![]() Lotte Zmijewski. She was born 100 years ago in Germany. She’s passed on, but the artifacts of her life still remain – a testament to someone who lived and loved and lost. She lived just eight miles from me as I was growing up, but I never met her. It took me until now, as I’m looking for items to sell in our new antique store, to come across her things and wonder… is everyone as interesting as she must have been? There weren’t many people in Odebolt, Iowa, her hometown for the last few decades of life, who knew who she was or what she had accomplished. As a young woman, she performed in a concert hall for an audience that included Hitler. She was musically talented and artistic as well; this is evident as I sort through the dozens of oil paintings (see below for a sampling) left in an upstairs bedroom, all signed by her. She sewed all of her own clothing, as witnessed by observing the worn sewing machine in the living room and the countless garments which remain hanging in closets throughout the house. Her first husband was from Poland. He had been held in a Nazi prison camp, detained for speaking out against communism. He was brilliant -- he spoke 12 languages and was inducted into the US Army so that he could be involved in the Nuremburg trials. He subsequently moved to New York with his bride Lotte. When he realized that he was dying, he picked out her next husband for her – a Lutheran minister who had moved to Iowa to serve the German Lutheran churches in this area. Lotte never had children of her own. There were step-children living on the East Coast who remained a part of her life, and there was a next-door neighbor in Odebolt named Bob who became as much like family as anyone could. When her second husband died, Bob helped out by checking up on her and writing out her checks – ways that good neighbors still try to help out all across Iowa. And Bob also had the privilege of befriending a truly remarkable woman. One who loved dogs. One who forcefully answered “Nein, Nein, Nein” to any suggestion she didn’t like (paying homeowner’s insurance, for example). One who didn’t particularly care for housekeeping, but had quite an eye for the beautiful. One who faithfully kept up with childhood friends from Germany. As my friend Brenda (the current owner of Lotte’s house) and I go through Lotte’s things and put prices on them, I wonder about this woman that I didn’t get the chance to meet. And I wonder about the people living in my community right now. When I don’t take the time to get to know them, what am I missing out on? Each person is unique. Each person has stories to tell and talents to admire. How can I live so that I don’t pass them by unnoticed? Lotte's paintings are for sale at the Singletree Emporium in Arthur, Iowa.
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![]() Four of our children sat on the sidewalk by our newly-purchased building, staring across the street as they munched on turkey sandwiches and grapes. The demolition of an old grain bin was fascinating and they didn’t want to miss a minute of the action. As the wrecking ball swung back and forth, they cheered and speculated about how long the destructive work would take. The ironic thing about this picture is that they were sitting on orange upholstered chairs rescued just an hour before from the basement of the Ida County Courthouse. The chairs were free to us, just for the trouble of coming to pick them up. The ad in the paper had said that they would be “disposed of” on September 1. Instead, they are in our antique store, ready to be used by our customers who visit our Grand Opening on September 2. So what is worth keeping? That’s a personal question, if you get right down to it. When the person who owns the property in question finds that an object has outlived its usefulness, they have the right to give it away, sell it, or dispose of it in any way that is legal. The grain bins are being disposed of (and that event has been providing unrivaled excitement to the citizens of Arthur, Iowa) but the chairs have found a new purpose here. (They are actually quite comfortable if you can overlook the 1970’s color scheme.) That’s where I have high hopes for our little venture, the Singletree Emporium. I want our store to be at the intersection in life where objects find new purpose because they find a new owner. We invite you to come see us, and find out for yourself what we have that is worth keeping. (Limited hours, please call before you come!) |
Rachel MastersRachel lives near Arthur, Iowa, where she and her husband try to keep up with life with six kids. Together they operate Singletree Emporium, a place to find vintage and repurposed treasures. Archives
February 2018
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