Frank F. Weber's Blog, page 20

Christmas, MN Pro Sports Dominance, Inequality and Office Space

Frank and granddaughter Kaycee jamming out in Maryland Frank will be at Barnes & Noble for a meet and greet in St. Cloud on Saturday, December 9, 2017, from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.  Thank you, everyone, for the tremendous success of Murder Book!  It continues to sell like crazy at places like Barnes & Noble in St. Cloud, The Shoppes of Little Falls, Reds Auto in Pierz and the Crossing Arts Alliance in Brainerd.  Murder Book is one of two books (from the many books they publish) nominated by North Star Press for Minnesota book of the year.  The sequel is being requested at the end of December for a 2018 printing.  Frank read the prelude to the next book at the Pierz Staff book club meeting last week, and the group is excited about its release. We will look at some cover options for the next book in some of the upcoming blogs. Preston and wife Olivia at a Crosstown Community Band concert Christmas has always been special to me, because my parents always made it special.  There were some lean years, but the presents never meant as much as our family all being together laughing and playing.  Other than the meals, no one worked.  We just celebrated family.  Grandma Elizabeth Weber used to say, if you can’t afford a present, you can always write someone a letter.  I remember lying on the floor as night fell, tired but happy, looking at the color lights reflecting against the ceiling and wishing all days could be like today. 

It’s a great time to be a sports fan in Minnesota.  The Lynx have always been awesome, but in one year’s time we watched the Twins go from a last place finish in 2016 to making the playoffs in 2017.  We’ve watched the Timberwolves go from mediocre to first place in their conference as of today, and our Vikings went from terrible to the #1 seed in the NFC as of today.

Theories of inequality were first recorded back with Aristotle about 350 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.  Aristotle was a student of Plato, and his works in logic are monumental.  I particularly like his belief that the correct behavior was in the middle, rather than good or bad.  For example, you have to have an opinion, but you should avoid being judgmental.  The extremes are problematic.  I find it hard to understand how a man who was considered a master of logic would never question living in a society where slavery was rampant.  Aristotle’s prejudice was questioned in his lifetime by Greek philosopher Alcinous.  Aristotle believed that people who lived at moderate altitude were the best.  People who lived in climates that were too hot or too cold simply weren’t equal.  It’s obviously an absurd theory which is suggestive of  self-centeredness.       

Random trivia:  Hong Kong has the most expensive office space in the world, overtaking London’s West End (thanks to a fall in the value of the pound as a result of Brexit—leaving the European “Euro” monetary system).  Rounding out the top five most expensive places to accommodate business staff are Tokyo, Fairfield County in Connecticut, and San Francisco.  A workstation (not an office—a workstation) in Hong Kong costs $27,431 per year. 

I first listened to this live recording of Rod Stewart, Ron Wood and the Faces when I was 11 years old.  Rod Stewart had one of the best blues bands of the 1970’s, but then Ron Wood joined the Rolling Stones, and Rod went pop.  It was disappointing.  I learned from songs like the one offered here that great guitar solos don’t need to be fast or complicated—you just needed to feel them.  
Quotes:
My mother was real cheap. Okay, practical. She would never pay a bill on time. "If they ain't cutting it off, I ain't paying." She would say, "The first bill is a suggestion. If they really want you to pay it, then they'll come and tap on your window." Her whole philosophy of life was: if you die owing money, then you've won.  Chris Rock

"Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are."   Will Ferrell

I was asked today what I thought about congress requiring mandatory sexual harassment training.  My response:  “They all seem to be pretty good at it already.”
 
Thanks for listening,
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Frank I was having some trouble with my camera, but I hope to have better pictures at upcoming events.

State Champions! After the Suspension… Reading the Riot Act

Frank with Granddaughter Kaycee in Maryland for Thanksgiving Branden, Kaycee & Nicolette.  The plane behind them flies marines into an area and converts to a helicopter so it can then drop troops into a specific area without a runway. Rick Grammond to the rescue!  While I was ejected from U.S. Bank Stadium, my camera made it to the game thanks to Rick Grammond.  It was very kind of Rick to find help to take pictures.  Rick I owe you one—actually many—but I should start with one.  Rick’s a great man who does much for the community, besides being the best sports announcer!  This is why I have some pictures to share here. 

Pierz students, parents, relatives and alumni provided a very impressive crowd at the state football tournament.  Another great year, great team, great coaching, great fan base and a state championship!  This was one of the best high school running teams I’ve ever seen.  They could pass, as Preston Rocheleau has a great arm, and they had talented receivers, but our offensive line destroyed every defense they played against.  Running the ball allowed Pierz to control the game and the clock.  The players all could have had more impressive numbers but they played to win so they’d get a lead and take an extra 20 seconds off the clock before the next play, so even if a team could mount a comeback they wouldn’t have time to make it work.  Our defense was also great all year and shut down high scoring offenses.  This team is a great group of young men who demonstrated discipline and sportsmanship all season. (13-0, and they put away every team!)       

I was with Branden, Nicolette and Kaycee Deal in Patuxent River, Maryland for Thanksgiving.  With Brandon’s Chief duties he needed to be on the base for the holiday.  I taught Kaycee how to use my camera so she periodically would pick it up and snap pictures of me or Nicolette and (flash, flash, flash…) giggle until we took it away from her. 

I loved some of the comments that  followed my sharing I wasn’t allowed to take pictures at the state championship football game by U.S. Bank security because I stepped on to the field and took pictures of the teams shaking hands after the game.  I particularly liked people (Colleen Kastanek in particular) who referred to this headline from US Bank stadium from last football season:  Protesters Hang from U.S. Bank Stadium Rafters to Protest Dakota Access Pipeline.

Evidently, my stepping on the field to take a picture of sportsmanship was far more egregious, as the above protesters did not receive consequences.  Lesson learned.  Life is damn good, and I’m not wasting any more time talking about that foolishness!    

            Maybe they should have “read me The Riot Act”

The Riot Act was part of English Common Law passed in 1714 which read “If any persons to the number of 12 or more unlawfully, riotously and tumultuously assemble together to the disturbance of the public peace are required by any Justice by proclamation in the King’s name to dispense themselves and peaceably depart.  Shall they continue together for an hour, after such proclamation, shall be guilty of a felony.”  Rioting was punishable by death, and often preceded by torture and degradation.  The punishment was so harsh that the result was juries generally refused to define any insurrection as rioting.  In 1749, pubgoers rioted in London over prostitutes’ thievery.  John Wilson (a cobbler) and Bosavern Penlez (a wigmaker) were hanged. Neither instigated the riots, or were major leaders, but they were present and the Riot Act was implemented and they were hanged to keep men from tearing down all of the brothels. 

England implemented the Riot Act in the United States, before we achieved independence, in an effort to quell protests.  The Anti-riot act of 1968 was put in place in an effort to reduce protests to the Vietnam War.  It defined a riot as a public disturbance involving 3 or more people.  In August of 1968, after riots at the Democratic Convention in Chicago, the Chicago 8 were tried under the law.  Tom Hayden, Abby Hoffman, and Black Panther member Bobby Seale, were all also tried under the law.  No one was ever convicted.
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Quotes:

I was listening to an elderly man interviewed on MPR discuss his brush with fame with Ted Williams.  He was driving in the country late at night and came across Ted Williams, who was having car trouble, and ended up giving him a ride.  The man’s friends didn’t believe him so he wrote to Ted and asked if he would send him a letter acknowledging this happened.  Ted Williams wrote him back stating, “I’m glad you wrote.  I’m needed your letter to prove to my friends this happened too.”

