The Life and Travels of Albert & Elsie Flatau

Albert Edward Flatau and Elsie Minnie Caroline (Beckman) Flatau

Marriage: January 15, 1919

Children of Albert & Elsie:
Violet Marie "VI" Flatau (Johnson) (1919-2014 / 95 years)
Rhoda Amanda Flatau (Koehnen) (1921-1985 / 64 years)
Vernon Beckman Flatau (1923-2008 / 85 years)
Rodney Albert Flatau (1924-2011 / 86 years)

The following is taken from a booklet that was written for Albert and Elsie’s 65th Wedding Anniversary celebrated on August 14, 1983. Their actual 65th anniversary was January 15, 1984. The booklet was written by Vi Johnson and Kristin Peterson from information supplied by relatives. Susan Flatau provided much of the information from the great records that she keeps. The majority of the information from the booklet has not been modified, but more photos (and some text in italics) have been added.

Albert and Elsie

In the spring of 1918, Albert started seriously courting the “bell” of the countryside, Elsie Beckman.

Of course, a guy has to have wheels when courting and Albert bought his first car in the summer of 1918. It was a 1917 Model T Ford.

Things were starting to roll now and Albert proposed to Elsie….and this, we all know, is the beginning of a wonderful love story.

1917 Model T Ford

photo courtesy of mtfca.com


Albert and Elsie are Wed

In the fall of 1918, Albert received his call to report for duty in World War I. He was fortunate as the war ended and he did not have to leave.

In October of 1918, Albert rented a farm (which is the present Ray Zeigler home) and was batching. Shortly after that, he came down with the flu which was sweeping the countryside and causing many deaths.

Elsie's brother-in-law, John Plowman, passed away from the flu on December 16, 1918. He was 23 years old and had just married Elsie's sister, Minnie, the previous year on December 27, 1917. Their son, John Henry Plowman, was born on September 16, 1918...only three months before his father passed away.

Albert remembers the only visitor he had during his illness, was Walter Regier. Elsie wasn’t able to visit him as she was busy taking care of the sick in her family.

Albert recovered from the flu well before Thanksgiving and remembers driving his horse and cutter across Devils Lake to the Beckman’s for Thanksgiving dinner.

Early Years for Albert and Elsie


In the fall of 1919, Albert and Elsie moved to the Beckman farm and on Nov. 19, 1919, their first child was born. She was named Violet Marie.


Fourteen months later, while still on the farm, another daughter was born on Jan. 21, 1921. She was named Rhoda Amanda.


Albert farmed the land at the Beckman farm and also rented farmland on the ‘prairie’. Marie, Elsie’s mother, sold the Beckman farm in the early spring of 1922. In the cold months of spring, Albert, Elsie, and girls were looking for a place to live nearby as they had land rented on the prairie. A grainery was the best they could find. It was on the rented land.


Albert and Elsie remember the year of 1922 as a year of disasters.


A good producing cow died; Rhoda had an infected gland lanced in her neck in early March; Violet got a piece of steel in her eye in May and a cracked block on the car developed when Albert, Elsie, Violet, and Emil (Elsie’s brother) went to Fargo to see an eye specialist and Elsie and Violet had to remain in Fargo.


Albert and Emil were near Detroit Lakes when the car broke down. They had only enough money for a loaf of bread and a can of sardines and found drinking water at Detroit Lakes. They saved enough money for train fare to Perham and then walked home.

​

In the fall of 1922, Albert rented a farm in Perham Township from Emil Husen, a cousin of Marie (Elsie’s mother). It is presently owned by Ray Zeigler (1983).


On March 15, 1923, a son named Vernon Beckman was born at the “Husen” farm.


On October 3, 1924, Rodney Albert was born.

The following is a note from Judy (Johnson) Schooler when visiting with her Mom, Vi (Flatau) Johnson on January 10, 2010.

