Louisa SIEWERT

In many ways my mother was my father's wife. She was his inspiration and right hand in helping him to be successful. Besides taking care of the household and the garden, she took care of the chickens that paid for the groceries. She churned the butter that helped to pay off the mortgage. She was also the most loving mother anyone could have. When dad's assignments seemed unbearable or unrewarding, she was always there to give comfort and encouragement...

My first memory of anything important was as a toddler, when my mother had a gall bladder attack. Dr, Sawyer of Goodhue, determined that in order to save her life she must be taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. Mother being carried out ofthe house and loaded in a sleigh box for the horse-drawn trip six miles to Goodhue, cast an indelible spot in my memory even though I was just a toddler. At Goodhue, she was loaded into the baggage car of the Great Western Railroad and taken to Rochester and St. Mary's Hospital. She was operated on by Dr. Charles Mayo and Dr. Judd, who were then just starting to make history in surgery. Mother recovered and came home healthy to be my lovable mother for many, many years...

• Excerpts from Henry C. Hinrichs' 1982 book, "As I Remember - A Treatise on Early Rural Life in Goodhue County, Minnesota"

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