"When I see lovers' names carved in a tree, for a moment it’s sweet, and then I get concerned about how many people bring a knife on a date."

"She didn’t want to marry him for his money, but she didn’t know how else to get it."
 
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Thanks for listening,
 
Frank Pierz Football 2017 State Champions! Enjoy the pictures! I want to point out that I did not purposely omit anyone. (Remember I didn’t take the pictures as I wasn’t allowed to, so I could only use the pictures taken by a student with my camera.)

Happy Thanksgiving! Pierz Football and Foolishness in Boards and Security and Halestorm

Preston conducting the Community Crosstown Band at their performance at Bachman's in Minneapolis Sometimes I find out about something so stupid it amazes me it happened.  The Minnesota Board of Education hadn’t been reporting criminal behavior by teachers to law enforcement, so our legislature has now rightly intervened and passed a law coming into play in 2018 requiring them to do so in cases where sanctions are given.  This issue came to light over the board’s failure to report allegations of sexual misconduct regarding a Rush City teacher.  Jon Hughes, 57, was convicted in November of 2017 of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct while in a position of authority. Investigators determined he repeatedly had sexual contact with a student at Rush City High School.  The student had reported her relationship with Hughes to the board back in 2000, according to a criminal complaint, but the board never reported it to law enforcement.  The change in law will require them to report in the future.  All of the teachers are mandated reporters of abuse.  It’s amazing to me that the board that oversees them was not.  Fortunately, the problem is resolved now.

I recently ended up on the wrong side of security at U.S. Bank Stadium.  After the Pierz victory over Jordan (see pictures below), I walked out on the field to take some pictures of the teams shaking hands.  I thought it was a great shot of sportsmanship; however, security determined this to be a violation of protocol and my press pass was withdrawn, so I won’t be at the state championship game taking pictures.  Please don’t bother Dave Rocheleau with this as he has nothing to do with it, and I want the coaches to be focused on the game.  It’s foolish, and I apologize to parents.  It hadn’t occurred to me stepping on to the field when players were shaking hands would offend anyone.  I left the field as soon as I was asked and apologized, but apparently that wasn’t enough.  Worse things happen in the course of life so I’m moving on …

Anxiety disorders are the most common reason people come to therapy, even though depression is more common.  Increased anxiety leads to decreased rationality.  Anxious individuals need to learn to handle criticism and adjust to their oversensitivity.  It’s not all bad—anxious individuals are more sensitive to color, sound and environment which may make them better artists and musicians.  The trick is to learn to go at the anxiety provoking situation.  Sometimes it’s appropriate to be anxious—for example when it is actually a dangerous situation.  But fear of speaking or public places needs to be resolved by pushing yourself to do it.  Fears are maintained by avoidance.  Anxiety eventually dissipates. 

Be in the moment, enjoying time with family and friends this holiday!  The present moment is the only experience we have. 

Quotes:

We’re not humans having a spiritual experience.  We’re spiritual beings having a human experience.
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You can have everything taken away, except your ability to choose your attitude.  -Victor Frankl 

If you let a little go, you have a little peace.  If you let a lot go, you’ll have a lot of peace.  If you let go completely, you’ll have complete peace.  -Buddha saying

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.  -Jerry Seinfeld

There are 2 types of speakers.  Those who are nervous, and liars.  -Mark Twain


Thanks for listening,

Frank Lizzy Hale, out of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, has a great rock band called, Halestorm. Preston conducting the Community Crosstown Band
at their performance at Bachman's in Minneapolis Pierz vs. Jordan, November 18, 2017
Final Score: Pierz 55, Jordan 26

Celebrations, Hard Lessons and Great Veterans

Frank speaking on a panel of true crime authors at the Hastings Library. Frank speaking at Northland Senior Center in Baxter. I listen to a variety of radio stations briefly when I start my morning—rock, educational, religious and stations that play unusual music (like 88.1 out of SCSU).  I find both helpful thoughts and people who make idiotic statements on every station.  This morning I was listening to a religious station out of Brainerd when the DJ commented, “Seattle elected Jenny Durkan, its first openly lesbian mayor and the first woman mayor of the city since the 1920s.  Homosexuals are celebrating.”  I couldn’t help but laugh heartily at the absurdity of this claim.  The assumption is that people who are attracted to the same sex aren’t concerned about the current unfair tax structure, or our unaffordable health care system, or mass shootings—they are just looking to vote for people based on sexual behavior.  When John Adams ran against Thomas Jefferson for president in 1800, Adams knew Jefferson was living with an African American woman, Sally Hemings, and fathering children with her. (After Jefferson’s first wife died of illness he lived with his wife’s black half-sister until he died.)  They could not even legally marry at the time because of race laws.  John Adams made a decision to not bring it up in the election, because he didn’t feel it was how elections should be decided.  I respect John Adams for that.  Jefferson defeated Adams, and Sally Hemings lived with him in the White House and after.  So how did I respond to an outrageous comment like “Homosexuals are celebrating?”—call the radio station and ask if they knew where the homosexuals are celebrating, as I might stop by and have a beer with them after work!  FYI—they didn’t know where.  I should point out, that like every media source, the person who made the comment didn’t represent the views of everyone at the station.   
 
We don’t need to sensationalize our national news.  What they report is bad enough.  When Stephen Paddock fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas on October 1 and killed 58 people, it was described as the worst mass shooting in American history.   A little over a month later, Devin Kelley walked in to the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church and killed more than 26 people.  Both sickening.  Both were narcissistic jerks.  But neither were the worst mass shooting in American history. 

On April 5, 1846, John Fremont led a group which killed 120+ Indians who posed no threat, in an area now known as Redding, California.  The Wintu tribe was trapped into a river curve, so the Native men stood in front of the women and children while Fremont and his men fired upon them.  The actual number of Indians killed is unknown.  Based on reports, somewhere between 120 and 700.  Kit Carson, who traveled with Fremont, wrote after the massacre:  “It takes 2 to fight a battle, but in that case there was but one side fighting, and the other trying to escape.”

Remember the My Lai massacre in Vietnam on March 16, 1968?  Lieutenant William Calley Jr. was the platoon leader who received an order to “neutralize” a threat in My Lai.  It was assumed there was military presence there.  When Calley’s troops arrived it was a village of mostly women and children.  Calley followed through with the order by rounding up and killing 347 to 500 civilians.  It is significant to note that there were American service men who attempted to stop the massacre, who sheltered some children.  One of the soldiers wrote to President Lyndon Johnson, the Senate, Congress and the Pentagon following the incident requesting an investigation.  No one responded, so he went to the press.  Once it became public knowledge through the press, Americans were outraged and an investigation took place.  Even though he was following orders, Calley was convicted of a war crime and sentenced to life in prison, but was released after 3 ½ years.  In my Sociology courses I use this as an example of how we are responsible for our behavior all of the time, even under a military order.  The court ruled that Calley should have seen the individuals did not present the threat suggested, and should have disobeyed the order.  This is also a great example of why we need a free media.  Without media intervention, it would have been a tragedy known everywhere in the world but the United States.  We need to acknowledge mistakes so we can refrain from repeating them.  This does not justify what occurred, but Vietnam was crazy.  The troops involved in My Lai were struggling to survive and had lost 40 men in the previous 3 months (and a popular sergeant just 2 days before, to a land mine).