Great-Grandma Marie moves in with Albert & Elsie

John Beckman & Anna Graf married on January 31, 1922. Prior to John's marriage, John, Albert, Elsie (Vi & Rhoda), and Great-Grandma Marie were living at the Beckman Place. Vi and Rhoda were born there. After John & Anna Beckman were married they returned to the Beckman Place. In the winter of 1922 Albert, Elsie, Vi, and Rhoda moved to a granary on land they were renting. Grandma Elsie tells of being able to see from the inside to the outside through cracks in the walls. Some kind of curtain hung to warm/privatize the living area. It was very cold and the floor was dirt. Grandma Elsie kept Vi (age 2) and Rhoda (age 1) in highchairs often to keep off the cold floor. Great-Grandma Marie was asked to leave the Beckman Place and she moved into the granary with Albert and Elsie.

Judy says: In 1980 while living in Perham, someone (an elder adult from church) told her that when Grandma Marie was asked to leave the Beckman Place that she took one suitcase and was walking along the road when someone who knew her stopped with a wagon/buggy. The driver asked Grandma Marie where she was going and she replied that she didn't know. The driver told her that he knew where she was going and took her to Albert and Elsie's place at the granary.

A note from Kristin: It appears there are a couple of versions to this story. Our father, Walt Johnson, speculated that the Beckman Place had to be sold to cover debts. On further speculation, one could assume that Great-Grandma Marie (age 58) was not too happy being told by her son, John, that she needed to find another place to live as her home was being sold. Thus the suitcase and walking alone on the road was a way to cool off!

The following is a note from Kristin (Johnson) Peterson when visiting with her Mom and Dad (Walt & Vi Johnson).

Prohibition

Grandpa Albert had a still to produce alcohol around 1924-1925. He sold the alcohol that was produced. He borrowed money from Clarence Flatau to start the operation. Corn was worth a lot more by the gallon than by the bushel.


Prohibition was from 1918 to 1933. Walt remembers that his Mom was all for Prohibition when he was 13 years old in 1932. She thought it was terrible that they quit Prohibition. After Prohibition Binford, ND could only sell 3.2% beer.


Albert hid bottles of alcohol in the stairs in the home we knew as Vern and Lorraine Flatau’s place growing up. Albert took out the boards of the stairs in the house, hid the bottles, then nailed the steps shut. Revenuers (agents of the U.S. Treasury Department) went around the area. Some illegal producers buried their whiskey in manure piles. It was not illegal to drink alcohol. It was illegal to manufacture, transport, and sell intoxicating liquors.


In the 1950s while Vernon and Walt were cutting wood at the “Little Place”, they found a concrete footing for a building. It was a concrete slab that Ernest Flatau had built for a still. Ernest had hired a guy to take care of it during the Prohibition years.

At one point Ernest had a friend who told him to take his hired guy and get out. They quickly burned the still. Revenuers caught up with him. Ernest spent two years in the Tere Haute prison. He had been a big moonshiner at the time.


Albert and his brother Ernest were not the only ones to sell alcohol during prohibition. Their father, Theodore, also sold alcohol and was also caught by the government. He served ten months in the Becker County Jail in 1930 when he was 64 years old.


For some time after Prohibition ended it was illegal to purchase alcohol in Perham as Perham was a dry county. During the 1940s when our parents went to dances at Grand View Heights they usually drank rum. Grand View Heights couldn’t sell liquor…only beer. Whiskey was in short supply because sugar was in short supply. They would bring their own rum then buy a setup. They usually bought water with ice in a glass to mix their own drinks. Others would buy a set up of Cola and ice.

The Big Move to Oregon

In 1925 Albert and Elsie bought a new Model T Ford Coach. They were the first in the area to have such a car…it was the first year Ford manufactured a car with glass windows!

In 1926 Albert and Elsie decided to head west to Portland, Oregon.

In September they held an auction selling their farm machinery, livestock and belongings.

A. Diamond was the auctioneer and they were told their auction had drawn the largest crowd Diamond had ever auctioned at.

