Florence Ida [Thompson] [Vogue] Derda was born on her family's Marengo, Wisconsin farm on 12 Aug 1908. From a very young age she was her mother's kitchen helper, preparing three meals a day for the family. She also helped render first aid, changed diapers, collected eggs, sewed and cleaned the house. As a young adult, Florence worked as a cook on the big ore ships on Lake Superior. Later she became the head cook at The Rocket Cafe in Ashland, WI. Eventually she owned her own restaurant, The Kitchen.
In 1930, Florence and Emil Verner Johnson (son of Aldrich [Ussimaa] and Margaret Johnson of Marengo) had a daughter, Jeanne Marie. Jeanne was born in Chisholm MN. When the baby was about 1.5 years old in the fall of 1931, Florence and Emil separated. It's unknown if they'd actually married, or why they decided to part. In December 1931, Florence married her sister Julia's widower, Leif P. Vaag/Vogue. Emil went on to marry Elsie Tidstrom in 1934, when his daughter Jeanne was four years old. Neither Florence or Emil had any more children.
In the mid-1940s, Florence divorced Leif. She married Walter A. Derda on 24 May 1949. Walt was the love of her life. He died suddenly in 1955 from a heart attack after a day of hunting with friends. His son-in-law, Dick Englan, believed Walt had fallen out of a hide, breaking at least one rib. He didn't want to go to the hospital; he just wanted to get home to his beloved wife. Walt died in Florence's arms early the next morning.
In 1962 Florence, daughter Jeanne and son-in-law Dick, purchased a beer bar and restaurant in Ashland, and named it Sketch Korner, because Dick was an artist and always sketching, and because the building was located on the corner of Sanborn Ave. and 6th Ave. W. Florence named her restaurant, simply, "The Kitchen." She made almost everything from scratch, specializing in traditional Finnish/Swedish/Norwegian foods such as fish frys, Fattigmon, Rosettes, Lefsa, and Lutefisk, and even Smelt. Her cooking was so delicious, it regularly drew folks in from miles around, including Minnesota and Michigan. Following in the family tradition, her youngest granddaughter Cindy, began working alongside her in the restaurant at age seven, learning the old country family recipes, along with bookkeeping and business management.
She was also an active member of the VFW, the Elks Lodge and the Saron Lutheran Church in Ashland.
Florence was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Helen Carlson, Hilma Winquist, Julia Moe, Irene Johnson, Bertha Jacobson and infant Mammi Elizabeth; brothers William, John, Jalmer, and Wayne; and her beloved husband, Walt Derda.
She is survived by two sisters, Mabel (Joe) Guski and Millie J. Thompson; her only child, Jeanne Marie (Vogue) Englan, son-in-law Richard J. Englan, three grandchildren, Bonnie M. Englan of Colorado Springs CO, Kathie L. Englan of Glendale CA and Cindy K. (David) Stanley of Colorado Springs CO, and one great-grandchild, Laurie Jean Mendoza. Her 2nd great-grandchild, Adam, wasn't quite done cooking yet and would be born a month after she passed.
In 1930, Florence and Emil Verner Johnson (son of Aldrich [Ussimaa] and Margaret Johnson of Marengo) had a daughter, Jeanne Marie. Jeanne was born in Chisholm MN. When the baby was about 1.5 years old in the fall of 1931, Florence and Emil separated. It's unknown if they'd actually married, or why they decided to part. In December 1931, Florence married her sister Julia's widower, Leif P. Vaag/Vogue. Emil went on to marry Elsie Tidstrom in 1934, when his daughter Jeanne was four years old. Neither Florence or Emil had any more children.
In the mid-1940s, Florence divorced Leif. She married Walter A. Derda on 24 May 1949. Walt was the love of her life. He died suddenly in 1955 from a heart attack after a day of hunting with friends. His son-in-law, Dick Englan, believed Walt had fallen out of a hide, breaking at least one rib. He didn't want to go to the hospital; he just wanted to get home to his beloved wife. Walt died in Florence's arms early the next morning.
