Ottawa

August 26, 2010

Donna wrote that the Kiewatt reunion was to be in the little town of Ottawa that is halfway between LeSueur & St. Peter. My folks moved there when I was in high school. They lived on the old Kiewatt place. It had a barn & pigpen & chicken coop & outdoor toilet--no running water or electricity. My parents had 2 or 3 cows & some pigs & chickens. There was a pasture & a small cornfield. The place was wired for electricity but they could not afford it so we had kerosene lamps & lanterns.

I did not want to change schools so it was decided that I could stay with Dorothy & Art in St. Peter during the week & come home on weekends.The train ran through Ottawa so I was able to ride it from St. Peter to Ottawa on Fri eve & return on Sun at noon.The ride cost one dime!!! The conductors got to know me & were very friendly. Ginny went to school in Ottawa & the school is still standing but is very run down & is not used for anything. The old Kiewatt place is all gone—bought up by the white sand quarry which is a big enterprise in Ottawa. They ship white sand all over the country.