Mabel Augusta Peterson was the daughter of Charles William and Mary (Fridland) Peterson. Born March 16, 1892, at Elizabeth Township in Ottertail County, Minnesota, she spent most of her formative years on the farm in nearby Amor. She received teacher training at State Normal School (later Moorhead State Teachers College) in Moorhead, Minnesota, and then taught primary grades in a familiar, one-room schoolhouse of the early 1900s.
In Minneapolis on June 14, 1917, 21-year-old Leonard C. Gabrielson, the son of hard-working Swedish immigrants, attended commencement exercises for the University of Minnesota's College of Dentistry. Nearly two weeks later, he married Mabel Augusta Peterson at Richville, Minnesota. They moved to St. Cloud, where he began his dental practice. On May 15, 1918, a baby boy was born but didn't survive the day. Several months later, their daughter was conceived. Sadly, Leonard never held his baby daughter. He caught the flu and died of kidney failure on November 1, 1918, during the influenza epidemic that fanned across the globe that year. His 26-year-old widow was heartbroken and one month pregnant, so she returned to her parents' home in Richville. Mae's healthy baby, Leona Mae Gabrielson, was born June 13, 1919. In 2009, Leona Mae Puckett's family and friends celebrated her 90th birthday. Here are some excerpts from Mae Gabrielson's diary, written in one of her husband's college notebooks during the few months after his death and kept by Leona Puckett in the years after her mother died.
"Dec. 29, 1918 –
With the idea of easing the ache in my heart, by pouring out each day the sorrow in it, I begin this little book. Nov. 1, 1918. Len, beloved husband died. Sunday evening. Papa, Mamma and Marv and I at home here. Papa and I went to church today. All day I have felt that sort of a numb feeling where I do not seem to realize my awful loss. Tonight old memories crawl back again vividly and poignantly, and I ache all over for the presence of Len, my darling. I saw his old blue checked coat when I went upstairs to find this empty note book that was his in college days and my heart seemed to break as I hugged it to me. I can see him coming home in the same blue coat at night up the steps, up to the porch and then his dear, cheerful "Hello, Mae" and the kiss that be never forgot. Oh! God, God, help me bear my sorrow. I keep saying the line from (the) Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem. Over and over, "I would join him down the road." [Note: Parents Charles W. and Mary H. Peterson and brother Marvin Peterson]
"Dec. 30 – 8:30 –
I am writing this in bed. I felt lonely and tired so I left the folks early to come into my own little room, to read and think over him. I miss him most at night. The dear familiar bed and blankets makes my heart ache. Stormy today. I like these storm-bound days. Beautiful days make the hurt worse because he loved beautiful days so well. I made a little wee white nightie today. John G. gave a business call, concerning policy. It seems strange to have to get interested in business matters. They concerned me so little before and it's all lots of worry. My prop and stay is gone now. I must look out for myself. I am so glad for my little Mother. She is next best to my darling and my biggest comfort now. We looked for Ernest and his family today." [Note: Brother Ernest Peterson]
"Dec. 31 – New Years eve –
We are none of us to sit up to see the New Year in. The year brought its share of sorrow to me. I can never have another with any more happiness in it or another with as great a sorrow. Went up to see Leona and Maurice this P.M. Leona talks of Clinton's return and going back to housekeeping, all of which makes my heart ache, and ache for my little home which is gone forever. Made another little wee nightie today. Mommy's cold is back and it always worries me."
"Jan. 1, (1919) –
Another day gone by, and New Years day. We heard the New Year ushered in with the ringing of bells. Got a pretty little organdy, hand-embroidered breakfast cap from France from (brother) Cal. Letter from Ern and Chriss. They come tomorrow maybe. Len darling, I've longed so for you today. I try to think and like to think that our love is not dead yet. Are you waiting for me somewhere?" [Note: Brother Ernest and his wife, Christine Battleson Peterson]
Mabel and baby Leona moved for a time into her parents' home in the village of Richville, where she soon met another man, who rescued her from sorrow.
In the parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Fergus Falls, on September 22, 1920, Mabel married Vernon DeLysle Brooks, whose parents also lived in Richville.
Vern and Mabel had two children, Dale Lorimer and Carol Elizabeth (who later married Patrick Dennis Mongoven). The Brooks family moved several times, and spent moments in several small towns, like Lidgerwood (North Dakota), Plentywood (Montana), Stewartville, Detroit Lakes, Battle Lake, and Richville (all in Minnesota). They settled at last in the tiny village of Pelican Rapids, Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The following is just one of a series of handwritten letters that Mae (Peterson) Brooks mailed to her married daughter, Leona. Leona and her husband, Arlon J. Puckett from Pelican Rapids, had moved to Hibbing, Minnesota, where their first son, Gary Puckett, would be born. The letter is rich as Mae describes her feelings in the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. With son Dale in the military in California and daughter Leona away and married, Mae was left with her teenage daughter, Carol, and her husband, Vern:
"Postmarked 3 July 1941:
From 11 Pelican Rapids, MN
To Mr. and Mrs. Arlon Puckett, 2230 ½ 4th Ave West, Hibbing, Minn.
"Dear Ones:
Just when I had begun to get real resentful because you had not written, your dear sweet letter came. One from both of my beloveds. I should say my three because yours was signed Nonie and Puck. Had hoped until this last minute that you would be able to come home, but it was all in vain. Called your Mom, Arlon, and she was as disappointed as I was and Daddy and Carol. So all we'll be able to do is to think of you often thru the day and hope that your first fourth together (as Mr. and Mrs.) will be a happy happy one. I look back to the one you went to Duluth in the rumble seat! And back again the same day. This one won't be quite so hectic. I'd love to have you come "staggering" in some Sun. morn but dear heart I feel that trip would be too hard for you if for just a weekend. Maybe mine is too vivid yet. I did get pretty weary but I rode in a nice new Ford and you'd be making it in Howard's old jitney. If we don't go out to see Dale (and he talks now of a furlough later on this summer) we'll come for our week vacation up near you. We'll find a little cabin near Hibbing and come in evenings and get you. Wouldn't that be fun? It will not be until in Aug. but that's a good month for vacation because it's usually hot. And then too we could plan it when Dale is here (if he comes) and he'd be with us. It would be too heavenly. All of us together again. I'm lonely for you kids. It would be too good to have you nearer or better still if you could live in Pelican.
"Hansons are back from the West. They saw Dale. He was thin but brown as a nut and looked good. Mrs. Hanson asked him "What shall I say to Mother and Dad?" as she was leaving, and he couldn't answer, but turned and had to walk away. Poor Dale. The war looks so menacing now. I wonder what we will be called upon to go thru with before it is all over? I don't know whether Hazel saw this boy friend or not. But she came back with the rest of them. Her baby grows sweet – and cute.
"I guess your deal in St. Paul is all settled. Daddy said he will write before he leaves and explain the whole situation. Anyway the check has been deposited in Fergus and there is nothing pending now. He'll write soon. He goes to Indiana Sun. Eve. Leaves early and will be back about Thursday. So Carolly and Mom will be rattling around alone for a few days. It will be a nice trip for Daddy – but tiresome driving back as he brings out that big empty school bus. Wish I could have spent the four days with you two.
"We're going to take a little picnic dinner and go to Detroit Lakes tomorrow. Have a chicken to fry and Ella has bought a watermelon. But it will all be lots of fun for Carol, who objected to the suggestion we go to the farm. Uncle Clayt was kicked by one of his horses last Sat. and hurt quite badly. We went down Sunday and he was in such misery he could neither sit nor lie down. Broke one rib and the Dr. had him all taped. Drove down last nite again and he was much better. I cried for him Sunday. Guess mostly because he cried when I saw him. Poor Clayt. My heart surely ached for him. But think he will come out of it all right. Was afraid of an internal injury – altho the Dr. said not.
"I think you're doing fine you two managing the house at home, having dinner guests and the job downtown. How do you do it?
"I had Wilma and darling John Max and Mary Ann Tolbert for dinner yesterday. Wilma is having her kitchen replastered. Washed too. Went to Aid with Mrs. Strachen at 3. Came home and went to the farm. A wreck when I came back tho. I seem to not be able to live so strenuously.
"Your Mother, Arlon, has been thru the clinic in Fergus trying to discover the cause of her continual headaches. They can surely get one down.
"By now you are almost ready to go home from work. Thru for the day. Wish I could have you here for supper.
"Well I must write Dale a line also. So happy landings dear ones."
"Always with my love –
Mother"
Mabel died June 6, 1942, just a few months after her 50th birthday, at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She had been in poor health for some time with a mysterious liver illness. She was missed greatly by the family and friends who loved her. Mabel Augusta (Peterson) Brooks was buried in the Richville Cemetery, a short distance from her parents.
