Sophia WENDT

Sophia was born in German and emigrated in 1898.

She married Herman Bolland, whose parents had purchased a farm about 111/2 miles southeast of the Herman (Luders)Leaders farm. They bought afarm about 5 miles south, which now belongs to their son, Art Bolland.

Her mother's name was Marie. I believe her maiden name was Misegades. Her father died in Germany and her mother worked as a midwife there until she emigrated in 1914.

Sophie was the mother of Art, Esther, and Lorine.

A HAUNTING STORY:

In her younger years, Sophie worked for the H H Luders family (also theHW Lueders home, and Otto Leaders home) between Leaf Lake and PortageLake. Leaders arranged for people from Germany to work for them to payfor their passage to America.

Sophie Wendte and her younger brother, Henry, were the only children ofa widow who made a living as a midwife in Germany. The young people decided to leave their mother and homeland to seek their fortune in America, as so many of their friends were coming here with their families.

Henry went to work for a cousin who had paid his passage and Sophie went to work for Leaders.

Although the work was hard, Sophie was young and strong so she didn't mind. She enjoyed the lively social life among the young people of the community, including parties with dancing in the large log house on whatis now the Martin Gavic place a half mile to the south.

Henry was younger and, perhaps, suffering from homesickness. He visitedSophie at the Leaders farm evenings after his work was done. In her opinion, he visited much too often, and she told him so, but he continuedto come.

One evening she decided to "cure" him. She waited until he was talkingwith the hired men and was nearly ready to leave for the place where heworked. Then she and another girl took sheets and ran down the road tothe churchyard about a half-mile to the north. The other girl may havebeen another hired girl or a relative of Leaders, probably an Ebelinggirl.

Henry had bragged that he wasn't afraid to pass St. John's cemetery. Onthis night, however, as he came up the hill to the cemetery he heard wailing and moaning. Looking around at the tall tombstones, he saw two apparitions in white rise from their graves waving their shrouded arms and start toward him. He ran - and kept on running!

This marked the end of his evening visits.

Sophie Bolland has been laid to rest in St. John's cemetery which she had "haunted" so many years before.

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