Moving to town and Retirement

‘There is a pendulum quality in life. We move backward and we move forward. Sometimes we experience the sunshine of hope. At other times we seem to be in a thunderstorm of despair. We must learn to handle both. No matter how hard we may try to alter it, life is in a constant tension between the promising and the threatening. This life doesn’t allow us to settle down in everlasting contentment.’

These are the words that I found hand written in the back of a small notebook Mom had kept daily notes in when Dad had open heart surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital on April 16, 1974. Kent and I were able to be with Mom on the day of Dad’s surgery. I remember a nurse saying to Dad as he was taken to surgery “Hang in there, Norskie!”. Dr. Helseth and his team of surgeons replaced the mitral valve with a new synthetic valve and patched up a hole in the wall between the chambers of the heart. Dad’s surgery went well. Mom stayed in a guest room at the hospital for 16 days that Dad was a patient. I remember her working on a crewel embroidery as Dad recovered. Mom and Dad’s motto could best be described by “Bloom Where You Are Planted!” If you are spending your time in a hospital, you can bloom there, too - by being positive, kind to the the staff, and saying encouraging words to other patients and families. Dad made a miraculous recovery from surgery and even drove the tractor and planted some of the soybeans later that spring. Gene remembers watching Dad push open the big barn doors six weeks after surgery - considering that open heart surgery requires opening the chest cavity - Dad was indeed one tough Norskie!

Dad and Mom farmed the 480 acres for two more years but it was becoming more of a challenge for them. So they decided to retire from farming the farm where they had lived since their marriage in 1935 and raised their 4 children. They purchased a lot at 160 Circle Drive in Jackson and built a new home on the hillside overlooking the Des Moines River.

Actually there were three moves that spring of 1976. Esther and Tom moved to town on March 27th. Kent and Debi and their young son, John, would move from Luverne, MN, to the home farm and take over the farming operation on April 7th. We moved on May 14th from a new home in Spencer, IA, to a 900 sq. ft. shack south of Ames, IA (we were a bit envious of the other two moves but we did later remodel and add on to our house).

Moving day for Mom and Dad was a nice spring day in late March. Lots of help showed up that morning - relatives and neighbors. We were loading household items from the house into vans, pick-ups and trucks. About 11 am, Gene came downstairs and Dad was sitting in the living room. He asked Dad if he was OK, he replied, “I’m just a bit overwhelmed, I was just reflecting that I have been in the harness (farming) for 50 years.” The move went smoothly and they were pretty well settled in their new home in town by evening.


Moving to town (1976)

Mom and Dad adjusted to living in town. The new house had a large deck to the south overlooking the town of Jackson and the river which they enjoyed. Under the deck was a large enclosed shop, where Dad could work on his projects - restoring a buggy, Model T car, and a 1929 Model A car. In the other part of the basement, they had two guest rooms, bathroom, and another large multi-purpose room - so it was easy for their children and grandchildren to visit them. Upstairs was a living room that opened out to the deck, dining room, large kitchen (Mom continued to host family dinners and Christmas until she was in her late 80’s), den (where Mom could work on her photo albums and scrapbooks plus sew), master bedroom and two bathrooms plus a laundry area. A large garage was also attached to the upper level of the house. Mom and Dad enjoyed getting to know their neighbors in town and stayed active with church and community activities (Dad was a member of Kiwanis and Mom regularly attended circle and sewing workshop at the church). One of the first big projects they did for the community soon after moving to town was to line up old and new machinery (Dad call it the “Evolution of Corn” - depicting the tremendous change in growing corn in that area - from the Indians planting corn by hand to horse drawn equipment to the large machinery being used now) for the Bicentennial Parade that was held in downtown Jackson on June 24, 1976.


Living in town, 160 Circle Dr.

They continued to enjoy traveling - car trips and bus tours to different areas of the United States; trip to Tahiti, New Zealand, Antarctica, Australia, Fiji Islands and Hawaii in 1977; a trip to Europe - Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Lichenstein, Austria - in 1980 (they had been to the Scandinavia countries and England in 1969 and South America - Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru - in 1970).

But in the mid-1980’s Dad’s health began to decline. They often said that his 1974 open heart surgery had given him 10 plus years of life and they were truly grateful.

In 1985-86 and early in 1987, Dad would feel better some days and do a little walking but often felt sick and weak. I remember Mom reading to Dad every day as his eyesight had been damaged when he had a light stroke after surgery in 1985. Their last trip was to visit us in Huxley, IA, on Feb. 11-13, 1987 - Paul was 6 months old and Adam was 5 years old. Mom drove but Dad became over tired. He was in the hospital and Jackson Good Samaritan home off and on until the decision was made to attempt another open heart surgery to replace the aortic valve. Dr. Helseth (had done Dad’s first open heart surgery in 1974) discussed the surgery with Mom and Dad. Dad told Dr. Helseth that he would like to proceed with the surgery and if it was not successful perhaps the doctors would learn something that would help future patients. The surgery was performed on May 7th at the Metropolitan Medical Center in Minneapolis. There were complications after surgery with the lungs and hemorrhaging. Dad was in intensive care and on life support for 40 days. Mom stayed in a guest room in the hospital and the four children and their families came to give her encouragement and support. I remember her working on needlework - a Viking ship. She said it helped to do craft work with hands at times of stress. She lost the love of her life when he died on June 17, 1987. The funeral services were held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Jackson, MN, on June 20, 1987. Mom has often said, “I miss him dearly but I don’t wish him back to the days at the end of his life and his struggles with his health”. -Marita


Dad’s memorial service (1987)