Uncle Vern
When I lived in Wisconsin with my parents, Vern, my mom’s brother, and his wife, Alice, lived in Welch Village, Minnesota. We would visit each others home once in a while. I did not know much about his past until after discovering many old photos of him and reading some of my mom’s journals – years after both had passed.
Growing up, Vern was an amateur photographer and built radios from kits. He joined the Navy SeaBees in the mid-1940s. I don’t think he saw much action, but I do know he played his saxophone in the Navy band. Somewhere along the line he learned to play the flute. After retiring from the service, he rode a motorcycle cross country, working as a mechanic, fished, and learned to fly airplanes. He retired in his later years from an engineering office job in Minnesota at Sperry Univac. I remember when I was in high school and contemplating a career in computers, I visited Vern at his office.
I remember the time he visited the Walt Konopacki home in Luck, Wisconsin. I think it was for Easter, based on the way my sister, Barb, is dressed in the photo of her and Vern playing flute duets on the front porch. Vern actually grew up in that same house that my sister and I grew up in.
One day we visited Vern at his new house in Minnesota. It was not complete yet and had no water or electricity. When I got thirsty, I had to drink coffee from a thermos for the first time!
During visits, his wife Alice was always dressed up and wore a pearl necklace. This was Alice’s second marriage. Donna was Vern’s step-daughter. Alice had a miniature poodle that she doted on, but I couldn’t stand it. I don’t think it was a nuisance with barking, but she carried it around like a purse!
“Verner did not shorten his name to Vern until he was out in the workplace and others called him Vern.” (per Helga Koch’s memory book written in 1996).
Vern died October, 26, 1990 and is buried in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota, Section U-2, Site #574.
