He tests his products, like his snowmobiles - himself.

                      Faith... not fear

It’s not about money, explained Ray Schoenfelder, local entreprenuer of several businesses, like Cannon Power Sports and Black Diamond Xtreme off Highway 52 south of town.   “It’s about fulfilling a need for someone, providing jobs and making enough to keep on  going.”

         That’s why at age 60, Ray is still working 14-18 hours a day... and by the enthusiasm he shows, he still loves it.  Ray explained, You have to prioritize where you’re going to spend your time.  We’re all busy.

Ray spends some of his time “seeing” the answer to a problem. “I can see what I’m going to make before I make it... it’s envisioned in my mind.”

Then he goes to his computer to sketch it out.

One time he woke up from a dream at 3 a.m. with the answer he had been searching for.  By 7 a.m. he was presenting it at a meeting... it was approved.

   Don Kader, Ray Schoenfelder and Dwight Hughes 

checking out their approach to modify the chassis of a UTV.

Ray also competes with world markets.  He recalled that in the past even though a piece could be built cheaper elsewhere, the quality control was bad.  And then shipping costs went up.  Now by making his products at home they went from 85% “out-sourced” down to 5%.  

  Ray also encourages prospective businessmen to “Live by faith not by fear.”   Overcoming setbacks is part of his strategy.  Ray explained, you have setbacks every day... a machine breaks down, etc.  “I can’t change what happened but I can make a better situation as a result.  It makes me stronger.”

Perhaps like the avalanche that buried him upside down in the Rocky Mountains!  But let’s hold that story for a bit.

Here’s Ray...

Ray was born in Ladysmith, Wisconsin but the family moved to Minnesota and Ray graduated from Wanamingo High School.  His Dad was a mechanic and that seemed to rub off on Ray too.  He entered the Air Force - spent time in England - got two years of schooling in electronics, then four years at the Vo Tech in drafting and machines.

He came back to Minnesota because of family.  And he married Cheryl Simonson who grew up in Wanamingo. 

Ray and Cheryl with one of their seven grandchildren.

After getting out of the Air Force in 1975, Ray started a business with the idea to put four wheel drives under mini trucks.  They lived in a farm house near Bombay, MN.  He didn’t have a shop so he worked outside - even in 20° below zero weather! 

In the following years he expanded in the Hader store, started Zumbrota Bearing and Gear, Total Gear, Midwest Transmission, Black Diamond X-treme Engineering and Cannon Power Sports.   

Son Jeff at Black Diamond X-treme Engineering

Daughter Leah and son Dan who bought Midwest Transmission.

An avalanche!

So how does an avalanche on the Continental Divide on the Idaho-Montana border in the Rockies affect snowmobilers around the world?  

  Although it had started snowing on their last run of the day, Ray had seen his buddy go up the mountain and figured he would go too.  His other buddies were already down at the bottom.

But then his sled got stuck.  As he pulled at it, he felt his foot break through the snow.  In “miliseconds” he watched a crack form and the snow came streaming on top of him.  The “slide” was about 400 yards across and 200 yards vertical.

He was propelled down the mountain at about 100 miles per hour.

He ended upside down under the snow slide. 

In the tumbling he had “zero control” and hit a tree.  Part of his stomach burst open and the acids were eating up his organs.

When stopped he realized he couldn’t see anything but figured he was upside down because he could feel the blood running to his head.  Ray explained, It felt like you were packed in cement. There was so much pressure on him that he didn’t know he wasn’t breathing.

But, he added, God had his attention!  He remembered thinking, “Well Lord, I’d really like to go home and see my wife but I’m ready to meet you!”

Then he heard a voice calling, “Ray?”  Then a second time, “Ray”?

A dark object in the snow...

His friends had noticed a dark object in the snow.  By the time they got to him, he had wiggled his ankle - the only thing he could move - and that might have dislodged some snow so they noticed the toe of his boot sticking out.

Ray thought he was in a bad dream.  It was really painful.

His buddy - who had training in rescue techniques - had dug down  and was trying to clear the snow away from his face so he could breathe.  He had seen how Ray’s helmet was twisted and thought his neck was broken. 

Ray didn’t appear to be breathing.  But his buddy kept “chipping” away at the snow and then saw Ray take a breath.

But they weren’t safe yet.

Because snow was falling heavily, they couldn’t get a chopper to rescue him.  They got Ray to a sled and he grimmaced with the memory.  The rescue team had covered him up but stopped every half hour or so to check on him.  He figured they were just seeing if he was still alive.