Finally, daughter Carol, only thirteen when her mother died, wrote a loving biography of her in January 2001:
Memories of My Mother ~ Mabel A. Brooks
By Carol Elizabeth Brooks Mongoven
"Mabel Augusta Peterson was born March 16, 1892, in Elizabeth Township in Minnesota to Mary Helen and Charles Peterson. Mother was the only living daughter among eight brothers. Most of her childhood was spent on the family farm in Amor Township. It was here that she developed a love for horseback riding, played with her brothers and the neighbor's children on the vast farmland, helped with chores, and attended country school.
"Her father, being a strict disciplinarian, would not allow the children to talk at the table during meals. However, when Charles was away on business, Mary Helen allowed them the freedom to speak and have some fun. With so many children, conversations became very lively!
"Mother developed a close friendship with Leonard Gabrielson, a nephew of the Haggstroms, who were neighbors to the Petersons. Leonard, an only child, would come from St. Paul quite frequently in the summer to visit his aunt and uncle. Many who knew him said he played the piano beautifully.
"Mother, at about the age of sixteen, enrolled at the Normal School in Moorhead, Minnesota [postcard circa 1905] for teacher preparation. After graduation, she returned to Amor to teach in a one-room country school close to her home. She later accepted another teaching job at Eagle Bend, Minnesota, where she taught for several years [photo on next page of Eagle Bend teachers – Mabel is in the white dress]. Her niece, Mildred, remembers her coming home to the farm by train, dressed very fashionably and making quite an impression on a young girl who adored her Aunt Mae.
"Mother and Leonard, who by then was attending the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, remained close friends and eventually fell in love. On one of her visits back to the farm, Mother became ill. Leonard came to call, wishing to see her, but her mother, feeling it improper for him to visit her in the upstairs bedroom, tried to dissuade him. He persisted, however, and was finally allowed to see his Mae and pin his fraternity pin to her nightgown!
"They were married June 27, 1917. After a honeymoon on Mackinac Island off Michigan, they established their home in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where Leonard set up a dental practice.
"The two began a beautiful life together that soon would be made even more joyful with the expectation of their first child. Sadly, their baby boy did not survive and they suffered sadness and loss. Soon after, Mother was pregnant with a second child, and the old feeling of elation and anticipation returned. However, two months later, Mother's life was shattered by the untimely and sudden death of Leonard from influenza.
"Mother, numb with grief, moved back to her parents' home to await the birth of her baby. By this time, her parents had left the farm and had moved to the close-by village of Richville. In the difficult months that followed, Mother kept a daily journal that Leona still keeps. Its heart-wrenching, poignant contents reveal the emotional struggle that she had to endure as a young widow.
"Leona Mae, a beautiful, healthy girl, was delivered at home with the assistance of Amanda Haggstrom, a cousin of Leonard, who resided in New York and had come to be with Mother, her dearest friend. Amanda stayed for several months, caring for Leona Mae and helping to comfort Mother. In the months ahead, Mother continued to receive loving comfort and support from her parents, her brothers, and the spouses of those brothers who had married. The joy of her baby girl began to fill the void in her life, giving it new meaning and renewed happiness. Everyone loved Mother and Leona Mae!
"Vern Brooks had returned to Richville from serving in the army in World War I and was living with his family close by. Gilbert, his brother, had also returned from the war and was dating Ruth, a schoolteacher in the village who was receiving room and board at the Brooks' home. Vern and Mother began double-dating with them. In September of 1920, they were married in a quiet ceremony at the Methodist parsonage in Fergus Falls, with Vern's brother, Gilbert, and sister, Maude, as attendants.
"Mother, Dad, and daughter, Leona Mae, aged fifteen months, settled into their first home in Lidgerwood, North Dakota. It would be the first of several moves. On June 18, 1921, a son, Dale Lorimer, was born. Mother affectionately called him "Dale Boy." Seven years later, while the family resided in Plentywood, Montana, I arrived, on July 24, 1928. Mother's mother had died in April of that year; but, because of her pregnancy, Mother was advised not to travel to Minnesota for the funeral. It was another period of grief for her, having been very close to her sweet "mama."
"Our family returned to Minnesota in 1929 and lived in Richville in the Brooks' home, where Dad was bed-ridden for many months with arthritis and gout. In the summer months, Dad's parents lived with them. Mother was active in the Methodist Church and sometimes sang for special events with her neighbor, Mrs. Burgess. I remember going with Mother to the Burgess home, where she would listen to them practice in the parlor, often accompanied by Leona at the old organ.
"Leona Mae, like her father, took to the piano and worked faithfully at becoming an accomplished pianist. Mother insisted that Dad get her to St. Joseph, near Marion Lake, to take her weekly piano lessons.
"Mother's brothers and families came from Montana each summer and fall to fish and hunt, and Mother and her sister-in-law, Lillian, now married to Clayton and living on the Amor farm, were kept busy with the cooking and baking. Mother's happiest moments were spent back on that farm. I remember sitting on the porch with Mother and Aunt Lil, as they visited and snapped beans and sliced cucumbers from Lil's huge garden. Later the vegetables would be tucked into hot jars for canning, and Mother would take a share of them home with her. Dad and Mother spent many wonderful Sunday afternoons at the farm.
"Mother's hair had turned gray at an early age, and I remember going to Perham with my parents so she could have her short hair "marcelled" at the small beauty shop at the hotel.
"In 1936, our family made its last move – to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, about thirty miles away. Mother was very active in the Congregational Church there, serving as Sunday School Superintendent for many years. She was also an active member of the Community Club and she and several other members of that club established the first library in town, in the upper floor of the firehouse. When I was in Campfire Girls for many years, Mother became a willing assistant to the leader on many occasions.
"She had great compassion for the lonely and less fortunate. An old bachelor, Anton, lived in a neighboring building, and Mother would often cook extra portions at mealtime to take to him. I remember the stench and clutter in his house, but to Mother that wasn't a deterrent to seeing that his needs were met. Often she would gather clothes and take food to a needy relative who lived close to the farm, and soon their family came to depend on Mother's charity. She befriended a young lady in the community who was looked down on for being "a bit slow" and who was spurned by many. She became Stella's friend and confidant and was generous in finding her clothing and seeing to her personal grooming. Mother didn't just espouse Christianity, she lived it!
"Mother had a love for order and cleanliness in her home and, when she donned her scarf over her hair in the morning, everyone knew it was time to clean house! She and Leona would begin a frenzy of cleaning, while I was given the less strenuous job of washing the crystal, china cups and dishes, and other objects in the china closet, making very certain that they and the glass front sparkled!
"She felt as strongly about personal cleanliness as well and was always nicely groomed. She wore cotton housedresses with pretty prints for daily wear, usually sewn by her friend, Grace Lawton. For Sunday wear and dressier occasions, she chose heavier fabrics for winter and light wispy cloth for summer. Grace always added a special touch – unusual buttons, belts, and always a white lace or frilly collar that framed Mother's pretty face. She often wore big, floppy-brimmed hats in the summer that complimented her short, wavy hair, which by this time had turned snow white.
"I remember her applying Pond's cold cream to her face before going to bed and then lathering her hands with the glycerine and rose water from O.J. Lee, the local druggist, to help ease the chapping. I loved her smell when I snuggled next to her in bed at night, promising that she would "only stay until Dad came." These were special moments together for small talk. If Mother fell asleep while we were together, she would sometimes awake with a recurring nightmare that she had lost a child. She would bolt upright in bed, wringing her hands in despair, whispering, "Where is he? Where is he?" and frightening me. More often than that, however, Mother sang me to sleep, only to have Dad have to carry a limp child to bed!
"I remember the house feeling empty, and I sensed my mother's loneliness when Leona left for Business College in Minneapolis…and later to marry Arlon and move to Hibbing, Minnesota. Dale left college for the National Guard one cold day in February and Mother agonized over the ominous cloud of war that might take him into battle. Little did the family know at the time that she would be spared that.
"Soon after, Mother's health began to deteriorate, and thus began the longest and most difficult battle of her life. Doctors in Fergus Falls began treating her for anemia, and she was hospitalized numerous times for transfusions. Since her doctors could not properly diagnose her condition, she was taken to Rochester for further evaluation and treatment. After several weeks there, she was sent home, where she continued to lose weight, leaving her in a very weakened condition. After more hospital stays, doctors in Fergus Falls eventually diagnosed her as having an incurable liver disease. Dale was called home on emergency leave…it would be the last time he would see his mother.
"Mother later died peacefully at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, on June 6, 1942, with Dad at her bedside. She was fifty years old…and in three months would have seen her first grandchild, Gary, born to Leona and Arlon.
"Mabel Augusta Peterson Gabrielson Brooks was laid to rest in the Richville Cemetery, close to her dear mother and father, and but a few miles from the Amor farm and home she so dearly loved.
"I was fourteen when Mother died – the darkest, loneliest time of my life. But she left me a precious legacy…a love of God that manifests itself in acts of love and kindness and gives life richness, meaning, and purpose."
