The following is a copy of the Anton and Clara Ramler history published in the Lake Lenore History Book in 1986.
"There is no 'B' or 'S' in my name" quipped Tony whenever someone tried to misspell his last name, although he often liked to (B.S. that is).
Anton was born Feb 28, 1893, to Bernard and Mary (Willenbring) Ramler, their fifth child. When his younger brother Frank was born, his mother died, Bernard then married Mary Muehlstein and they had five boys and two girls.
The Ramler farm was in Stearns County, near Richmond, Minn. This is where Tony attended school and grew to be a tall man. He thought he would like to go to North Dakota and become a barber.
It was at a building bee when Tony was helping his brother Joe build a round barn, 62 feet in diameter, when two other young neighbors, Gerhard Meyer and Willie Brinkman talked Tony into going to Canada. He said he would travel with them provided they would stop in North Dakota on the way home.
Early in 1919 they traveled by train to St. Gregor, Sask., where they were met by Henry Brinkman Sr. When they arrived at the Brinkman home in Lake Lenore, Nick Berscheid was waiting for him. As it happened, Gerhard and Willie returned to Minnesota but Tony stayed through the summer and fall at the Berscheid's home.
In the spring of 1920, Tony returned to Canada as a stowaway in the immigration cars of Henry Meyer Sr. who settled in the Muenster district. Tony and three Meyer boys, Herman, Herbert and Gerhard, traveled with the livestock when only two were allowed. They took turns hiding in a water trough turned on its side under the hay. It took almost a week to cross the line at Emerson, Manitoba, as the horses had to be checked once a day by a veterinary for Glanders Disease. Tony spent the summer and fall working for Nick Berscheid who bought for him two quarters of land, SE 26-39-21 W2 and NE 23-39-21-W2.
Tony returned to Minnesota and on Jan. 25, 1921, he married Clara Busch. She was born on Sept. 30, 1895, to Peter and Anna (Hoffman) Busch. She had four sisters and two brothers. Two of her older sisters were already married to two of Tony's brothers. Clara's home town was New Praque, Minn. She was a member of the ladies' choir; she knew and loved music and was able to play the piano. They then came to Muenster where Clara stayed at the home of Henry Meyer, two and on-half miles north of Muenster, while Tony and Gerhard Meyer build the Ramler's first home, a three-room shack. It was here that Virgil was born on Nov. 18, 1921, and Alvin on Sept. 17, 1923. A two-year rotation followed - Rita born on Aug. 2, 1925 and Urban on May 16, 1927. The interval became shorter, Laura was born Oct. 8, 1928 and Valerie on Jan. 20, 1930. The only one born in the Humboldt Hospital was Raymond on Aug. 23, 1931. Another girl, Mary, was born but she died a few hours after birth. She is buried in the Lake Lenore cemetery.
Times were tough and money was scarce, in fact, so scarce that at one time they didn't have enough money to buy a stamp so they could write home for help. But conditions improved and by 1928 they were able to build a new much needed larger house. Tony would have liked to build on some land he had acquired neared to Lake Lenore but in spite of all the water witching and expert water diviners, he was unable to locate water. They moved the well drilling machine to his yard. Tony took off his cap and threw it, "Wherever it lands, that's where you dig". They found a good well.
They build nearby a beautiful two storey house with a basement and electricity supplied by a wind charger. Mike Hoffman was the general carpenter and Gerhard Meyer did the finishing work inside. One day, while Gerhard was doing the cupboards, Tony came in from outside and wanted Gerhard to come out and look at one of his cows.
Something was wrong. The cow was getting too fat. Gerhard grumbled at the interruption but went and looked. The cow was bloating and something had to be done. The consulted a veterinary book and it showed how to stab the cow near the left hip to release the gas. Tony took a butcher knife and approached the cow, only to find he didn't have the heart to do it. The cow was obviously going to die soon as the tongue was sticking out and it was only able to breathe in short gasps. He begged Gerhard to do it. Finally Gerhard agreed but he told Tony, "If that cow dies and you blame me, I'm going to give you the worst licking you ever had". The operation was a success and Gerhard was called upon many times after that to help other farmers with the same problem, some as far away as Marysburg.
By 1929, they were able to buy a new Plymouth car and during the summer holidays of 1930 they made a trip back to Minnesota with their six children. Valerie had her own special place, a swing suspended from the ceiling. They traveled as far as Watson the first day as the roads were very muddy. Martin Yeager did their chores.
By 1935 it was time to build a new barn. Nick Berscheid had acquired the Blue Livery Barn in Humboldt and together they tore it down for the lumber they could salvage. The better lumber they piled near the old barn where it would be convenient to use. But a well near the barn would be much more convenient, so again the well digger moved in, the machine being pulled by a John Deere "D" with side exhaust. It was dinner time so the digging would start right after. As they sat letting their dinner settle they noticed little Ray watching intently out the door. The barn was on fire. They rushed out and managed to let the horses out. The barn burned completely as did the lumber beside it and the bundle stack. The John Deere was blamed for starting the fire and Tony had no use for John Deere tractors after that. A large re hip-roof barn was built along with a miniature hip-roof building out the side to be used as a chop granary. (The barn was later moved to the farm of Martin Prodahl on and on-half miles north.) About this time, many evergreens were planted to east which made a very beautiful yard 10, 20 and 30 years later.
