GreeningFrogtownMarchApril19

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AGING IN FROGTOWN every Friday I get together with friends and we all chip in together for lunch.” Weber’s level of activity has helped to keep her healthy while she’s also contributed to the health of her block, and the broader community. “You’re not going to stop me,” she says. “You’re not going to get rid of me.” finding retired electricians or plumbers who are reliable and do work for reasonable prices.” Shopping: “I’ve got Alexa connected to Amazon Prime. I can get just about anything delivered, store to door. I got help at the Vision Loss Resource Center to learn how to use an iPhone and get connected to the internet.” Val Weber It’s not necessarily easy making an appointment with 85-year old Val Weber. She’s a member of the St. Paul Police Reserve, so some afternoons she’s out with a partner, checking on the houses of people who have alerted cops that they’ll be gone on vacation or business. Then there are also the days that she volunteers at the Red Cross, checking in blood donors. Not to mention the lunches with friends, church and shopping excursions. “I can’t just sit at home all day,” she says. If you’re a Frogtown senior, she doesn’t think you should either. Here’s her laundry list of advice on how to approach the retirement years without retiring from life: “Volunteer! Do something for somebody else.” “Get out of the house every day. Get out of the car and walk around a store even if you don’t intend to buy anything. Talk to people. They say you shouldn’t talk to strangers, but as a rule people want to talk to you if you say something to them. You’ve got to get out and see some people.” “Go visit some old people who might need cheering up.” “Get together with friends. For instance, Bill Heinl Frogtown elder Bill Heinl could write the book on hunting down resources that allow seniors to live an independent and fruitful life. Blind since 1 981 , he’s keyed into multiple sources of help that help him stay in his tidy Englewood Ave. home. “A lot of sighted people say, ‘How does he do that? How does he stay in his own house? It’s a matter of looking up the resources that are out there. You have to do a lot of research to put it all together.” Here are a few of the solutions he’s found to the problems of day-to-day living: (See contact information and more details in the resource guide, at right.) Transportation: “I use Metro Mobility six, seven, eight times per month. It’s better than it used to be. You don’t have to wait and wait and wait. The drivers are getting better at knowing where they’re going.” Meals: “I get Meals on Wheels. That’s another wonderful program. They deliver five days a week, and you can get frozen meals for the weekend. You pay according to your income. They do a really good job of presenting a good meal.” Groceries: “I don’t see why so many of the elderly are afraid to ask for help. There are a lot of people out there who will help you out. For groceries, I have a friend who’s the grocery manager at Cub in HarMar. If I give him notice, he’ll find someone to help me shop. I get up there with Metro Mobility and just whip through to get the things I need.” Home maintenance: “I call Hamline- Midway Elders. They’re good about Yard work: “I’ve had a friend through church who has been shoveling for me for the past 30 years. It’s just another of those areas where you need to reach out for help.” Socializing: “I go to the Hamline- Midway Elders lunch each month. It’s a great meal prepared by an excellent cook. There’s a program and a chance to talk to other seniors. I’m also involved with Faith Lutheran Church. They have a hot meal every month and a little sermon.” While Heinl has been an all-star at hooking up help for himself, he has also put in his time helping out others. For 25 years he cared for his mother, who suffered from dementia. Senior Resource Directory Aging-in-place help, volunteer opportunities & more Hamline Midway Elders, Living at Home Block Nurse Program, (651 ) 209-6542, hmelders.org. Serves Frogtown from Lexington to Dale St., and from University to Pierce Butler. Services include a monthly lunch with program, second Tuesday of the month (upcoming: 11 :30 am, March 1 2 and April 9), at St. Stephanus Church, 739 Lafond. Other programs include Tai Chi, chair yoga, knitting and crocheting, exercise classes, film documentary series, tax help, connections to home maintenance services, transportation. North End-South Como Block Nurse Program, (651 ) 487-51 35, nescbnp.org. Serves Frogtown seniors from Dale St. to 35E, University to Pierce Butler / Pennsylvania Ave. Offers exercise classes, social outings, help with transportation and shopping, connections to resources such as Meals on Wheels, plus in-home nursing including medication management, foot care, therapy, home health aides. Senior LinkAge Line, (800) 333-2433, phone answered from 8 am - 4:30 pm weekdays. mnaging.org/advisor/SLL. Free advice and connections to help dealing with Medicare/Medicaid and related forms, prescription drug expense, long-term care planning, home/companion services, volunteer home and shopping help, chronic illness and medication management, advice to family members of elders. Rebuilding Together Twin Cities: (651 ) 776-4273, rebuildingtogethertwincities.org. Home livability and repair services to help homeowners in need live in safe, healthy homes. Safety and fall prevention modifications, aging-in-place remodeling, plumbing/electrical repair/replacement in addition to other services. Services provided at no charge to qualified homeowners. Brush with Kindness/Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity: 651 -207-1 700, home.tchabitat.org/home-repair. Offers exterior painting, roofing, siding, flooring, door/window repair, tree trimming, accessibility modifications, and plumbing/electrical/heating repairs. Must be below 80 percent of the area median income ($50,350 for a single-person household). Most slots filled for 201 9, but call for availability of interior handyperson repairs. NeighborWorks Home Partners: (651 ) 292-871 0, nwhomepartners.org. Frogtownbased organization with a variety of home loan programs that can be used for repairs and aging-in-place improvements on owner-occupied homes. Low- or no-interest, depending on the