While we need a free media, I would prefer they would focus more on getting information correct, rather than sensationalizing headlines.  Not everything has to be “the worst” or “the best.”  It can be “bad enough” and “good enough.”  Like I say, “The good folks win just often enough to keep me going.”  Never forget—We’re playing the long game.  For Christians like me, it goes beyond our lives. 

We are a better society than we used to be.  Don’t lose sight of that in all of the negativity you hear on the news.  Wonderful things happen in every community every day that do not make it on the news.  I see it in the Pierz schools, I see it at the CORE offices, and experience it with the people I interact with in our communities daily. 

The Night of Broken Glass or “Kristallnacht” occurred on November 9 and 10 in Nazi Germany in 1938.  Kristallnacht refers to the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after over 1,000 Jewish synagogues (95 in Vienna alone) were burned and 7,000 Jewish business were burned or destroyed.  Fire departments were instructed to not intervene.  The New York Times wrote about the "burnings and beatings, of blackguardly assaults on innocent people which disgraced the country.”  Citizens of all faiths were seen looking out their windows in tears at the senselessness of it all.  It was the beginning of “the final solution” which sent 30,000 Jewish citizens to concentration camps for no other reason than their religious faith.  As bad as Americans wanted to stay out of the war overseas, we eventually intervened and ended this tragedy.  Our military forces ended the Nazi state sponsored terrorism, and people in the United States sacrificed to make this happen.  Terrorism isn’t new.  Thank you to everyone who has served and is serving in our military forces for protecting us.

Our military is building communities and providing electricity and safe water to communities that have never had it before.  They are volunteers fighting people who choose to terrorize innocent people.  Freedom has never been free for US.  Thank you Branden Deal, Amy Weber, Betsey DePoint, Theresa Gross, Kris Kowitz, Brett Meyer, and every other person who sacrifices for US.  Entering the military was how my father, Leo, and every one of his sisters and brothers worked their way out of poverty.  I hope you all had a pleasant Veteran’s Day!

(By the way the worst thing about mentioning names is missing so many deserving people.  I know I missed mentioning Glen Gross when I was talking about great victory baseball players from our community, along with many others.)

Steve Brosnihan started a “Good night lights” tradition at the Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.  After visiting a child at the hospital, he told the child he would flick the lights of his bike off and on at the bus stop (as it was visible from the child’s room) as a goodnight gesture.  The boy in turn flicked his room lights off and on.  More kids became involved and Brosnihan got a restaurant called the Hot Club to also flick it’s lights off and on.  Now 18 businesses visible from the hospital participate at 8:30 at night, and every Wednesday night the police squad cars line up and flash their light off and on also.  People in the neighborhood go to their cars and flash the lights off and on.  Parents of children who stay at the hospital speak of how powerful this is to the children.  Keep in mind, there is always lots of good happening!

Quotes about music :

Wagner’s music is better than it sounds. -Mark Twain

People never ask people doing serious music, 'Do you ever think about doing funny music?' -Al Yankovic

Somebody just gave me a shower radio. Thanks a lot. Do you really want music in the shower? I guess there's no better place to dance than a slick surface next to a glass door. -Jerry Seinfeld

All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song. -Louis Armstrong

I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'. -Bob Newhart
 

Thanks for listening,
 
Frank Shane in junior high. Preston exhausted as a young Harry Potter. Preston perplexed in flower bed. Pierz Football

World Series

Upcoming Events:​November 7, 2017 "Forensic Psychology and the Making of Murder Book."   Northern Lakes Living .  Brainerd, Minnesota.  10:30 amNovember 8, 2017 Presenting on Murder Book as part of a True Crime panel.   Hastings Library .  6:30 pmNovember 13, 2017 Murder Book presentation at  Northfield Public Library .  7:00 pm I was pleased to see the Houston Astros win their first world series.  Although honestly, I don’t think I watched one entire game, as I am just too impatient.  I particularly liked the Houston homerun that exploded when it hit the upper deck.  (The ball landed directly in a fireworks canister and the impact set off the explosion.)  It is difficult to match the excitement of the Twins World Series victories as we won when we weren’t the best team in baseball—which made it more nerve-racking.  Maybe it offsets the Vikings not winning at times when they should have.  The Minnesota Lynx is the only team that’s given MN sports fans this excitement recently.  I still support MN teams, although I often feel like one of the Cubs fans of old.

There are baby pictures of my mother’s older brothers, but my mother, Rosetta (Kapsner) Weber was born in 1931 and was raised during the depression.  Subsequently, there are no childhood pictures of her, beyond the picture I featured in last week’s blog of the Barbra Kapsner and her 5 daughters and Frank Kapsner and his 5 sons.  Rosetta’s older brother, Leander Kapsner, had bought a Browning Box camera as an adult and these were the first two pictures taken from that camera.  Gilbert Kapsner, as an adult, bought the family their first radio.  It ran on a battery similar to a car battery.  (This was the event that first brought the outside world to their home.  It helps you understand why it’s perceived as the ‘good old days.’  Not because the world was better, but because you only had to deal with local news.) 

Frank and Barb Kapsner (Rosetta’s parents) were losing their farm during the depression, when Father Roland talked St. John’s University into stepping in and paying the debt.  In exchange, their oldest son, Al, went to work for St. John’s until the debt was paid off.  Al was drafted into the army, despite difficulty seeing out of one eye, and returned to work at St. John’s after the war ended.  Help from the Catholic Church was a huge blessing for the Kapsner family, as loss of the farm would have left Frank and Barb Kapsner, and their 10 children, homeless like so many others.  

The Kapsner home was heated by a wood stove on the first floor, with no electricity, so you can imagine how cold it was upstairs when the artic winds arrived in the winter.  Rosetta shares how water would freeze in the glasses upstairs.  Barb Kapsner would heat water bottles and place them in the children’s beds along with thick quilts so they would be comfortable at night.  Frank Kapsner would get up early and get the wood stove and oven started each morning so it would be ready when Barb wanted to make breakfast.  Grandma Barbara Kapsner could sew!  For gifts, her daughters would get to pick out a dress from catalog they desired, and Barbara would sew it for them.

I spent Friday, November 4, in the hospital with Rosetta as she was experiencing some chest pain.  She is doing okay now.  (I did sneak over to the football game—see pictures below.)  I have to share a story of rationalization.  Mom wanted to have her ears pierced again, but because she is diabetic and on a blood thinner she couldn’t find a place that would do it.  As she was telling me this, I pointed out, “Your ears are pierced.”  Mom told me, “I asked Scotty where he got his piercings, so I went there.  I finally found a place that didn’t call my doctor.”  So I guess it obviously was okay. 

Pierz football is headed to the state tournament for the 5th year in a row, with a 40-12 victory  over New London Spicer in a snowstorm Friday night.  It had to be a blast to be out there playing!

Quotes from clients:

My family is accepting. Accepting with an ‘a,’ rather than an ‘ex.’
 
How far is 40 miles from your office?
 
She was cute and smart, kind of reminded me of me.
 
I was in a car accident, but I’m not going to get in any trouble, because when the cops came, the other guy panicked and told them the truth.
 
My partner and I have been exploring with different types of-- it’s hard for me to even say it—without worrying what you guys might think of me.  Okay, here it is-- cooking.
 
