Jerry Engleson was an amazing man with an amazing memory and wonderful story-telling capabilities. Visit this collection of audio recordings, video recordings, photos, and general Jerry memorabilia for a fun trip down memory lane.
Jerry’s Stories in His Own Words
Benson, MN
Hardware Store Foursome Lub Thompson Drafted During World War II Ed Ferdeen, Eddie Gilbertson, Monroe “Money” Leitey, Sunshine Café Viking Café, Albino Pheasant Cleddy Chevalier and Pig Trapped Under Model T Shopping in Minneapolis – Big Black Purse Benson Town Sections, Meat Market Prices, Golf in the Philippines Bluegrass and Shypoke Army Reserves, Capture the …
Fergus Falls, MN
Mom’s Cousin, a McQuillin, and his Trophy Cow Forrest McCollor and Priest The Gent and his Scalded Pig Republican Friend When Mom was a Candy Striper and Norwegian Talk Mom’s Uncle Leonard “Canonball” McCollor Mom in Nurses Training – Painful Surgery
Perham, MN
John Klug’s Girlfriend Bill Lubbitz (landlord) and the Northern Reverend Herman Hoffman and Evolution in the Classroom Driving Gravel Truck
Ramey, PR
Margaret, Rum Cokes and Never Turning Down a Drink Foy Thompson – Calhoune Don’t Want That Norm Frances – Hit by a Golf Ball Larry Carlson’s Cheap Date Lucy on the Bridge
Typical of Jerry’s Storytelling
Subject: Bobby Chevalier
(Kim) Was this the guy who raised the buffalo?
Yeah, he raised 50 buffalo … for a long time. And he said … oh, oh, we were playing bridge at Tommy Hughes house. Several things happened that night. He always had a bad heart, and there wasn’t much they could do for him. He was a miler in high school. Set records every time he ran, and he looked like a fullback. He was a big, Irish farmer. And, Chevalier said, “You know, Tom, you eat ought to eat more buffalo meat – better for you, low in cholesterol, this and that – and he said, “No, Chev. No.” And Chev said, “Why not?” He said, “Well, I’ve been watching you, and you’re carrying your head a little lower all the time.”
(Terry) I knew that was coming.
Yeah, but the same evening, Chevalier said – Chevalier is a great straight man, you know – so Chevalier said, “Ah, Tom, have you told Cay and Jerry about your edible beans processing plant?” I said, “What edible beans … edible beans?” Tom said, “Beans you can eat.” “Oh, OK. What plant?”
Tom said, “Long before anyone else in west-central Minnesota realized it, I realized the need for an edible beans processing plant, so I built one.”
“How’d you do on that, Tom?”, Chevalier says.
He said, “I lost a million, huh, dollars on that.”
I said, “You lost a million dollars?”
(Tom) “Yeah. That was good.”
“Did you ever tell Jerry and Cay about your sugar beet processing plant?”, Chevalier says.
(Tom) “Long before anyone else in west-central Minnesota realized it, I realized the need for sugar beet processing plant in Swift County, so I built one.”
(Chevvy) “How’d you do on that?”
Cay was just nothing but eye balls.
(Chevvy) “How’d you do on that, Tom?”
“Lost a million and a half.”, he said.
“Lost a million and a half!” And, so it went. It was fabulous.
Oh, and this is better.
Chevalier said, “Did you tell them about the rain making machine?”
I said, “Rain making machine?”, and he said “Yes, one night, about 10 or 11 at night, the phone rang and it was Howard Lang. And Howard said, Tom, there’s a rain maker in the county now, and we need people to have one of these machines, ah, in every township. Would you buy one?”
Tom said, “Yeah, how much?”
(Howard) said, “$2,000 apiece.”
Tom said, “OK. I’ll buy one.”
And Howard said, “Don’t tell (anyone) who told you this.” He didn’t want anyone to know he was involved.
Anyway, so this guy came with this rain making machine. It was a metal box – a cube – about that size, and it had a cord sticking out of it. He plugged that in, and ah … but if you took the cover off and you looked in there, there were just two electrodes, about that far apart. And when you plugged, it in there would be a little spark there.
So, ah, anyway, he plugged it in and left there. And pretty soon he said n old Norwegian drove up in a beat up pickup truck, dog in the back, and he said, “Come to see the rain making machine.” And Tom said, “It’s just around the corner, just outside the garage over there on that side. And, as they were walking over there, the dog went over there and lifted his leg on this box. And the farmer said, “That’s what I think of it, too!” Got back in his truck and drove away.
Oh, man!
(Joe) But wasn’t the end of the story that you had a huge rainfall, and there was flooding?
Yes, and they sued the rain maker!
(Kim) No way.
Yes … I don’t know who sued him, but there was a lawsuit. Yeah, there was some rain damage …
Oh, God!