I. Marilyn, returned to nursing in 1965 and I am employed
at the University of Minnesota Hospital as a night supervisor
for six years. I have kept up my interest in music and have
sung with groups and church choirs over the past years. In
Minneapolis, I sang with the Bach Society Chorus, under the
direction of Dr. David LaBerge, for eight years. The chorus
has sung with the Minneapolis Symphony a number of times
and the most memorable concert was the Mozart Requiem,
with the Minneapolis Symphony under the direction of Robert
Shaw.
JACOB AND ELLEN JANE FRANCIS
Jacob Francis was born in Cornwall, England in the year of
1853. At the age of 12, he came to the United States with his
mother, three brothers, and one sister after the death of his
father in a mine accident in Wales. The family first settled in
Dodgerville , Wisconsin. They then moved on to Kittson
County, Minnesota and from there to Crookston, Minnesota .
Jacob vividly remembered seeing Civil War soldiers returning
from the battlefields when his family landed in New York
City.
His sister, Grace, opened a photography studio in Crookston and later married Charles Greenalgh, a Crookston resident. Jacob shovelled coal from freight cars at a salary of $1 .00
per day and later worked as a cement and stone mason.
Included in the buildings that he helped to build are the
Crookston Cathedral and the Cathedral School, the Eagle
Building, and some of the buildings at the Minnesota Technical College. After his retirement from masonry he raIsed quantities of potatoes and other vegetables which he sold to Ralph
Lycan at the Hotel Crookston, to Charlie Rapin at the Grill
Cafe, and to the local grocery stores.
On February 13, 1882, he married Ellen Jane Kyle at the
Methodist Church in Crookston. Ellen Jane was born in 1859
in Medford, Canada. Her parents had emigrated to Canada
from Belfast, Ireland. Several years later they too moved their
family to Crookston. (Kyle family photo enclosed).
Jacob and EllenJane became interested in the Salvation
Army and both became Salvation Army Soldiers. Jacob often
marched with the Army to a Crookston street corner WIth hIS
drum and participated in the open air services. His grandson,
Lyle Francis, often assisted by carrying the large drum from
one street corner to another. At Salvation Hall Meetings, he
played the tambourine. This instrument has been donated to
the Polk County Historical Society and may be seen at the
Society'S Museum in Crookston. For many years, cold weather
or not, he stood at a street corner before Christmas so people
could drop coins in the Salvation Army kettle. Sam Wallace
and Bishop Corbett were among the generous contributors to
the funds which provided turkey dinners to needy families.
Jacob and Ellen Jane became parents of eleven children.
One of the eleven died in infancy.
Jacob Francis.
JOSEPH G. FRIES
Joseph G. Fries was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin in 1901 to
parents Jacob Joseph and Margaret J. Barry Fries. He grew up
in La Crosse and Caledonia, Minnesota. He came to Crook54
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Fries
ston, Minnesota in the fall of 1922. He worked for the late
Joseph Capistran, later becoming a partner in the Crookston
Fuel Company with Clarence Capistran ; later he worked for
the Crookston Granite Company and then for the Peterson
Biddick Company until he was forced to retire in 1960 on
•
account of poor health.
Joseph Fries met and married Fern Capistran in 1928. They
had 8 children: Eileen Marie, born in 1929; Dolores Marcella,
born 1931 ; Ronald Gregory, born in 1933; Francis Joseph,
born in 1936; Valerie Florence, born in 1939; Gregory John
born in 1944; Linda Jean, born in 1949; James Fulton, born in
1953. The children grew up in Crookston and all attended the
Cathedral School, and they all graduated from the Cathedral
High School, here in Crookston, Minnesota. Eileen married
Earl Wilkens in 1955. Earl is the son of late Mr. and Mrs.
Jacob Wilkens of Crookston, Minnesota. They live in Crookston, Minnesota and have two children : David Paul, 1955 and
Janna Marie, 1961. Earl is a rod man working on constru'ction.
Delores Fries Welch, lives in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. She
has two sons: Scott Anthony, 1957 and Mark Robert. She
works for the Coca-Cola Company in Edina, Minnesota. Ronald Gregory married Constance Mary Sullivan in 1958. She is
the daughter of the late Earl Sullivan and Mrs. Ray Pope of
Crookston, Minnesota. They live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and
have two children: Todd Ronald, 1961 and Tracy Elizabeth,
1969; Ronald served four years in the United States Air Force,
and is now a pharmaceutical salesman for the McNeil Laboratories.
Francis Joseph married Marylee Allen of South St. Paul,
Minnesota in 1961, and lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. They have
three daughters: Laura Fern, 1962; Jeanne Therese, 1966; and
Catherine Jo, 1967. Francis served two years in the United
States Army, and now works for the United States post office,
and Marylee is a teacher. Valerie Florence married Robert J.
Sullivan in 1958. He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Sullivan of Crookston, Minnesota. They live in Hudson,
Wisconsin. They have two sons, Jeffery Michael, 1959 and
Greg Robert, 1962. Robert is a salesman for Shasta Pop.
Gregory John married Georgine Bang, daughter of George
Bang and the Mrs. Armindine Bang of Crookston, Minnesota.
They live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and have two children: Kelly
Jean, 1967 and Jason Gregory, 1970. Gregory served four
years in the United States Navy and is now a salesman for
American Hospital Supplies.
Linda Jean married George Deckon in 1973 and they live in
Atlanta, Georgia. George is a salesman for Dennison Copying
Machine and Office Supplies, They have no children.
James Fulton married Gail Taggart of Wadena, Minnesota
in 1975. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Taggart of
Wadena, Minnesota. They are living at Chaska, Minnesota
and both work at the Les Malkerson Horse Farm outside of
Chaska, as instructors in horse care and training. James is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Leodore Capistran,
also a lover of horses. Gail is an avid horse woman, and was
Queen of the Wadena Saddle Club for two years. She has also
won many trophies and ribbons at horse shows here and
throughout this area.
Joseph Fries passed away in 1963, and Fern was a widow
until 1967, when she married Mr. Melvin B. Fenno of Crookston, Minnesota. He was the father of II children, and with
her eigh t children, they have a family of 19 children. They are
all grown up and all married, but one, and most of them came