15-year-old boy describing his girlfriend: “Her eyes sparkle in the sun and her hair flowed in the breeze,” totally serious.  When asked what she liked about him, he responded, “My hair is like an ocean wave.”
 
Client: I got this belt buckle that says, “If you try to take my guns you’ll have to pry them from my cold dead hands.”
Therapist: So do you own a gun?
Client: No. It’s against my probation.
 
From a police interview: He stated in his interview that his last relationship was with you. Is that correct?
Woman: Is stalking a relationship?
 
Therapist: Do you have a history of setting items on fire?
Client: Do you mean other than my clothes?
 
I have attempted suicide four times and was actually successful twice.
 


Thanks for listening,
 
Frank
Pierz Football Pictures Barb Zajac and Olivia (Zajac) Weber Wendy and Reese Kapsner. Folks who read the blog, might question if we are related. My great grandfather, John, and (Reese’s father) Gordy Kapsner’s great great grandfather August, were brothers. So whatever that is… Obviously we’d be proud to be related as they are a great family! Terryl Scholl Preston Rocheleau Jalen Jansen Ben Herold Cohlton Boser Alex Funk Alec Lochner Brandon Dickman Tyler Kunstleben Taylor Marshik Mackade Rackow Jesse Marshik Johnathan Hopkins

A Blast from the Past…

: Branden and Kaycee Deal at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial depicting a breadline during the depression. We have been through difficult times as a country, and we find a way to make them better. Let’s keep that spirit. ​I have been very fortunate with sales of Murder Book​.  The great Minneapolis Tribune momentarily cleaned out the Amazon stock, but there is more on the way.  I spoke Saturday at Westonka Library in Mound, which is part of the Hennipen County Library system.  They told me that there is over 200, approaching 300, people on the waiting list in their library system for my book.  I am still selling personally signed copies on-line and at Reds Auto also. Scott and Megan Herold were married October 20th in Buckman, and it was further celebrated at the Pierz Ballroom.  I enjoy the sense of community in small town weddings.  I had the opportunity to visit with the old E Street gang—the Preimesburgers, Tschidas, Meyers and Webers all grew up on the same block on Edward Street.  It was an entertaining crew at a time when most of our lives happened within one block of home.  We still check on each other’s family members and have a care for each other similar to cousins.  There are many fond memories of Scott’s mother, Tara Preimesburger, who died from cancer in 1999 when Scott was 10.  Tara had to be smiling looking down on Scott and Megan and their families enjoying the day!     
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The wedding gave me a chance to enjoy conversations and stories with the players I coached from the classes of 2006 and 2007.  They were a talented crew, and I firmly believe we could have won the conference with 2 entirely different teams of 8 people in 2006.  I used to take teams to play in tournaments all over, including playing the best teams in Chicago.  If we could get 5 guys together, we’d play anywhere in the state.  Brandon Grittner reminded me of the time my son Shane, Brandon, Mark Korf, Brad Waytashek and Mackenzie Thomas went to a tournament in northern Minnesota and they all played great. I don’t remember what was going on that weekend, but our other players couldn’t make it.  We were winning the championship game when Mackenzie sprained his ankle.  The rule of the tournament was that if you didn’t finish with 5 players on the court you had to forfeit.  Mackenzie was a tough kid and asked to stay on the court.  So we stood him on the offensive end of the court (on one foot) under the basket and played with 4 guys on defense.  When we held the team we’d fire the ball down court where he could lay it in.  Mac also set some picks for us on offense.  I know people would question my allowing this to happen, but it’s a great story that they still talk about.        

When the 2006 & 2007 graduates were in grade school, the Pierz Fire Department bought them numbered  t-shirts to wear.  We’d go into the metro schools in our t-shirts, unmatched shorts, with some kids wearing jeans, playing teams like Edina, with new uniforms, warm-ups and even matching gym bags and we’d beat them.   It was fun.  I’ve always been big into weight training for basketball.  When I’d take the boys and girls I coached into the weight room, I’d have unassertive kids say, “I’m a person who is worthy of respect, and I don’t deserve to take any grief from anyone.”  It’s a game, but it’s also about developing people.  I pushed kids to work to win because I want them to know they can be successful, even on bad days, and even when everything seems to be going wrong. 

Advice on free throws:  Free throws in basketball are like asking someone who is running a 100 yard dash to stop and take a phone call.  My kids were all very good at shooting free throws because they were able to understand it’s completely separate from the rest of the game.  You stop, take 2 dribbles, don’t spin the ball, line up your wrist, elbow and knee with the basket, bend the knees, and lob the ball over the rim.  Anyone who has a long free throw ritual is a bad free throw shooter, because you have to shoot many to be good.  (If you have a long ritual, you can’t shoot many.)  The advantage of free throws is you get to grip the ball exactly as you wish (so don’t spin), but the ball needs to be on your finger tips.  Shoot with one hand and guide it with the other.  Over 90% of shots miss short, so the task is lobbing it over the rim.  My kids had the routine down to the degree that they could close their eyes at the free throw line and still make free throws.   Shane hit 32 consecutive free throws in varsity games, in a stretch which won 5 games with late free throws.  
 
Bill and Marie Weber attended my presentation on Murder Book at Westonka library in Mound, which was a blast.  Bill and Marie are a great example of two educated and kind people who care a great deal for family.  We shared some stories, including a visit they made to our home where they stayed for dinner.  They remembered the long table and found some humor in the fact that, despite there being 10 kids in the home, it was typical to have a couple extra people at a meal. 

We used to play football in the gravel road behind our home.  Because the gravel road led to the St. Mary’s Villa parking lot, there was always an attractive young woman who would drive down the road to work.  She’d drive through slow and wave, while we watched silently in reverence, only to resume whatever we were bantering about when she was out of site.  Looking back, even though I was only in junior high at the time, we all knew she was abused by her husband.  One night when mom called us in, she heard us talking about what a slime ball this guy would have to be, to be abusive to his partner, and mom scolded us for talking bad about him.  She added, “And by the way, he has a bad heart.”  Charlie responded, “That’s what we were talking about.”  Fortunately, law enforcement in Pierz improved significantly since that time.

Quotes:

When you’re a kid everything is up, so you say to your friends “What’s up?  Wait up.  Hold up.  And even let me stay up.”  When  you’re a parent everything is down so you say, “Calm down.  Slow down.  Sit down, and even put that down.”  Jerry Seinfeld

"Why do we call it a building?  Isn’t it built?”  Jerry Seinfeld

Libraries are like the best sale anywhere.  Everything has to go… for free… but it all has to be back in 3 weeks.

 "A 2 year old is like a blender, but you have no top for it.  And make no mistake.  They’re here to replace us.”  Jerry Seinfeld



Thanks for listening,
 
Frank My mother’s Rosetta (Kapsner) Weber’s family. Her mother, Barbara Kapsner, and Barb’s daughters: Irma Terwey, Sister Mary Cecilia, Peggy Block, Regina Grittner, Anna Poser, and Rosetta Weber Rosetta’s father, Frank Kapsner (who I am named after) and Frank’s sons: Urban, Leander, Alphonse, Victor, Gilbert and Oliver. Fred and Peggy Block are my grandparents. Fred and Robert Block built the cement storage building by the Pierz baseball field and I was the ‘tender’ for this project. Fred and Robert worked very efficiently together, so I was the unskilled labor delivering cement blocks. Rosetta’s oldest sister, Irma (Kapsner) Terwey was featured in this advertisement in the Los Angeles Times in the 1940’s. Irma left home at 18 and moved to California, where she still resides at age 95. Irma blessed us with a wonderful visit to Minnesota last year. Rosetta (Kapsner) Weber’s graduation picture. Irma Kapsner This picture is from a post card Sister Mary Cecilia sent Rosetta in 1979 when she was at a training in Washington DC. It is from her visit to Our Mother of Sorrows Chapel. Pierz Football Photos Jayden Smieja, Malea Boser, Maraya Boser and Taylor Kimman Kylie Porter, Kelsi Stuckmayer and Grace Gottwalt Kalyn Gritzmacher, Brittany Boser and Jordyn Jansen Katelyn Smude and Gracie Gall

The Clothesline, Grey Eagle, Mound, Bierut, and Life in the Fast Lane.

