I was just going through e-mails, picking out some I've put aside to answer when I have more time, or when I have the information, if someone is asking. I had one from my cousin, Jeff Bolton in Texas back in January, and I didn't answer right away but today something caught my attention and I remembered why. Jeff couldn't identify the photo I'd sent to him, but he remembered Harry Foster, who had just passed away and I had given Jeff that information. His recollections had information I want to know more about. Here's what he wrote:

Yes, I knew Harry Foster and can remember when he took over the store from (and now I can't remember their name; but her three sons, or maybe two sons and a friend) drowned in an accident fishing on Marshfield Dam. And the husband later died in a horse accident one spring right there by the store. They had bought the store from Red Carr's (I think; memory is fuzzy) family after he died; Red sold me my first Winchester 30-30 which I still have. He had bought the store from Paul Hopkins where we used to buy Cokes for a nickel. . .and were mightily concerned when the price went up to 7 cents. There might have been another owner of the store in there somewhere but those are the ones I remember.

I couldn't help much on the store owners between Paul Hopkins, who owned it when I was in high school, and Chris Kaldor, or former town clerk. When Chris became town clerk, his parents, Delores and Rolf Muench took over the hardware store. They sold it to Walt and Julie Ackermann, who own it now.

The succession of store owners is interesting, but more than that, I don't recall the fishing accident on Marshfield Dam (actually Molly's Falls Dam), or the horse accident that took the husband/father's life. It is strange I don't recall a newspaper account of that - however, it may have been in the hundreds I've looked at over the past five years or so I've been working on the historical society papers and keepsakes, and I simply don't remember. I'm hoping someone will contact me with more information. In the meantime, I'll begin searching.

It was cold last night, but is in the mid 20's now, and we're seeing more sunshine. We got a couple inches of very light fluffy snow - the dry stuff that flies around at the lightest touch of a breeze. I think we're headed into a warm spell - again. All the old timers are predicting we'll have one heck of a storm (my word, not theirs) before this "winter" is over, but nobody really knows. March could be a doozie.