MY MEMORIES

Ringsted

I was born on 17 January 1936 in Ringsted, Denmark Township, Emmet County, Iowa. Ringsted was a small town of maybe 500 people most of whom were of Danish ancestry. As a matter of fact there are only 2 Ringsteds in the world, one in Denmark and the other in Denmark Township. (The town was named after the first postmaster's wife's hometown.) The town doctor, Christian Smith Kirkegaard (well, at least 2 of his names were very Danish), delivered me at home. It was during a terribly cold and snowy winter. The summer was just the opposite, very hot with many days over 100 degrees. I was told I was not a happy child during most of that year. All of this I was reminded of many many times while I was growing up. After a while, surviving those weather conditions became a badge of honor.

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