In Minneapolis on June 14, 1917, 21-year-old Leonard C. Gabrielson, the son of hard-working Swedish immigrants, attended commencement exercises for the University of Minnesota's College of Dentistry. Nearly two weeks later, he married Mabel Augusta Peterson at Richville, Minnesota. They moved to St. Cloud, where he began his dental practice. On May 15, 1918, a baby boy was born but didn't survive the day. Several months later, their daughter was conceived. Sadly, Leonard never held his baby daughter. He caught the flu and died of kidney failure on November 1, 1918, during the influenza epidemic that fanned across the globe that year. His 26-year-old widow was heartbroken and one month pregnant, so she returned to her parents' home in Richville. Mae's healthy baby, Leona Mae Gabrielson, was born June 13, 1919. In 2009, Leona Mae Puckett's family and friends celebrated her 90th birthday. Here are some excerpts from Mae Gabrielson's diary, written in one of her husband's college notebooks during the few months after his death and kept by Leona Puckett in the years after her mother died.
"Dec. 29, 1918 –
With the idea of easing the ache in my heart, by pouring out each day the sorrow in it, I begin this little book. Nov. 1, 1918. Len, beloved husband died. Sunday evening. Papa, Mamma and Marv and I at home here. Papa and I went to church today. All day I have felt that sort of a numb feeling where I do not seem to realize my awful loss. Tonight old memories crawl back again vividly and poignantly, and I ache all over for the presence of Len, my darling. I saw his old blue checked coat when I went upstairs to find this empty note book that was his in college days and my heart seemed to break as I hugged it to me. I can see him coming home in the same blue coat at night up the steps, up to the porch and then his dear, cheerful "Hello, Mae" and the kiss that be never forgot. Oh! God, God, help me bear my sorrow. I keep saying the line from (the) Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem. Over and over, "I would join him down the road." [Note: Parents Charles W. and Mary H. Peterson and brother Marvin Peterson]
"Dec. 30 – 8:30 –
I am writing this in bed. I felt lonely and tired so I left the folks early to come into my own little room, to read and think over him. I miss him most at night. The dear familiar bed and blankets makes my heart ache. Stormy today. I like these storm-bound days. Beautiful days make the hurt worse because he loved beautiful days so well. I made a little wee white nightie today. John G. gave a business call, concerning policy. It seems strange to have to get interested in business matters. They concerned me so little before and it's all lots of worry. My prop and stay is gone now. I must look out for myself. I am so glad for my little Mother. She is next best to my darling and my biggest comfort now. We looked for Ernest and his family today." [Note: Brother Ernest Peterson]
"Dec. 31 – New Years eve –
We are none of us to sit up to see the New Year in. The year brought its share of sorrow to me. I can never have another with any more happiness in it or another with as great a sorrow. Went up to see Leona and Maurice this P.M. Leona talks of Clinton's return and going back to housekeeping, all of which makes my heart ache, and ache for my little home which is gone forever. Made another little wee nightie today. Mommy's cold is back and it always worries me."
"Jan. 1, (1919) –
Another day gone by, and New Years day. We heard the New Year ushered in with the ringing of bells. Got a pretty little organdy, hand-embroidered breakfast cap from France from (brother) Cal. Letter from Ern and Chriss. They come tomorrow maybe. Len darling, I've longed so for you today. I try to think and like to think that our love is not dead yet. Are you waiting for me somewhere?" [Note: Brother Ernest and his wife, Christine Battleson Peterson]
Mabel and baby Leona moved for a time into her parents' home in the village of Richville, where she soon met another man, who rescued her from sorrow.
In the parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Fergus Falls, on September 22, 1920, Mabel married Vernon DeLysle Brooks, whose parents also lived in Richville.
Vern and Mabel had two children, Dale Lorimer and Carol Elizabeth (who later married Patrick Dennis Mongoven). The Brooks family moved several times, and spent moments in several small towns, like Lidgerwood (North Dakota), Plentywood (Montana), Stewartville, Detroit Lakes, Battle Lake, and Richville (all in Minnesota). They settled at last in the tiny village of Pelican Rapids, Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The following is just one of a series of handwritten letters that Mae (Peterson) Brooks mailed to her married daughter, Leona. Leona and her husband, Arlon J. Puckett from Pelican Rapids, had moved to Hibbing, Minnesota, where their first son, Gary Puckett, would be born. The letter is rich as Mae describes her feelings in the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. With son Dale in the military in California and daughter Leona away and married, Mae was left with her teenage daughter, Carol, and her husband, Vern:
"Postmarked 3 July 1941:
From 11 Pelican Rapids, MN
To Mr. and Mrs. Arlon Puckett, 2230 ½ 4th Ave West, Hibbing, Minn.
"Dear Ones:
Just when I had begun to get real resentful because you had not written, your dear sweet letter came. One from both of my beloveds. I should say my three because yours was signed Nonie and Puck. Had hoped until this last minute that you would be able to come home, but it was all in vain. Called your Mom, Arlon, and she was as disappointed as I was and Daddy and Carol. So all we'll be able to do is to think of you often thru the day and hope that your first fourth together (as Mr. and Mrs.) will be a happy happy one. I look back to the one you went to Duluth in the rumble seat! And back again the same day. This one won't be quite so hectic. I'd love to have you come "staggering" in some Sun. morn but dear heart I feel that trip would be too hard for you if for just a weekend. Maybe mine is too vivid yet. I did get pretty weary but I rode in a nice new Ford and you'd be making it in Howard's old jitney. If we don't go out to see Dale (and he talks now of a furlough later on this summer) we'll come for our week vacation up near you. We'll find a little cabin near Hibbing and come in evenings and get you. Wouldn't that be fun? It will not be until in Aug. but that's a good month for vacation because it's usually hot. And then too we could plan it when Dale is here (if he comes) and he'd be with us. It would be too heavenly. All of us together again. I'm lonely for you kids. It would be too good to have you nearer or better still if you could live in Pelican.
"Hansons are back from the West. They saw Dale. He was thin but brown as a nut and looked good. Mrs. Hanson asked him "What shall I say to Mother and Dad?" as she was leaving, and he couldn't answer, but turned and had to walk away. Poor Dale. The war looks so menacing now. I wonder what we will be called upon to go thru with before it is all over? I don't know whether Hazel saw this boy friend or not. But she came back with the rest of them. Her baby grows sweet – and cute.
"I guess your deal in St. Paul is all settled. Daddy said he will write before he leaves and explain the whole situation. Anyway the check has been deposited in Fergus and there is nothing pending now. He'll write soon. He goes to Indiana Sun. Eve. Leaves early and will be back about Thursday. So Carolly and Mom will be rattling around alone for a few days. It will be a nice trip for Daddy – but tiresome driving back as he brings out that big empty school bus. Wish I could have spent the four days with you two.
"We're going to take a little picnic dinner and go to Detroit Lakes tomorrow. Have a chicken to fry and Ella has bought a watermelon. But it will all be lots of fun for Carol, who objected to the suggestion we go to the farm. Uncle Clayt was kicked by one of his horses last Sat. and hurt quite badly. We went down Sunday and he was in such misery he could neither sit nor lie down. Broke one rib and the Dr. had him all taped. Drove down last nite again and he was much better. I cried for him Sunday. Guess mostly because he cried when I saw him. Poor Clayt. My heart surely ached for him. But think he will come out of it all right. Was afraid of an internal injury – altho the Dr. said not.
"I think you're doing fine you two managing the house at home, having dinner guests and the job downtown. How do you do it?
"I had Wilma and darling John Max and Mary Ann Tolbert for dinner yesterday. Wilma is having her kitchen replastered. Washed too. Went to Aid with Mrs. Strachen at 3. Came home and went to the farm. A wreck when I came back tho. I seem to not be able to live so strenuously.
"Your Mother, Arlon, has been thru the clinic in Fergus trying to discover the cause of her continual headaches. They can surely get one down.
"By now you are almost ready to go home from work. Thru for the day. Wish I could have you here for supper.
"Well I must write Dale a line also. So happy landings dear ones."
"Always with my love –
Mother"
Mabel died June 6, 1942, just a few months after her 50th birthday, at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She had been in poor health for some time with a mysterious liver illness. She was missed greatly by the family and friends who loved her. Mabel Augusta (Peterson) Brooks was buried in the Richville Cemetery, a short distance from her parents.
Finally, daughter Carol, only thirteen when her mother died, wrote a loving biography of her in January 2001:
Memories of My Mother ~ Mabel A. Brooks
By Carol Elizabeth Brooks Mongoven
"Mabel Augusta Peterson was born March 16, 1892, in Elizabeth Township in Minnesota to Mary Helen and Charles Peterson. Mother was the only living daughter among eight brothers. Most of her childhood was spent on the family farm in Amor Township. It was here that she developed a love for horseback riding, played with her brothers and the neighbor's children on the vast farmland, helped with chores, and attended country school.
