It was April 2 and a couple inches of new, wet, not wanted
snow covered everything. My Grandson,
Josh, and I were in the car headed west, on our way to the Soldiers Grove
Library where I was to speak in the early afternoon. As we drove we moved from spring to winter
every few miles, with a strong, cold, miserable wind rocking the car every mile
of the way.
Josh is driving, not too concerned about the alternating
seasons—where else but in Wisconsin—maybe Minnesota—can you see the seasons
change every few minutes? I am
fretting. I’m always fretting before a
presentation. But with this miserable
weather will anyone come to Soldier’s Grove to hear me? I know I wouldn’t be keen to travel on a day
like this to hear me talk.
We drove on, across the Wisconsin River that was flooding, through Spring Green and Richland Center, through Bosstown and Readstown,
and then to Soldier’s Grove snuggled up against the Kickapoo River.
The Kickapoo had caused havoc to the town
over the years, especially in 1978 when it flooded and ruined the business district along with many
homes. So the village moved to higher
ground—a gutsy, historical move. But
that wasn’t all; they built an energy conserving solar heated business district—the
first of its kind in the country.
Soon we met Cele Wolf, librarian. I
prepared my notes while Josh set up our book display. I continued to wonder if anyone would come
for my 1:30 talk. But the librarian and
I were totally surprised. By 1:30 the
room was full, 50 to 60 people in every
chair and standing. People from as far
away as Oxford, but also from Ferryvile, Onalaska, Viroqua, Richland Center.
and of course Soldier’s Grove.
I talked about one-room schools. I asked how many had attended one. Nearly every hand went up. So it was an afternoon of story-telling, and
remembering the days of one teacher in one little building teaching all eight
grades.
I introduced the new edition of
my book One-Room Schools, newly published by the Wisconsin Historical Society
Press. And Josh and I continued to
listen to one-room school stories long after my talk ended.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: No matter what the weather, people will
come.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Writing Workshops for 2016
Telling Your Story Workshop at Wild Rose Library,
Saturday June 11, 9-4. Call 920-622-3835 to get your name on the list as
enrollment is limited.
Telling Your Story Workshop at The Clearing in Door
County. Friday, August 12, 9-4. Call 920-854-4088 to get your name on the
list.
.
UPCOMING EVENTS.
April
5, 6:30 Heritage Hill State Park, Green Bay. Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.
April
9, Fort Atkinson Library, 1-3:00 p.m. Whispers and Shadows.
April
14, 12:00 p.m. Wild Rose Hospital Auxiliary Luncheon speaker.
Farm Stories
April
17, 7:00 p.m. Lebanon Historical
Society and Dodge County Geological Group, Watertown Senior
and Community Center, 514 South First Street, Watertown. Whispers and
Shadows.
April
19, 6:00 p.m. Union Grove Library. Wisconsin
Agriculture: A History
May
26, 7:00 p.m. Richfield Historical Society, 4128 Hubertus Road, Richfield, WI Whispers and Shadows.
June
7, Cambria Library.
June
11, 9-4 Writing Workshop, Wild Rose Library.
Telling Your Story
June
14.9:00 a.m. Keynote speech. Country Heritage Day, St. John the Baptist Church,
Montello. Barns of Wisconsin.
August
9, 6:30 p.m.. Evening. Winnebago County Historical Society. Oshkosh Library. Ag. History
August
12 9-4, Writing Workshop, The Clearing, Door County.
August
20, 10:30-11:30 am. Waupaca Annual Arts
on the Square.
Purchase
Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose,
Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):
The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:
Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm
Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom
and Old Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)
Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including:
Jerry’s newest novel, The
Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin
Agriculture: A History.
Contact
the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson
Memorial Library
500 Division Street
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