The family lived at Carl and Amanda’s (Albert’s sister) a few days until they left on their trip. Grandma Marie also went out West with the family. They stopped at Louise’s place (Elsie's sister) at Jamestown, ND and then to Clara’s (Elsie's sister) at Linton, ND and stayed over the weekend and left Monday morning.

The ages of everyone: Albert (28), Elsie, (almost 26), Violet (almost 7), Rhoda (5), Vernon (3), Rodney (almost 2), and Grandma Marie (62).

Monday night they stopped at a farmer’s place to spend the night, sleeping in the car that Albert had fixed for that purpose….a narrow bed for Albert and Elsie was supported by the back window ledge and front dashboard; the front passenger seat was taken out permitting Grandma Marie to sleep along that side; Violet, Rhoda, and Rodney slept alongside her and Vernon by the driver’s seat. Albert helped the farmer milk cows and received milk for the family.

Albert and Elsie remember the trip well. When going over the Continental Divide at Pipestone Pass, they wore out the brakes, low and reverse, and it was necessary to install all new linings that next morning. The only time they paid lodging along the way was at Cabin City near St. Regis, Montana. The trip was approx. 2,000 miles and took 6 days…all on dirt roads until Washington state.

The following is a note from Judy (Johnson) Schooler when visiting with her Mom, Vi (Flatau) Johnson on January 10, 2010.

Kindergarten

In the Spring of 1925 Vi and Rhoda attended a six-week Kindergarten in a school by Krueger's place. This was how they were prepared for First grade.

Purchasing 1925 Ford

In August 1925 the family had a sale at the Husen Farm. With the money from the sale, Albert bought a brand new Ford. Albert made a bed/platform out of metal for use in the car as a sleeping spot. The plank stretched from the front to the back of the car above the driver's seat. It was removed and stowed during travel. The front passenger seat was removed and set outside the car to make room for sleeping. Enough blankets and padding were placed in the car from the back seat to the front. Grandma Marie, Vi, Rhoda, and baby Rodney slept there. Vernon slept on the driver's seat that was made into a sleeping area. The family traveled in this manner to Oregon where they made a new home.

1925 Model T Ford

​photo courtesy of smclassiccars.com

Arrived in Oregon

On October 3, 1926 they arrived in Portland and stayed at Walt and Ida Locke’s place (Albert’s sister). A two-car garage was fixed up for living quarters and the family lived there and Grandma Marie stayed at Locke’s house when she wasn’t away visiting other relatives.

In the spring of 1927, Elsie packed strawberries in a cannery. Albert worked as a hod-carrier for Walt Locke. Violet and Rhoda were in the first grade and Vernon and Rodney stayed with Ida or Grandma Marie.

A Return to Minnesota


Albert and Elsie made arrangements to purchase land near Portland and build a house. However, they longed to return to Minnesota; and on August 18, 1927, Albert, Elsie, Grandma Marie, and the kids left for Minnesota.


An unusual sight in Washington on their return trip was a combine being pulled on a wheat field by 20 mules and one horse for a leader. They stopped in Jamestown at Pete and Louise’s place and almost managed a farm near Spiritwood, ND.


In late August they arrived at Amanda (Elsie's sister) and Carl’s place and stayed there for two weeks. Albert recalls having 50 cents left in his pocket when arriving there.


Violet and Rhoda attended first grade again – at District #233.


The family moved to the Theodore Flatau (Albert’s father) homestead.


In September 1928 Albert and Elsie rented an apartment in Perham so that Violet and Rhoda could attend school there – this time in the third grade. Grandma Marie was their “Mom” while attending school. Weekends and vacations were spent at the farm.


When Vernon and Rodney reached school age, they also stayed with Grandma Marie and attended school in Perham.

Purchased Land

Albert and Elsie rented the Theodore Flatau homestead before purchasing it.

In 1932 they purchased 180 acres from the estate, east of the buildings.

Chicago World's Fair in 1933

In 1933 Albert and Elsie along with their neighbors, Joe and Helen Krueger went to the Chicago World’s Fair.

