!

Of course, here in Wisconsin-- and this April, in particular-- that means working knee-deep in mud or getting stung in the face by a sharp blowing snow. (Spring has not been cooperating this year).

 

 

While in December you might think, "Ah, a fresh coat of snow outside... everything looks so beautiful and clean!", I can assure you that's NOT what comes to mind in April, as these near-daily dustings of snow continue to arrive.

 

 

New calf wonders where spring is

 

But life goes on, and baby calves can't wait for a warm balmy day to be born. They just come whenever their mother's internal clock is ready, sunshine or not. So our cows at the neighbor's farm are starting to give birth.


This calf was born two days ago to one of our cows-- a new mother who's only other experience with calving didn't go well. The last time she had a calf, she didn't seem to know what to do with her newborn... she delivered it in the mud and more or less walked away.  That little calf didn't make it.


So this year Jon made sure there were plenty of cornstalks to lay down on top of the mud for a blanket, and we're on standby with bottles to see whether or not the mother will nurse or need our help.

My baby's 5th birthday

Mothering (or parenting) doesn't come naturally for everyone. There's no shame in it; that's just how it is, and it's best when people are aware of that from the beginning and so build their lives accordingly.



I was one of the lucky ones who came to motherhood easily and naturally. I LOVE being a mom and stepmom and can't believe how much my life has been enriched by the experience.

Leila with her two Grandmas

Of course, I was helped along by the example of my own mother, who was caring and baked cookies, read us books, and all that good stuff.


Mom stayed with us for a few days at the end of March. While she was here, we celebrated Leila's 5th birthday a few days early, colored Easter eggs with her, and did some visiting and (of course) shopping.  Mom had fun and the kids enjoyed having their Grandma as room-mate, for awhile. Mom and Leila even slept together in a double bed downstairs.

Birthday lunch in Cornell

Jonathan and Jack joined us for a gathering in Cornell. We had home-made beef soup, Texas toast, and birthday cake (angel food with 7 minute frosting and a Barbie doll on top). Yum.

I'll post a few more pics related to Leila's birthday:

Presents!!!!!

"Birthday chair"

Cake and ice cream for the Jackster

Feeling like a lady

Emma wearing a pink moustache from Susan



I should add here that Leila and the other kids received a WONDERFUL package in the mail from their big sister Susan in Kentucky. She made  each kid a card (using newspaper clippings and collage), and sent them some wonderfully creative gifts like a little porcelain tea set Leila could paint and decorate herself. Wow are they lucky to have a thoughtful big sister like that.

Leila playing with toy lanterns from Grandma Jane

Jack likes camping in our living room, too

Emma had her DI (Destination Imagination) competition in Stevens Point this weekend. Unfortunately, her team did not win, but they had a great experience and are already thinking about next year. The photo below is of kids from a different school who went all-out for their team:

Look what you can do with plastic beer cups

Now! On to another big birthday event... Aunt Irma's 90th birthday party.

Dad and Aunt Irma

Dad's sister Irma is the oldest of their group of ten siblings. Five of the ten were present at Irma's party in Tony, WI yesterday: Irma, Don, Margaret, Chuck, and Noel. (Noel came all the way from California).

The siblings that didn't make it were deceased or live far away and couldn't make the trip (they're all getting up there in years). One sibling died in childhood, and the oldest son, Ralph, passed away a few years ago (he raised his family on the east coast). Of the surviving siblings, Bob lives in Georgia, Lorelei in Florida, and Carol in New York.

Aunt Irma's 90th Birthday Party

The crowd gathered at St. Anthony's reception hall was impressively large... there were friends and neighbors there, but also Irma is the mother of no less than 18 children. With the exception of Phillip, who passed away a few years ago, every single one of them was present. Add a few spouses, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and yes, the room filled up!

In this shot, the man speaking to the room (in front of the brown cabinet) is Dick Leonhard, grandfather of NFL football player Jim Leonhard. He knows the family well and told some interesting stories about Irma and her husband Fred in the early days.

Aunt Irma "conducted" while the crowd sang Happy Birthday

Here's one story he told (I hope I tell it right): Dad's mother, my Grandma Bragg, was not Catholic when she married Grandpa (though she eventually converted). But she had agreed to raise the kids Catholic. She contacted a neighbor family, the Voss's, and arranged for her kids to walk with their family to church on Sundays. Fred Voss, Irma's future husband, was one of the sons of that neighbor family.

So that's how they met! As Mr. Leonhard said, "Fred looked at those Bragg girls, and decided she (Irma) was the best one, and so he married her." (That met with some whoops of approval from the audience).

Aunt Irma and children

I thought it was nice how, in his opening remarks, Mr. Leonhard made a point of mentioning by name each one of Irma's siblings. Though it was largely a Voss family affair, all the "representatives" from other branches of the Bragg family were welcome (and fed very well). My brother Bob, me, and my parents represented the "Don Bragg of Rhinelander" portion of the Bragg family. If east coast cousins Michael, Jim, or John Bragg ever made it back for one of these big family events, I guarantee they would be treated like visiting royalty :). That's kind of how those "Voss girls" make their cousins feel.

Rose and Don, Noel and Barbara, Jane and Chuck; Irma and Margaret in front.

It was fun hearing people reminisce. While growing up, the Voss kids had the run of the farm, but they were not allowed to run around town (at least not the girls). The pretty Voss girls were not allowed to date until they were 17 years old. Playing outside was strongly encouraged, and when you came in the house you had better wash your feet off (as kids they were almost always barefoot in summer).

Grandma and Grandpa Bragg are a little different in the memories of their older grandchildren than they were for a younger grandchild like me. It sounds like Grandma could be more strict and intimidating than I remember... and that Grandpa could be more active and playful. One time many years ago he urged some of his Voss grandchildren to come see the birds he'd found sitting in a tree: "They're so quiet and still you'll be able to come up behind them and pick them up with your hands."  That sounded good to the Voss kids, so they excitedly followed him over to a tree... which he had strung with his painted carved wooden bird ornaments. He had a good laugh while they said "Aww, Grandpa-!" and shuffled away disappointed.

Peggy (Voss) Linskey in front

Lots of outdoor play, but this was a hard-working family. Certainly being pregnant and having a bunch of kids did not excuse Aunt Irma from doing farm chores... she got out there with boots and moved cows and did whatever else was needed, kid helpers in tow.


And there were hard times. Resources were limited and kids didn't get what they wanted. But that's just how it was.

Look at all these little kids... wow. Close in age.

These days everyone's off with their own families. I don't know all the Voss kids equally well, but the ones I do know have turned out pretty strong and prosperous. Daughters Fran and Peggy host annual celebrations for everyone at their houses, and there's a special sisters get-away weekend for those who can make it... I guess this year's destination is the Grand Canyon. Anyway, it's fun to see them enjoy each other, and no one was happier this weekend than their mother Irma. She was loving every moment.

Bob and Rita Bragg

I found these old black and white photos of the Voss family on Facebook... one of my cousins (Donna Fairchild, can I give you a shout out?) has meticulously documented many wonderful family photos and videos on her FB page. She lives in Georgia, so is one of those cousins I hardly ever get to see, but the internet has helped us reconnect and stirred our interest in getting to know our wider family and our family histories.


So because of that, and because this party for Aunt Irma has me thinking about my dad's family, I'd like to close with a set of pictures we received after sending a condolence card to her dad... my Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob's wife Rita passed away recently. They were married when she was 17, had a large family of their own, and remained together until the end. I thought this set of pictures was very poignant and sweet. What more can you ask of life than something like this?