To the editor:

During these trying times, perhaps we can find some humor in these true anecdotes. I left out personal names to the extent that I could.

1) During the Great Depression, many rural towns had their own gang of ruffians. Tapiola and Elo were no exception. One day during happenstance, these two gangs ran into each other at the Pesola store in Elo. The Tapiola boys started their trash talk trying to get a rumble started. As pressure built, the point man for Elo; who was very big and strong, emerged from behind that gang. There was a moment of silence and then one of the Tapiola boys said, “Is it OK if we argue a little bit first?”

2) During a ceremony at the Mission United Church near Pelkie, a little girl innocently watched the Pastor walk down the aisle towards the pulpit. She was overheard to say, “Hello Jesus.”

3) A local fellow whom some called a simpleton; was at Karvakko’s store in Tapiola one day. At the same time and place was an Ohio tourist. The tourist noticed the local’s odd appearance and mannerisms. The tourist told the store clerk, “There are quite a few characters around here.” Not missing a beat the local man responded, “Ya but, come Zuptember (September), daly all pe gone.”

4) A local Elo man was known to use his tractor to pull vehicles out from the ditches near where he lived. Most drivers that were rescued would give this man a cash reward. My Uncle knew this fact and offered to drive this man to the Pelkie Co-op for shopping. The man went along; but, when they got to the store my Uncle’s neighbor man stayed in the car. When questioned about this, the man said, “I was told that this is gas money.”

5) At St. Henry’s Church in Nisula, (now defunct), during the service a person blew their nose so loudly and in such a way that it sounded like a trumpet. The service was briefly paused as the congregation broke out into laughter.

6) Similarly, at the long torn down Elo Church, a lone bachelor was sitting in the far back pew. Sometime during the sermon, he passed an enormous amount of gas. Naturally on a hard bench that it was, it made a very loud reverberating noise. The ensuing silence throughout the building was reportedly deafening. A long period of quiet and dismay followed. Then the dealer of this sad event took ownership of it by saying, “Eh, Heh!”