Frank is speaking at the Westonka Library in Mound from 2:00 to 3:00 on Saturday, October 21.  
This is a wild week for me.  Along with my usual work, I am a guest speaker on “Memory and Eye Witness Testimony” for Alita Reque Peterson’s college classes Wednesday at CLC, speaking at the Sartell-St. Stephen Community Center Thursday morning on forensic psychology and Murder Book, testifying as an expert witness on a civil commitment case on Friday in St. Paul, and then speaking at the Westonka Library in Mound at 2:00 on Saturday on Forensic Work and Murder Book.  Speaking at the Grey Eagle Library was a blast with a friendly  group of people with great questions. Thank you!  It was nice to have the Minneapolis Tribune do a great review of Murder Book this week, unbeknownst to me.
 
I had an old leather jacket that was warm, but very plain, so I took it to The Clothesline in Pierz and asked them to stitch the Guiness harp on the back.  The Clothesline is a great store and it turned out perfect.  When I wear it out, guys always ask where I bought it.  One of my best friends from high school died last weekend.  My interactions with John Veith were always pleasant.  He used to drive a blue Ford Maverick with a great stereo system.  Anyone who knew John smiles when they remember Steve Miller’s Fly Like an Eagle whirling around the quad speakers in his car.  Whenever I play the Don Williams song, “Good Old Boys Like Me,” I think of John.  “When I was a boy I ran with a kid down the street...  I guess we’re all going to be what we’re going to be…”  John and Dean Marshik were the stars of our football team, starting as tackles already as sophomores.  I haven’t seen John for years so I can’t speak for his life recently, beyond a couple brief and friendly interactions.  He had a stroke years ago, which paralyzed one half of his body.  I heard he had been dead for days when he was found in an apartment in North Dakota.  It’s interesting how as you get older you see that what appeared to be strength as insecurity.   John was a good man.  My two closest friends from grade school were John and Luke Terhaar.  Luke was an attorney and a St. John’s graduate who died from the results of alcoholism at age 30.  But he was much more than that.  John, Luke and I knew each other at times when we were all doing well, and had brief interactions later.   Luke was a successful attorney with a major metro firm and a father.  John was a kind man who would help anybody.    I never criticize my friends (old or new) as while I was with them, they were with me.  Friends, like water, run to the same level.  If they were a mess, so was I.  Some of the best advice I received about leaving a bad situation came from a man who was raised in the bayou in Louisiana.  “Just walk in a straight line, and eventually you’re out of it.”   It seems like an odd thing to say, from a man who makes a living helping people, but sometimes you can be so close to people that you can’t help them.  They won’t listen to you.  They need an objective 3rd person, because when an addiction takes hold, they stop being honest with their friends.   
 
Class of ’82 had a reunion.  Brenda and I enjoyed visiting with a bunch of good people.  Kris Kowitz, a classmate of Brenda’s, was in the Marines in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983 when the Marines barracks were bombed and 241 people were killed.  As a soldier and member of the Marine band, Kris ended up removing bodies and playing at their funerals.  It was the deadliest day for the Marines since the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and the deadliest day for the military since the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam war.  The car bomb was committed by Lebanese terrorists supported by Iran and was the beginning of terrorism by extreme Islamic forces against the U.S.  Kris is strong tough person with a lot of great stories.  She is now struggling with cancer and will soon begin chemotherapy, so please remember her in your prayers. 
 
On my way home from signing books at the St. Paul Art Crawl I decided to stop at Coborn's in Foley to pick up some fruit.  I was tired as I’d been in St. Paul all weekend (during the day) and rolled through the stop sign coming out of parking lot and was pulled over by a police officer.  This is a paraphrase of our conversation.   
 
Officer:  Do you know why I pulled you over?
 
Me:  Rolling through a stop sign.
 
Officer:  When’s the last time you’ve received a ticket?
 
Me:  This morning I received a ticket for driving 64 in a 55. 
 
Officer:  Really?  You’ve already got a ticket today?  Let me see it.
 
Me:  I know it’s not in the system yet, but I did receive a ticket this morning. 
 
Officer:  Okay.  Is the rest of your record pretty good?
 
Me:  No.  Not particularly.  I drive about 35,000 miles a year so I get speeding tickets.  Nothing crazy-- 70 miles an hour.  Probably every year since I received my license at 16.  I don’t have accidents.
 
At this point the officer started laughing and went back to check my record.  He returned, “I appreciate you being honest about so many things that it was to your disadvantage to be honest about.   I think I’m going to let you slide on this…” 
 
Life is good…

Quotes:

If money doesn’t grow on trees, why do banks have branches?
 
A boy asks mom to buy something at the store, to which she responds, “I’m not made of money.”  He replies, “Isn’t that what MOM stands for?”
 
Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.  - Isaac Asimov
 
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.  -Italian Proverb
 
Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.  -Groucho Marx
 
 
 
Thanks for listening,
 
Frank
Lucas Koppy making a rose out of 5 one dollar bills. Lucas is a great guy and talented artist. He was next to me at the St Paul Arts Crawl so we shared some stories. You can see more of his work here .

Presentations, Wall Street and Tennis

Frank will be at the Grey Eagle library on Saturday, October 14, 10:30 to 11:30, speaking on Murder Book, and signing and selling books.  Frank will also be in the Carleton building at the St. Paul Arts Crawl Friday 6:00-10:00, Saturday 1:30 to 8:00, and Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 (October 13, 14 &15).  I have greatly enjoyed talking to people about forensic work and Murder Book.  The sequel is coming along, but due to my obsessiveness, I don’t want to publish it until it is exactly right.  I will continue to update people.  I may share some ideas for potential book covers in the next month. The Weber music get together was a blast!  Typical Weber event, too much food, enough beverages to keep everyone hydrated and lots of music.   We had to play some Tom Petty, in tribute.  George played great keyboards on Thunder Road and we did most of the Desperado album.  It was a fun time.  Puerto Rico is a physical mess with the hurricane and was a financial mess prior.  Most people don’t realize this, but Puerto Rico tried to claim bankruptcy in May of 2017, due to their large debts.  The territory is about $74 billion in debt, mostly to Wall Street hedge funds, who I believe were banking on a government bailout.  While we need to help them through the hurricane, I am hoping Donald Trump stands strong on not bailing out these firms.  I’m still not over the way some of these very same firms robbed taxpayers in 2008.  The crash started during the Bill Clinton presidency, when he eased the rules on Wall Street and repealed the Glass Stiegel Act (which established deposit insurance).  The problems were amplified during the George Bush presidency when he hired the CEO of Goldman Sachs, Henry Paulson, to head the Department of the Treasury.  This was like putting a fox in charge of the henhouse.  Paulson's acceptance of this job saved him $50 in tax revenue, and allowed him to cash out at Goldman Sachs before the crash. 
 
