Neil Ostgaard was born Feb. 14, 1943, in Tracy, Minnesota to Joe Sigurd Ostgaard and Mary Matilda (Anderson) Ostgaard. Neil was the middle of three Ostgaard boys with Joel two years older and James five years younger.

Neil described his birthplace as a beautiful, old home that had been converted to a hospital.

“It had maybe five or six patient rooms. Tracy had two hospitals and maybe 3,500 people at that time. Dr. Workman was our family doctor and he brought all three of us into the world.”

The Ostgaards came from Norway. Neil explained that old-world connection was close in his family.

“My father was full-blooded Norwegian. His mother and father emigrated. I think my grandparents were neighbors in Norway, but I’m not sure whether they married in Norway or after they arrived [here]. Another relative was Dad’s aunt. We called her Tanta, which is Aunt in Norwegian.”

Although the Ostgaard’s quickly integrated into U.S. society, Neil explained they worked to maintain family ties in Norway.

“Like many immigrants, Dad’s parents spoke Norwegian at home, but emphasized it was important for their kids to learn English. My Aunt Ann, Dad’s sister, understood and could speak and write in Norwegian and kept in touch with their Norwegian relatives.”

Most of the extended American Ostgaard family ended up in Tracy.

“My Dad had two brothers and Aunt Ann. They all came to Tracy in the 1930s to run a liquid propane outfit called MinnGas. I had two uncles and four cousins on my Dad’s side. Aunt Ann did not marry, which helped us kids at Christmas because she was very generous. (Neil chuckled) We always got together at Thanksgiving and Christmas. My dad and both uncles were big golfers, so they joined the Tracy Golf Course when I was young. I remember playing golf as young as seven years.”

Bruce’s parents also maintained close ties to his mother’s family.

“My mom’s mother, Jessica Ryan, was Irish, so that’s where the Catholic Church comes in. She married my Grandpa Anderson. I think both were second or third generation American. I was closest to my Aunt Jane, my mom’s closest sister. That’s where we’d stay when we’d visit family in the Twin Cities.”

Neil laughed remembering when his family’s Norwegian/Irish dichotomy first became apparent to him.

“When my youngest brother was baptized our parish priest was out of the town, so a visiting priest presided. When the visiting priest saw the parents were Ostgaards and the godparents also had Scandinavian names, he asked, ‘Are you sure you are in the right church?’ ”

The family’s home life was unsettled during the WWII years when housing was tight. For instance, they rented the second floor of Neil’s Uncle Earl’s house for a time. Neil remembered moving to their permanent home.

“[My folks] bought a home on State Street in 1950. I was seven when we moved. It was a big, old house with four upstairs bedrooms. I had my own room, which was nice. My brothers ended up sharing a larger bedroom. Downstairs had a big, old kitchen, big enough for a large kitchen table. The kitchen was the gathering place, especially when family visited.”

Neil described life in and around the Ostgaard home.

“In those days, parents weren’t your buddies; they were your teachers and disciplinarians. Mom would assign dish duties in the kitchen, but Dad assigned most of our tasks. It was mostly around the lot. We had a detached garage on the back of the lot. I remember that because we had to always shovel that long driveway. (Neil laughed) We owned an extra lot and every year that entire lot was planted in a garden. Our parents were children of the Depression, so they believed in self-sufficiency. Just about everybody had a Victory Garden during the war and Mom insisted on continuing that. Every fall she would can fruits and vegetables. So, we did a lot of planting, weeding, and hoeing; shucking corn; and picking berries.

But work away from home also started early for Neil and his older brother.

“Joel and I both got work early. He started first with a paper route for the morning Minneapolis Tribune. He handled the papers for the west half of town and another boy had the east side. When that boy quit delivering, I took his place. I’d take my bike or walk in the winter months. I remember asking my dad if he could drive me around on a particularly cold winter morning. He laughed and said, ‘Oh, you go out there. It’s good for you.’ (Neil laughed) Saturday’s you’d collect for the paper. I always tried to get home before noon because the Lone Ranger was on the radio at noon. We’d always listen to that.”

Neil summarized how his folks influenced him and his brothers.

“My dad was a very serious guy, at least with us kids. I guess that was the Norwegian way. Mom was the light-hearted one. She’d tell us to keep laughter in your life, saying, ‘Laughter will take you far.’ We all have money in the bank. That was Dad’s lesson. That was the pretty good distinction between them, but they were both good people.”

Growing up in Tracy, however, was more than being an Ostgaard. Life influencers came from outside Neil’s family as well.

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.