The Last Reunion

Mother, who liked company, started to entertain our friends and the visitors who came to see us. Fathers Vinas and Bazin and other priests from Minneapolis told her to prepare fried chicken and they would bring the wine. She also entertained nuns teaching the French School and some of the children, and what I time they had running races and dancing!

She and Mabel entertained 64 people to a dinner (at one time). There was ragout, pate de couchou, and sometimes poison blanc (fish), and all they wanted to drink was principally water, for it was during Prohibition days. Still she had some of the famous wine and chartreuse, and she was a little close about giving it away and sometimes used an eye-dropper to see that she did not over-do it. Highballs and Pink Ladies were unknown then.

The Keskedines had many meetings here--Boullions and Pea Soup parties. On one occasion more than 450 people attended a barbeque.

The French citizens held a large picnic on the grounds. After the picnic I bought all the lumber, consisting of music platform, tables and benches, all of which lumber is in Frankie's house where we are celebrating today.

Our mode of conveyance and transportation to and from the lake was the horse and buggy; some of the horses were half blind or lame--one of them died and I buried him about fifty feet from where we are now. Fred Nun and I buried him in the field. Some few days afterwards I passed where I buried him after a heavy rain. I saw his feet sticking out. I immediately cut the legs off with an axe and saw, buried them anew, and he never got wiser.

In the musical line we had several music boxes and phonographs. One of you boys took great delight in getting up during the night and turning on the music and played "Ebenezer" or "You got the Bell of the Ball, Charley." I think it was Toots who did it, but I know Dick was the one to holler the loudest for his broken sleep. In a little while we resumed our sleep and rest.

On Sundays we attended services in New Canada. Sometimes there was a delay in starting Mass at its fixed hour. Father Combette would say to the janitor, "is the Robert bunch here? Don't blow the bell until you see them." When the janitor saw us make the bend he would start ringing the bell until we got in church.

One day Ma, not feeling good, sent Frankie to get Father combette to Confess her. On his arrival he started talking politics with me. Ma would say to him that she wanted to confess herself. After several requests, he turned and said, "you got no sins."

Charley Hansen, better known as Chuck, a small boy, was a visitor at the Lake. I couldn't or wouldn't send him away--his mother would not get him home to change his linen and get some clothes to wear. I appointed him the foreman of the farm. One day he got mad and ordered me off the farm. After many apologies, we made friends again. One day I told him if he cared to speak French I would give him a lot. That night when I came home he said, "Comma Sa Va, where is the lot?"

Bernice told me she had a dream. I asked her what she dreamed. She said she dreamed I bought Chuck a bicycle, put it in a sack and buried it on the farm and gave it to him on his birthday. Chuck got the bike and told Bernice to dream no more.

Chuck, while on the farm, learned to shoot--killed many blackbirds, gophers and squirrels. Now he is married and has a family of his own. Goes hunting, shoots deer, ducks and pheasant, and can shoot the bull any old time.

Mabel went fishing one day and caught a four and three-quarter pound bass and had it mounted by a taxidermist, but before he got through with the job, Leo went fishing and caught a bass five and a third pounds. Mabel had nothing on Leo.

Many other incidents occurred in your lives while at the Lake and the old home, but for want of time to write them, some are here below stated:
....... When Dick raised chickens--the chickens (all roosters, no eggs) died fighting.
....... While going and coming from school--lost lunch box.
....... The little log cabin in the yard--sometimes smoking the pipe--no cigarettes then.
....... The pretzel and pop walk--to Como Bridge.
....... The rides and fishing with father.
....... Playing soldier along Kent St.
....... Handball on the side of house.
....... Organization of the Scouts--Frankie, President, doing all the talking.
....... When Paul lost his 80 bucks.
....... When Mabel fell off the table with a pair of scissors.
....... Paul with beans in his nose. The Doctor saw none, but Paul coughed up several the next day.

Ah, the old neighborhood! What memories!
....... Fred Stuck across the street practicing on his banjo as his delivery ream emptied their noon-day .............. nosebags.
....... Pip Practicing on the drum for the Lafayette Snowshoe Club parade.
....... Mrs. Hess carrying Auggie back as old man Hess came home with the ledgers under his arm.
....... Shorty Stuck and old man McLean coming home drunk but very proud in a patrol wagon
.............. every Saturday night.
....... The Saturday night fist fight at Haggerty's barn as all the truck drivers pushed the can.
....... Alonzo and Ulysses Hopkins smoking corn silk cigarettes.
....... Old man Rooney letting us kids play in the Black Maria.
....... Mrs. Hopkins calling Virgilie in for supper.
....... Old man Lynch exercising his race horse with a bad leg on the lot next door.
....... Harvey Webster scrubbing his teeth on the back porch.
....... Bridge Hefferon marrying a bigamist--on a bicycle built for two.
....... Cora Stuck having a love affair with a cowboy who had broncos on the lot at Aurora and Kent.
....... Aunt Mary sending Steve Hopkins to Groehlers saloon with a pail and a dime.
....... Petit-Pun Dufalt taking the morning grocery order.
....... Never a dull moment on Fuller Street. The cyclones!
....... The little backhouse on a hot Sunday afternoon--what a place for meditation!
....... Mrs. Bauer and the weekly coffee-klatch. The excuse was Mabel's musical education, and now
              she can play "Hearts and Flowers" with both hands and one pedal.
....... The Saturday night bath in the kitchen. We got the wooden wash tub out of the basement. Five
              kids--Mabel first, then we guys, according to age. She changed the kids, but never the
              water--just added a little more hot off the kettle.
....... And last, but not least, Pip's bed-time stories--Fenfilloo and Le Pauvre Petit Beauf and the .............. Great Hound Dog "Poss Partoo."

