Rod Tyberg, Tribe of Othelia, 2015 contribution

Otto died before I was born so I have no memories of him.

I only remember a few events with Hulda. At Midway School at noon hour I was running around the school and Hank M. was running in the opposite and we collided at a corner of the school. Mother took me in to see the doctor: my ankle was badly sprained but not broken. On the way back we stopped to see Grandma. That time and a couple of other times I remember Grandma who seemed somewhat distant to me.

Hearing from my folks and others:

Otto and Hulda were leaders in the community which was centered around the church. It was my understanding that they were better off than some others and they helped out neighbors both with doing things to help and giving food.

Victor and Othelia

Not being aware of how recent the depression and war was, limited my understanding and kept me from asking good questions.

I did not see the importance of Mother’s role as Supervising Teacher and her similar role in Rusk County, probably because I do not remember her talking about her jobs. These jobs were very significant for a woman of that day (maybe having to do with her mother thinking Dad was not good enough for her).

Along these lines—she was interested in expanding our options and viewpoints. This included having and selling Compton’s Encyclopedia. Each volume had a summary of what was in that volume—that was my “internet.” She stood up for closing down Midway School (even when some were fighting hard to keep it) so I could go to Grantsburg Grade School. (Jim was not old enough to go to school and John would have gone to High School either way. Also she joined the RCA Record Club for Classical Music. I have had a strong appreciation for music ever since. From both Dad and Mom I never felt we should stay on the farm; they just assumed we would go on to school.

Elsie (dad’s sister) came to stay with us when she left the farm without a place to stay. In the last few years of her life I had the privilege of being with her as I helped her. I learned many things about earlier days. Erick Tyberg was so impressed with Hulda and Otto—one time he and his kids came to Wood River Baptist and Hulda invited Erick and his family in for Sunday Dinner. Elsie was not alone in the community (or Canada) thinking Delroy was the greatest guy around.

When we moved to the farm Mrs. Bangle came to live with us. She was not related to us. Because of my mispronouncing words, she became “Ma Bang.”  (Not the last time I mispronounced a word!)

Mother took an unwed girl from Iowa into our home waiting for her baby to be born.

The best was when Betty who at 13 came to be our sister. She married Gordon Anderson; she couldn’t have found a better brother-in-law for us! Their wedding was the first in the remodeled Wood River Church. It was also the first wedding performed by Delmar Dahl who became the Peterson Family “Bishop.”

Emil (Hulda’s younger brother) came from Canada and felt at home to stay with us for a couple months at a time. He left a mark on the wallpaper in our new den where his head rested during his noon nap. Our folks were aware of needs of others and helped out. One time our neighbor to the north had a miscarriage in the middle of a big snow storm closing our side road. Dad took the Co-op tractor with trailer breaking down the fence and going to get her and to bring her to highway 70 where they met an ambulance.

One of the bigger changes is when they sold the farm and moved to northeast Minneapolis. Dad was the custodian at Elim Church and mother became the director of the preschool program. They both gained many friends and great respect. To this day people will come up to me and tell of some great experience they had with our folks.  A couple of years ago our group at church toured one of the oldest Catholic Churches in the cities. The one that lead the tour would not let me pay when she found out my mother was Miss Teela because her boys went to Elim Pre-school. She remembered that each of her boys made a silhouette picture of themselves. As written in Celebrating 125 Years, Elim Church, “Through her warm and gracious spirit of caring for the needs of young families, she became a good  role model for many moms.”

Our Family

Rod and Ruth (Vollmer) were married September 26, 1964, at the First Baptist Church, Henning MN.

Our son Robert (Rob) was born September 1, 1967. He married Lisa Heller July 31, 1998. Their sons are:

Andrew who was born November 7, 2001

Benjamin who was born March 27, 2005

Our daughter Rebecca born December 5, 1970. She married Brent Erickson August 17, 2013.