| Cottonwood
to celebrate 150th year in 2012, area history included
(History continued from last week) This past ten or twelve years is really not difficult to recall. Here we are in the 21st Century progressing from the days when we didn’t have much but didn’t realize it. The world has really gotten smaller and we know how world troubles filter down and concern us all. We know that huge acts of crime soon spread across the world and down to us. When and how long we do nothing to stop human abuse often means it gets closer and closer to our shores. “Stay out of it” just means the problem has multiplied when it does get here. I figure this is the reason we have become a world police force. Until someone, somewhere comes up with a solution it seems like we are going to keep doing our best, to the best of our ability, to prevent a nuclear holocaust. By the same token we realize that the American Way is by far better than what most of the world has. Although we have a tendency to complain a lot, we live and love in a great country and here on the Camas Prairie we have the best of it all. We thank all of our families that came ahead and all who fought to keep this for the next generation! These stories of families who came and kept the area alive are the main backbone of our effort but, how about the people of these families who stepped up into leadership roles in their clubs and civic organizations. Each of the four or five parts of this area had their own leaders and these men and women contributed greatly to all the things in our lives we consider important. Most everyone is very conscious of “doing my share.” Now, this is where I realize I am standing on shaky ground. How do you recognize a few people without hurting others’ feelings? But with the same idea most of the stories are written, they idea being “as I remember” during my seventy plus years. Early on some of the names that seem to stick were Felix Martzen, Harold Simon, Jack Tacke, Walt Ruhoff, Sister Augustine, Sister Deodata, Sister Catherine, Sister Alfreda, Carl Schmidt, Bernice Buettner, Rose Riener, Hy Kuther, Joe Enneking, Francis Nuttman, Chas. J. Poxleitner, Martin Kroiss, Walt and Mike Kinzer, F.M. Bieker, Al Uhlorn, Ray Terhaar, Barney Stubbers, Joe and Andrew Schmidt and Germain Westhoff. And yes, Frank Arnzen and Tony Wessels! I know that there were many more who stepped up and helped us through the years, both sung and unsung heroes to us all! Thank you all, mentioned or not! Some of the area names are mentioned every time the past is written about. The reason being that these people were always in the middle of what was going on. But really, don’t you find that as other people are talked about, that all our friends and neighbors played a role in the story of the area? When we get to know all the people, we realize that they too shared the good times, as well as the hard times that touched us all. I promise you as you read our story book, you will find names you haven’t thought of for a long, long time. Big or small, rich or poor, these people grew up with you and in reality became part of your story too! My, my how things change. Get up some morning at 3:30 or 4 a.m, take a walk (if you don’t get shot) you will be hard pressed to see more than a few night lights on. Back sixty or seventy years ago that wasn’t the case. Most loggers, hunters and fishermen were getting ready to go do their thing and in the next hour or so the paper boys, farmers and garbage men were starting their day. Some of these people we never see. In a way, this is why this story book is good for us all. It makes us all aware of the many people who are part of our real world. I know that I have contact with many long forgotten people in my past and it really makes me feel good, not only about hearing from them, but remembering they too have lived through all the things that make “our story.” This past week we received some pictures and stories from the Rooke families. Talk about making the memory bell ring! How great it was to hear from two of Lou Uptmor’s girls Verla and Thelma. Again the bell rang when Ann Haener (formerly Ann Mader) sent some info on her parents Leo and Elinor Mader. Glad to hear from you all! Another old friend call and said she just received a story from one of the Kelsey girls about Carl Cosand! How about that, thanks to Vera Holthaus for delivering the mail. As some of you know Carl delivered mail and trained Boy Scouts when “Custer was a pup!” One of Matt Duclos’ daughter in laws, Joyce, sent some pictures of when Matt delivered the mail in the winter by horse-drawn sled, two and sometimes four horses it took to buck the snow! Included in our fortune this week was word from the grand-daughter of William Buettner Sr. I’m sure some of you remember the daughter of Rollie and Dorothy Buettner, Magdalene. They live in the big yellow house just East of Gem Builders. And the old Gem Builders was just a poultry house built by William Ruhoff, Dorothy Buettner’s father. Memories by the story maker’s family! These are just some of the people who are going to help with our story book. I must here thank Mildred Geis (Forsman) for her contribution sending in stories on her dad’s family, the Forsmans and the Riemans and the Thyrings. Great going to you all. While I’m at it I must mention Francie Tatko (Hilbert) great supporter from day one. Her work on the Hilberts and especially the Hatkes. Our thanks not only to Bob and Francie but to all of you for your support! This I the kind of project that makes our area so special! Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 15 at 2 p.m., which will be shortly after the personal history deadline of March 10th. Everything, at this time, is going right along pretty well as planned. The next couple of weeks will be busy ones as Deb, Claudia and Jeannie continue to put the stories and pictures into the computer and other parts of this effort will be directed to printing, pricing and book presale to help with the financing. 
The 7th-8th grade class at St. Joseph’s School, class of 1937. This photo is courtesy of Joyce Duclos. Help is sought in identifying all these youngsters, who would be in their 80’s today. 
The wedding party for the double wedding of Florian and Mary Holthaus and Mathias and Rose Duclos. 
The Cottonwood Outlaws town team basketball squad from 1950-51. Back from left are Herb Seubert, Bob Wimer, Len Kuther, Ed Schmidt and Ed Hoene. Front from left are Don Tacke, Mark Forsmann, Bob Nuttman, Ned Forsmann, Cleo Forsmann and Kelly Kurdy, coach. Remember When Remember When… A person always poking into someone else’s business was called a “busy body?” Nowadays that person bears several other names! Someone had “itchy fingers” it meant just short of stealing? A “big blow hard” had nothing to do with the weather? A “Fliver” was a cute means of transportation and not 1st cousin to a sliver in the finger? Beanies? They were a green felt hat that most freshman wore their first year in college. About 60 years ago! Tapped by the ugly stick?: This is when your peers didn’t feel your “looks” were up to par! “Gone Bonkers” This is when you thought someone went off the deep end. It was popular to dress “trim & neat?” A “pigpen” was a place out back for pigs? Not a kid’s bedroom! The term hippie meant the distance around the hips? Not the description of the young man coming to date your daughter. You heard someone say “it’s going to take a lot of prayer to save that one?” It goes back to the time of St. Augustine, said by his mother! At a military ball around the 1940’s someone was asked where they were from. The young man replied “Cottonwood, Idaho.” Immediately someone else knew another from there. One of the senior officers said, “I’ll be damned! I’m from St. Paul” and the next question is always, “Where’s that?” |
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