Kienow Family History and Heritage

As told by daughter Lorraine and written granddaughter Lynne





Dad was born on December 6th, 1902, the oldest of 12 children. Mom was born on June 22, 1907, the 4th youngest of 11 children. Though dad was born with the name Myron, he was called Pat from the time he was born, nicknamed after Dr. Patrick J. Smith, who delivered him.



Dad lived on the west side of the tracks...mom lived on the east side. They both went to a halloween party in 1923 (the boys crossed the tracks to the east side). He saw her and told his friends he was going to take her home. She saw him and told her friends she was going to go home with him. He did take her home!



Their lives together started that evening...they went together for 2 years and married on May 13th, 1925. They had me and a son Kenneth.



Dad worked at the shoe factory for a while, but then landed a job with the Minnesota State Highway Department. He worked there for 31 years before retiring. He was on call during the winter and cleared snow in the middle of the night and early morning. He also cleared a lot of brush and fixed many roads which we all travel on.



The folks lived right next to to dad's 'pa and ma', sharing their driveway. Their home was located at 511 Prairie Avenue. In 1959, their home was condemned, along with 'pa and ma's', as the State wanted to get the Vocational School built on that property. The State bought the houses and the property. They could have purchased their homes back, but would have had to move them off the property. They opted not to. Instead, they decided to buy a in Warsaw because his sister, Marie, was living out there and she really wanted them to be close to her. Warsaw is just 7 miles west of Faribault.



Mom and dad traveled quite a bit. They went to Washington several times to visit Aunt Emma and Uncle Frank Smetana and also to California several times to see mom's sister Hannah. They flew to Nevada a couple of times and met Bud and me and then rode back with us. They loved to just get in the car and go shopping - it didn't matter it they had no destination, they just went!



When he was 76, dad bought an organ. He took lessons and every time I went to visit, he would play "Please Release Me, Let Me Go" by Englebert Humperdink...it is one of my favorites. He played for 14+ years.



In his spare time he was a jack of many trades...from fishing to gardening, to riding his bike. The he took up wine-making, which some say was the best!!! While dad was working or doing other things (word find puzzles, putzing, etc.), mom was busy sewing up brand new clothes for the grandchildren before school started, making quilts and canning up a storm with all the veggies they raised in the garden. She could really pickle those beets! Mom was also the Secretary for Church for 17 years and hardly ever missed Ladies Aid, held the second Thursday of each month.



Mom and dad experienced life to the fullest, were blessed with many long and memory-filled years and they would wish the same good fortune for all of you.