The Viking Bachelor
Stories
LECTIONARY TALES FOR THE PULPIT
Series III, Cycle A
In 1948 there lived a group of bachelors in the small Minnesota town of Viking. There were one hundred single men in Viking. There was one single woman.
The pastor, Rev. C. T. Thompson, held parties for the men and they spent time picnicking, hunting, and fishing. He even had dinners for the men, who ranged from 21 to 81. He wanted these men from Zion Lutheran Church to make the best of their bachelorhood.
On February 29 of that year, a group at Honeywell in Minneapolis brought their secretary, Ruth Peterson, a newspaper report of this town and their bachelors. She was intrigued. The headline read: "Leap Year Lure: Single Men of Viking Outnumber Women 100 to 1." Ruth was taking night classes in Swedish and business. She wasn't dating anyone in particular, and her friends thought it would be good for her to read it. They convinced her to write the pastor for names of eligible bachelors. She received LeRoy Sustad's name.
Pastor Thompson, who never married, was successful in getting many of the bachelors married off. Unfortunately, LeRoy was related to most of the girls around Viking. Pastor Thompson knew LeRoy would have to be introduced to a girl who was not a local. How lucky that a young lady wanted a name!
Ruth wrote LeRoy a letter, telling him about her life in Akeley and her work at Honeywell. She told him about her night courses in business and Swedish. She mentioned that she was skeptical of writing to a stranger, but she did request an answer. On the envelope she wrote her vital statistics: 5'5", 135 pounds, dark blonde hair, blue eyes.
Ruth didn't get a letter from LeRoy. His mother, Tillie, wrote Ruth explaining that LeRoy was very sick with scarlet fever but that he would write as soon as he could. "LeRoy got your letter yesterday and he was surprised and tickled to get it. LeRoy is sick and he would love more letters."
So Ruth kept on writing. Finally in March, LeRoy wrote to Ruth. He was feeling much better. Then a few days later he wrote again and included a photograph of himself. Letters kept coming and they decided to meet in May when LeRoy was coming to Minneapolis for his brother, Orville's, graduation from Bethel College. He joked that he could find Ruth's rooming place because he had a spotlight on his Chevrolet Coupe.
Ruth was very excited to meet him. They met on May 23, 1948, when LeRoy came to pick Ruth up for the graduation. The next day they went to an amusement park. They rode the Ferris wheel and ate at Hasty Tasty. Later they went for a picnic at a lake. Ruth found it hard to say good--bye.
LeRoy wrote again, thanking her and mentioning he was honored she thought of him - and to think he was Swedish! He said she was a real "honey." On the fourth of July weekend, Ruth rode a bus all the way from Minneapolis to Thief River Falls, where LeRoy picked her up to meet his parents, Tillie and Henry. He proposed on July 3.
Ruth was ecstatic. Was this the right step for her? She had been praying about it for some time. She wanted to do what was right. She wanted to obey God's will. Her evening devotion was Psalm 118:23. "This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes." At that moment, she had nothing to fear. She felt the Lord was leading her and LeRoy in their journey together. She agreed to marry him.
They saw each other for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They were married on June 15, 1949. After their wedding at First Covenant Church, LeRoy swept his bride away in his 1938 Chevrolet Coupe. They returned from their honeymoon to a new farm. LeRoy also spent 22 years on the Soo Line Railroad. Ruth worked for Arctic Cat. "We were busy with church activities," Ruth added, "and we had cattle, chickens, pigs, and sheep." Together they reared a son and a daughter.
Today, Ruth and LeRoy Sustad have been married more than fifty years and enjoy their six grandchildren and six great--grandchildren. They have been asked several times as to what they attribute the success of their marriage. LeRoy says they have no big secrets from each other. "Two shall become as one." They get along.
In the Sustad dining room hangs a wooden plaque with just one word, "DATSUS." "It's our name backwards," Ruth laughs. "Dat's us." All around the plaque are the words, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self--control," something these two have practiced on one another for more than half a century.
Ruth reminds LeRoy that their daily morning devotions and trust in the Lord for whatever comes is the basis for taking one day at a time and thanking God for it. For where there is love and the spirit of God there is patience, kindness, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, self--control.