Prior to the rules changing, banks could only make money on the interest they collected when they sold a home.  So they were careful about giving loans.  When Brenda and I bought our first home, I had a state job, but still needed to have her parents cosign so we could get a house loan.  However, with new rules, Wall Street brokers used something they referred to as derivatives (called credit default swaps).  It was like taking out an insurance policy on a loan, and they were allowed to take out as many derivatives as desired.  Previously, if they sold a house for $100,000 and had 6% interest they made $6,000.  Now imagine taking out 5 insurance policies on a $100,000 house.  If the owner couldn’t make the payments, they received $500,000 - the $100,000 cost of the house = a profit of $400,000 (plus they got the house back).  So the rules now changed.  They gave loans to everybody, because there was greater profit in bankruptcy.  When my daughter graduated from college she was given a house loan, with no cosigner, before she had a job.  All of these brokerage firms knew it had to crash, so they paid Harvard and Princeton Professors to make public statements that they were financially solid.  Ultimately, the brokerage firms (like JP Morgan Chase, Godman Sachs and Lehman Brothers) knew the taxpayers would bail them out, because since the Great Depression of the 1930’s our government has bailed out failed banks.  The result was immoral brokers making a fortune, while taxpayers bailed them out to the tune of $700 billion dollars.  If this isn’t bad enough, it’s actually worse.  Congress allowed a one-time audit in 2011 of the Federal Reserve which revealed the bailout was $7.7 trillion dollars in taxpayer money.   Forbes economist, Mike Collins, states that even this is a low estimate, indicating the government commitment is $16 .8 trillion dollars, with $4.6 trillion already paid out.  To put it in perspective, there are 323 million people in the U.S.  This means that every man, woman, and child will pay $52,000 in taxes to pay off that debt.   I completely get it why people are frustrated with government, all parties.     
 
I was listening to an interview with Chris Rock about comedy.  Chris commented that, “While political humor gets you quoted, this type of comedy never has an audience larger than 1200 people.  Relationship humor fills stadiums.”  
 
Quotes:
 
“A banker is a fellow who lends you an umbrella when the sun is shining, but it wants it back when it starts to rain.”  Mark Twain
 
“If bankers are great at numbers, why do they have 8 windows and only 2 tellers?”
 
Albert Einstein is in a waiting line to get to heaven and begins a conversation with the people next to him.  The 1st person says, “I have an IQ of 180.”  Albert begins talking to him about math.  The 2nd person says, “I have an IQ of 150,” so Albert begins talking to him about physics.  The 3rd person says, “I have an IQ of 120,” so Albert begins talking to him about the theatre.  The 4th person says, “I have an IQ of 80,” so Albert asks, “So what are interest rates?”
 
 
 
Thanks for listening,
 
Frank Pierz tennis had another great year and after a victory over Pequot Lakes in playoffs are headed to Virginia (MN) on Monday. Laura Skiba Gracie Gall Gracie Gall Laura Skiba Anessa Leidenfrost and Avy Lease Avy Lease Avy Lease Brittany Boser Brittany Boser Katelyn Smude Rabeka Langer Rabeka Langer Kalyn Gritzmacher Kalyn Gritzmacher Katelyn Smude Anessa Leidenfrost and Avy Lease Anessa Leidenfrost Abby Andrea Abby Andrea Valerie Gall Valerie Gall

Women, Eating disorders, Prayer, Razorbacks and Neologisms

Frank speaking at the Sauk Centre Library on Murder Book last Thursday.  He will be speaking on Murder Book at the Grey Eagle Library from 10:30 to 11:30 on October 14, and at the Westonka Library in Mound from 2:00 to 3:00 on October 21. I was talking to my college students about the differences in the way women and men interact.    Men volley conversations and our typically looking at something other than each other during a conversation.  Women can weave conversations where they finish each other’s sentences.  To be honest, I’m envious of it -- but not enough to change.  No matter what guys say to each other, they can always start the next conversation about the Vikings.   
 
The Webers are having a party on Saturday, October 7, 2017 beginning at 1:00 in the afternoon which will involve an afternoon of sitting around and playing music for anyone who wishes to join, at Rosetta Weber’s home, just off the main drag in Pierz.  Any friends are welcome to stop by.  Beverages will be provided.
 
Eating Disorders
A child, adolescent or young adult with an eating disorder is 10X more likely to die than their peers.  Eating disorders are treatable.  Eating disorders are a brain based illness which involve the brain “tricking” the body into believing it’s full, or that the person has endless energy, when they are actually starving and exhausted.  Body mass index suppression can be caused by a benign factor such as getting braces, joining cross country, breaking up with boyfriend, or mononucleosis.  The suppression can continue to spiral without rebounding.  While vomiting induces noxious feelings for most children, children with bulimia feel a sense of peace and release when vomiting. 

From the onset of eating disorder-------------28 months-----------to onset of symptoms-----------and then another 16 months------------before taken to provider
 
For underweight individuals, full restoration of weight is a necessary part of recovery.  Children who gain 4 pounds in the first 4 weeks of therapy have a 90% chance of recovery.  Children who don’t have a 17% chance of recovery.  Inpatient programs suggest that if the person wishes to return home, refeeding at a rate of 3000 to 6000 calories a day is expected, and not negotiable.  All meals should be supervised and scheduled and parents should take care of everything related to food.  Until their weight is appropriate, the eating disordered person has no involvement in meal preparation.  The plate ‘just magically appears’ and they need to eat until the appropriate amount of calories are consumed.  This will be uncomfortable initially, as they are eating even after they are full.  If they don’t like the food on the plate, they can make a request for next time, but still need to eat.  There are 3 phases of treatment:
​ Weight restorationGradual restoration of age appropriate independencePlanning to prevent relapse
Olanzapine and Risperdal are often beneficial in low doses in some cases on the short-term during the refeeding phase.  It’s important for parents to understand that nothing will rescue them from their level of distress other than repeatedly performing structured behavior of eating and clarifying boundaries.  Pay attention to the results, rather than your feelings about their progress.  Saying the right things isn’t the same as change.
 
Addressing an eating disorder is hard on parents.  The parents need to figure out what levers they have -- it may be school, electronics, or time with friends.  The parents need to use it as a reward.  You have no ammo if they get it all for free.  If the person with the eating disorder gets all the usual rewards without eating, they will not make themselves eat.  Eating is a difficult task for individuals with anorexia, but it is essential to retrain their brain.  If they have not eaten dinner, they need to stay at the table until they have eaten.  This means other children may go outside and play with dad while they are still at the table, or it may mean they will not have any access to electronics or television.  This seems mean, but it’s essential to retrain their brain.  It is a biological process, and changing their behavior is more important than changing their attitude.  Their brain is stuck, and they will not fight it without the right incentives.  It is the parents’ task to provide them. Step 1 - Identify the problem. Step 2 - Have a conversation about it. Step 3 - Set a high bar and maintain that high bar. Step 4 - Pick an accurate weight goal. Step 5 - Feed enough calories to get there. Step 6 - You are not afraid of what the eating disorder is afraid of. Step 8 – Work as a family.Step 9 – Tolerate distress. And that’s how you get to a full remission in a reasonable time.
 