The relatives on the Robert side:
....... First, of course, is Grandpa Robert, known in Crookston as the Little Giant. He never missed a .............. train in his life, but traveled by train once.
....... Uncle Manna, our fiddling uncle, originator of the barn dance.
....... Uncle Louis, our slow-talking uncle. He married a good woman.
....... Uncle Charlie, our disappearing uncle--ain't been heard from nigh on these forty years.
....... Batiste Caron, staying at our house and visiting the State Fair--long tail coat with a little sachet .............. bag on the inside pocket--the first protest against B.O.
....... Uncle Joe Robert, our marrying uncle. His first love, Alice Blais, wrote a death-bed poem. Then .............. came Aunt Mary and then LaBezoon.
....... Uncle Theophile, our moneyed uncle--how we enjoyed his dimes and quarters.
....... Uncle DeBeau, our storm window uncle. Every fall he appeared in the yard with a toothpick in .............. his mouth and a hammer in his hands and asked, "Minnie, are the storm windows washed?"
....... Aunty DeBeau--how we loved to go to her house on an errand for the little piece of mince pie. I .............. wonder sometimes if that was black pepper on the pie.

Relatives on the Durocher side:
....... Gelas and Bedas--I never could tell the difference except by the thumbs.
....... Monunc Tennis--our tobacco spitting uncle. It was from him that we inherited our valor and .............. courage. He has the most unique war record in the Civil War. He cut off two of his fingers .............. so he wouldn't have to go.
....... Tante Femie--the first time I ever saw a goiter. Wasn't it a dandy?
....... Monunc Ulric--Uncle Fred to you--our courting uncle--spent all of his salary renting livery rigs .............. to entertain Aunt Sophie and Vinnie, and died a bachelor.
....... LaPere Marchand--we changed the sheets when he arrived with his retinue for his periodic visit.
....... Aunt Flora and Uncle Joe--our tailor uncle, moved to Canada so his boys could be priests and .............. his daughters nuns, but his boys became radio announcers and his girls married Notary .............. Publics.
....... The great Trinity--Aunt Rosanna and LeDefunc Edward and Bourrassa.
....... Aunt Delia--cranberries to you. An afternoon at her house left us all fagged out and red spots
.............. on our little white blouses.
....... Uncle Brouliet--our flat-footed uncle. Just like St. Joseph in the Bible, we can never find where .............. he spoke one word.
....... Uncle Cormier--our working uncle. Mabel, did you say hello to uncle?
....... The great romance--Albert St. Amour and Deldy Sincere, or vice versa.
....... Tante Philomen--the Dorothy Lamour of her day. What she could have done with a sarong.

In conclusion, I want to thank you for the nice reunion, probably the last one we shall all have, all of you having responsibilities to carry on, and the uncertainties of life. I am glad to see the love and frienship you have for me, and your dependent ones. Keep up the traditions and love of the Robert Family--and may God Bless You All.

There is one missing from this reunion--she sees us, she hears us, she prays for us. I know she prays for me, for I pray for her every morning and night.

................................................................................................ Your Dad,
................................................................................................ With love to you all

(The following account of the reunion is attached--HEC)
................................................................................................ Saturday, July 4, 1942.
The survivors of the Robert Family meet in Reunion, viz: Frank Robert Jr., the father, Mabel, Leo, Iris and Peggy Hansen. Dick and Anna, Alex W. from Montana, Paul, Maud, Pauline, Frank, Kate and Roger, holding meeting at Frank's house at Owasso, where they partook of a spendid set-up of Beer, Ale and Highballs plentiful. Dick was Master of Ceremonies, reading the Reminiscences written by Pa, he adding many instances overlooked by Pa, with command of language. He was droll and entertaining in his remarks, and kept us in an uproar. Drinks were served frequently--Highballs with Ale as a wash. Throughout the afternoon we thus enjoyed ourselves.

................................................................................................ Sunday
After attending church services, we proceeded to Edgewood Park, where a chicken dinner was served by Mrs. Emma Johnson, owner of the Svithoid Home Klub House. After remaining there some time visiting the grounds and viewing the lake, we returned home to rest, and on Monday attended a stag party arranged by Dick at his new beautiful lodge on the Mississippi River near Anoka, Minn., there spending the day and served with a delicious lunch of rare cheeses, sardines, supplemented with drinks. We looked at Dick's horses (a black and white), his several dogs. Pictures were taken--a place beautiful arranged (Alexander, Paul, Robert, Jr. and a neighboring child declined to be took). In the evening a fine dinner--Chicken a la King (Note: having no disastrous effect and ending as happened at Frankie's wedding--all of whom partaking had La Flue, Flue--oh--oh). Chef Kelly and Dick's fishing guide served the repast. The Mohammed plates used were large, heavy and colorful. (The temptation to pilfer one was great, but could not be concealed without detection.) The donator of these plates came on the surface and made it still harder to purloin the prize.

We were all taken up with Dick's lodge and envy him, but wish him the pleasure of enjoying it for the remainder of his life. The furniture, curios and knick-knacks contained therein were grand to behold--even the rattler from Arizona was nice to look at, but from a distance.

The Reunion was a grand success, and I only wish to express my thanks to my dear children for the pleasure given me, and will always remember this Reunion as one of the most pleasing events of my life.

. ............................................................................................... Dad