Jerry Terhaar

On July 9th, Lois and I spent three hours with Jerry Terhaar (right), his daughter, Pat Rosvold, age 49, and grandchildren, Cathryn, age 12, and Patrick, age 15. This was especially meaningful, because my cousin, Lois LaFavor Terhaar, passed just a few weeks earlier at age 88 and we were not able to get to the funeral from Florida. Jerry and Lois were married 60 years. We talked about times past, our wonderful Austrian relatives and family history.

I remember Jerry from before 60 years ago. He was a boarder at the LaFavor house on Stevens Street. He was a graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville MN and served in the U.S. Navy on a destroyer-escort ship during WWII. When Jerry lived at LaFavor’s, his university and navy experiences were behind him and he was embarking on a business career at the E.M. Lohman Co. in St. Paul where he worked 20 years in sales. Then he worked another 20 years for another company before he entered his own business of making patches and cloisine pins which developed into into impressive revenues.

Onkel George built a home for Lois and Jerry on Hall Ave. in St. Paul. They had a great relationship. Later, Onkel George renovated a home for Lois and Jerry when they outgrew the Hall Ave. home. But, let’s go back 60 years when Jerry lived with the LaFavor’s.

At that time, Lois LaFavor was working in San Francisco for the Government. Jerry was living in Lois’ room which she left behind in the LaFavor house. Some time later, Lois decided she wanted to return home.

“What did you do then?” I asked Jerry.

“I did the only thing I could do, I married her,” responded Jerry with a big smile. “It took a little time, and I was really sure she was the one.” Jerry had written me a note earlier this year and in it told me that Lois is still his sweetheart. Nobody every doubted that.

Jerry knew my Aunt Catherine very well and recalled what a great seamstress she was. She made gowns for St. Paul society ladies and wedding gowns for every other lady. Louis LaFavor worked most of his life at the Hardenburgh company in St. Paul, maker of horse harnesses. With an eighth grade education, he learned accounting and worked his way up as part owner of the company. When cousin Chuck Wazlawik opened a grocery store on Stryker Ave., Uncle Louis did the accounting for the operation. I’ll always remember he wore a neatly ironed white shirt and tie. I never saw him in liesure or work clothes.

Uncle Louis and Catherine LaFavor were victims of the 1929 Wall Street crash and suffered through the Great Depression. They never stood in a bread line or sold apples on the street corner, but they learned how to mistrust banks, because hundreds and hundreds of banks failed and were never bailed out by the government. Stories about securing one’s money in shoe boxes or in a mattress are legend from that period.

Jerry tells about this one bureau drawer in the dining room of the house. Every time Louis came home he would go to that drawer, open it, feel the contents under a cloth and close it. The word in the household was this drawer was absolutely off limits to everyone. Jerry never learned what was in that drawer. That was Uncle Louis’ drawer.

Jerry will be 90 years old next birthday. Three years ago he was an avid golfer. As Jerry explains, spinal stenosis set in and paralyzed his legs. Today he gets around in a motorized chair which allows him to attend functions and play cards with his neighbors in this wonderful facility where he lives. He has daily in-home care and a great robust attitude as he always has exhibited.

Daughter Pat helped set up this visit and she brought along her two wonderful children. Patrick is an Eagle Scout and a catcher on a winning baseball team. It was a real pleasure to meet them. This was also the first time we met Pat Rosvold, as we have lived away from St. Paul for the past 55 years. We very much appreciated this opportunity to visit.