The Effect of Prayer
A study conducted at San Francisco General Hospital randomly assigned 393 cardiac patients to a control group or an experimental prayer group.  The experimental prayer group was prayed for by over 2,000 individuals.  A researcher and physician, Dr. Bird, wanted to know if prayer could affect health, even if the person did not know they were being prayed for.  This was a double blind study, meaning that neither the patients, nor the hospital staff, knew who was in the group who was being prayed for.  A statistically significant number of the individuals in the group being prayed for recovered faster.  They had fewer infections and fewer cases of pneumonia.  They needed to be ventilated less and were in need of fewer medications.  They were also less likely to die from cardiac complications.  Remember, this a group of people who were not aware they were being prayed for.  It would seem like the impact would be even greater if they were aware of it. 
 
A study of people who have religious involvement, compared to those who do not, found that people with religious involvement are healthier, more likely to be faithful to their partners, more likely to take a day off in the week to enjoy their family (such as Sunday), are more likely to forgive others, and are less monetary focused.  They live longer than the general population.  Spiritual people tend to be happier, more productive, and are more hopeful. 
 
There is a part of the Roman Catholic Church that is titled the Liberal Catholic Church based in southern California.  It is recognized by the Vatican as part of “the new Catholic movement.”  This church ordains women as priests and ordains people regardless of sexual orientation.  They also ordain married individuals.  I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Richard Sinacola, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at California State University in Los Angeles, who is a psychologist and an ordained Catholic priest. 
 
Prayer and meditation activate the prefrontal cortex and thalamus, and research confirms that those who pray report feelings of profound calmness, even in areas of the brain associated with the stimulation.  Nearly 1/3 of all physical illnesses have a psychological cause or contributing factor, so religious belief may affect a person’s physical wellbeing.  Plus, religious individuals are more likely to engage in a healthy lifestyle.  Rational theology provides opportunity for a healthy sense of skepticism and discourse.  Rational theology seeks truth and rejects literal interpretations of law and scripture.  During the visit Preston and I had at the Vatican in 2016, we were impressed by the scientific research done in search for truth.   80% of Americans believe in God.  Some therapists who claim to practice Christian counseling wrongly use the platform to convince patients that only religious conversion can help with psychological healing.  There are many ways to heal. 

Odd history
Hernando DeSoto died in 1542 on the banks of the Mississippi in modern day Louisiana.  DeSoto brought pigs to the Americas.  (The ancestors of razorback pigs.)  400 years later, the feral (wild) pigs are a worsening nuisance, especially in Mississippi.  In 1988, they were only on 4% of the state’s land, but it has now grown to 38%.  The hogs which breed like crazy and ravage crops are now a challenge for bow and rifle hunters.  A feral pig recently shot in Virginia tipped the scales at 565 pounds.  DeSoto’s trip was considered a failure by the Spanish, as it failed to find gold or jewels.  In addition, his men exposed Natives to smallpox, chicken pox and measles, which wiped out large numbers of Indians.  Plus his men often initiated fights with the Natives.  It increased Europe’s knowledge of the new world, but all we got out of it was wild pigs...   
 
Quotes:
 
The Washington Post offers a challenge annually for people to come up with a new word (neologism) by changing only one letter in an existing word.  Here are my favorites:
 
Bozone =  The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.
 
Foreploy =  Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
 
Cashtration =  The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
 
Giraffiti = Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
 
Sarchasm =  The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
 
Inoculatte =  To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
 
Hipatitis = Terminal coolness.
 
Osteopornosis  = A degenerate disease.
 
Karmageddon = It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
 
Decafalon = The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
 
Glibido = All talk and no action.
 
Dopeler effect = The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
 
Arachnoleptic fit = The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
 
Beelzebug = Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
 
Caterpallor = The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.
 
Ignoranus =  A person who's both stupid and an ass
 
Reintarnation = Coming back to life as a hillbilly

​
Thanks for listening,
 
Frank  Preston and Frank trout fishing near Caledonia, MN in 2001 Preston, Shane and Nicolette in Chicago in 2002 Mitchell Weber and Nicolette in 2003 Nicolette at South Long Lake in 2006 Preston in Pierz, 2006 Shane at St. Cloud in 2006 Frank 2007 Shane, Nicolette, Brenda and Preston in San Francisco, California in 2007 Preston in Minneapolis in 2007 Brad Trapp, Cole Reardon, Caleb Janson, Michael Marshik, Logan Meyer and Preston Weber celebrate championship in Minneapolis in 2007 Shane, Nicolette, Brenda, Preston and Frank salmon fishing on Lake Michigan in 2008 Nicolette, Brenda, Shane and Preston in Pierz in 2008 Shane and Rachael in Pierz 2008 Nicolette, Shane and Preston in 2009 Brenda and Frank in Pennsylvania, 2010 Shane and Rachael getting ready for football in Pennsylvania, 2010 Nicolette and Branden in Pierz in 2011 Frank in Pierz 2015

Richard Dehler

Join Frank on Thursday, September 28, 2017 for a presentation
on Murder Book at Sauk Centre Library from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Frank carrying the manuscript for the sequel to Murder Book. Before I start this summary of the Richard Dehler tragedy I want to state the Dehlers are salt of the earth, wonderful, people.  The Dehlers and Webers are friends and tragedy can happen in any family.
 
On December 19, 1941, Lawrence Dehler first noted something was wrong when he stopped at the home at 7:45 pm to pick up Richard to take him to a program at the Buckman school.  Lawrence noted the lights were out and when he grabbed the knob to the kitchen door he noticed it was hot.  When he opened the door he smelled smoke and gasoline.  He felt along the wall for the light switch.  The wall was hot and charred.  Lawrence rushed home and told his father, John Dehler of the fire and soon all of the neighbors rushed with lanterns and flashlights to help extinguish the fire.  Blood stains were visible on the kitchen floor.  When the flames were extinguished, they found the bodies of August Dehler, age 50, Regina Dehler, age 48, and two of their children: Anna Mae, age 10, and Kenneth age 5, lying at the foot of the cellar stairs.  Neighbors carried the bodies to the kitchen and called for help. 
 
Richard Dehler, the 16-year-old son in this family wasn’t home when his cousin Lawrence arrived.  Richard had taken the family car into Buckman where he bought a pack of gum.  Killian Zenner found Richard at Al Palashewski’s Barber shop and told him of the fire and Richard returned home.  County Attorney Austin Grimes felt that at the scene Richard was taking the deaths “too calmly” and requested Sherriff William Butcher take Richard into custody.   
 
Richard Dehler was interviewed by investigators until 2:45 am before confessing to the murder of his family.  Richard had been pulled out of school by his father after the 8th grade to work the farm and Richard stated he was tired of being “bossed around.”  August Dehler was described as a hard-working man who was difficult to work for. 
 
The confession revealed that on Friday afternoon, on December 19, 1941, 16-year-old Richard Dehler filled a can with 3 gallons of gasoline and left it in a shed, while his father August was in Little Falls.  At 5:45 pm the family ate a peaceful meal together.  Richard, his mother Regina, and sister Anna Mae then milked cows.  Richard left his mother and sister to finish while he fed the stock.  At 7:00 pm, Richard returned to the house.  Regina and Anna Mae were now washing dishes.  August and 5-year-old Kenneth were on the couch.  Richard said he saw a jackrabbit and retrieved the shotgun.  Once outside the door he loaded the 12 gauge pump rifle with No. 4 shot.  Standing outside he shot his mother in the back through a window from a distance of about 12 feet from her.  Richard then moved to another window and shot his father, August, as he was getting off the couch.  When August crawled forward, he shot him again.  Anna Mae had been too dazed to move.  Richard turned the rifle on her, and his 5-year-old brother.  Richard dragged the bodies down to the cellar.  He went to the shed and retrieved the gasoline and soaked the floors.  Richard changed his clothing and tossed his dirty clothing on the floor and set it on fire.  He then left for town.
 