"Her father, being a strict disciplinarian, would not allow the children to talk at the table during meals. However, when Charles was away on business, Mary Helen allowed them the freedom to speak and have some fun. With so many children, conversations became very lively!
"Mother developed a close friendship with Leonard Gabrielson, a nephew of the Haggstroms, who were neighbors to the Petersons. Leonard, an only child, would come from St. Paul quite frequently in the summer to visit his aunt and uncle. Many who knew him said he played the piano beautifully.
"Mother, at about the age of sixteen, enrolled at the Normal School in Moorhead, Minnesota [postcard circa 1905] for teacher preparation. After graduation, she returned to Amor to teach in a one-room country school close to her home. She later accepted another teaching job at Eagle Bend, Minnesota, where she taught for several years [photo on next page of Eagle Bend teachers – Mabel is in the white dress]. Her niece, Mildred, remembers her coming home to the farm by train, dressed very fashionably and making quite an impression on a young girl who adored her Aunt Mae.
"Mother and Leonard, who by then was attending the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, remained close friends and eventually fell in love. On one of her visits back to the farm, Mother became ill. Leonard came to call, wishing to see her, but her mother, feeling it improper for him to visit her in the upstairs bedroom, tried to dissuade him. He persisted, however, and was finally allowed to see his Mae and pin his fraternity pin to her nightgown!
"They were married June 27, 1917. After a honeymoon on Mackinac Island off Michigan, they established their home in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where Leonard set up a dental practice.
"The two began a beautiful life together that soon would be made even more joyful with the expectation of their first child. Sadly, their baby boy did not survive and they suffered sadness and loss. Soon after, Mother was pregnant with a second child, and the old feeling of elation and anticipation returned. However, two months later, Mother's life was shattered by the untimely and sudden death of Leonard from influenza.
"Mother, numb with grief, moved back to her parents' home to await the birth of her baby. By this time, her parents had left the farm and had moved to the close-by village of Richville. In the difficult months that followed, Mother kept a daily journal that Leona still keeps. Its heart-wrenching, poignant contents reveal the emotional struggle that she had to endure as a young widow.
"Leona Mae, a beautiful, healthy girl, was delivered at home with the assistance of Amanda Haggstrom, a cousin of Leonard, who resided in New York and had come to be with Mother, her dearest friend. Amanda stayed for several months, caring for Leona Mae and helping to comfort Mother. In the months ahead, Mother continued to receive loving comfort and support from her parents, her brothers, and the spouses of those brothers who had married. The joy of her baby girl began to fill the void in her life, giving it new meaning and renewed happiness. Everyone loved Mother and Leona Mae!
"Vern Brooks had returned to Richville from serving in the army in World War I and was living with his family close by. Gilbert, his brother, had also returned from the war and was dating Ruth, a schoolteacher in the village who was receiving room and board at the Brooks' home. Vern and Mother began double-dating with them. In September of 1920, they were married in a quiet ceremony at the Methodist parsonage in Fergus Falls, with Vern's brother, Gilbert, and sister, Maude, as attendants.
"Mother, Dad, and daughter, Leona Mae, aged fifteen months, settled into their first home in Lidgerwood, North Dakota. It would be the first of several moves. On June 18, 1921, a son, Dale Lorimer, was born. Mother affectionately called him "Dale Boy." Seven years later, while the family resided in Plentywood, Montana, I arrived, on July 24, 1928. Mother's mother had died in April of that year; but, because of her pregnancy, Mother was advised not to travel to Minnesota for the funeral. It was another period of grief for her, having been very close to her sweet "mama."
"Our family returned to Minnesota in 1929 and lived in Richville in the Brooks' home, where Dad was bed-ridden for many months with arthritis and gout. In the summer months, Dad's parents lived with them. Mother was active in the Methodist Church and sometimes sang for special events with her neighbor, Mrs. Burgess. I remember going with Mother to the Burgess home, where she would listen to them practice in the parlor, often accompanied by Leona at the old organ.
"Leona Mae, like her father, took to the piano and worked faithfully at becoming an accomplished pianist. Mother insisted that Dad get her to St. Joseph, near Marion Lake, to take her weekly piano lessons.
"Mother's brothers and families came from Montana each summer and fall to fish and hunt, and Mother and her sister-in-law, Lillian, now married to Clayton and living on the Amor farm, were kept busy with the cooking and baking. Mother's happiest moments were spent back on that farm. I remember sitting on the porch with Mother and Aunt Lil, as they visited and snapped beans and sliced cucumbers from Lil's huge garden. Later the vegetables would be tucked into hot jars for canning, and Mother would take a share of them home with her. Dad and Mother spent many wonderful Sunday afternoons at the farm.
"Mother's hair had turned gray at an early age, and I remember going to Perham with my parents so she could have her short hair "marcelled" at the small beauty shop at the hotel.
"In 1936, our family made its last move – to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, about thirty miles away. Mother was very active in the Congregational Church there, serving as Sunday School Superintendent for many years. She was also an active member of the Community Club and she and several other members of that club established the first library in town, in the upper floor of the firehouse. When I was in Campfire Girls for many years, Mother became a willing assistant to the leader on many occasions.
"She had great compassion for the lonely and less fortunate. An old bachelor, Anton, lived in a neighboring building, and Mother would often cook extra portions at mealtime to take to him. I remember the stench and clutter in his house, but to Mother that wasn't a deterrent to seeing that his needs were met. Often she would gather clothes and take food to a needy relative who lived close to the farm, and soon their family came to depend on Mother's charity. She befriended a young lady in the community who was looked down on for being "a bit slow" and who was spurned by many. She became Stella's friend and confidant and was generous in finding her clothing and seeing to her personal grooming. Mother didn't just espouse Christianity, she lived it!
"Mother had a love for order and cleanliness in her home and, when she donned her scarf over her hair in the morning, everyone knew it was time to clean house! She and Leona would begin a frenzy of cleaning, while I was given the less strenuous job of washing the crystal, china cups and dishes, and other objects in the china closet, making very certain that they and the glass front sparkled!
"She felt as strongly about personal cleanliness as well and was always nicely groomed. She wore cotton housedresses with pretty prints for daily wear, usually sewn by her friend, Grace Lawton. For Sunday wear and dressier occasions, she chose heavier fabrics for winter and light wispy cloth for summer. Grace always added a special touch – unusual buttons, belts, and always a white lace or frilly collar that framed Mother's pretty face. She often wore big, floppy-brimmed hats in the summer that complimented her short, wavy hair, which by this time had turned snow white.
"I remember her applying Pond's cold cream to her face before going to bed and then lathering her hands with the glycerine and rose water from O.J. Lee, the local druggist, to help ease the chapping. I loved her smell when I snuggled next to her in bed at night, promising that she would "only stay until Dad came." These were special moments together for small talk. If Mother fell asleep while we were together, she would sometimes awake with a recurring nightmare that she had lost a child. She would bolt upright in bed, wringing her hands in despair, whispering, "Where is he? Where is he?" and frightening me. More often than that, however, Mother sang me to sleep, only to have Dad have to carry a limp child to bed!
"I remember the house feeling empty, and I sensed my mother's loneliness when Leona left for Business College in Minneapolis…and later to marry Arlon and move to Hibbing, Minnesota. Dale left college for the National Guard one cold day in February and Mother agonized over the ominous cloud of war that might take him into battle. Little did the family know at the time that she would be spared that.
"Soon after, Mother's health began to deteriorate, and thus began the longest and most difficult battle of her life. Doctors in Fergus Falls began treating her for anemia, and she was hospitalized numerous times for transfusions. Since her doctors could not properly diagnose her condition, she was taken to Rochester for further evaluation and treatment. After several weeks there, she was sent home, where she continued to lose weight, leaving her in a very weakened condition. After more hospital stays, doctors in Fergus Falls eventually diagnosed her as having an incurable liver disease. Dale was called home on emergency leave…it would be the last time he would see his mother.
"Mother later died peacefully at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, on June 6, 1942, with Dad at her bedside. She was fifty years old…and in three months would have seen her first grandchild, Gary, born to Leona and Arlon.
"Mabel Augusta Peterson Gabrielson Brooks was laid to rest in the Richville Cemetery, close to her dear mother and father, and but a few miles from the Amor farm and home she so dearly loved.
"I was fourteen when Mother died – the darkest, loneliest time of my life. But she left me a precious legacy…a love of God that manifests itself in acts of love and kindness and gives life richness, meaning, and purpose."
Mabel Augusta Peterson was the daughter of Charles William and Mary (Fridland) Peterson. Born March 16, 1892, at Elizabeth Township in Ottertail County, Minnesota, she spent most of her formative years on the farm in nearby Amor. She received teacher training at State Normal School (later Moorhead State Teachers College) in Moorhead, Minnesota, and then taught primary grades in a familiar, one-room schoolhouse of the early 1900s.