In 1962 Florence, daughter Jeanne and son-in-law Dick, purchased a beer bar and restaurant in Ashland, and named it Sketch Korner, because Dick was an artist and always sketching, and because the building was located on the corner of Sanborn Ave. and 6th Ave. W. Florence named her restaurant, simply, "The Kitchen." She made almost everything from scratch, specializing in traditional Finnish/Swedish/Norwegian foods such as fish frys, Fattigmon, Rosettes, Lefsa, and Lutefisk, and even Smelt. Her cooking was so delicious, it regularly drew folks in from miles around, including Minnesota and Michigan. Following in the family tradition, her youngest granddaughter Cindy, began working alongside her in the restaurant at age seven, learning the old country family recipes, along with bookkeeping and business management.
She was also an active member of the VFW, the Elks Lodge and the Saron Lutheran Church in Ashland.
Florence was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Helen Carlson, Hilma Winquist, Julia Moe, Irene Johnson, Bertha Jacobson and infant Mammi Elizabeth; brothers William, John, Jalmer, and Wayne; and her beloved husband, Walt Derda.
She is survived by two sisters, Mabel (Joe) Guski and Millie J. Thompson; her only child, Jeanne Marie (Vogue) Englan, son-in-law Richard J. Englan, three grandchildren, Bonnie M. Englan of Colorado Springs CO, Kathie L. Englan of Glendale CA and Cindy K. (David) Stanley of Colorado Springs CO, and one great-grandchild, Laurie Jean Mendoza. Her 2nd great-grandchild, Adam, wasn't quite done cooking yet and would be born a month after she passed.
Florence Ida [Thompson] [Vogue] Derda was born on her family's Marengo, Wisconsin farm on 12 Aug 1908. From a very young age she was her mother's kitchen helper, preparing three meals a day for the family. She also helped render first aid, changed diapers, collected eggs, sewed and cleaned the house. As a young adult, Florence worked as a cook on the big ore ships on Lake Superior. Later she became the head cook at The Rocket Cafe in Ashland, WI. Eventually she owned her own restaurant, The Kitchen.
In 1930, Florence and Emil Verner Johnson (son of Aldrich [Ussimaa] and Margaret Johnson of Marengo) had a daughter, Jeanne Marie. Jeanne was born in Chisholm MN. When the baby was about 1.5 years old in the fall of 1931, Florence and Emil separated. It's unknown if they'd actually married, or why they decided to part. In December 1931, Florence married her sister Julia's widower, Leif P. Vaag/Vogue. Emil went on to marry Elsie Tidstrom in 1934, when his daughter Jeanne was four years old. Neither Florence or Emil had any more children.
In the mid-1940s, Florence divorced Leif. She married Walter A. Derda on 24 May 1949. Walt was the love of her life. He died suddenly in 1955 from a heart attack after a day of hunting with friends. His son-in-law, Dick Englan, believed Walt had fallen out of a hide, breaking at least one rib. He didn't want to go to the hospital; he just wanted to get home to his beloved wife. Walt died in Florence's arms early the next morning.
In 1962 Florence, daughter Jeanne and son-in-law Dick, purchased a beer bar and restaurant in Ashland, and named it Sketch Korner, because Dick was an artist and always sketching, and because the building was located on the corner of Sanborn Ave. and 6th Ave. W. Florence named her restaurant, simply, "The Kitchen." She made almost everything from scratch, specializing in traditional Finnish/Swedish/Norwegian foods such as fish frys, Fattigmon, Rosettes, Lefsa, and Lutefisk, and even Smelt. Her cooking was so delicious, it regularly drew folks in from miles around, including Minnesota and Michigan. Following in the family tradition, her youngest granddaughter Cindy, began working alongside her in the restaurant at age seven, learning the old country family recipes, along with bookkeeping and business management.
She was also an active member of the VFW, the Elks Lodge and the Saron Lutheran Church in Ashland.