They stayed with Helen’s sisters, Mary and Grace, and each day checked the newspapers for free events to attend.

They spent a total of $10.00 at the fair.

For more information watch this video about the Chicago World's Fair.

More Land was Purchased

About 1935 more acreage was purchased from Father Viegard.

This property was south of the buildings at the Theodore Flatau homestead that they had purchased.

Cigarettes

The photo of Albert with his prized bull shows him with a cigarette between his lips which was typical of how he smoked a cigarette.


He never appeared to take a drag off the cigarette. He would let it hang from the right side of his mouth. He rarely touched the cigarette once it was lit and placed between his lips. If he was concentrating on a project and not moving very much the ash of the cigarette could become more than an inch long before it dropped. The grandkids would often talk about how long they saw the ash build upon the end of the cigarette before it fell.


The smoke would curl up around his face and his eyes. Often he would be seen squinting out of his right eye as he looked up during a conversation.


Albert always wore a suit and tie going to church on Sundays and special occasions. One of the things us grandchildren remember (besides the falling ash) is the smell of Grandpa on the occasions he dressed up. He smelled of cologne and tobacco and he looked very stylish.

Added by Kristin Peterson

Albert (age 61) & Elsie (age 59) going to church, July 1960

Grandma Marie

There are many photos of the Beckman family gathering at Albert and Elsie's farmhouse near Devils Lake.


The attraction was Grandma Marie. She lived with Albert and Elsie for 29 years. Elsie was the youngest child in the family of ten living children. Her siblings visited many times to see their mother, Marie. The Flatau children, Vi, Rhoda, Vern, and Rod had a great time getting to know and visiting with their 26 cousins while they were growing up. Marie and August Beckman had 30 grandchildren.

The Flatau Cousins

Many of the Flatau cousins lived in the area and the kids of Albert and Elsie enjoyed growing up with the 31 Flatau cousins in the area.

Rodney Remembers

Rodney wrote in 1983: " I remember when the folks would take off on one of their many trips to the West Coast or South. I was in the sixth or seventh grade. Vern and I would take care of the chores, take the cream to town and pick up the cream check. We had to buy the groceries or whatever Grandma Marie needed. Grandma Marie would always make sure we had enough to eat and get enough sleep. They sure must have had a lot of confidence in us to leave like that. But we sure had fun!"

Washington State in 1938

A 1938 trip, also with their friends and neighbors, Helen & Joe Krueger, as companions, took them West.

The Kruegers had relatives in Washington to visit; Albert’s sister, Ida married Harry Bell in Olympia; and they visited Amanda and Carl in Aberdeen, Washington.

Purchased Land in 1943

In 1943 they purchased 280 acres from the estate of Charles Flatau. This is the present Rodney and Marian Flatau farm.

Land on the prairie towards Perham of 110 acres was purchased from Concordia College in 1945.

Mississippi and Louisiana in 1940

In March 1940 Albert & Elsie traveled to Mississippi and Louisiana to visit relatives. They were accompanied by Art and Esther Hanneman. They then traveled to Florida, stopped at Atlanta, Georgia where the world premiere of “Gone with the Wind” made its debut. They toured Norris Dam at Knoxville, Tennessee, and continued their trip going throughout the Ozarks before heading home.

Visit Albert & Elsie's 1940 trip to Louisiana to see all the photos that were taken of the trip.

Check out this video on YouTube on the Gone with the Wind debut.

Seattle, WA in 1943

Elsie made a trip by train to Seattle. WA on June 1, 1943, for Rhoda and Bud Koehnen’s wedding.


On the return trip, she stopped for a week at Sheridan, Wyoming to visit Violet, who was employed there.


West in 1947


January of 1947 they headed West; but took the southern route to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit relatives and to continue to California, Oregon, and Washington. This was their first visit to Port Angeles, WA. At that time Albert’s relatives of a sister, Amanda, and brothers Ernest and Louis and nephews of Martin, Clarence, Lloyd, Ernie, Bennie, Marvin, and Ray lived there. On the return trip, they went through Yellowstone National Park.

