Dip Your Hanky in Gasoline

No.  This is not an anarchist handbook, nor is it about some miracle cleaning agent.  This is about a courtship, something for which I am totally unqualified to expound upon, but I can relate a family story.

The story concerns my grandparents. Although I would never have guessed it from my experience with my grandfather when he was in his 60's and 70's, apparently he was quite a man about town in Brandon before the war (WWI), gregarious, fun-loving and considered quite a catch. He was a member of the Brandon Players and often in the lead role - a true thespian. Who knew? I always considered him the stereotypical Scandinavian, reserved and low key, although he did have a flair for humor and the practical joke.  e.g. Hoof Hearted.

The title of this blog comes from a courting technique Ole apparently used or claimed to have used as a young man. The idea was to attend a social event with your hanky dipped in gasoline and find an excuse to pull it out when near a girl you were hankerin' for. The girl would then assume you had a car, a really big separator from the competition in the 1912 dating world. I guess he figured that once the truth was revealed he could rely on his Scandinavian charm to save the day.

In 1914, Ole gave Esther a lovely engraved watch inscribed xmas 1914 Esther.  Esther promptly headed for Minneapolis and a housekeeping job with cousins Martin & Mabel Carlson. But the romance continued by post. I have a number of Esther & Ole's letters during that period - which will not be revealed. But the key factor in reuniting the couple was Esther's mother Sofia. Esther was the only daughter amongst the 7 children.  (A sister died at age 2). Esther and Sofia were very close and they would write frequently (in Swedish). 

Sofia writes in Sept 1914

"Dear Loved Esther ... I shall certainly want you to stay as long as you can but I don't know how we can get through the thrashing without you." ... "Auntie does not want to say whether you should stay or come home to help us. We do not want to hire a girl but will be fine if we stay healthy" ... "Ole was here on Sunday...".   Lovingly, Mama

Gentle coercion. So needless to say Esther returned to Brandon in 1915 to care for her mother and Ole rejoiced. They were married on May 20th, 1916. Interestingly, Ole's family did not attend the wedding. Esther was a Covenanter, not the required Lutheran, so the union was not blessed by the Hoplins. However, Esther won them over with her kindness and gentle spirit. She ultimately had several of the Hoplin objectors living with them in Lowry.

 From the Brandon Forum, June 1916

“At four o’clock, Saturday afternoon of May 20, occurred the wedding of two of our most popular young people, Miss Esther Marie Nelson and Ole Hoplin. {Editor note: The Hoplin farm was on Little Chippewa and the Nelson farm was on Stowe’s Lake, just to the northwest.} The ceremony took place at the house of the bride’s parents in the presence of the immediate families and the nearest neighbors, and was conducted by Rev. Eidsaa, until recently the pastor of the Free Church here. The bride is the only daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Carl Nelson, and has spent the greater part of her life in this vicinity. She is very popular and well known for her kindly disposition and her general ability. The groom has likewise spent most of his life here. He has been for some time manager of the Brandon Farmer’s Grain Co. We are sorry to add that within a few days he has accepted a position as manager of the Lowry Hardware store so that Brandon will be deprived of the society of Mr. & Mrs. Hoplin. Both socially and as a businessman, Mr. Hoplin has been very well known to Brandon. He was one of those taking part in the home talent play recently presented by the Literary Society and gave decided evidence of unusual ability in that direction. Among the guests of the town attending the wedding were Mrs. Carl Aas, a sister of Mrs. Carl Nelson; Gust , Olaf, Sam and John Nelson. The Forum joins with the community wishing happiness to the groom and to the bride and a long and pleasant life to both of them. “ 

Sofia Letter translated from Swedish

I never saw my grandparents hug or kiss, but this was a 65 year love affair - in a decidedly understated sort of way. Their final years were spent in a retirement home where they pulled the single beds together so they could fall asleep holding hands.   

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