(Based on a story by Naomi Dunavan in the Sunday, June 13, 1999 issue of the Grand Forks (ND) Herald.)
The pastor, Rev. C. T. Thompson, held parties for the men and they spent time picnicking, hunting, and fishing. He even had dinners for the men, who ranged from 21 to 81. He wanted these men from Zion Lutheran Church to make the best of their bachelorhood.
On February 29 of that year, a group at Honeywell in Minneapolis brought their secretary, Ruth Peterson, a newspaper report of this town and their bachelors. She was intrigued. The headline read: "Leap Year Lure: Single Men of Viking Outnumber Women 100 to 1." Ruth was taking night classes in Swedish and business. She wasn't dating anyone in particular, and her friends thought it would be good for her to read it. They convinced her to write the pastor for names of eligible bachelors. She received LeRoy Sustad's name.
Pastor Thompson, who never married, was successful in getting many of the bachelors married off. Unfortunately, LeRoy was related to most of the girls around Viking. Pastor Thompson knew LeRoy would have to be introduced to a girl who was not a local. How lucky that a young lady wanted a name!
Ruth wrote LeRoy a letter, telling him about her life in Akeley and her work at Honeywell. She told him about her night courses in business and Swedish. She mentioned that she was skeptical of writing to a stranger, but she did request an answer. On the envelope she wrote her vital statistics: 5'5", 135 pounds, dark blonde hair, blue eyes.
Ruth didn't get a letter from LeRoy. His mother, Tillie, wrote Ruth explaining that LeRoy was very sick with scarlet fever but that he would write as soon as he could. "LeRoy got your letter yesterday and he was surprised and tickled to get it. LeRoy is sick and he would love more letters."
So Ruth kept on writing. Finally in March, LeRoy wrote to Ruth. He was feeling much better. Then a few days later he wrote again and included a photograph of himself. Letters kept coming and they decided to meet in May when LeRoy was coming to Minneapolis for his brother, Orville's, graduation from Bethel College. He joked that he could find Ruth's rooming place because he had a spotlight on his Chevrolet Coupe.
Ruth was very excited to meet him. They met on May 23, 1948, when LeRoy came to pick Ruth up for the graduation. The next day they went to an amusement park. They rode the Ferris wheel and ate at Hasty Tasty. Later they went for a picnic at a lake. Ruth found it hard to say good--bye.
LeRoy wrote again, thanking her and mentioning he was honored she thought of him - and to think he was Swedish! He said she was a real "honey." On the fourth of July weekend, Ruth rode a bus all the way from Minneapolis to Thief River Falls, where LeRoy picked her up to meet his parents, Tillie and Henry. He proposed on July 3.
Ruth was ecstatic. Was this the right step for her? She had been praying about it for some time. She wanted to do what was right. She wanted to obey God's will. Her evening devotion was Psalm 118:23. "This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes." At that moment, she had nothing to fear. She felt the Lord was leading her and LeRoy in their journey together. She agreed to marry him.
They saw each other for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They were married on June 15, 1949. After their wedding at First Covenant Church, LeRoy swept his bride away in his 1938 Chevrolet Coupe. They returned from their honeymoon to a new farm. LeRoy also spent 22 years on the Soo Line Railroad. Ruth worked for Arctic Cat. "We were busy with church activities," Ruth added, "and we had cattle, chickens, pigs, and sheep." Together they reared a son and a daughter.
Today, Ruth and LeRoy Sustad have been married more than fifty years and enjoy their six grandchildren and six great--grandchildren. They have been asked several times as to what they attribute the success of their marriage. LeRoy says they have no big secrets from each other. "Two shall become as one." They get along.
In the Sustad dining room hangs a wooden plaque with just one word, "DATSUS." "It's our name backwards," Ruth laughs. "Dat's us." All around the plaque are the words, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self--control," something these two have practiced on one another for more than half a century.
Ruth reminds LeRoy that their daily morning devotions and trust in the Lord for whatever comes is the basis for taking one day at a time and thanking God for it. For where there is love and the spirit of God there is patience, kindness, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, self--control.
(Based on a story by Naomi Dunavan in the Sunday, June 13, 1999 issue of the Grand Forks (ND) Herald.)
