Cousin Reunion in Brownton
Oh my gosh, my jaws are weary. This was the grandchildren of Laura and Christ Wendlandt. There were fourteen out of the twenty seven originals, some attended with spouses, some with grandchildren. Over time four have passed away. The oldest living is seventy five and the youngest being forty five.
Aunt Janet Alsleben and Uncle Kenneth Wendlandt
Aunt Janet is 79 and Uncle Kenneth is 81. Two of the original nine remain.
Aunt Janet had to share with me a story of a time when Christ’s boys worked together during harvest as the machinery was co-owned. It was harvest time and Dad was absent from our farm from morning to night. Aunt Janet at age 12 came to stay with my Mom and Dad to help take care of my sister (age 8) and me (age 2) while Mom totally had to do the livestock chores and the dairy milking. At that time the cows were all milked by hand. In 1946 there was no electricity on that rental farm. Out of the blue Aunt Janet noticed I had stuck a kernel of corn up my nose. She panicked as she had no way to know how to work with a toddler that would do nothing but squirm when help was offered.
Eventually Aunt Janet had to take me down to the dairy barn knowing that Mom would know better than her how to handle this. By this time I was crying. Janet said that without missing a beat Mom took the safety pin that was holding up the strap on my romper, pinched my nose very tight above where the corn kernel was – just as if she had to do this on a daily basis – with the pin opened she snagged the kernel with the pointed tip. Mom went back to stripping the utters on the cows and Janet took a crying toddler back to the house. Knowing how much mischief I did get into as I child I don’t doubt one bit that on a daily basis I gave my Mom grief. Janet remembered it as if it were yesterday. Janet never did have any children. Maybe I scarred her for life.
This entire day was spent with many stories of “do you remember when.” We all agreed that we need to get together again as this was just an awesome time of family.