Virgil started school in Lake Lenore, boarding at Mike Hophners the first year. The next year, Alvin accompanied him daily from home. The following year, the two boys went to Schuler School. At this time, Solo School was built and all the Ramlers went there because Schuler was overcrowded and the distance was the same.
There was much activity in the house on the hill in the late 30's and 40's with so many young people around. Skating, hockey, hockey tournaments, house parties and dances went along with chores outside and housework inside. It was bound to lead to romance and marriage. The matrimonial bug hit hard and sudden with four weddings in one year. Virgil married Therese Lachmuth on June 6, 1949. They settled in Annaheim and farmed from town. They have 10 children. Three weeks later, Alvin married Lillian Sarauer, moved to the Annaheim district where Alvin farmed and worked for Doepker Industries. They have six children. On Sept 27, Rita married Bernard Sarauer. They built a new home in Annaheim and farmed from town. They have five children. Urban married Mary Brinkman on Oct 18. They lived in a small house in the Ramler yard for a few years and then moved to the Henry Lachmuth farm one-half mile south of Annaheim. They have six children. A year later, Valerie married Richard Sarauer on Oct. 2, 1950. They live on the land homesteaded by Richard's dad, John, in 1905. They have seven children, Laura Married Walter Sarauer on June 19, 1951. (Tony often complained that all his girls turned "sour".) They farm six miles south of the Ramler farm and have seven children.
In 1960, Ramlers built a new home in Humboldt, 1003 11th St., which was at that time the corner of the pasture of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Tony and Ray farmed from Humboldt. Clara Ramler passed away March 15, 1974, and Tony on August 12, 1979. Ray continues to live in Humboldt.
Tony's wish to become a barber came true although he was seldom paid. He cut hair for his boys and neighbors and later his sons-in-law. In fact, he cut his own hair for years with his back to the dresser mirror and one of the kids holding a second mirror by sitting backwards on a chair and steadying his arms on the backrest of the chair, a chore they would rather not have done. And these were 'hand clipper' days. In later days, he traded hair cuts with John Schuler.
Tony enjoyed hunting and fishing and playing 'Buck', traveling sometimes twice a day to Lake Lenore for a game or two in the old pool hall. He served as Director of the Lake Lenore Telephone Co. and the Lake Lenore Co-op and was a strong supporter of the Sask. Wheat Pool.
The family recalls some incidents from early years, humorous or tragic, depending on your point of view. Urban was in Grade One when early one morning, he and Alvin saw a large rat run under a small building on skids. They quickly told their dad who immediately got the '22' rifle.
Tony told Alvin, 'keep the dog back'. He lay on his belly, taking careful aim at the adversary under the bin. At just the right moment he pulled the trigger. He heard the thud of the bullet and, proud of his marksmanship, he watched as the rat kicked its last. 'Papa, I'm shot', said Urban, as he came running around the corner of the building, blood spurting profusely from his chin. Alvin had kept the dog away but forgot about Urban, who was watching the rat from the other end of the building. The '29 Plymouth' made a dangerously fast trip to Lake Lenore to see Dr. Golobuff. The bullet had entered Urban's chin and went out the side of his neck (or vise-versa) without hitting any bone. The doctor cleansed the wound and sent them home. Urban missed a few days of school as a result, and he didn't seem to mind.
It was Corpus Christi and Vallie was supposed to spread flowers during the procession with the Blessed Sacrament. While her white dress was being fitted in the house, Laura and Ray were dispatched to pick some flowers. Laura had just received a new pair of shoes, a rare occasion indeed, and in order to break them in so they could be worn to church the next day, she was allowed to wear them picking flowers. As they wandered about picking wild flowers, Laura happed upon a skunk eating the eggs from a wild duck nest. She didn't have a chance as the skunk called upon its only means of defense. Laura started for home, crying as loud as the limited amount of fresh air would permit. She had to do much bathing and, sad to say, her clothes, as well as her shoes, had to be burned.
There is another incident worth remembering which illustrated the characteristic of Tony's, alluded to in the first sentence of this story. Some American cousins were visiting while August Masse was doing some brush cutting in the neighborhood. Tony took them out to watch how this was done. As they walked about the freshly cleared land, when no one was looking his way, he scattered some Brazil nuts (commonly known as nigger toes). Suddenly, he bent down, picked up a nut, took out his pocket knife and started to eat it. "Oh yah! They grow here and usually if you find one you can find more". They all ended up searching the ground for nigger toes - and they found some too.