Uncaging the scars of war

Country ountry Acres

Friday, November 6, 2020 Volume 8, Edition 15 Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

The LaudenbachBouja! Bouja!A 50-year family tradition BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

ST. CLOUD – Five-gallon buckets of potatoes, vegetables by the pail, pound upon pound of chicken, beef and pork … it’s the making of the Laudenbachs’ annual bouja. It’s a tradition coming up on 50 years in the making. The Laudenbach family gathers together on the shores of Pleasant Lake to take part in the making and eating of the bouja, a stew slow-crafted over a wood-fi re in a 44-gallon cast iron kettle. The 15 children of Bill and Evelyn Laudenbach carry on the tradition. They attend the bouja with many of the couple’s 80 grandchildren, 183 great-grandchildren and 113 great-great-grandchildren. In all, including spouses and fi ancées, the Laudenbachs top 500 and in any given year, somewhere around 250 attend the annual bouja. Some just come for the day, others stay in campers for the weekend. “I enjoy the tradition and look forward to it,” said Wayne Laudenbach, who now co-hosts the annual extravaganza with his wife, Bonnie, and his parents, Ernie and Arlene Laudenbach, who live on the property next door. “It’s something our kids and grandkids look forward to.” He said it’s the one time of year they have so many family members in one place and they all come bearing food, like meats fresh from the farm or the butcher shop and potatoes, carrots, celery, cabbage, onions, green peppers, green beans and tomatoes – mostly all home-grown. The annual event has morphed into a three-day celebration, beginning with campers showing up Friday night for a

PHOTOS SUBMITTED TED Wayne (left) and Bonnie Laudenbach take a turn at stirring bouja uja inside a gazebo in their backyard. The 44-gallon cast-iron kettle e cooks over an open fi re.

bonfi re. Saturday begins with Tables cover a section of the the family’s annual golf tour- lawn and family members nament organized by cousin, take part in washing, peelJoe, and his wife, Jill Lauden- ing and cutting up the vegbach, and their many volun- etables; even the kids get teers, which includes the par- in on the preparation. The ticipation of more than 100 vegetables are placed in the people who adhere to a theme pot throughout the day, each for the day. Past themes in- with its own proper amount t clude dressing in camo, dress- of cooking time. ing in polka dots, dressing like The stirring of the kettle le super heroes and many others. is no small task. The utensil il On Sunday morning, doz- of choice is a pair of designattens of hands assist in the bouja ed wooden canoe paddles and nd such such start-up. The kettle is lit early, with meat settling in the pot by 7 a.m. to boil. Once the meat has boiled a few hours, it’s cooled, de-boned and cut into those who lose at horseshoes – or other games throughout the day – must endure a stirring shift to ensure the stew doesn’t burn or scorch. es ut rw a tradition the kettle has its very own gazebo building, protecting the soup very own gazebo a tradition the kettle has its Bill and E v e l y n Laudenbach, along with their son-in-law, Pete Fleck, began the Laudenbach Laudenbach, along withtheirsoninlawPete Bill and E v e l y n Laudenbachalong bite-size chunks. The kettle doesn’t just sit from falling acorns and leaves. family bouja 50 years ago. The The preparation of the vegetables begins around 9 a.m. in the yard. At the Laudenbachs’, the bouja has become Laudenbach page 2 annual tradition brings hundreds of Laudenbachs together for Labor Day weekend.

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3 Uncaging the scars of war

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8 A woodland steward

Little Falls

15 Country cooking

Alexandria

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NEWS STAFF Diane Leukam, Editor diane@saukherald.com Ben Sonnek, Writer ben.s@saukherald.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Jennifer Coyne, Writer jenn@dairystar.com Evan Michealson, Writer evan.m@star-pub.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com Natasha Barber, Writer natasha@saukherald.com Kayla Albers kayla.a@star-pub.com Sarah Colburn, FreelanceWriter

Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com

SALES STAFF Kayla Hunstiger, 320-247-2728 kayla@saukherald.com Missy Traeger, 320-291-9899 missy@saukherald.com Tim Vos, 320-845-2700 tim@albanyenterprise.com Mike Schafer, 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Warren Stone, 320-249-9182 warren@star-pub.com Jaime Ostendorf, 320-309-1988 Jaime@star-pub.com Bob Leukam, 320-260-1248 bob.l@star-pub.com

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The gazebo serves as storage for the bouja supplies the other 51 weeks of the year. The tradition was started by Bill and Evelyn Laudenbach and their son-in-law, Pete Fleck. Fleck had participated in church boujas and heard about a kettle for sale decades back. He asked each of the 15 Laudenbach children to invest $3 each to pay for the $45 kettle 50 years ago, and so was borne the annual tradition. PHOTOS SUBMITTED Hundreds of Laudenbachs gather together on the shores of Pleasant Lake during a Labor Day weekendPete became the head cook for the family’s annual bouja. At night they share stories and conversation around the bonfi re. when the bouja started and served as cook for many years Laudenbach, who remains the Assumption Cemetery where playing with many of the 80 until he retired and handed head cook today. they actually resided, because cousins he had. He also rethe recipe over to Bill and The fi rst boujas were held Bill was the caretaker. When members each family taking Evelyn’s youngest son, Dan at Bill and Evelyn’s home at they moved to Pleasant Lake, home an ice cream pail of bouinto the home that is now ja at the end of the day. owned by Wayne and Bon- Bonnie enjoys keeping nie, they hosted it there and it track of family stats each year, has been hosted lakeside ever creating posters highlightsince. ing such events like births, As the stew simmers, kids engagements and weddings play in the lake and take part since last bouja, and has creatin backyard carnival games ed sign-in sheets for each famand face-painting set up to ily so she can easily fi gure out keep them entertained and attendance. The true historian occupied. The adults mingle is Bill and Evelyn’s youngest over bean bags and other yard daughter, Toni Nelson, who games. keeps ongoing records of all This year would have major events. been the family’s 50th anni- Wayne and Bonnie were versary celebration, but due high school sweethearts and to COVID-19 the event was she learned about bouja from postponed and they hope to him. She never dreamed have their half-century cele- she’d one day be hosting it, bration the weekend of Labor but when the couple bought Day 2021. grandma and grandpa’s house Wayne has been attending aptly known as “the cottage,” the bouja every year since he they became the automatic Dozens of people in the Laudenbach family assist with washing, peeling and cutting vegetables for the family’s annual bouja. To make the stew, the family measures quantities of vegetables by the fi vewas 6 years old, and has gone from a recipient of the feast as a child to hosting the annual hosts seven years into their marriage. Ernie and Arlene do a great deal of preparation for gallon bucket or ice cream pail. event. As a child, he enjoyed the annual gathering and for the weekend, they split the activities between the two yards. Ernie and Wayne head up the Saturday night corn and bologna event with help from many volunteers. They also work together to organize the campers, order portable toilets and prep the yard games, and other family members assist in organizing the ingredient list for the bouja, the golf tournament, the kids’ carnival and the kegs of beer and pop. The couple also said various family members provide a made-to-order Kids play in the water on a Labor Day weekend at Pleasant Lake during the Laudenbach family’s annual bouja celebration. breakfast on Sunday morning, Laudenbach page 4

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