In Minneapolis on June 14, 1917, 21-year-old Leonard C. Gabrielson, the son of hard-working Swedish immigrants, attended commencement exercises for the University of Minnesota's College of Dentistry. Nearly two weeks later, he married Mabel Augusta Peterson at Richville, Minnesota. They moved to St. Cloud, where he began his dental practice. On May 15, 1918, a baby boy was born but didn't survive the day. Several months later, their daughter was conceived. Sadly, Leonard never held his baby daughter. He caught the flu and died of kidney failure on November 1, 1918, during the influenza epidemic that fanned across the globe that year. His 26-year-old widow was heartbroken and one month pregnant, so she returned to her parents' home in Richville. Mae's healthy baby, Leona Mae Gabrielson, was born June 13, 1919. In 2009, Leona Mae Puckett's family and friends celebrated her 90th birthday. Here are some excerpts from Mae Gabrielson's diary, written in one of her husband's college notebooks during the few months after his death and kept by Leona Puckett in the years after her mother died.
"Dec. 29, 1918 –
With the idea of easing the ache in my heart, by pouring out each day the sorrow in it, I begin this little book. Nov. 1, 1918. Len, beloved husband died. Sunday evening. Papa, Mamma and Marv and I at home here. Papa and I went to church today. All day I have felt that sort of a numb feeling where I do not seem to realize my awful loss. Tonight old memories crawl back again vividly and poignantly, and I ache all over for the presence of Len, my darling. I saw his old blue checked coat when I went upstairs to find this empty note book that was his in college days and my heart seemed to break as I hugged it to me. I can see him coming home in the same blue coat at night up the steps, up to the porch and then his dear, cheerful "Hello, Mae" and the kiss that be never forgot. Oh! God, God, help me bear my sorrow. I keep saying the line from (the) Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem. Over and over, "I would join him down the road." [Note: Parents Charles W. and Mary H. Peterson and brother Marvin Peterson]
"Dec. 30 – 8:30 –
I am writing this in bed. I felt lonely and tired so I left the folks early to come into my own little room, to read and think over him. I miss him most at night. The dear familiar bed and blankets makes my heart ache. Stormy today. I like these storm-bound days. Beautiful days make the hurt worse because he loved beautiful days so well. I made a little wee white nightie today. John G. gave a business call, concerning policy. It seems strange to have to get interested in business matters. They concerned me so little before and it's all lots of worry. My prop and stay is gone now. I must look out for myself. I am so glad for my little Mother. She is next best to my darling and my biggest comfort now. We looked for Ernest and his family today." [Note: Brother Ernest Peterson]
"Dec. 31 – New Years eve –
We are none of us to sit up to see the New Year in. The year brought its share of sorrow to me. I can never have another with any more happiness in it or another with as great a sorrow. Went up to see Leona and Maurice this P.M. Leona talks of Clinton's return and going back to housekeeping, all of which makes my heart ache, and ache for my little home which is gone forever. Made another little wee nightie today. Mommy's cold is back and it always worries me."
"Jan. 1, (1919) –
Another day gone by, and New Years day. We heard the New Year ushered in with the ringing of bells. Got a pretty little organdy, hand-embroidered breakfast cap from France from (brother) Cal. Letter from Ern and Chriss. They come tomorrow maybe. Len darling, I've longed so for you today. I try to think and like to think that our love is not dead yet. Are you waiting for me somewhere?" [Note: Brother Ernest and his wife, Christine Battleson Peterson]
Mabel and baby Leona moved for a time into her parents' home in the village of Richville, where she soon met another man, who rescued her from sorrow.
In the parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Fergus Falls, on September 22, 1920, Mabel married Vernon DeLysle Brooks, whose parents also lived in Richville.
Vern and Mabel had two children, Dale Lorimer and Carol Elizabeth (who later married Patrick Dennis Mongoven). The Brooks family moved several times, and spent moments in several small towns, like Lidgerwood (North Dakota), Plentywood (Montana), Stewartville, Detroit Lakes, Battle Lake, and Richville (all in Minnesota). They settled at last in the tiny village of Pelican Rapids, Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The following is just one of a series of handwritten letters that Mae (Peterson) Brooks mailed to her married daughter, Leona. Leona and her husband, Arlon J. Puckett from Pelican Rapids, had moved to Hibbing, Minnesota, where their first son, Gary Puckett, would be born. The letter is rich as Mae describes her feelings in the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. With son Dale in the military in California and daughter Leona away and married, Mae was left with her teenage daughter, Carol, and her husband, Vern:
"Postmarked 3 July 1941:
From 11 Pelican Rapids, MN
To Mr. and Mrs. Arlon Puckett, 2230 ½ 4th Ave West, Hibbing, Minn.
"Dear Ones:
Just when I had begun to get real resentful because you had not written, your dear sweet letter came. One from both of my beloveds. I should say my three because yours was signed Nonie and Puck. Had hoped until this last minute that you would be able to come home, but it was all in vain. Called your Mom, Arlon, and she was as disappointed as I was and Daddy and Carol. So all we'll be able to do is to think of you often thru the day and hope that your first fourth together (as Mr. and Mrs.) will be a happy happy one. I look back to the one you went to Duluth in the rumble seat! And back again the same day. This one won't be quite so hectic. I'd love to have you come "staggering" in some Sun. morn but dear heart I feel that trip would be too hard for you if for just a weekend. Maybe mine is too vivid yet. I did get pretty weary but I rode in a nice new Ford and you'd be making it in Howard's old jitney. If we don't go out to see Dale (and he talks now of a furlough later on this summer) we'll come for our week vacation up near you. We'll find a little cabin near Hibbing and come in evenings and get you. Wouldn't that be fun? It will not be until in Aug. but that's a good month for vacation because it's usually hot. And then too we could plan it when Dale is here (if he comes) and he'd be with us. It would be too heavenly. All of us together again. I'm lonely for you kids. It would be too good to have you nearer or better still if you could live in Pelican.
"Hansons are back from the West. They saw Dale. He was thin but brown as a nut and looked good. Mrs. Hanson asked him "What shall I say to Mother and Dad?" as she was leaving, and he couldn't answer, but turned and had to walk away. Poor Dale. The war looks so menacing now. I wonder what we will be called upon to go thru with before it is all over? I don't know whether Hazel saw this boy friend or not. But she came back with the rest of them. Her baby grows sweet – and cute.
"I guess your deal in St. Paul is all settled. Daddy said he will write before he leaves and explain the whole situation. Anyway the check has been deposited in Fergus and there is nothing pending now. He'll write soon. He goes to Indiana Sun. Eve. Leaves early and will be back about Thursday. So Carolly and Mom will be rattling around alone for a few days. It will be a nice trip for Daddy – but tiresome driving back as he brings out that big empty school bus. Wish I could have spent the four days with you two.
"We're going to take a little picnic dinner and go to Detroit Lakes tomorrow. Have a chicken to fry and Ella has bought a watermelon. But it will all be lots of fun for Carol, who objected to the suggestion we go to the farm. Uncle Clayt was kicked by one of his horses last Sat. and hurt quite badly. We went down Sunday and he was in such misery he could neither sit nor lie down. Broke one rib and the Dr. had him all taped. Drove down last nite again and he was much better. I cried for him Sunday. Guess mostly because he cried when I saw him. Poor Clayt. My heart surely ached for him. But think he will come out of it all right. Was afraid of an internal injury – altho the Dr. said not.
"I think you're doing fine you two managing the house at home, having dinner guests and the job downtown. How do you do it?
"I had Wilma and darling John Max and Mary Ann Tolbert for dinner yesterday. Wilma is having her kitchen replastered. Washed too. Went to Aid with Mrs. Strachen at 3. Came home and went to the farm. A wreck when I came back tho. I seem to not be able to live so strenuously.
"Your Mother, Arlon, has been thru the clinic in Fergus trying to discover the cause of her continual headaches. They can surely get one down.
"By now you are almost ready to go home from work. Thru for the day. Wish I could have you here for supper.
"Well I must write Dale a line also. So happy landings dear ones."
"Always with my love –
Mother"
Mabel died June 6, 1942, just a few months after her 50th birthday, at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She had been in poor health for some time with a mysterious liver illness. She was missed greatly by the family and friends who loved her. Mabel Augusta (Peterson) Brooks was buried in the Richville Cemetery, a short distance from her parents.
Finally, daughter Carol, only thirteen when her mother died, wrote a loving biography of her in January 2001:
Memories of My Mother ~ Mabel A. Brooks
By Carol Elizabeth Brooks Mongoven
"Mabel Augusta Peterson was born March 16, 1892, in Elizabeth Township in Minnesota to Mary Helen and Charles Peterson. Mother was the only living daughter among eight brothers. Most of her childhood was spent on the family farm in Amor Township. It was here that she developed a love for horseback riding, played with her brothers and the neighbor's children on the vast farmland, helped with chores, and attended country school.