House they lived in for 27 years from 1948 to 1975

In 1947 they purchased 162 acres and buildings (the present Peter Irvine place) and started remodeling. In November 1948, they moved there. A windstorm of 1952 felled several trees in their yard.

Snowstorm of 1951

Marian Flatau comments: “I remember the snowstorm of March 1951. It started snowing on the 16th and our second baby was six days overdue. We stayed with Rodney’s folks, they lived closer to town. It snowed for 72 hours and by the 20th, Rodney and his Dad could no longer get to our place with the pick-up so they went with a team to do our chores.

At about 4:00 pm that afternoon, I knew I was going into labor so we called Rodney and he and his Dad quickly did chores and drove the horses back, and took me out to the highway on the bob-sled where we met the taxi that took me to the hospital.

Rodney’s Mom paced the floor while we waited for the men to get there to take me in. I never doubted that I’d be in the hospital in time, but neither of us knew that Susan would be born 30 minutes after I got there!”

Windstorm of 1952

August 15, 1952. Sweeping across Northern Minnesota in the wake of 90-degree temperatures, a violent windstorm flattened many acres of crops and wreaked havoc with power and light lines in many communities Thursday night. The hardest hit was Perham………



Lodi, California in 1952

A trip in October was made helping Rhoda and Bud and their six children (at the time) move to Lodi, CA. This was in 1952.

Bud drove a truck which was loaded with their belongings, Albert and Rhoda drove Koehnen's car and Elsie drove their Mercury. The children took turns riding in the different vehicles.

After getting the Koehnen’s settled, Albert and Elsie visited her sisters: Louise Schriner and Clara Walther who lived there.

On the return trip, they went through Yellowstone National Park.

West and Texas in 1955

A trip in January 1955, took them to Washington, Oregon and California to visit relatives. Then on to Texas for sight seeing and to Louisiana to visit relatives.

Train trip in 1958

One of their long train trips, which was January 1958, took them to Portland, OR, and to California.

While seeing relatives in Lodi, Elsie’s sister, Louise, died in February.

Emil, Elsie’s brother, was also visiting in CA at the time at their daughter, Pearl's place, in Los Angeles. Albert and Elsie and Emil and Liz then traveled into Mexico.

The remainder of the train trip took them to Louisiana; Kansas; DesMoines; Iowa; Minneapolis, MN, and home.

Hawaii in 1959

February 1959 was Albert and Elsie's first travel tour as well as their first airplane ride. The tour to Hawaii was sponsored by WDAY Radio and TV station of Fargo, ND. They met many new friends and attended some interesting functions. They left the tour when returning to the States and took a bus to Port Angeles to visit Amanda (Flatau) Flatau who was very ill. They then visited in Lodi, CA before returning home.

Albert and Elsie boarding the plane to Hawaii. They are on the stairs. Elsie is wearing a white hat and Albert is to her left.

Albert and Elsie enjoying a luau. They are sitting on the left in the front row. Elsie has her camera with flash ready for action and is wearing flip flops!

Albert and Elsie in 1959. Albert was 61 in August and Elsie was 59 in November

Europe in 1961

In October 1961 Albert and Elsie went on a tour of Europe with some of the same people who they went with to Hawaii.

The tour took them to:
London
Paris
Switzerland
a bus trip through the Alps
a tour from Zurich, Switzerland through the Black Forest of Germany
Finland
Sweden
Norway
Holland
and back to the United States via New York.

They enjoyed the Rhine River trip and sights of the many castles. They said there are many big dams in Switzerland producing much electricity and all trains are electric.

They enjoyed a trip through the farm country in Germany even though it was done quite differently.

When Albert applied for his passport and needed his birth certificate, he was registered as Edward Albert on the records! This has been changed.​




Family Gatherings

Twenty-two grandchildren in 1962. Two more will be added in the next few years.

