Kenneth recalls a bit of a problem with the girls at his church who were asking him for a ride home. He was glad to do that and it even was fun at times, but some of the girls kept putting themselves forward.
Grandmother Mortenson was very active in the church. Margaret remembers her as a very warm person with little education. She died the summer of the Mortensons' trip to Stony Lake.
Following Kenneth's misadventure with the stout spilling everywhere in the house, some older women from the church came to visit Mae, who never gave any explanation to the visitors about the smell of alcohol in the house. As soon as the women entered…
Kenneth remembers the first time he met professor Robert Wilson. He came to Kenneth's room and made a joke with a huge pipe. He had divided his life in sequences of fifteen years: 15 for study, 15 for writing, and 15 for teaching.
Margaret and Kenneth remember the last days before their wedding and talk about the fox fur he had brought her as a wedding present. Margaret reads about their final plans, people to host, her hunt for a wedding and an evening dress, and her…
Kenneth tells about the end of his year at the church he pastored. Evangelist Dad Hall would stir up the congregation, Kenneth would calm things down in the right direction. Kenneth remembers preaching a sermon on tithing as the church was jammed…
The newlyweds, Adelle and A.D. stayed at the Mortensens' house in Somers, WI, and A.D. had to bike to Racine for work. He had a special bike with a flanged wheel that he could ride on the railroad track into Racine, a distance of about ten miles.ﾠ
Kenneth recalls being told by the doctor that he had low blood pressure because of hard work. He laughed at the doctor's comment that Kenneth had the sickness but lacked the symptoms.
Thorina Chrisina married in 1876 and migrated to the US in 1883 with her two children and her mother, following the death of her husband and one of her children. They settled in Racine and Trine invested money in the business of her brother, Laurids,…
Margaret learned that College Church had split, under the influence of people from the Moody Bible Institute (whom she says were divisive) and Dr. James Buswell (whom she also thinks was devisive). Adelle and Betty went to the new Bible Church, but…
Margaret and her sisters decided to put on Cinderella for their father's birthday. The kids made their costumes. Family members were invited so that they could have an audience.
Das Machen invited the Checkers Club to his room at 8:30. Some twenty of them packed in the room and enjoyed the food he had put out for them. They played checkers and chess.
Church was always an important part of life in the Mortenson family. Margaret's grandparents and parents were Methodists. The family was active in the Central Street Church. The Boyd family were educated people and made good money. William Boyd…
Kenneth remembers never accumulating things or celebrating a birthday or Christmas. When he married Margaret she came with much stuff and enjoyed having many celebrations, which was quite a shock to Kenneth. This accumulation of "things" continued…
Sunday afternoon walks were an institution. After church you would have a heavy dinner and go for a walk as a family and call on somebody. Children were not allowed games or anything like that. In the evening you would go again at church.
Margaret tells stories about her mother's childhood. She went to a German school when she lived in Franksville. In Somers, she had a friend, a half Indian girl with a European father, who had been rejected by her tribe. That girl was Adelle's best…
One of Kenneth's friends was Stinky Altenburg. His sister became one of the prostitutes in the town, but the other sisters were very proper. Kenneth and Stinky and other friends would hang out in town very often. Stinky became a successful lawyer.
Margaret tells about a male neighbor that was held up by a man with a pistol in Evanston. The man struck him on the head and he was bleeding. This shows that crime was in their neighborhood.
Kenneth talks about his friendship with the kids of the people on the Landons' side of the street and how he became a graceful dancer. He tells of dance parties they held at each other's houses and the lasting friendship that ensued. Kenneth…
Yin Lang, the cook, borrowed 150 tekals from Margaret. His father was ill and dying, so he wanted a few days off and he requested an advance. He made out a first mortage on his rubber garden to Margaret as security. But Margaret never got her money…
The Landons went on a vacation, each to a different destination. Kenneth wrote Margaret about his vacation and all the fun he was having while preaching the gospel as well. He tells about the songs he was learning every day.
Kenneth went on a tour with Paul Fuller while Margaret and baby Peggy went to Nong Khae where there was some sort of resort hotel and stayed in a cottage owned by the mission. Margaret tells the story behind the property. Kenneth tells also the story…
Kenneth talks about the time it took for the mail to travel to its final destination. He recalls visiting the Huiat Church with its variety of people groups and Chinese dialects. He understood quite a bit in each dialect.
At Thanksgiving the mission meetings opened and usually last for six or seven days. Kenneth was elected recording clerk of those meetings, a hard job. In the midst of this he took his third year language exam.