"Her father, being a strict disciplinarian, would not allow the children to talk at the table during meals. However, when Charles was away on business, Mary Helen allowed them the freedom to speak and have some fun. With so many children, conversations became very lively!
"Mother developed a close friendship with Leonard Gabrielson, a nephew of the Haggstroms, who were neighbors to the Petersons. Leonard, an only child, would come from St. Paul quite frequently in the summer to visit his aunt and uncle. Many who knew him said he played the piano beautifully.
"Mother, at about the age of sixteen, enrolled at the Normal School in Moorhead, Minnesota [postcard circa 1905] for teacher preparation. After graduation, she returned to Amor to teach in a one-room country school close to her home. She later accepted another teaching job at Eagle Bend, Minnesota, where she taught for several years [photo on next page of Eagle Bend teachers – Mabel is in the white dress]. Her niece, Mildred, remembers her coming home to the farm by train, dressed very fashionably and making quite an impression on a young girl who adored her Aunt Mae.
"Mother and Leonard, who by then was attending the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, remained close friends and eventually fell in love. On one of her visits back to the farm, Mother became ill. Leonard came to call, wishing to see her, but her mother, feeling it improper for him to visit her in the upstairs bedroom, tried to dissuade him. He persisted, however, and was finally allowed to see his Mae and pin his fraternity pin to her nightgown!
"They were married June 27, 1917. After a honeymoon on Mackinac Island off Michigan, they established their home in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where Leonard set up a dental practice.
"The two began a beautiful life together that soon would be made even more joyful with the expectation of their first child. Sadly, their baby boy did not survive and they suffered sadness and loss. Soon after, Mother was pregnant with a second child, and the old feeling of elation and anticipation returned. However, two months later, Mother's life was shattered by the untimely and sudden death of Leonard from influenza.
"Mother, numb with grief, moved back to her parents' home to await the birth of her baby. By this time, her parents had left the farm and had moved to the close-by village of Richville. In the difficult months that followed, Mother kept a daily journal that Leona still keeps. Its heart-wrenching, poignant contents reveal the emotional struggle that she had to endure as a young widow.
"Leona Mae, a beautiful, healthy girl, was delivered at home with the assistance of Amanda Haggstrom, a cousin of Leonard, who resided in New York and had come to be with Mother, her dearest friend. Amanda stayed for several months, caring for Leona Mae and helping to comfort Mother. In the months ahead, Mother continued to receive loving comfort and support from her parents, her brothers, and the spouses of those brothers who had married. The joy of her baby girl began to fill the void in her life, giving it new meaning and renewed happiness. Everyone loved Mother and Leona Mae!
"Vern Brooks had returned to Richville from serving in the army in World War I and was living with his family close by. Gilbert, his brother, had also returned from the war and was dating Ruth, a schoolteacher in the village who was receiving room and board at the Brooks' home. Vern and Mother began double-dating with them. In September of 1920, they were married in a quiet ceremony at the Methodist parsonage in Fergus Falls, with Vern's brother, Gilbert, and sister, Maude, as attendants.
"Mother, Dad, and daughter, Leona Mae, aged fifteen months, settled into their first home in Lidgerwood, North Dakota. It would be the first of several moves. On June 18, 1921, a son, Dale Lorimer, was born. Mother affectionately called him "Dale Boy." Seven years later, while the family resided in Plentywood, Montana, I arrived, on July 24, 1928. Mother's mother had died in April of that year; but, because of her pregnancy, Mother was advised not to travel to Minnesota for the funeral. It was another period of grief for her, having been very close to her sweet "mama."
"Our family returned to Minnesota in 1929 and lived in Richville in the Brooks' home, where Dad was bed-ridden for many months with arthritis and gout. In the summer months, Dad's parents lived with them. Mother was active in the Methodist Church and sometimes sang for special events with her neighbor, Mrs. Burgess. I remember going with Mother to the Burgess home, where she would listen to them practice in the parlor, often accompanied by Leona at the old organ.
"Leona Mae, like her father, took to the piano and worked faithfully at becoming an accomplished pianist. Mother insisted that Dad get her to St. Joseph, near Marion Lake, to take her weekly piano lessons.
"Mother's brothers and families came from Montana each summer and fall to fish and hunt, and Mother and her sister-in-law, Lillian, now married to Clayton and living on the Amor farm, were kept busy with the cooking and baking. Mother's happiest moments were spent back on that farm. I remember sitting on the porch with Mother and Aunt Lil, as they visited and snapped beans and sliced cucumbers from Lil's huge garden. Later the vegetables would be tucked into hot jars for canning, and Mother would take a share of them home with her. Dad and Mother spent many wonderful Sunday afternoons at the farm.
"Mother's hair had turned gray at an early age, and I remember going to Perham with my parents so she could have her short hair "marcelled" at the small beauty shop at the hotel.
"In 1936, our family made its last move – to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, about thirty miles away. Mother was very active in the Congregational Church there, serving as Sunday School Superintendent for many years. She was also an active member of the Community Club and she and several other members of that club established the first library in town, in the upper floor of the firehouse. When I was in Campfire Girls for many years, Mother became a willing assistant to the leader on many occasions.
"She had great compassion for the lonely and less fortunate. An old bachelor, Anton, lived in a neighboring building, and Mother would often cook extra portions at mealtime to take to him. I remember the stench and clutter in his house, but to Mother that wasn't a deterrent to seeing that his needs were met. Often she would gather clothes and take food to a needy relative who lived close to the farm, and soon their family came to depend on Mother's charity. She befriended a young lady in the community who was looked down on for being "a bit slow" and who was spurned by many. She became Stella's friend and confidant and was generous in finding her clothing and seeing to her personal grooming. Mother didn't just espouse Christianity, she lived it!
"Mother had a love for order and cleanliness in her home and, when she donned her scarf over her hair in the morning, everyone knew it was time to clean house! She and Leona would begin a frenzy of cleaning, while I was given the less strenuous job of washing the crystal, china cups and dishes, and other objects in the china closet, making very certain that they and the glass front sparkled!
"She felt as strongly about personal cleanliness as well and was always nicely groomed. She wore cotton housedresses with pretty prints for daily wear, usually sewn by her friend, Grace Lawton. For Sunday wear and dressier occasions, she chose heavier fabrics for winter and light wispy cloth for summer. Grace always added a special touch – unusual buttons, belts, and always a white lace or frilly collar that framed Mother's pretty face. She often wore big, floppy-brimmed hats in the summer that complimented her short, wavy hair, which by this time had turned snow white.
"I remember her applying Pond's cold cream to her face before going to bed and then lathering her hands with the glycerine and rose water from O.J. Lee, the local druggist, to help ease the chapping. I loved her smell when I snuggled next to her in bed at night, promising that she would "only stay until Dad came." These were special moments together for small talk. If Mother fell asleep while we were together, she would sometimes awake with a recurring nightmare that she had lost a child. She would bolt upright in bed, wringing her hands in despair, whispering, "Where is he? Where is he?" and frightening me. More often than that, however, Mother sang me to sleep, only to have Dad have to carry a limp child to bed!
"I remember the house feeling empty, and I sensed my mother's loneliness when Leona left for Business College in Minneapolis…and later to marry Arlon and move to Hibbing, Minnesota. Dale left college for the National Guard one cold day in February and Mother agonized over the ominous cloud of war that might take him into battle. Little did the family know at the time that she would be spared that.
"Soon after, Mother's health began to deteriorate, and thus began the longest and most difficult battle of her life. Doctors in Fergus Falls began treating her for anemia, and she was hospitalized numerous times for transfusions. Since her doctors could not properly diagnose her condition, she was taken to Rochester for further evaluation and treatment. After several weeks there, she was sent home, where she continued to lose weight, leaving her in a very weakened condition. After more hospital stays, doctors in Fergus Falls eventually diagnosed her as having an incurable liver disease. Dale was called home on emergency leave…it would be the last time he would see his mother.
"Mother later died peacefully at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, on June 6, 1942, with Dad at her bedside. She was fifty years old…and in three months would have seen her first grandchild, Gary, born to Leona and Arlon.
"Mabel Augusta Peterson Gabrielson Brooks was laid to rest in the Richville Cemetery, close to her dear mother and father, and but a few miles from the Amor farm and home she so dearly loved.
"I was fourteen when Mother died – the darkest, loneliest time of my life. But she left me a precious legacy…a love of God that manifests itself in acts of love and kindness and gives life richness, meaning, and purpose."
