_Wilfred John ALTRICHTER _
| (1919 - ....) m 1944
_Eugene Edward ALTRICHTER _|
| (1945 - ....) m 1964 |
| |_Blanche Eva CAMERON _____+
| (1926 - 1984) m 1944
|
|--Wendy Jean ALTRICHTER
| (1966 - ....)
| __________________________
| |
|_Phyllis Kay WARD _________|
(1945 - ....) m 1964 |
|__________________________
____________________________
|
_John Edward Van den BIESEN _|
| (1961 - ....) |
| |____________________________
|
|
|--Erin Marie Van den BIESEN
| (1997 - ....)
| _William Charlie CAMERON ___+
| | (1934 - 1998) m 1961
|_Kimberley Velle CAMERON ____|
(1960 - ....) |
|_Sharalyn Elizabeth HABECK _
(1940 - ....) m 1961
_Henry William MILLER _+
| (1889 - 1970) m 1926
_Henry William MILLER _|
| (1929 - ....) m 1950 |
| |_Violet Fern CAMERON __+
| (1895 - 1991) m 1926
|
|--Lenard MILLER
| (1952 - ....)
| _______________________
| |
|_Louise MEHLBRECH _____|
(1933 - ....) m 1950 |
|_______________________
__
|
_Albert David POISSANT _|
| |
| |__
|
|
|--Alice Ann POISSANT
| (1933 - ....)
| __
| |
|_Sophia B. KUKLINSKI ___|
|
|__
_Leland Ernest REEVES ___+
| (1921 - 2000) m 1942
_Robert Leland REEVES _|
| (1943 - ....) m 1964 |
| |_Garnet Pauline CAMERON _+
| (1922 - 1992) m 1942
|
|--Gregory Robert REEVES
| (1969 - ....)
| _Roy Harrison ZANE ______
| | (1920 - 1978) m 1942
|_Pamela Marie ZANE ____|
(1943 - ....) m 1964 |
|_Virginia Mary MIKESH ___
(1921 - 1984) m 1942
[11]
Elsie is never idle!
Elsie Marjorie Sanford was born on April 23, 1903 in a sod hut where her
family lived for her first two years. They moved to a large two-story
house in Erickson, NE. One of Elsie's chores was to pump the water. Her
only spanking from her father happened when she ran the water pail over
while she played. During the spanking she hollered, "You're killing me!
You're killing me!". Her father, Ernest, was a farmer, director on the
school board and worked as a ranch hand. Her mother, Florence (Farr), was
a hard worker, strict with the children and harnessed her own team of
horses so she could deliver the noon meal to the hired hands. Another of
Elsie's chores was to watch the rising loaves of bread. When they raised
just high enough, she would place them in the oven, which sat on top of
their oil-burning stove. She also helped with laundry - pumped water,
heated it and scrubbed the clothes on a washboard. While her mother
worked in the garden, Elsie would sew sunbonnets for her dolls. Florence
kept a good supply of needles on hand for the machine!
Geography and history were Elsie's favorite subjects. She caught on
to math best when visual aids were used, like apples. The children
attended school seven months of the year in a one-room school a mile from
their home. They never received a buggy ride to the school. Elsie only
went to the sixth grade and at age 14 stopped attending school. Also at
14 a girl friend gave her a few organ lessons. She really enjoyed playing
the organ/piano throughout the years. She still enjoys singing little
ditties and kids songs she learned long ago.
When just 17, Elsie married Leroy (Roy) Jacob Reeves. They had met
at the parties held at various friends' homes in the town of Eagle Bend,
IA. She loved his large blue eyes. Elsie had become a good seamstress and
made her own wedding dress. Elsie never missed Nebraska with its awful
dust storms.
Sewing is still a favorite activity of Elsie. She made all her
clothes and much of her families, except for jeans/overalls. As her
children and grandchildren grew up, she was kept busy with the mending!
After her children were grown and married, she was a much-loved
babysitter for several families of children over the years. Her hand made
books of poems, recipe books, dolls, embroidery, knitting , quilts and
tatted laces are who she is. Using a thimble for her hand sewing lead to
her thimble collection.
Nearly a hundred dolls lined shelves around her home. She had many
from around the world. For some, like the Barbie dolls, she would sew
elaborate costumes. While other dolls were created entirely from scrapes.
Her favorite doll is one her daughter Twyla and she made - Twyla made the
ceramic head and arms and Elsie created the body and an extensive
wardrobe. Elsie has made over 80 hand-stitched quilts using some thirty
different patterns. She is very adept at making something from nothing .
Something could be made from nearly all throw-aways so nothing was ever
wasted in Elsie's home. One of her grandchildren once said, "Most people
have dresser drawers full of clothes but you have sewing in all of yours!"
Elsie and Roy had three children: Leland Ernest, Twyla Maxine,
Gaylen Leroy.
They gave Elsie and Roy 17 grandchildren, who in turn have given Elsie 42
great grandchildren and they have given her 39 great-great grandchildren.
She is 96, is living in St. Luke's Lutheran Home, a nursing home in Blue
Earth, MN. Though she can't hear much, she still enjoys the group
activities and her own handiwork.
Elsie Reeves
C/O St. Luke's Lutheran Home
1219 South Ramsey
Blue Earth, MN 26013