Halloween 2010

These two little men surprised us by showing up at our door on Sunday. Corbin and Collin Sperl as cowboy and scarecrow had to pose for the camera.

This bunch was really scary!!! Peyton, the green skeleton and Lily the princess, brought two of their friends along for trick or treat . We never did see the face behind the white mask.

A close-up of the princess!! Smile pretty , Lily~~

Little flower girl, Haddie and big sis, Felicity stopped after the parade to gather some candies. Granny loves to cuddle the greatgrands when they are here. Hope you all had as Happy Halloween as we did. See ya next year.

Happy Birthday Pam - Nov. 25, 2009

Taken in March, 1972 at Earl's Bar. Do you think these two will empty that pitcher of beer by themselves?? Looks like Dad has control of it!!! Check out the pigtails on this gal--

Pam and Bruce will also celebrate their wedding anniversary on Nov. 30, so wish them a Happy Anniversary too at the Big Elk!!!

Besides keeping busy with the bar and working at the nursing home, you can find these two spending quality time with the grandkids, Bruce calls them "Rugrats". Happy Anniversary to both of you, Pam and Bruce---

Happy Birthday Tonya

Happy Birthday to a sweet gal, Tonya. This is her 1st birthday picture. Cute little ruffle butt!! Do you remember what I always told you ,Tonya, when more grandbabies came along? You would climb up on my lap and I would whisper in your ear,"You are special because you were our VERY FIRST grandchild." You would snuggle down and be happy.
All dressed up for a special day. Happy Birthday . We love you and miss you----Gramma Rita

Bruce's Birthday--July 31, 2009

We did get up to Phillips to see Bruce and Pam last Friday on his 56th birthday. He is ready to cut up his cake, while we all were singing,"Happy Birthday."
Sis and Dean rode along with us, and Earl and Joanne drove over too, so we had a gang of Emmerichs. I should have waited for Uncle Earl, I think he was playing a machine.

Sorry, Patti--I thought I waited for you to swallow before I snapped. Hey, Chris, why do you look so surprised??

It's okay, Julee, your food is coming!! Dean dressed Hawaiian - guess he thought it was a luau. He said he can ride along with the old folks now since he is semi-retired!!

Happy Birthday, Son (our # one) We love you!!

Trip way up north

Last Friday Dad, Sis and I went up to Phillips to check out what Bruce and Pam are doing. I was hungary for a fish fry, and now we have new tires on the van so Dad can't use that for an excuse anymore. The resort area is so pretty this time of year. Everything is nice and green. So down we go----the bar is in the basement of their home, no, not in Boston, that is on "Cheers." The Big Elk River is very low right now so the fishing is not the best.

Pam doing her job!

Here is Pam in her little kitchen--ready to serve Earl and Joanne their fish dinner. She really has a system to get those orders out so fast. Good job!Good Food!

Bruce hard at work

This is what Bruce does, tending his bar. Looks like Joanne is picking her teeth and Earl is digging for more money. Before we got out of there, the bar was filled with people coming in for fish fry. I was surprised at the carryouts Pam makes--lots of them. Oh, yes--the fish was delicious! Our next trip up will maybe be on Bruce's birthday, July 31, since it is on a Friday this year.

Our first born-Bruce, the Goose!

