DICKINSON — When Ethel Fraase was born in 1924, the number one song on the radio was "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin, and Calvin Coolidge was the president of the United States. A century later, as she prepares to celebrate her 100th birthday, Ethel reflects on a life that began on a 60-acre farm in Regal, Minnesota, without the modern conveniences of electricity and running water. Her journey from those early days through the Great Depression, World War II, and beyond, is a testament to her resilience and adaptability.
"I should have wrote a book," she shared with a sly smile. Ethel was born and raised in Regal, Minnesota, with her nine siblings. She grew up on a 60-acre farm about 10 miles out of town with no water and no electricity.
If water was needed, it had to be carried from a well. At about 10 years old, the family finally got a car, which Ethel praises as the most important invention in her lifetime. That and landlines, she recalls, "One short and two long was our ring!" Ethel exclaims with laughter.
From the Great Depression, Ethel explains how her mother would patch the kids' holed stockings together from other holed stockings just to make one usable stocking. During the Dust Bowl, no crops would grow and food was very scarce, and the only way they had fruit was because the government would have it sent to the schools. She explained how there would be a layer of silt on the window sills an inch thick or more at times.
ADVERTISEMENT Later in life, the farm was auctioned off, and the family moved to St. Cloud. Eventually, Ethel began working at a hotel.
Soon, World War II started, and the men were being sent off to war. At this time, the women had to start taking over the men's jobs. Ethel started working at a paper mill in St.
Cloud, Minnesota, then began working in an egg factory to send eggs to the men overseas. Eventually, Ethel was “called” to Atwater, Minnesota, to work at the Atwater Hotel. Ethel's father and the hotel manager made it very clear that to work in Atwater at the hotel, "You must attend church every Sunday no matter what.
" Ethel agreed and started work and attended church services with her new employers. This would soon come to be the best instruction and advice she had ever received. The Atwater Hotel had a bar and restaurant that many locals would often visit, including Bill Fraase, manager of the local elevator.
One day, Bill had come in and requested for Ethel to come visit with him. She recalls how there was a soldier boy standing next to him. It was Bill’s son, Victor Fraase.
He was home on furlough for two weeks. Victor had asked, "How long you work?" Ethel replied, "11 pm." Victor responded, "I’ll be back.
" Ethel explains how this was the start of the romance. For two weeks, they spent as much time together as possible before Victor was sent back to the war. While Victor was fighting, he fought in some of the bloodiest battles in history, including the infantry frontlines in Normandy during D-Day.
"So you can only imagine how difficult that was," says Ethel as she shakes her head in disbelief. Even all these years later, you can feel the gratitude in her words when she explains getting the telegram from the Andrew's Hotel in Minneapolis from Victor to meet him there. From there, in 1945, the two got married and welcomed their first child into the world in 1946, the first of six children.
ADVERTISEMENT Victor had a job at the elevator waiting for him in Killdeer, North Dakota, where they lived for 10 years before being transferred to Mott, North Dakota. Eventually, they got into the honey bee business when Victor could no longer handle the fertilizer chemicals at the elevator. When Ethel and Victor retired, they had an auction and were able to build a house in Chandler, Arizona.
"They were great years," says Ethel. "We became snowbirds and came and visited the kids in Mott in the summer." Sometime later, Victor had gotten sick after suffering a stroke and losing his voice.
Ethel became very solemn as she recalled the event and went on to explain, "That's when I had moved into Renaissance, a place like this." "Then I was moved here to Hawk’s Point to be closer to where my daughter is here in Dickinson." Ethel expresses how she enjoys her days at Hawk’s Point and the staff have plenty of activities for her.
She is especially happy that she is so close to her wonderful children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who spend much time with her throughout the week. "I am so blessed with the family that I have, I can’t even begin to express how lucky I really am to have such a wonderful family!" exclaims Ethel. When asked about how she stayed so healthy all these years and what advice she would give to people, Ethel responds with great conviction, "Exercise! I can’t remember a time where I didn’t exercise.
Take care of yourself. Go to church. Pray.
" When asked what was the best advice she ever received, she tells us, "Go to church, no matter what! Go to church!" "I wouldn’t have been allowed to go to Atwater to work if I had not been able to go to church." Ethel implies that she would not have gotten to meet Victor and would not have had the chance to have such a beautiful family. The family will be celebrating her 100th birthday with her at the Veterans Memorial Pavilion this weekend in a family reunion-style gathering with the entire family and their children and their children's children.
ADVERTISEMENT Editor's Note: The staff of The Press wishes Ethel Fraase a very happy 100th birthday..