Al-Can Highway in 1963

June 1963 Albert and Elsie decided to try a trip on the Al-Can Highway to Fairbanks. “You can’t travel that highway. The gravel on the roads will break all your car windows!” were a few remarks from concerned friends.

They drove to Dawson City to get on the Al-Can Highway and then to Fairbanks. When in Fairbanks they watched them mine gold. They took an inland ferry on the return trip from Haines Junction to Prince Rupert, then via the Trans-Canada Highway to Winnipeg and home. Even though some of the stretches between towns seemed endless, they had all the windows left in their car. They traveled 1,100 miles on gravel roads.

Albert and Elsie were 62 and 64 when they took on this trip by themselves to travel the AlCan 'gravel road' Highway.

To Washington and California in 1966 and 1967

January 1966 and February 1967 they made trips to Washington and California.

On the 1967 trip, their grandson, Wally (prior to induction to the Navy), was their chauffeur and took them to see all their relatives in Washington, Oregon and California and did some sight-seeing, too.

1967 Wally, Elsie, and Albert,

about to leave for trip visiting relatives in OR and CA

1968 and 1969 - 50th Wedding Anniversary

Albert and Elsie’s 50th Wedding Anniversary was January 15, 1969. They had a family gathering in the summer of 1968.


In January 1969 they came via train to Washington and celebrated their 50th anniversary with Washington relatives and friends. They then visited in California.


August of the same year, they came to Washington with Walt, Vi, Debra and Judy. They went through the Beartooth Mountains in Yellowstone Park and also attended the Ellensburg Rodeo in Washington.


After arriving in Port Angeles, they attended the 50th wedding celebration of Albert’s brother, Louie and Minnie.

Many trips to Washington and California from 1970 through 1974

June 1970 Albert and Elsie came to Washington with Walt and Vi via the northern route through Montana. Glacier National Park road was closed due to snow. While at Port Angeles, they had coffee and cake aboard a tug boat and also a tour of the tug docked in the harbor.

Vi, Kristin, Debra and Judy drove them to Lodi, California to attend a 50th wedding anniversary celebration for Elsie’s sister, Clara and Alex Walther. They visited in California before returning to Minnesota.


January 1972 they came to Washington via train and left with Walt and Vi in February for a fun time in Reno. They visited relatives in Oregon and WA before returning home.


In December 1972 they were in WA to celebrate Christmas with the Johnson’s. All Walt and Vi’s family were together and Gary Koehnen, too.


July 6, 1974 they went to Minneapolis with Walt, Vi, Rhoda and Judy to attend the wedding of Emil and Helen Beckman. After a day of sight-seeing, they left on the 8th of July with Walt and Vi to LaCenter, MN to sign papers to sell the farm.


In 1974 they made plans to build a house and on July 14th, the first stakes were set. An auction was held on September 28, 1974.


In March of 1975, Rodney and Marian took Albert and Elsie to visit relatives in Louisiana and on to Pensacola, Florida where they visited Beverly (Rodney and Marian’s daughter) and her husband Glen Olsen, who was stationed in the Navy there.


In May 1975 ​they moved into their new home.


​In January 1976 Albert and Elsie came via plane to Seattle and celebrated their anniversary and also Becky and Gary Koehnen’s birthdays. While in Port Angeles, they helped Ernest (Albert’s brother) celebrate his 81st birthday. Emil and Helen Beckman arrived in Port Angeles and Albert and Elsie and Emil and Helen went to Victoria, British Columbia via ferry for a day of sight-seeing. Vi took Albert and Elsie to visit relatives at Tacoma, WA; Woodburn, OR; Canby, OR; St. Helens, OR; and McMinnville, OR. They also drove to Gresham where they lived 50 years ago and visited a friend, Henry Weaver, at a rest home. When in Portland, they looked up Mrs. Reinhart Flath, a former resident of Perham.

