St Francis Minor Seminary - Via Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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f x 533-3-593-3-3-3-333le ERCaQe-ch-e-cz-cz-ee-e- cad: ZHm'PmPll PREPARATIONS had been made. and now I was about to leave home, and all for nine months in order that I might prepare myself for the holy priesthood. I had intended to enter the Seminary. but there being no room for more students I decided to take up my tirst year's work at Pio Nono. I was peacefully sleepingr when the day of my departure had already dawned. At the call of my father I arose, and dressed in silence. I then whispered a short 11 'ayer that leaving: home might not affect me. Later I attended Holy Mass. whieh I offered up for a spet-ial intention, namely. that 1 might have Goals blessing: upon me while on the jour- ney. After Mass I returned home and assisted my brothers in performing several odd jobs about the place. This afforded me great joy, for it was the last time that I could be with them. Finally the longed-for hour hatl arrived. It vas 12 :00 M. Yes. my vacation had come to a close. Only two more hours remained in whieh I eould enjoy the happiness of seeing my be- loved ones. Again I whispered a short p 'ayer. for I saw some awful moments ay'aiting me. but. it being my desire to labor in the yineyartl of my Lord. I endeavored to behold the bright side of them. It was a great undertaking. and at times my eourage almost failed. My clothes had not yet been paeketl. and for this reason we spent no time in useless speenh while at table. Just as we were about to paek my trunk my sister came home from school, bringing my identification tapes. These had been ordered on time, but arrived rather late for some reason or other. XVell. the only thing to be done was to sew them on my clothes. so we all got busy. and at 2:00 P.M. I was ready to leave. After receivingr a mere handshake from all I was to leave, the world. That parting alone I shall never forget. My father then took me to the station, where a deaf-mute was awaiting me. I met him and was placed under the obligu - tion of conducting him to Saint Francis. IVhile awaiting the arrival of the 2:35 IAM. train. my father gave me some necessary and very Valu- able information. The train arrived, and having bidden my fa- ther a hearty farewell. I went aboard. XVords can- not express how I felt when I began my journey and beheld my dear father standing: beside the progressing t'ain. never more to be seen for nine lonu months. The only consolation I had while on the t'ain was It .ayer. whieh I made use of frequently. I had never been on a train be- fore, and having just left home. I was unable to speak to anyone lest perhaps I would reeall the past more distinctly. Soon I arrived in Omaha. where I had been but once before. and that was just three months previous to this time. I was now confronted with the awful task of ehangingr trains. but this too was soon overcome. I met Vernon Laird, who was goingr to Saint F'aneis. It y'as his desire to have me aeeonmany him, and without hesitation I consented to do so. Soon night presented itself, and after having traveled for several hours. I ate a little luneh which had been prepared by my mother before I left home. 011. how I dreaded to eat that luneh in solitude. It y'as the last meal my dear mother had prepared for me. and certainly she had prepared it as best she knew. Now she wts no longer near. and now did I first realize how much she had tlone for me. Now. and only now. did I fully know the meaningr of the word home. Being quite fatigued after a day of solitude and lonesomeness. I fell into a peaeeful repose. The moon had already risen when I awoke: the scenery y'as beautitietl by its light. and all ob- jeets tliseernible. I watehed for the Mississippi River and saw it for the tirst time. I was seized with great wmuler when I entered tlhieago. You might imagine how I felt at sight of so large a eity. having come from :1 9111111 town of only two thousand inhabitants, Every- thing I saw was unknown to me. and to tell the truth. I felt lost. I soon found myself on the home stretch. whieh y'as of greatest interest to me. To my right lay the lake. and to my left were the large dairy farms and extensive fields of onions eab- bagre. and other vegetables. Roeks of all sizes were seen lying almost everywhere. The sight of these struek me in particular. for. as you undoubtedly all know. Nebraska has no natural roeks. Then too. I took spet-ial notice of the eountry being: more, thickly wooded than any I had ever yet seen. At last my journey had come to an end. As I set foot upon XVist-onsin ground several unpleas- ant thoughts tllshed through my mind. Slowly. and overburdened with lonesomeness. I entered Pio Nono. -IGNA'I'IUS C. SPENNER. ac; 33-3-33me 9 2 9 Qefz-cz-ca-egicig- G's , Page Thirty-five

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. f A 533-3-3-3-3-3-3-333Q61 ERC aime-e-cz-G-cz-e-eea-G-ca-c A little 1mm Chan a Errvzv THE Am was oppressive. and already since morningr we foresaw the impending storm that was nearing us. The hot northwest wind had hlown throughout the day. Dark elouds had risen in the southwest, and all the other elouds in the heavens. by some unresistihle power. were, drawn toward these. There they seemed to pile, up. forming one, solid mass of eloud. whieh ap- peared as a large field of bursting: eotton. As the hot sun shone into them eaeh cotton ball, as it were. was adorned with a golden erown. I eould have looked at these elouds uneeas- ugly, but it was evident tllat a storm was New- 11;: within them. Soon their golden edges tlis- appeared. and all the clouds formed one huge bank. which then began moving toward us. The northwest wind constantly grew stronger. and it, was only natu 'al that the storm resisted its opponent. A cyclone would undoubtedly be the result of their meeting. i i The afternoon slowly passed by. At 5.00 r.M. the entire sky was hidden from us by the dark. threatening elouds. Thunder and 1i;.:htnin:..r soon prevailed everywhere. My brother eame home from the tieltl. and just as he had the horses in the barn a eloutl of intense darkness was seen in the southwest. It was a eloutl of dust. whieh rolled over the earth. Three white streaks were seen leading upward from it. These. undoubtedly. were the essentials of the storm. whieh left tlestruetion in their paths. We knew it vas fatal. and without an- other glimpse at it we all into the house. The cellar was our only refuge. and we did not fail to make it sueh. Soon the wind heeanle stronger and stronger. In the meantime we p 'ayed that God might spare us. The wind blew into the window. bringing: with it nlueh dust. Thus breathing: heeame Very dith'enlt. Suddenly a powerful push of wind seemed to move, the house. iVe now were eertain that our end had eome. At the eonunand of my father we all erowdetl against the south wall of the cellar. so that it' the house should he destroyed we would still he safe. unless some other ohjeet should erash tlown upon us. Then as our lips moved in earnest 1rayer. the wind slowly suh- sided. The storm was over. and. thank hul. our re- quest had heen granted. XVe were saved! llav- inp; walked out of the eellar. we found the tioor of every room in the house eorered with dust. Every wintlov aml door had heen elosed. never- theless the wind and dust found their way into the house. As we looked out through the win- dows we saw that the windmill had heen hlown down and eonmlet'ely destroyed. therehy slight 1y damaging a eorner of the barn and an adja- eent' swingr gate. Several other gates had been opened by the wind. and all the eattle we owned were running about on the plaee. Ahont ten huilding's had been blown askew. and the ohl harn door had been thrown off the traek and broken in two. Ilad the elevator heen staked down the wind prohahly would not have doubled it up as it did. We had an old st -aw pile north of the grove. and after the storm there l'zls noth- ing of it to he seen. This storm having taken plaee in the earlier part of the spring , the air was tilled with eorn- stalks throughout the storm. They were hlown up : gainst the tienees: and thus formed an ole staele for the wind. The fenees were towed to give way. and as a result the wires were torn. and the entire fenees runningr from north to south were laid to the ground. These. and a few other damages. were all the storm left us. and I will assure you it was enough. All those who witnessed that storm are hound never to forget it. fIGJATlUS C. SPEJNEK. QE-Tere-Ecicacae; Page Tilirly-six