In Minneapolis on June 14, 1917, 21-year-old Leonard C. Gabrielson, the son of hard-working Swedish immigrants, attended commencement exercises for the University of Minnesota's College of Dentistry. Nearly two weeks later, he married Mabel Augusta Peterson at Richville, Minnesota. They moved to St. Cloud, where he began his dental practice. On May 15, 1918, a baby boy was born but didn't survive the day. Several months later, their daughter was conceived. Sadly, Leonard never held his baby daughter. He caught the flu and died of kidney failure on November 1, 1918, during the influenza epidemic that fanned across the globe that year. His 26-year-old widow was heartbroken and one month pregnant, so she returned to her parents' home in Richville. Mae's healthy baby, Leona Mae Gabrielson, was born June 13, 1919. In 2009, Leona Mae Puckett's family and friends celebrated her 90th birthday. Here are some excerpts from Mae Gabrielson's diary, written in one of her husband's college notebooks during the few months after his death and kept by Leona Puckett in the years after her mother died.
"Dec. 29, 1918 –
With the idea of easing the ache in my heart, by pouring out each day the sorrow in it, I begin this little book. Nov. 1, 1918. Len, beloved husband died. Sunday evening. Papa, Mamma and Marv and I at home here. Papa and I went to church today. All day I have felt that sort of a numb feeling where I do not seem to realize my awful loss. Tonight old memories crawl back again vividly and poignantly, and I ache all over for the presence of Len, my darling. I saw his old blue checked coat when I went upstairs to find this empty note book that was his in college days and my heart seemed to break as I hugged it to me. I can see him coming home in the same blue coat at night up the steps, up to the porch and then his dear, cheerful "Hello, Mae" and the kiss that be never forgot. Oh! God, God, help me bear my sorrow. I keep saying the line from (the) Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem. Over and over, "I would join him down the road." [Note: Parents Charles W. and Mary H. Peterson and brother Marvin Peterson]
"Dec. 30 – 8:30 –
I am writing this in bed. I felt lonely and tired so I left the folks early to come into my own little room, to read and think over him. I miss him most at night. The dear familiar bed and blankets makes my heart ache. Stormy today. I like these storm-bound days. Beautiful days make the hurt worse because he loved beautiful days so well. I made a little wee white nightie today. John G. gave a business call, concerning policy. It seems strange to have to get interested in business matters. They concerned me so little before and it's all lots of worry. My prop and stay is gone now. I must look out for myself. I am so glad for my little Mother. She is next best to my darling and my biggest comfort now. We looked for Ernest and his family today." [Note: Brother Ernest Peterson]
"Dec. 31 – New Years eve –
We are none of us to sit up to see the New Year in. The year brought its share of sorrow to me. I can never have another with any more happiness in it or another with as great a sorrow. Went up to see Leona and Maurice this P.M. Leona talks of Clinton's return and going back to housekeeping, all of which makes my heart ache, and ache for my little home which is gone forever. Made another little wee nightie today. Mommy's cold is back and it always worries me."
"Jan. 1, (1919) –
Another day gone by, and New Years day. We heard the New Year ushered in with the ringing of bells. Got a pretty little organdy, hand-embroidered breakfast cap from France from (brother) Cal. Letter from Ern and Chriss. They come tomorrow maybe. Len darling, I've longed so for you today. I try to think and like to think that our love is not dead yet. Are you waiting for me somewhere?" [Note: Brother Ernest and his wife, Christine Battleson Peterson]
Mabel and baby Leona moved for a time into her parents' home in the village of Richville, where she soon met another man, who rescued her from sorrow.
In the parsonage of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Fergus Falls, on September 22, 1920, Mabel married Vernon DeLysle Brooks, whose parents also lived in Richville.
Vern and Mabel had two children, Dale Lorimer and Carol Elizabeth (who later married Patrick Dennis Mongoven). The Brooks family moved several times, and spent moments in several small towns, like Lidgerwood (North Dakota), Plentywood (Montana), Stewartville, Detroit Lakes, Battle Lake, and Richville (all in Minnesota). They settled at last in the tiny village of Pelican Rapids, Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The following is just one of a series of handwritten letters that Mae (Peterson) Brooks mailed to her married daughter, Leona. Leona and her husband, Arlon J. Puckett from Pelican Rapids, had moved to Hibbing, Minnesota, where their first son, Gary Puckett, would be born. The letter is rich as Mae describes her feelings in the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. With son Dale in the military in California and daughter Leona away and married, Mae was left with her teenage daughter, Carol, and her husband, Vern:
"Postmarked 3 July 1941:
From 11 Pelican Rapids, MN
To Mr. and Mrs. Arlon Puckett, 2230 ½ 4th Ave West, Hibbing, Minn.
"Dear Ones:
Just when I had begun to get real resentful because you had not written, your dear sweet letter came. One from both of my beloveds. I should say my three because yours was signed Nonie and Puck. Had hoped until this last minute that you would be able to come home, but it was all in vain. Called your Mom, Arlon, and she was as disappointed as I was and Daddy and Carol. So all we'll be able to do is to think of you often thru the day and hope that your first fourth together (as Mr. and Mrs.) will be a happy happy one. I look back to the one you went to Duluth in the rumble seat! And back again the same day. This one won't be quite so hectic. I'd love to have you come "staggering" in some Sun. morn but dear heart I feel that trip would be too hard for you if for just a weekend. Maybe mine is too vivid yet. I did get pretty weary but I rode in a nice new Ford and you'd be making it in Howard's old jitney. If we don't go out to see Dale (and he talks now of a furlough later on this summer) we'll come for our week vacation up near you. We'll find a little cabin near Hibbing and come in evenings and get you. Wouldn't that be fun? It will not be until in Aug. but that's a good month for vacation because it's usually hot. And then too we could plan it when Dale is here (if he comes) and he'd be with us. It would be too heavenly. All of us together again. I'm lonely for you kids. It would be too good to have you nearer or better still if you could live in Pelican.
"Hansons are back from the West. They saw Dale. He was thin but brown as a nut and looked good. Mrs. Hanson asked him "What shall I say to Mother and Dad?" as she was leaving, and he couldn't answer, but turned and had to walk away. Poor Dale. The war looks so menacing now. I wonder what we will be called upon to go thru with before it is all over? I don't know whether Hazel saw this boy friend or not. But she came back with the rest of them. Her baby grows sweet – and cute.
"I guess your deal in St. Paul is all settled. Daddy said he will write before he leaves and explain the whole situation. Anyway the check has been deposited in Fergus and there is nothing pending now. He'll write soon. He goes to Indiana Sun. Eve. Leaves early and will be back about Thursday. So Carolly and Mom will be rattling around alone for a few days. It will be a nice trip for Daddy – but tiresome driving back as he brings out that big empty school bus. Wish I could have spent the four days with you two.
"We're going to take a little picnic dinner and go to Detroit Lakes tomorrow. Have a chicken to fry and Ella has bought a watermelon. But it will all be lots of fun for Carol, who objected to the suggestion we go to the farm. Uncle Clayt was kicked by one of his horses last Sat. and hurt quite badly. We went down Sunday and he was in such misery he could neither sit nor lie down. Broke one rib and the Dr. had him all taped. Drove down last nite again and he was much better. I cried for him Sunday. Guess mostly because he cried when I saw him. Poor Clayt. My heart surely ached for him. But think he will come out of it all right. Was afraid of an internal injury – altho the Dr. said not.
"I think you're doing fine you two managing the house at home, having dinner guests and the job downtown. How do you do it?
"I had Wilma and darling John Max and Mary Ann Tolbert for dinner yesterday. Wilma is having her kitchen replastered. Washed too. Went to Aid with Mrs. Strachen at 3. Came home and went to the farm. A wreck when I came back tho. I seem to not be able to live so strenuously.
"Your Mother, Arlon, has been thru the clinic in Fergus trying to discover the cause of her continual headaches. They can surely get one down.
"By now you are almost ready to go home from work. Thru for the day. Wish I could have you here for supper.
"Well I must write Dale a line also. So happy landings dear ones."
"Always with my love –
Mother"
Mabel died June 6, 1942, just a few months after her 50th birthday, at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She had been in poor health for some time with a mysterious liver illness. She was missed greatly by the family and friends who loved her. Mabel Augusta (Peterson) Brooks was buried in the Richville Cemetery, a short distance from her parents.
Finally, daughter Carol, only thirteen when her mother died, wrote a loving biography of her in January 2001:
Memories of My Mother ~ Mabel A. Brooks
By Carol Elizabeth Brooks Mongoven
"Mabel Augusta Peterson was born March 16, 1892, in Elizabeth Township in Minnesota to Mary Helen and Charles Peterson. Mother was the only living daughter among eight brothers. Most of her childhood was spent on the family farm in Amor Township. It was here that she developed a love for horseback riding, played with her brothers and the neighbor's children on the vast farmland, helped with chores, and attended country school.
"Her father, being a strict disciplinarian, would not allow the children to talk at the table during meals. However, when Charles was away on business, Mary Helen allowed them the freedom to speak and have some fun. With so many children, conversations became very lively!
