1918
Florence
2008
Florence Lesmeister
October 24, 1918 — April 10, 2008
Florence Isabelle Telkamp, daughter of Edward and Enger (Welland)Telkamp was born October 24, 1918, in Morris Township in Stevens County, Minnesota. Florence grew up in Stevens County, where she began her education in District 4 while the family lived in the farm homestead on Yankee Ridge Road. Florence continued her education at the Morris High School. During her second year of high school, Florence's mother became sick. Florence was the only girl left at home, so she had to quit school to help her mother. Florence liked being at home as she enjoyed being with her mother and working with her. Florence also worked for neighbor ladies, cleaning houses and taking care of children. It was during her early years when Florence met the love of her life, Leonard Lesmeister. She had known Leonard from childhood as they both went to District 4 grade school. Leonard was a friend of Florence's brother, Luverne. In those days, everybody used to go to barn dances and house parties. Florence's brothers would always give her a ride to the dance and make sure she got home. In return, she would keep their white pants washed and pressed and also polished their two-tone dress shoes. Leonard didn't have a car, so he would sometimes ride along with Luverne and Florence. After Florence turned 17, she started to date Leonard. They would go to "show boat plays" which were amateur theatricals held at the Alberta town hall. Admission for men was 10 cents and the ladies got in free.
Leonard was the oldest of 14 children and he never got a chance to go to high school. After 8th grade, he worked for his father and for other farmers too. All the money he earned was needed to help support the family. Leonard was very mechanically inclined so he could fix anything, so for awhile he got a job as a mechanic.
Florence was united in marriage to Leonard on January 16, 1938, in Morris. It was a simple wedding, they had no money. Florence wore a blue dress with a bolero and navy blue high heels (high heels have always been her weakness... she has worn them since she was 14 and was proud of her collection of high heel shoes!)
Following their marriage, the couple began a very modest farming operation in various locations in rural Morris; this was during the Great Depression. In the spring of 1938 they rented a section of land north of Morris with Florence's brother, Bud. They had no machinery, so they traded off their 1932 Chevrolet for a steel-wheel tractor and a two-bottom plow. To earn money for tractor fuel, Florence worked half days for a woman who wrote her list of chores on a blackboard; she made Florence work real hard for her earnings of $2.50 a week - enough to buy one barrel of fuel. Bud and Leonard and Florence shared the old house on that farm place. The first year oats were 28 cents, corn 39 cents, eggs 12 cents a dozen and gas was 16.9 cents a gallon. This was how they Leonard and Florence got their start farming.
Florence and Leonard worked very hard together to get their farming operation off the ground. Their dreams to have a farm of their own became a reality when they were able to buy their first farm northwest of Morris. It was there that they raised their seven children, Jack, Elaine Carole, Patricia, Marilyn, Charles, Connie and Sheila. Leonard and Florence saved every penny to make the farm payments. They raised grain, stock cows, pigs and chickens, plus had a huge garden. Florence and Leonard took great pride in their growing farming operation as they taught their children great work ethic as they learned the many skills of farming. Florence worked on the farm right along with Leonard and the children. She enjoyed working right along Leonard's side, not only in their farming operation, but also their custom corn shelling business which they operated from 1939 to 1978. Many a customer and neighbor will remember Florence driving the big trucks and the farm equipment. Florence was always willing to help out on the job anytime Leonard needed her. In 1950, Leonard and Florence started making plans to build a new house on their farm. They dismantled the old house, which was so drafty they had to break ice out of the pail in the kitchen each morning. With the help of Leonard's Dad, they took the house apart, pulled out all the nails, and used the lumber to build a new farmhouse. Meanwhile, the family lived in a makeshift house consisting of two portions of the old house, the summer kitchen and the porch, which were put together. Leonard and Florence and their oldest four children lived in that home the entire summer of 1950 until the new house was built.
Leonard and Florence were always a great team, but not only in their farming operation. The two of them loved to dance and for several decades were regular Saturday night dancers at the Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood. This was when they would gather with their friends for their weekly outing of dancing. They would at times bring their children along so they learned to dance as well. They were so faithful to their Saturday night routine, in fact, that the ballroom manager used to call them if the band got snowed in and couldn't make it. After their retirement from the farm in 1978, Leonard and Florence enjoyed traveling around the state in their motor home to attend the Polka Fests. Florence and Leonard were preparing to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary when Leonard was suddenly diagnosed with cancer in July 1992 and died six weeks later.