income of the homeowner (capped at $79,300 for a one-person household). AARP Experience Corps: (61 2) 708-5933, contact volunteer director Erin Simon, esimon@expcorpsmn.org. Matches elders with kids who need reading help. Wilder Volunteers: (651 ) 280-2504, contact volunteer director Grant Watkins, grant.watkins@wilder.org. Offers a variety of opportunities, such as Meals on Wheels drivers, adult day care and Mobile Market assistance, flyer delivery, more. Meals on Wheels: (61 2) 623-3363, meals-on-wheels.com/get-meals/sign-up. Complete freshly-made meal delivered to your door weekdays between 11 am and 1 pm. Need-based pricing. Metro Mobility: (651 ) 602-1111 . Shared ride public transit for riders unable to use regular bus service because of a disability or health condition. A recommendation: complex application forms may make it simpler to apply with assistance from Hamline Midway Elders or North End-South Como Block Nurse staff. PAGE 10 MARCH/APRIL 2019
FORGOTTEN FROGTOWN How Sausage Got Made From the vanished Pioneer Sausage, gastronomical and family memories. By Jennifer Gascoigne Isn’t it funny how the businesses we visit every day become an important part of our lives? So much so, that when they disappear forever, we mourn their loss and treasure the memories of the products they offered, the staff we came to know, the smell, the physical space, even the role they played in our daily routine. Exhibit A: Pioneer Sausage. A business that is fondly remembered by many St. Paulites, more than 20 years after the butcher shop and sausage maker came to a grinding halt, so to speak. “THE BEST.” The best beef jerky, the best beef sticks, the best venison steaks… the best, the best, the best. When asked to share their memories of Pioneer Sausage, located at 61 6 Rice Street from the early 1 950s through the mid 1 990s, members of the Frogtown History Facebook group consistently chose one adjective to describe Pioneer Sausage — the “best.” “We always bought our lunch meat there, but our real main objective was the beer sticks,” recalls Dot Johnson Drake. “They had the BEST bologna! My dad would bring some home as a treat every so often” adds Julie Otto Simanski. “They had the BEST beef jerky!” echoes James Ghiloni. Linda Gaynaw reminisces, “I remember going there, usually on Saturday mornings as a young girl with my Dad and after he died, with my Mom. Every kid who went in got a hot dog, one of the best I ever had and always in our shopping bag. The other item we would buy were the rings of liver sausage. We would take the sausage home and almost always that night my folks would remove the casing and fry it. Never found a good replacement for that sausage and miss the hot dogs.” While the descriptions of the products make me wish I could go back in time and take a nibble of a legendary Pioneer beefstick, I noticed a theme that shows up in most of the memories shared. It has little to do with tasty meats and free hotdogs for kids, and more to do with family. As Mary Weyandt Mangan recalls, “Pioneer Sausage was a weekly ritual for me as a child. I grew up on Virginia and Van Buren and every Saturday morning my mom would call in the order. My younger brother and I would take the wagon and walk to Master Bakery across the street from Bethesda Hospital and pick up the bread. Then over to Pioneer sausage to pick up the meat order. Loved getting my free hot dog. Then home to eat an early lunch so we could take a lunch to my Dad who was at work. Oh, and the smell of the smoking... it is ingrained in my brain.” Pioneer Sausage first appears in the St. Paul City Directory in 1 950, with the first license application for the company filed on Jan. 3, 1 951 , by Joseph Knoedgen, a German-born US citizen. The 1 940 census shows 32-year-old Knoedgen and his family living at 803 Sheldon Avenue in St. Paul, with his mother and father in law, Albina and Julius Maurer, his wife, Lottie, and twoyear-old daughter, Marianne. Knoedgen’s profession was listed as “sausage maker,” meaning that by the time he began his own business 1 0 years later, he was already an experienced meat man. Pioneer Sausage occupied 61 6 Rice Street for the next 44 years or so. The modest brick building at the corner of Rice and Winter Streets was built in 1 950, specifically to house Knoedgen’s new Pioneer Sausage Company. Today it is home to Moua Lor Chiropractic and Acupuncture Clinic, and Linda Kay Salon. Joseph Knoedgen died on June 21 , 1 977, at the age of 69. Family members remained involved in the business operations in some capacity until Pioneer Sausage closed up shop in 1 994. Thanks to the Frogtown History Facebook community. Special thanks to former Frogtowner Judy Lambert, and Rich Arpi, Ramsey County Historical Society Research Center Associate. • Jennifer Gascoigne works for the Minnesota Historical Society and is administrator of the Facebook Frogtown History group. She can be reached at jennifergascoigne@gmail. com. Pets & Older People Ask the Animal Humane Society Outreach Trainers What pets might be best for seniors? There’s no doubt that pets and people are great together. Even so, it can be tough for older folks to keep up with active pets. If your physical capacity has changed but you still want a pet, consider a cat! Feeding, playing with a cat, and cleaning litter boxes can provide benefits of routine, structure and companionship without being physically demanding. How about a Guinea pig? Guinea pigs are social animals and do best in pairs. Their cage needs regular cleaning, but they are relatively inexpensive to keep and easy to care for. If having a pet isn’t an option for you, maybe you can share one. Many people who are away from home all day feel guilty that their pet is home alone and would love to know they are getting some extra love! Offer to let a neighbor’s’ dog out, or give the cat some extra cuddles (if it enjoys cuddles!) at lunchtime. If cost is a concern, the Animal Humane Society Community Outreach Program offers free wellness events several times each year that can minimize vet bills. We also partner with neighborhood food shelves to offer free pet food. Follow us on Facebook: Animal Humane Society Community Outreach: Frogtown and East St. Paul or call 651-788-4685 for more information. MARCH/APRIL 2019 PAGE 11
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