A partial answer

Remember the question that puzzled Larry and me (and, no doubt, YOU) regarding what sort of punishment Wendelin Janson received for deserting, back in 1899? 


 We haven't found the answer yet, but the question simmers in the back of both our brains, just waiting for more info.


This week, Larry found an article in a 1908 Los Angeles newspaper when he searched "Janson" on some newly added online newspapers.  Luckily a corporal Janson was in charge the day a prisoner tried to escape.  NO, the punishment wasn't firing squad, but the soldier was shot and killed because he didn't "Halt!" when told to do so...


Anyway, the operative line here is the very last one: "The penalty for desertion is from one to three years in one of the federal penitentiaries".


So, wow, it's possible that Wendelin spent time in jail, or, perhaps the punishment was lighter because he'd already put in three years of service honorably?  The next time he showed up in was the 1905 Minnesota census, in downtown St Paul.  


So, the Wendelin question remains, and on top of that, I wonder who this Corporal Janson was?

Postcards from Buckman

Here's a photo of the brand new church in Buckman, c 1908 or so.  You can tell the printer didn't know the name of the saint it was dedicated to, because it's the "German Catholic Church in Buckman, Minn" and the alternate design below is "St Mickels"... 

Anyway, it's kinda fun to compare the original look with todays building, inside and out.  By the way, the banner hanging over the aisle there says "The Communion day is a feast day of your soul", and isn't it cool that we can zoom in? 

First,  the outside of the church--what happened to that bellfry?  Maybe it was struck by lightning or a windstorm took it.  It's different now, anyway, and the small cupola in the middle of the roof is gone  too.  Was it a vent, or a skylight?.......I remember Fr Leo Brandl was helping re-shingle the roof when he fell off, and lost part of his leg.  (I always admired the fact that he had a built in ashtray in a hole in his prosthesis)......The north door looked like that until a ramp was added stretching toward the back of the church.  Mom refused to use it even when the front steps were daunting, because it was too obvious, I think.  Now tho, there's an elevator, inside the new Hall. 

  Inside--former florist that I am, I zoomed in on the plants--these seem to be palm trees, which means they proudly heated the place all winter.  Palms are tolerant, but I expect it was still relatively cool in there ☺. 

When was the fancy pulpit removed?  I think I remember it as shown, so maybe it and the communion rail vanished at the same time, in the 60s.

Do you realize how unusual the statue of St Michael is?  He's holding a spear in his left hand and he's standing on a dragon. The dragon has a collar, with a chain held in St Michael's right hand (very few statues include chain ☺)  Looking at the photos, there's something missing--ah, the Heavenly Host wasn't painted on the ceiling yet. ►