Faith, Family and Tradition at the Kragero one room schoolhouse in Santiago, MN. 

If there is one thing I could say about the Erickson family is this, they make me feel like home. I was raised right here in Becker, township. A few miles south of the one room school house. I also grew up on the same road as the Snake River Church another assembly the family is closely knitted to. Over the past three years of moving home from where we purchased our first home I have been able to settle in nicely to my hometown. But I specifically have made a rather wonderful connection with the Erickson sisters, Mary Erickson Nehring
and Terri Kay Hughes. They have reached out and included myself and my family in a ton of fun activities over the past few years. Which came into my life at a rather perfect time. Finding my own two feet as a new wife, Mother and carrying some incredible grief over the last 10 years had me feeling a bit lost. I don't find coincidence in this new found relationship, what so ever. These wonderful human beings have entered my life through non-other than god's handiwork. Mary and Terri just celebrated a milestone birthday the beginning of this summer as the youngest sisters of a family of ten. Twin girls born to Ernie and Elaine Erickson. The sisters often share stories about their upbringing on the familly's dairy farm. Incredible stories from childhood, extended family and even shared with me the loss of their parents. It feels good to share in fellowship and friendship doesn't it? 

The Erickson family has been opening the one room school house up for a week each June with the current owners permission ( Tom & Gail Wilkinson) and teaching actual classes for over 26 years. They offer the classes through the local community ed office and this year I was able to participate in some of the fun activities. When I first arrived their sister Karen was playing a rather comical game of Red Rover! 

The families involvement with the school house dates back much further than I ever knew about. All the way back to the late 1800's to be exact. Their Grandma Lillie, their Dad Ernie and his two brothers along with their oldest six siblings attended school here. It was their Great Grandma and Grandpa who came from Kragero, Norway and settled right here in Becker. Built in 1897 they used it for not only school but also for church. 

Pictured below are Mary & Terri's Sisters Karen, Judy, Ruth and Gloria. Judy and Gloria are retired school teachers! Which, I find so fitting for this exceptional story of tradition.