Bruce Allen, my little man, was born on a hot humid day, July 31, 1953. I had always wished for my first baby to be a boy to watch over his siblings and set a good example for them. If you were to ask his sisters about that, they may not agree. I was only seventeen when he was born so I always told people that , "Bruce and I grew up together." Maybe because the first two years of his life, we were inseparable. His Dad went to the Army only 2 1/2 months after we married. When it was time for Bruce to be born, my Mom and sister, Kate, took me to the hospital. They stayed until about midnight- then went home. Guess I was taking too long and Mom thought she could catch some sleep. About 5;00 AM, Bruce finally made his appearance-- no Daddy, no Grandma, no one, except Dr. Meyer and his nurse and Bruce and I. When he was two months old, we boarded a train and headed for Colorado Springs and Daddy! You all know the story of Ken finding us behind the train depot waiting for him-he loves to tell that one doesn't he? Four months later, Ken got his over seas orders, and had to ship out to Korea. He had a thirty day leave so we got to drive back to Wisconsin in our little "1942 Chevy coupe." Another of Dad's favorite stories! I rented a little house and we lived there until Ken came home from service and we bought our first farm. Of course it was not a year and Bruce had a little brother,Dean to play with. Where you saw one, you saw both of them-just like they were bonded together. They played in the barn, in the sand pile, tramped around the fields with their dog or pushing trucks and tractors along the driveway. When they learned to drive the tractor, this brought on a new experience for them--now they were Daddy's helpers. Raking hay and driving for baling, feeding all those calves and playing with the kittens, together. By this time there were more little people in the house to watch over so I was busy there. Bruce, Dean and Deb all were in charge of someone little, to make sure they had shoes on and faces washed when we got ready to go to Grandma's. About now Bruce got his nickname, Goose, thanks to his brother, Dean. At Christmas , Ken always had to go to town and buy new tractors and Tonka trucks for the boys. It was up to me to pick out the dolls for the girls. Those two boys had a never ending job in the barn-pushing hay and silage and what else?? Oh, yeah, scraping down all the cow poop! The year was 1963 at Christmas when Ken, Bruce and Dean contacted hepatitis . The boys missed 5 or 6 weeks of school, they were so weak and tired. Family and neighbors came to do the chores for us. One night Bruce went to the barn to feed his calves. About half hour later, here comes Harvey Clarke carrying Bruce. He had lay down and fell asleep in the hay. He was about ten years old then--I think he felt a special bond for his Uncle Harvey right then. From then on, they hunted and fished and played together like old buddies. When Bruce was in the eighth grade, he helped Earl in the bike shop, fixing bikes. There were no 3 or 4 wheelers back in the "olden days", so there were a lot of tires to repair on all those bicycles. He worked there through his high school years, when he could get away from chores. The last two years of high school, Bruce started dating Pam, the next door neighbor girl. We always teased them that they had a trail through the corn field between us and the Wells farm. (I think there was.) Bruce enlisted in the Army in his senior year and left for basic training in July. I was so sad to have my buddy leave and go far away from me, but it was time for him to go on and start a new chapter of life, away from us and the farm----

Your'e in the Army now!!

The first thing Bruce did when he got home from the service, was get a job(Good Boy!) and of course bought a new car with the money he had sent home while he was away. The second major event was a wedding --he and Pam got married and were ready to start their new life together. They have been blessed with two wonderful daughters, Tonya and Kara. Both the girls are married now and have families of their own. Bruce has always been a people person. He can walk up to a complete stranger and talk to them as if he knew them all his life. I guess he wanted to be a truck driver because his first job was driving a tire repair truck for the Co-op. Of course a lot of his customers were farmers - right up his alley. He can talk farming with the best of them!When he got tired of tires, he drove a beer truck, delivering beer to taverns and stores in the area. I think Uncle Glen had something to do with that job, as he had been driving for the company for a while already. Dean followed along and drove a route hauling beer too.I guess he had to be just like his big brother. Seemed like they were almost joined at the hip, they were always together. Later on, Bruce worked at the Holiday Station pumping gas and selling sporting goods. Of course his love of hunting came in handy here, he knew all about those guns and other stuff!! When the old Eggert building was purchased by the Wild's, he went there and worked. Here he got a taste of management- trying to keep good help on hand and pumping more gas! Always a smile and his chatting to people, keeping up on his customers and their families. All this while, Pam was busy being a Mom and a nurse with that long giant needle that she threatens her father-in-law with. Pretty soon the station was not doing good, so Bruce and Pam decided to try a new adventure.They bought a little bar in the Phillips area called ,"The Big Elk." The old couple, that owned it, were ready to retire so away they went--to Musser Lake. After several weeks of cleaning and updating the kitchen, they were in business. Pam still driving to Medford to work and Bruce(Goose) is now a bartender! They make a good team. When Pam is not at work. she is in the kitchen slinging hamburgers and running her end of the bar. The local people look forward to coming in and relaxing and of course chit-chat over an ice-cold beer!!

Grandpa Bruce & Grandma Pam

Now Bruce and Pam are grandparents. They have four little grandkids that he calls "rug rats!" We all know they have him wrapped around their little fingers. Those short people have a way of sneaking into our hearts and hiding there. Before we know it, they too will be grown up and moving out of Mom and Dad's home to a place of their own. So, Bruce and Pam, take time to see them, hug them, and love them while you can still hold them on your laps--this photo was taken at Christmas, 2008--Grandma Pam holding Kallie and Grandpa Bruce holding Jack, the children of Tonya and Mark Brost.

Five Generations

Here's a five generation picture. Tonya is the baby. Why didn't we move those ducks?

First Born

First born out of 8 was Bruce. July 31, 1953. Bruce was born in Medford hospital at 5:00a.m. Ken was gone away in the army. Kathryn took me to the hospital. Bruce had NO hair, just peach fuzz.

More kids to come.