The crime was sensational and the newspapers sensationalized it further with one article in the Little Falls Transcript referring to it as a “gun orgy.”  The family’s funeral was described as “the largest gathering in Buckman history,” with a full church and 200 to 300 people still outside.   There were more than 75 spectators at the first grand jury hearing. 
 
On January 1, 1942, Richard Dehler and Theodore Grest escaped from jail by throwing pepper in Sherriff Butcher’s face and knocking him out.  (Grest was in jail for punching Mrs. Leo Walker and stealing $800 from her.)  This created panic in Morrison County.  The sheriff’s department responded by passing out rifles to people they “deputized” to “protect the community. “  It was fortunate that an innocent person wasn’t shot.   I remember my parents telling me how someone would stay awake in homes in the Pierz and Buckman areas with a loaded gun while others slept.  Theodore Grest stole a car, which stalled, and they separated.  Theodore was arrested in Sauk Rapids while Richard Dehler was found hiding in a barn near Sobieski in bitter cold weather.  (His toes were frostbitten.)  Richard stated he had gone there to surrender as, “I had caused enough trouble.”  It is interesting to note that the Sherriff referred to Richard as much easier to deal with than Grest.  Sherriff Butcher described Richard as “Just a poor sap who wants to believe he’s hard.”  Richard is reported to have wept in jail after he returned and his siblings told him August had bought him a gun he planned on giving him for Christmas.
 
For the prosecution, Dr. W.L. Patterson from Fergus Falls State Hospital evaluated Richard Dehler and found him “sane by every test.”  For the defense, Dr. Julius Johnson, a Minneapolis Psychiatrist, stated that Richard suffered from “dementia praecox” or “precocious madness” and was hearing voices at the time.  (These terms were later replaced in the diagnostic standards manual with the word Schizophrenia.)  Richard was found sane, and was never later diagnosed with schizophrenia.   At age 16, Richard Dehler was convicted of 1st Degree Murder and sentenced to life at Stillwater State Penitentiary.  Because of all of the publicity the case received, Richard ultimately served his time out of state.    
 
While nothing justifies what happened, it is still important to put the whole incident in context.  August Dehler had experienced a car accident 6 years before this incident and he was described as increasingly irritable since that time.  Richard was described as increasingly more morose, uncommunicative and sullen in the 2 years prior to the incident.  This was the depression era and people were stressed over World War II.  Punishing children with the belt was common practice.    While Richard was selected to stay home and work the farm, his older sisters, Evelyn and Irma, received the highest rankings a female could receive in the Navy and Army respectively.  His older sister Lucille was a hairdresser in Minneapolis.  His older brother Ralph was attending St. Thomas.  His older sister Lorraine, age 18, was attending high school at St. Francis in Little Falls.  Ultimately, all of the surviving family members moved to Oregon and remained close.   According to Richard, and I should point out he was in no way trying to justify his behavior, the aggravating incident occurred after Richard Dehler had saved Antoine Johnson from drowning.  Antoine was grateful and wanted to give Richard a car.  However, August would not allow Richard to accept the car.  After his incarceration, Richard reported he honestly couldn’t remember shooting his siblings, but knew he must have. 

In 1960, Richard Dehler appealed the sentence.  His attorney, T. Eugene Thompson, argued that Dehler should have been granted a change of venue due to the publicity the case received in Morrison county.  The supreme court ruled that local papers had not made a determination of his guilt.  (This judgement was questionable.  When you look at the papers, Richard is referred to as the “Slayer” in some articles.)  Thompson also argued that Richard wasn’t aware he could get life in prison.  Richard cost himself the appeal.  The judge asked Richard directly if he was aware he could get life, and he told the judge he was aware, stating “I wanted to get it over with.”  Richard Dehler served 24 years in prison and was released in 1964.  A life sentence at the time was 15-40 years.  The sentences are much harsher now.
 
Richard Dehler was employed as a tailor making clothing for the clergy in prison.  He became active in the Catholic Church, and with the support of Father Voigt was eventually released from prison.   He married, was close to his surviving siblings, and died in Casper, Wyoming in 2008.  Upon his release from prison, Richard Dehler was described as a generous person, soft-spoken and a kind soul.  It is reported that he is missed by people who were close to him.  This was a tragedy involving a depressed 16-year-old kid in a bad situation.  Nothing makes it okay, but it does emphasize the importance of getting people help.
 
On the lighter side:
 
On Saturday, October 7, 2017, Rosetta is inviting friends of Webers (including friends, people we played ball or music with, or who just came to the parties), to her home 2 blocks off of main street, where we’re going to sit around in her garage to play music and share stories.  There will be beverages provided.   Arrive any time after 1:00.  This will be a blast.  No invitations sent.  Just show up.  Typical Weber party!
 
Quotes:
 
I’m as close to my brother Charlie as I am anyone outside of my immediate family.  He has helped me considerably in my life, and he’s damn funny.  For those of you who know my brother Charlie, the following stories won’t surprise you.
 
I walked into a restaurant in Brainerd for lunch one afternoon, and a waitress asked, “Are you Charlie’s brother?”  When I told her yes, she dug out a piece of paper and said, “You’re taller and thinner than he is, but he’s smarter and better looking than you are.”  She then told me she had attended a training Charlie provided and when she shared that I occasionally eat at the restaurant where she works, Charlie wrote that note and made her promise to read it to me the next time I came in.
 
After Mama Cass died (which was initially reported from choking on a ham sandwich), and Karen Carpenter died from anorexia, Charlie’s comment was, “They’d both be alive today, if they just would have split that sandwich.”
 
Charlie had worked as a bartender for over a decade before taking work at social services.  He was initially trained as an intake worker by a female supervisor.  After helping a young woman who was requesting assistance, he had a situation he hadn’t been trained for so he went back to his supervisor and told her, “This woman’s pregnant.”  His supervisor told him, “Well, first you need to make sure she’s pregnant.”  Charlie smiled and responded, “This is a great job!”  After her initial shock at his response, his supervisor had to bust out laughing.
  
Preston conducted the Community Crosstown Band at Finfest U.S.A. at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis last weekend.  (This is a band for adults in the metro area who still want to play their music instruments even though they may have no involvement in a music program anymore.  If interested, I’ll put you in touch with Preston.)  This is the 100th year of Finland’s freedom and the President of Finland, Sauli Vainamo Ninsisto, spoke before the concert.  There were some amazing wood carvings, including an 8 foot wooden chain that was all carved out of one solid piece of wood.  As I was looking this over, two elderly women were sitting behind a table talking about the lack of emotion in Finish men.  One said, “When I married my husband he told me, I love you.  There.  We don’t need to have that conversation again unless it changes.”


Thanks for listening,

Frank Preston conducting the Crosstown Community Band at "Finfest" outside of Orchestra Hall. Pictures from this summer. Brenda Kaycee visiting Pierz, Minnesota Olivia and Rachael Kaycee and Nicolette Shane working in his backyard in League City, Texas