Download - Vi’S First 90 Years
Vi’s first 90 years
Violet Marie Flatau
Born November 19,1919
inPerham, MN
Albert & Elsie Flatau
Violet Marie Born 1919
Rhoda Amanda
Born 1921Deceased 1985
Vernon BeckmanBorn 1923Deceased 2008
Rodney AlbertBorn 1924
Rhoda
Vernon
Rodney
Albert Elsie
Violet
Vi’s Family
Grandma MarieElsie’s mom lived with Albert & Elsie from the time Violet was born until her passing in 1954
Violet was born in this house that was built by her grandfather, August Beckman, in 1909.
VioletVernon
Rhoda
VioletVernonRhoda1924
Violet
Vernon
Rhoda
1924
Flatau School
The family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1927 where Albert worked as a hod carrier. The family lived in the garage (above) at Walter & Ida Locke’s home. Ida was Albert’s sister. They stayed for a year and a half in Oregon before moving back to the Perham, MN area.
1927
Taken while living in Portland, OR
Rhoda, VioletRodney, Vernon
Rhoda
Violet
School mate
Marie Gable
1927All in same grade
In the car: Rodney, Vernon, Vi, Rhoda, ElsieEmil, Liz, G. Marie, Art, Margie, Pearl, Laverne - 1928
A car similar to the one above was the transportation to Portland, OR. Can you imagine the highways in 1927 and camping along the way? Albert & Elsie slept on a narrow bed supported by the back window ledge and front dash board. The front passenger seat was removed & placed on the side of the car. Grandma Marie slept on it (along with Violet, Rhoda, and Rodney). Vernon slept on driver’s seat.
1928
Rodney,Violet,Rhoda,Vernon
Violet age 9
1929
Vernon,Violet,Rodney,Rhoda
1933
Rodney,Violet,Rhoda,Vernon
Violet age 14
Rhoda age 12 and Violet age 14
Vi’s father , Albert, came from a family of 12 children. Vi’s mother ,Elsie, was the youngest of 12 children. As Violet grew up there were many family gatherings. Since Grandma Marie lived with her family most of the gatherings were at Albert & Elsie’s. The summers were always filled with visitors coming to see Grandma Marie.
Aunt Marie
GrandmaMarie
Aunt Louise
Vi’s Mom, Elsie
AuntEmma 1936
Laverne Shriner, Elsie, Albert, Louise Shriner, Rhoda, Grandma Marie, Lucille Parks, Nona Jean Friestad, Violet, Margie Shriner, Bonnie Parks, Emma Parks, Anker Friestad, lower row: Vernon, Frank Parks, Rodney, Inez (Inie) Parks ,(Marie Friestad took photo - 1936)
Marie Friestad, Elsie, Albert, Grandma Marie, Violet , Rhoda
Violet age 19
Grandma Marie and the four kids
Vi and Rhoda 1938 graduation
(Violet age 19)
Violet attended Central Dakota Commercial College in Jamestown, ND from 1938 to 1939.
She lived with her Aunt Louise and her Mom (Elsie) came often to visit.
Age 19
In 1939 (age 20) Violet started working with Nash Finch Co. in Jamestown, ND Age 22
1941
Rhoda, Vernon, Rodney, VioletAlbert & Elsie - 1941
Rhoda & Vi - 1941Age 20
Age 22
Violet – age 22 (1941)
Violet age 231942
In 1943 (age 24) Violet was transferred to Nash Finch Co. in Sheridan, WY where she lived and worked for over a year.
Violet Age 25 (1944)
In 1944 Vi moved back to Perham, MN where she took a job with Perham Jobbing Co and later in February 1946 worked for Perham Mfg. Co.
Grandma Marie, Vi, Karen Koehnen, Vernon, Liz and Emil Beckman, Elsie - 1946
Rodney in 1944Vernon, Vi, Art Beckman, Karen in 1946
Vi at the ball game with friends!
1946
Age 27
Vi met Walt at a dance in 1946 after Walt’s sisters (Helen and Eleanor) introduced them!
Walt & Vi met on June 27th
Walt & Vi were engaged to be married on July 27th
Walt & Vi were married on August 10th!
In case you didn’t do the math.
Met June 27th, engaged on July 27th and were married August 10th . That would be 45 days! In 2009 Walt & Vi celebrated their 63rd Anniversary. Very nice.
38
Mrs. Walter E. Johnson
August 10, 1946
Rodney, Vernon, Walt, Vi, Bernice Jahn, Marian (who later married Rodney)
Jerry Krueger, Winnie Flatau
The newlyweds took a two week honeymoon while traveling to their new home in Waukesha, WI.