Florence loved staying busy. She started each day knowing what she wanted to accomplish. She definitely had her favorite tasks. She loved to make quilts for her children and grandchildren. She made sure each one of her grandchildren had one custom made just for them. She had even started making quilts for her great-grandchildren, and was in the process of working on two of them when she died. She was also a master at jelly-making, and many recipients in the area can attest to her great jams and jellies. She loved raising flowers in her garden and took great pride in her tulip garden. She enjoyed getting her various entries ready for the Stevens County Fair each year. Florence belonged to the Merry Homemakers Club and the Birthday Club; she was also a member of Christian Mothers, Assumption Fellowship Guild and a member of Assumption Church of Morris. She was baptized and confirmed a Catholic Christian at the Assumption Church in 1939.
More than anything, Florence loved to be surrounded by family members. She loved that so many of her children settled in the tri-county area. Florence is credited with being the glue that held her family together through the good times and the bad times, especially when Leonard passed away. Florence loved just being able to be at home in the lovely house that she and Leonard built on Park Avenue in Morris when they moved from the farm in 1978, although Leonard's presence has been greatly missed by Florence these last 16 years.
Florence's reunion with Leonard began on Thursday, April 10, 2008, when she suddenly passed away at her home after a full day of attending church, socializing with friends and tending to her chores at home. Having reached the age of 89 years, Florence will be greatly missed by family and friends who have known her during all these years in the Morris community.
She is survived by her seven children: Jack (Ardis) Lesmeister of Morris, Elaine Carol Henrichs of Morris, Patricia (Dewey) Nelson of Eden, Marilyn (Rick) Mathias of Wheaton, Chuck (Laurie) Lesmeister of Morris, Connie (Randy) Reuss of Barrett, and Sheila (Todd) Ronhovde of Barrett; 24 grandchildren, Wayne Lesmeister (Jeanne), Debbra Lesmeister, Audrey Lesmeister, Craig Lesmeister (Sandy), Michael Lesmeister, Lane Lesmeister, Brian Henrichs, Michelle (Kirwin) Lelwica (James), Shawn Kirwin (Heidi), Jason Kirwin (Jessica), Craig Nelson, Corey Nelson, Jessica Mathias, Jonathan Mathias, Jodi (Lesmeister) Straight (John), Nikki (Lesmeister) Danzeizen (Scott), Mandy (Reuss) Westrom (Mark), Rebecca Reuss, McKenzie Reuss, Jacob Reuss, Megan (Ronhovde) Rahe (David), Mitchell Ronhovde and DeLaine Ronhovde; 27 great grandchildren, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Florence was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Lesmeister, her infant son, Robert, her parents, three sisters, Alatha (Telkamp) Snell, Gladys (Telkamp) Tohm, and Julie Telkamp, four brothers, Lawrence Telkamp, Orient (Ott) Telkamp, Francis (Bud) Telkamp, and Luverne (Trink) Telkamp.
Leonard was the oldest of 14 children and he never got a chance to go to high school. After 8th grade, he worked for his father and for other farmers too. All the money he earned was needed to help support the family. Leonard was very mechanically inclined so he could fix anything, so for awhile he got a job as a mechanic.
Florence was united in marriage to Leonard on January 16, 1938, in Morris. It was a simple wedding, they had no money. Florence wore a blue dress with a bolero and navy blue high heels (high heels have always been her weakness... she has worn them since she was 14 and was proud of her collection of high heel shoes!)
Following their marriage, the couple began a very modest farming operation in various locations in rural Morris; this was during the Great Depression. In the spring of 1938 they rented a section of land north of Morris with Florence's brother, Bud. They had no machinery, so they traded off their 1932 Chevrolet for a steel-wheel tractor and a two-bottom plow. To earn money for tractor fuel, Florence worked half days for a woman who wrote her list of chores on a blackboard; she made Florence work real hard for her earnings of $2.50 a week - enough to buy one barrel of fuel. Bud and Leonard and Florence shared the old house on that farm place. The first year oats were 28 cents, corn 39 cents, eggs 12 cents a dozen and gas was 16.9 cents a gallon. This was how they Leonard and Florence got their start farming.