Florence was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Helen Carlson, Hilma Winquist, Julia Moe, Irene Johnson, Bertha Jacobson and infant Mammi Elizabeth; brothers William, John, Jalmer, and Wayne; and her beloved husband, Walt Derda.
She is survived by two sisters, Mabel (Joe) Guski and Millie J. Thompson; her only child, Jeanne Marie (Vogue) Englan, son-in-law Richard J. Englan, three grandchildren, Bonnie M. Englan of Colorado Springs CO, Kathie L. Englan of Glendale CA and Cindy K. (David) Stanley of Colorado Springs CO, and one great-grandchild, Laurie Jean Mendoza. Her 2nd great-grandchild, Adam, wasn't quite done cooking yet and would be born a month after she passed.
In 1930, Florence and Emil Verner Johnson (son of Aldrich [Ussimaa] and Margaret Johnson of Marengo) had a daughter, Jeanne Marie. Jeanne was born in Chisholm MN. When the baby was about 1.5 years old in the fall of 1931, Florence and Emil separated. It's unknown if they'd actually married, or why they decided to part. In December 1931, Florence married her sister Julia's widower, Leif P. Vaag/Vogue. Emil went on to marry Elsie Tidstrom in 1934, when his daughter Jeanne was four years old. Neither Florence or Emil had any more children.
In the mid-1940s, Florence divorced Leif. She married Walter A. Derda on 24 May 1949. Walt was the love of her life. He died suddenly in 1955 from a heart attack after a day of hunting with friends. His son-in-law, Dick Englan, believed Walt had fallen out of a hide, breaking at least one rib. He didn't want to go to the hospital; he just wanted to get home to his beloved wife. Walt died in Florence's arms early the next morning.
In 1962 Florence, daughter Jeanne and son-in-law Dick, purchased a beer bar and restaurant in Ashland, and named it Sketch Korner, because Dick was an artist and always sketching, and because the building was located on the corner of Sanborn Ave. and 6th Ave. W. Florence named her restaurant, simply, "The Kitchen." She made almost everything from scratch, specializing in traditional Finnish/Swedish/Norwegian foods such as fish frys, Fattigmon, Rosettes, Lefsa, and Lutefisk, and even Smelt. Her cooking was so delicious, it regularly drew folks in from miles around, including Minnesota and Michigan. Following in the family tradition, her youngest granddaughter Cindy, began working alongside her in the restaurant at age seven, learning the old country family recipes, along with bookkeeping and business management.
She was also an active member of the VFW, the Elks Lodge and the Saron Lutheran Church in Ashland.
Florence was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Helen Carlson, Hilma Winquist, Julia Moe, Irene Johnson, Bertha Jacobson and infant Mammi Elizabeth; brothers William, John, Jalmer, and Wayne; and her beloved husband, Walt Derda.
She is survived by two sisters, Mabel (Joe) Guski and Millie J. Thompson; her only child, Jeanne Marie (Vogue) Englan, son-in-law Richard J. Englan, three grandchildren, Bonnie M. Englan of Colorado Springs CO, Kathie L. Englan of Glendale CA and Cindy K. (David) Stanley of Colorado Springs CO, and one great-grandchild, Laurie Jean Mendoza. Her 2nd great-grandchild, Adam, wasn't quite done cooking yet and would be born a month after she passed.
Family Members
Siblings
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William Matthew Thompson
1896–1954
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Helen Mary Thompson
1898–1969
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Jalmer Alexander Thompson
1900–1955
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John Edward Thompson
1900–1965
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Hilma Sofia Thompson Winquist
1902–1979
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Julia O Thompson Moe
1904–1931
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Wayne Henry Thompson
1906–1966
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Irene Saima Thompson Johnson
1910–1968
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Bertha Viola Thompson Jacobson
1912–1979
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Mildred Jennie Thompson
1914–1992
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Mammi Elizabeth Thompson
1917–1917
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Mable Martha Thompson Guski
1920–2005
Children