Walt had takena job at the Waukesha Motor Company.
Shortly after, Vi started work in the office until the birth of their first child Walter E. Johnson, Jr.
Walter Edwin Johnson, Jr.
Born August 1947
Walt, Vi and baby Wally moved back to the Perham area in March of 1948. They bought a 50 acre farm and Walt became a farmer and Vi became a homemaker.
The house had only three small rooms, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing.
In later years the farm was affectionately known as‘the little place’
Norris Lee was born February 18, 1949
Kristin Louise was Born March 16, 1950
Wally, Kristin, Norris 1951
In October 1951 Walt, Vi and the three kids moved to a 365 acre farm where they raised hogs and sheep.
Photo courtesy of Dale & Linda Flatau
The brick house was built in 1911. There was plenty of room with seven bedrooms.
A night out with Walt & Agnes on Maurice & Mary Skoogs wedding, Oct. 17, 1953
On October 2, 1956 Debra Marie was born.
Judy Kay was born December 8, 1957
1958
1958
In 1958 Walt and Vi were told by their doctor that both Judy Kay’s hips were dislocated…probably since birth. Judy (age 1 ½) spent the next 2 years in and out of Gillette State Hospital in St. Paul, MN.
Sometimes Judy stayed in the hospital for six months at a time. Walt and Vi would make the long trip to St. Paul as often as they could to see Judy during the only visiting hours: 2 hrs. on Sat. & 2 hrs. on Sun.
It was a very difficult time for them. The photo shows Judy with a pin through her knee to allow the weight of a sandbag to pull on her leg and reposition her hip.
Today it is almost unimaginable that as a parent you would not be allowed to be with your child, especially when your baby just had an operation.
Judy had a special chair built to allow her to sit with a mostly full body cast.
Judy and Debra playing on the floor
In 1958 Vi started the Eagerettes 4-H Club in Gorman Township. Many of the neighbor kids were involved and all enjoyed taking their livestock, cooking, sewing, or garden project to the yearly Perham Fair. The club had a popular booth at the fair that sold the best Buns & Bar-b-que in the county.
Wally and his sheep that he took to the fair.
Rhoda, Bud, Lorraine, Vernon, Vi, Walt, Marian, Rodney
In 1959 Vi was instrumental in starting a local Homemaker’s Club. Her sister-in-laws and her mom were members of this group and it is still a functioning club today.
The kids in 1960
Vi has always been a photographer. She is a great genealogist , photographer and historical record keeper. She has a daily journal from 1963 to today. Interesting events that her children enjoy reading about…or sometimes not.Christmas 1962
Vi was the photographer
took a trip out west to visit relatives in Port Angeles, WA. The decision was soon
to Minnesota and made preparations to move. In October 1963, they sold the farm and had an auction.
In August 1963 the family
made to relocate to Port Angeles. The family returned
In 1965 the Johnson’s move into the house on 608 Whidby. As of 2009 Walt & Vi have been residing at this house for 44 years.
1965Note from Kristin: “Not my glasses. They belonged to the photographer!”
20th Anniversary1966
1967
Vi on snowmobile in
1967
Vi is sitting behind Karen on the snowmobile.
Later Vi was driving it by herself. She followed the guys up a steep hill and slid right off the back end and rolled down the hill. Age: 48Rod and Albert in the background.
1967
1969
1970
In September of 1970 Vi started an in-home childcare business. Some of the fondest memories are of the yearly Easter Egg hunts in her back yard.
Vi operated her in-home childcare business until June 1975.
1971
25th Anniversary
1973
The fisherman (Walt) is tickled that he got the land lover (Vi) into the boat.
1974
1976
Vera and Vi having a hilarious time playing PONG. What a hoot!
1977
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1988
WaltBradGreg and Gary
Jessica & Joel
1989
On their way to Alaska. One of their many trips.
1990
Debra &Scott
Norris
Walt
GaryKristin
Jack
Lisa
JenniferJudy &Hannah
Sara Dale
Joel
Erik
BeauJesse
Vi
Brad
• 45th
1991
45th Anniversary
1992
1993
1994Joel
Lisa Jack
Sara
HannahScott
Erik
Brad
Dale
Beau
Jesse
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
ErikHannah
Dale
Lisa & Marissa
SaraBrad
Jack
Joel
Alissa
Orin
Julius
2006
2007
2008
Happy Birthday, Vi