6/7 July 2011
Today I (we) had the pleasure to see my cousin Armella and her husband Lyle. We have not seen each other for 60 years. No problem they made us feel right at home.
They have a beautiful home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and it’s right on the shores of the Eau Claire river. We had some great conversations about our families with both of us learning things about the other, Joel and Lyle spent time out at the river tossing the "bird" for their dog.
It’s funny how much alike or families were. What nice and gracious people I’m related too!! This morning (the 7th) we moved on to Wausau where I was born. We are parked at the Marathon County Park which is just across the river from the city. No sooner had we parked the coach and we were off for a ride north to Tomahawk.
This is where my Grandparents had a cottage on Road Lake. It was not too hard to find it although it has changed. Some parts were just as I remembered it. The rock wall and flagstone terrace with the water pump just outside the door were a step back in time.
I had a good time telling Joel the stories of the time I spent here with my grandparents. No one was home (it looks like it is a summer and weekend home now) so we walked around the property and out onto the dock.
I have very fond memories of that place including filling the fish pin (a wire box attached to the dock) with fish I caught all by myself, that is until I got a bullhead and then I yelled for grandma to come and take it off my line for me. We then drove over to Antigo where my mother spent her youth. It is a quiet friendly town. We looked for Bakes tavern but it closed some years ago. My grandparents Ellis had lived in an apartment above the tavern. The town has a beautiful railway depot that is now a museum.
My grandfather Ellis was a railroad conductor so this was nice to see.
We did see the Antigo bakery and can you imagine, we just had to stop for a treat.
