Trending
We have begun learning about Tracy's Neil Ostgaard and his service in the Vietnam War. Neil was born in 1943 to Joe Sigurd Ostgaard and Mary Matilda (Anderson) Ostgaard and attended Tracy Public Schools.
Neil had two Ostgaard uncles and an aunt who also lived in Tracy. His family rented the upstairs of Uncle Earl's house during the 1940's. His folks bought their State Street home in 1950.
Neil described his elementary school.
"It was Tracy Elementary School. St. Mary's hadn't built their school yet. It was an old, three-story building. There were even classes in the basement. It was a couple blocks from the downtown and three blocks from my uncle's house, so it was close when we lived there.
He recalled his 3rd grade teacher with appreciation.
"Miss Jacobs had a reputation for being the strictest teacher in school, but turned out to be one of the best. She had a split class that included 3rd and 4th graders. I was in 3rd grade. When she was done with us, she taught the 4th grade. I learned a lot from that. I later figured out that was why the farm kids were so smart! They attended country school for their early grades and had benefited from learning from the lessons for the older grades."
Neil remembered some special elementary days.
"I originally learned to swim at Lake Shetek. They bused us there in school buses for lessons. I also remember shot days. The nurse giving those most of the time was Jim's mom, Mrs. Keul. She was a good buddy."
Those years also brought long-term friends.
"There were two that I knew all the way through school, Jacquie Freeman and Dennis Wright. They lived across the street from each other. We lived in close proximity, so we played together a lot."
There were a lot of activities that occupied Jim's non-school time.
"After we [moved to State Street] they built the municipal pool 1½ blocks from our house. After the pool opened, we were there every day with our nickel. We had City Park. They had tennis courts and I played tennis with my friend, Dennis. I went ice-skating there in the winter."
Television also became a thing during those years.
"We were the second family in town to get a TV. The other family was the football coach, Coach Sebastian. I remember guys would come over to watch the Friday night fights. There'd be calls back and forth between the two houses to compare reception. Later we attached an antenna to the chimney for better reception. We used a device to turn the antenna toward the station we wanted to watch. (Neil laughed) Often someone would go outside to help orient the antenna."
Neil's upper elementary and Junior High years brought big changes.
"By the time I hit 5th and 6th grade, they had moved those classes to the high school. My class was really big for Tracy; we had 100 students."
He also began working a steady job beyond his paper route.
"I got a job as a bag boy at a grocery store downtown called Red & White. It was after school and weekends. After working a couple years I asked for a raise of another $1/week. But for that $1 I could take a girl to a movie and out for burgers afterward. When the manager wasn't sure, I told him, 'You don't have to approve this, but if you don't, this will be my last day.' (Neil laughed) They gave me the raise."
High school brought new people and activities into Neil's life.
"There were more farm kids in our class. The townies were in the minority. Joel and James were the athletes in the family. I was the musician. I joined the band, the men's chorus, the mixed chorus, and dance band. Dennis and Jacqui were still good friends and everybody else in the dance band. I was in a class play my junior year. I was on the Student Council three years and was class president my senior year."
The band and dance band involved performance opportunities beyond school concerts.
"The band played half-time of home football games, so that was always fun. We'd play summer concerts in the City Park band shell. Dance band would play at the Prom for some of the smaller schools around there.
Neil laughed describing another, new high school activity.
"In high school we'd go to Marshall because they had a drive-in (theater). I think they charged by the person because it seemed like we always had a guy or two in the trunk."
Neil remembered high school educators who influenced him.
"I was really into music, so the ones who really stand out were the music teachers. Mr. Rood was our band instructor, but he left before senior year. Mr. Peterson replaced him. I remember Coach Sebastian; Mr. Marbin, our junior high principal; and Mr. Anderson, our high school principal. He was a good listener, which made him a good counselor and disciplinarian.
Neil's post-high school plans were influenced by another uncle.
"I knew I was going to college. My Uncle Larry, who worked as a writer on the Minneapolis Tribune, talked me into St. John's University. I never really thought about going anywhere else."
Neil attended St. John's and the mandatory ROTC courses there led to his Army service.
The Lyon County Museum is organizing an exhibit about the Vietnam War and Lyon County. If you would like to share Vietnam experiences or help with the exhibit, please contact me at prairieviewpressllc@gmail.com or call the museum at 537-6580.