More Travels

July 1977 they went via plane to Lodi, CA where they met Walt and Vi and went with them to Escondido, where their son Wally and family lives. There they toured avacado country, went to San Diego Wild Animal Park and ate at a Lawrence Welk restaurant. They visited Beverly and Glen in Los Angeles, also Susan who was visiting there. They went via highway 101 along the coast, stopping off at Capistrano Mission, the tar pits at Los Angeles, Cannery Row at Monterey and through the Redwoods. Also visited relatives in Oregon before coming to Port Angeles.

September 14, 1977 Albert and Elsie and Emil and Helen Beckman left from Minneapolis for Germany to visit relatives and sight see. After arriving in Frankfurt, Germany, they went on a boat trip down the Rhine River. After a train trip to Bremen, their relatives, Hannah and Kurt Beckman, picked them up. They also went to Wilhelmshaven where Grandma Marie came from in Germany.

​June 1978 Albert and Elsie arrived in Seattle to attend Kristin and Gary Granquist’s wedding.

They left via car for Minnesota with Walt and Vi.

Enroute they stopped at Cabin City and found the cabin they had stayed in on their trip west in 1926!

In September 1978 Albert had cataract surgery and his system went into a shock which caused him to become seriously ill. He was hospitalized in Fargo and was released after a few days…. fully recovered.

February 1979 they left via car with Rita Koehnen. Making stops at Lincoln, Nebraska (visiting Brenans); Winkelman, Arizona (visiting Van Gordens); Escondido, California (visiting Wally Johnson’s); to Seal Beach, CA (visiting Anton Koehnen – Rita’s grandfather); and to Lodi, CA where Rita was planning to make her home. After visiting relatives in Roseburg, Woodburn and St. Helens, OR and Olympia, WA they came to Port Angeles where they met Walt (Albert’s brother) and Agnes Flatau and returned to MN with them in their motor home.

Nancy (Flatau) Flicek remembers: “A lot of us grandchildren remember doing things at Grandma and Grandpa’s house when we were little. Like visiting on Friday evenings, Christmas Eve and picnics every summer. There was a time not long ago that still stays with me.

This remembrance of mine deals with Grandma more than Grandpa; but I’m sure he won’t mind. It was during the time that Grandpa was at St. John’s Hospital for his cataract surgery and Grandma stayed at my house. Grandma and I would sit up playing cards and talking. In our talking she told me of her life as a young girl and as a young mother. She told me many things of how she lived and what she did and about her family. With just the two of us staying up til midnight every night, I felt like I was learning something special. I even found out that when we’re at our homes, we both get up during the night and walk around the house; because I was staying at her house in Perham one of the nights and she said ‘not to worry if I heard something’…..I said, “That’s okay, I may be up and awake”. The conversations we had were something very special to me and feel lucky in having been able to have the opportunity to talk like that with my Grandma.”

Debra (Johnson) Schoeneman remembers: “Grams and Gramps have always held a special place in my heart. My thoughts are with them always and the many memories I have of them are filled with love and happiness. Paul and I visited Grams and Gramps in 1980, right after we left Greenland. A visit with them always means a trip to the fishing hole. One day Gramps took Paul fishing on Schuster. They were bragging of how they would bring home the ‘big ones’. It’s a good thing Grams and I went fishing on Devils Lake as the fellas brought home one ‘little one; and Grams and I brought home the supper! The best thing about my memories of Grams and Gramps is they are forever lasting."

1977 - Debra Schoeneman

January 1981 they went via train to Seattle. Visited in Port Angeles and took an express bus to Portland. Visited relatives at Woodburn, McMinnville and Roseburg and on to Lodi, CA. They made a return trip to Port Angeles and back to Perham via train.

August 1982 their granddaughter, Judy Johnson, drove them to Port Angeles, WA to attend the wedding of Debra and Paul Schoeneman, and drove them home again.

October 1982 Albert and Elsie went via plane to Lodi, CA to visit Elsie’s sister, Clara for two weeks.

Albert passed away on April 14, 1986 at the age of 88

Elsie passed away November 2, 1992. She would have been 92 on November 16th.



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 The Life and Travels of Albert & Elsie Flatau

Updated: October 3, 2022