Ambrose Stories - Mabel Torkelson

My mother, Mabel Ryan Torkelson, was born in 1906 east of Ambrose in a sod house that was 12 x 24 feet.  Now mind you, this was home to her parents and 5 other siblings.  It had all the creature comforts of home, a cow blood and manure hardened floor, three windows, and a stove that burned buffalo chips. Mom said that she and her brother Ole were assigned the chore of gathering the “chips” and stacking them against the wall on the west side of the house for use in the winter.  Her dad used to drive them to school in the winter in a bob sled. He would heat several rocks and put blankets on top of them so all the kids would not freeze enroute to school.  Not quite the comforts that we enjoy now!!

One thing that I will never forget was that during the 50’s, Jim Christianson would deliver the best water in the county.  He would fill the cistern from a tank that he had on a sled that was pulled by a great team of horses. Years later, mom was working as a RN in the hospital in Crosby and was caring for a gentleman from Ambrose who was recovering from surgery and was still under the influence of some pain medication.  She had just walked into his room as he was setting the urinal down; he remarked, “Mabel, this Crosby water sure does taste bad”. Mom did not have the heart to say anything; she just turned and walked out of the room.

I don’t think I have ever had a good cup of coffee in Crosby after that story!!

Story by: Col (ret) T. Ryan Torkelson