Florence and Leonard worked very hard together to get their farming operation off the ground. Their dreams to have a farm of their own became a reality when they were able to buy their first farm northwest of Morris. It was there that they raised their seven children, Jack, Elaine Carole, Patricia, Marilyn, Charles, Connie and Sheila. Leonard and Florence saved every penny to make the farm payments. They raised grain, stock cows, pigs and chickens, plus had a huge garden. Florence and Leonard took great pride in their growing farming operation as they taught their children great work ethic as they learned the many skills of farming. Florence worked on the farm right along with Leonard and the children. She enjoyed working right along Leonard's side, not only in their farming operation, but also their custom corn shelling business which they operated from 1939 to 1978. Many a customer and neighbor will remember Florence driving the big trucks and the farm equipment. Florence was always willing to help out on the job anytime Leonard needed her. In 1950, Leonard and Florence started making plans to build a new house on their farm. They dismantled the old house, which was so drafty they had to break ice out of the pail in the kitchen each morning. With the help of Leonard's Dad, they took the house apart, pulled out all the nails, and used the lumber to build a new farmhouse. Meanwhile, the family lived in a makeshift house consisting of two portions of the old house, the summer kitchen and the porch, which were put together. Leonard and Florence and their oldest four children lived in that home the entire summer of 1950 until the new house was built.
Leonard and Florence were always a great team, but not only in their farming operation. The two of them loved to dance and for several decades were regular Saturday night dancers at the Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood. This was when they would gather with their friends for their weekly outing of dancing. They would at times bring their children along so they learned to dance as well. They were so faithful to their Saturday night routine, in fact, that the ballroom manager used to call them if the band got snowed in and couldn't make it. After their retirement from the farm in 1978, Leonard and Florence enjoyed traveling around the state in their motor home to attend the Polka Fests. Florence and Leonard were preparing to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary when Leonard was suddenly diagnosed with cancer in July 1992 and died six weeks later.
Florence loved staying busy. She started each day knowing what she wanted to accomplish. She definitely had her favorite tasks. She loved to make quilts for her children and grandchildren. She made sure each one of her grandchildren had one custom made just for them. She had even started making quilts for her great-grandchildren, and was in the process of working on two of them when she died. She was also a master at jelly-making, and many recipients in the area can attest to her great jams and jellies. She loved raising flowers in her garden and took great pride in her tulip garden. She enjoyed getting her various entries ready for the Stevens County Fair each year. Florence belonged to the Merry Homemakers Club and the Birthday Club; she was also a member of Christian Mothers, Assumption Fellowship Guild and a member of Assumption Church of Morris. She was baptized and confirmed a Catholic Christian at the Assumption Church in 1939.
More than anything, Florence loved to be surrounded by family members. She loved that so many of her children settled in the tri-county area. Florence is credited with being the glue that held her family together through the good times and the bad times, especially when Leonard passed away. Florence loved just being able to be at home in the lovely house that she and Leonard built on Park Avenue in Morris when they moved from the farm in 1978, although Leonard's presence has been greatly missed by Florence these last 16 years.
Florence's reunion with Leonard began on Thursday, April 10, 2008, when she suddenly passed away at her home after a full day of attending church, socializing with friends and tending to her chores at home. Having reached the age of 89 years, Florence will be greatly missed by family and friends who have known her during all these years in the Morris community.
She is survived by her seven children: Jack (Ardis) Lesmeister of Morris, Elaine Carol Henrichs of Morris, Patricia (Dewey) Nelson of Eden, Marilyn (Rick) Mathias of Wheaton, Chuck (Laurie) Lesmeister of Morris, Connie (Randy) Reuss of Barrett, and Sheila (Todd) Ronhovde of Barrett; 24 grandchildren, Wayne Lesmeister (Jeanne), Debbra Lesmeister, Audrey Lesmeister, Craig Lesmeister (Sandy), Michael Lesmeister, Lane Lesmeister, Brian Henrichs, Michelle (Kirwin) Lelwica (James), Shawn Kirwin (Heidi), Jason Kirwin (Jessica), Craig Nelson, Corey Nelson, Jessica Mathias, Jonathan Mathias, Jodi (Lesmeister) Straight (John), Nikki (Lesmeister) Danzeizen (Scott), Mandy (Reuss) Westrom (Mark), Rebecca Reuss, McKenzie Reuss, Jacob Reuss, Megan (Ronhovde) Rahe (David), Mitchell Ronhovde and DeLaine Ronhovde; 27 great grandchildren, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Florence was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Lesmeister, her infant son, Robert, her parents, three sisters, Alatha (Telkamp) Snell, Gladys (Telkamp) Tohm, and Julie Telkamp, four brothers, Lawrence Telkamp, Orient (Ott) Telkamp, Francis (Bud) Telkamp, and Luverne (Trink) Telkamp.
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