"Mother developed a close friendship with Leonard Gabrielson, a nephew of the Haggstroms, who were neighbors to the Petersons. Leonard, an only child, would come from St. Paul quite frequently in the summer to visit his aunt and uncle. Many who knew him said he played the piano beautifully.
"Mother, at about the age of sixteen, enrolled at the Normal School in Moorhead, Minnesota [postcard circa 1905] for teacher preparation. After graduation, she returned to Amor to teach in a one-room country school close to her home. She later accepted another teaching job at Eagle Bend, Minnesota, where she taught for several years [photo on next page of Eagle Bend teachers – Mabel is in the white dress]. Her niece, Mildred, remembers her coming home to the farm by train, dressed very fashionably and making quite an impression on a young girl who adored her Aunt Mae.
"Mother and Leonard, who by then was attending the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, remained close friends and eventually fell in love. On one of her visits back to the farm, Mother became ill. Leonard came to call, wishing to see her, but her mother, feeling it improper for him to visit her in the upstairs bedroom, tried to dissuade him. He persisted, however, and was finally allowed to see his Mae and pin his fraternity pin to her nightgown!
"They were married June 27, 1917. After a honeymoon on Mackinac Island off Michigan, they established their home in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where Leonard set up a dental practice.
"The two began a beautiful life together that soon would be made even more joyful with the expectation of their first child. Sadly, their baby boy did not survive and they suffered sadness and loss. Soon after, Mother was pregnant with a second child, and the old feeling of elation and anticipation returned. However, two months later, Mother's life was shattered by the untimely and sudden death of Leonard from influenza.
"Mother, numb with grief, moved back to her parents' home to await the birth of her baby. By this time, her parents had left the farm and had moved to the close-by village of Richville. In the difficult months that followed, Mother kept a daily journal that Leona still keeps. Its heart-wrenching, poignant contents reveal the emotional struggle that she had to endure as a young widow.
"Leona Mae, a beautiful, healthy girl, was delivered at home with the assistance of Amanda Haggstrom, a cousin of Leonard, who resided in New York and had come to be with Mother, her dearest friend. Amanda stayed for several months, caring for Leona Mae and helping to comfort Mother. In the months ahead, Mother continued to receive loving comfort and support from her parents, her brothers, and the spouses of those brothers who had married. The joy of her baby girl began to fill the void in her life, giving it new meaning and renewed happiness. Everyone loved Mother and Leona Mae!
"Vern Brooks had returned to Richville from serving in the army in World War I and was living with his family close by. Gilbert, his brother, had also returned from the war and was dating Ruth, a schoolteacher in the village who was receiving room and board at the Brooks' home. Vern and Mother began double-dating with them. In September of 1920, they were married in a quiet ceremony at the Methodist parsonage in Fergus Falls, with Vern's brother, Gilbert, and sister, Maude, as attendants.
"Mother, Dad, and daughter, Leona Mae, aged fifteen months, settled into their first home in Lidgerwood, North Dakota. It would be the first of several moves. On June 18, 1921, a son, Dale Lorimer, was born. Mother affectionately called him "Dale Boy." Seven years later, while the family resided in Plentywood, Montana, I arrived, on July 24, 1928. Mother's mother had died in April of that year; but, because of her pregnancy, Mother was advised not to travel to Minnesota for the funeral. It was another period of grief for her, having been very close to her sweet "mama."
"Our family returned to Minnesota in 1929 and lived in Richville in the Brooks' home, where Dad was bed-ridden for many months with arthritis and gout. In the summer months, Dad's parents lived with them. Mother was active in the Methodist Church and sometimes sang for special events with her neighbor, Mrs. Burgess. I remember going with Mother to the Burgess home, where she would listen to them practice in the parlor, often accompanied by Leona at the old organ.
"Leona Mae, like her father, took to the piano and worked faithfully at becoming an accomplished pianist. Mother insisted that Dad get her to St. Joseph, near Marion Lake, to take her weekly piano lessons.
"Mother's brothers and families came from Montana each summer and fall to fish and hunt, and Mother and her sister-in-law, Lillian, now married to Clayton and living on the Amor farm, were kept busy with the cooking and baking. Mother's happiest moments were spent back on that farm. I remember sitting on the porch with Mother and Aunt Lil, as they visited and snapped beans and sliced cucumbers from Lil's huge garden. Later the vegetables would be tucked into hot jars for canning, and Mother would take a share of them home with her. Dad and Mother spent many wonderful Sunday afternoons at the farm.
"Mother's hair had turned gray at an early age, and I remember going to Perham with my parents so she could have her short hair "marcelled" at the small beauty shop at the hotel.
"In 1936, our family made its last move – to Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, about thirty miles away. Mother was very active in the Congregational Church there, serving as Sunday School Superintendent for many years. She was also an active member of the Community Club and she and several other members of that club established the first library in town, in the upper floor of the firehouse. When I was in Campfire Girls for many years, Mother became a willing assistant to the leader on many occasions.
"She had great compassion for the lonely and less fortunate. An old bachelor, Anton, lived in a neighboring building, and Mother would often cook extra portions at mealtime to take to him. I remember the stench and clutter in his house, but to Mother that wasn't a deterrent to seeing that his needs were met. Often she would gather clothes and take food to a needy relative who lived close to the farm, and soon their family came to depend on Mother's charity. She befriended a young lady in the community who was looked down on for being "a bit slow" and who was spurned by many. She became Stella's friend and confidant and was generous in finding her clothing and seeing to her personal grooming. Mother didn't just espouse Christianity, she lived it!
"Mother had a love for order and cleanliness in her home and, when she donned her scarf over her hair in the morning, everyone knew it was time to clean house! She and Leona would begin a frenzy of cleaning, while I was given the less strenuous job of washing the crystal, china cups and dishes, and other objects in the china closet, making very certain that they and the glass front sparkled!
"She felt as strongly about personal cleanliness as well and was always nicely groomed. She wore cotton housedresses with pretty prints for daily wear, usually sewn by her friend, Grace Lawton. For Sunday wear and dressier occasions, she chose heavier fabrics for winter and light wispy cloth for summer. Grace always added a special touch – unusual buttons, belts, and always a white lace or frilly collar that framed Mother's pretty face. She often wore big, floppy-brimmed hats in the summer that complimented her short, wavy hair, which by this time had turned snow white.
"I remember her applying Pond's cold cream to her face before going to bed and then lathering her hands with the glycerine and rose water from O.J. Lee, the local druggist, to help ease the chapping. I loved her smell when I snuggled next to her in bed at night, promising that she would "only stay until Dad came." These were special moments together for small talk. If Mother fell asleep while we were together, she would sometimes awake with a recurring nightmare that she had lost a child. She would bolt upright in bed, wringing her hands in despair, whispering, "Where is he? Where is he?" and frightening me. More often than that, however, Mother sang me to sleep, only to have Dad have to carry a limp child to bed!
"I remember the house feeling empty, and I sensed my mother's loneliness when Leona left for Business College in Minneapolis…and later to marry Arlon and move to Hibbing, Minnesota. Dale left college for the National Guard one cold day in February and Mother agonized over the ominous cloud of war that might take him into battle. Little did the family know at the time that she would be spared that.
"Soon after, Mother's health began to deteriorate, and thus began the longest and most difficult battle of her life. Doctors in Fergus Falls began treating her for anemia, and she was hospitalized numerous times for transfusions. Since her doctors could not properly diagnose her condition, she was taken to Rochester for further evaluation and treatment. After several weeks there, she was sent home, where she continued to lose weight, leaving her in a very weakened condition. After more hospital stays, doctors in Fergus Falls eventually diagnosed her as having an incurable liver disease. Dale was called home on emergency leave…it would be the last time he would see his mother.
"Mother later died peacefully at Wright Memorial Hospital in Fergus Falls, on June 6, 1942, with Dad at her bedside. She was fifty years old…and in three months would have seen her first grandchild, Gary, born to Leona and Arlon.
"Mabel Augusta Peterson Gabrielson Brooks was laid to rest in the Richville Cemetery, close to her dear mother and father, and but a few miles from the Amor farm and home she so dearly loved.
"I was fourteen when Mother died – the darkest, loneliest time of my life. But she left me a precious legacy…a love of God that manifests itself in acts of love and kindness and gives life richness, meaning, and purpose."
Bio by: janealogy50
Family Members
Siblings
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Henry William Peterson
1878–1916
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Ella Eudora Peterson
1880–1880
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Edwin Herbert Peterson
1882–1966
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Ernest Theodore Peterson
1884–1970
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Clayton Arthur Peterson
1887–1971
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Leonard Carl Peterson
1889–1990
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Alfred Melvin "Ole" Peterson
1894–1970
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Clarence Walter "Cal" Peterson
1897–1995
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Marvin Raymond Peterson
1902–1969