The pain was so excruciating that morphine didn’t even touch it.

Hours went by.

Finally they got to the ambulance but had to go over a pass - then a second ambulance on another pass and so on. 

Ray couldn’t feel his legs... his body was shutting down... they could only find a pulse on his neck.

Finally on a helicopter he heard the doctor commanding him to “Stay with us!”

But then things started looking better.

That night at the hospital they had the number one internal specialist on duty!  Just by “chance”!

  But they were considering amputating his left leg.  The blood circulation had been blocked and it could poison his whole system.

During the many hours taken for the rescue, Ray’s wife, Cheryl, had flown out.  She would have to decide if his leg would be removed.  

But then an unknown doctor that they strangely never saw again came by and said, “Don’t take the leg.”

And Cheryl relied on her friends for prayer.

And in the morning, his leg was warm and the blood was circulating.

As Ray recalls the avalanche experience he explained, “It’s not what I did but what God did.  All the little details.”

And he felt absolutely no fear, anytime.

Ray explained that he doesn’t use the idea of being “safe” as a gauge for his life. He does something - in sports or business - when he feels he should do it.  He relies on his faith in God to guide him.

And while recuperating in the hospital Ray worked on another idea for a new transmission design to improve snowmobiles!

***********

Some of Ray’s ventures…  

1980 the Schoenfelders bought the Fox Store near Hader.  Ray worked in the basement.

 
1985 Ray bought the Hader store across the street to expand in.  He worked on transmissions.

1988 Ray started Zumbrota Bearing and Gear and in 1993 he moved it to Zumbrota.

 
1994 Ray built up another company near Hastings - Total Gear”. 

 
1996 Ray’s son Dan and daughter Leah, an accounting school graduate working for another company, were asked to join the business.

Dan had been working with his Dad at Midwest Transmission in Hader.  The company developed new transmission assemblies, testing, design and application analysis. Today it has 22 employees.  Midwest Transmission has been sold to Dan, Leah and Scott Schleck.

1998 Ray’s son Jeff decided to join the family’s enterprises after taking two years of schooling in “machine school technology”.  Now he runs Black Diamond X-treme Engineering business in Cannon Falls which does precision milling and lathe work, design and engineering, etc.

Jeff lives in Cannon Falls and Dan in Zumbrota.  Leah lives in Bloomington.

2000 Black Diamond began and expanded into Black Diamond Xtreme Engineering in 2005.  It moved to Cannon Falls in July 2013.

Ray explained that it’s “a manufacturing and product development company.”  They sell to dealers and distributors of after market products, putting out 7,500 units per year.  

In 2009 Ray bought Clutch and U Joint in Maple Grove.  It’s a division of Midwest Transmission.

Their more public oriented business, Cannon Power Sports, sells Polaris, Yamaha and Arctic Cat products.  It was sold from 2004 until 2011 when Ray took it over again. Here they take a “stock snowmobile” and modify it to the desires of the customer.

They build 50 “souped up” snowmobiles a year.  They can also sell the components so the customer could make their own sled.  But Ray explained, his company can build it for less.

WWII Military Museum - they can "talk" to us!

If they’re gone...

How can they "talk" to us?

  

  It’s the real stuff.  And it seems like these figures will talk to you.

Local soldiers from WWII are being honored in the coming holidays in Vince Cockriel’s “Cannon Falls Military History Museum” a couple miles southwest of Cannon Falls at 33504 Warsaw Trail.  Their uniforms and memorabilia have been donated by their families.

It might be a good idea to bring a collapsible camp stool along with you to the museum because there is so much to see that it’s overwhelming to stand and contemplate it all.

New exhibits from local families.

For starters, the walls are filled with $3000 worth of new posters showing the ideas and activities going on in WWII.

And there are 25 mannequins displaying uniforms and memorabilia of soldiers from WWII donated by their families.  Fourteen are local:  Bill Daniels, John Burch, Melvin Eckstrom, Donald Richardson, Robert Anderson, Randall Hughes, Edgar Olson, Loren Steenblock, Dorothy Daniels, Richard Dierke, Arthur G. Malon, Robert Midness, Arnold Sibbers and John G. Pasch.

Memories…

And there are scrapbooks made by relatives or the soldiers to keep their mementoes and thoughts.

One is by Arthur G. Malon, the father of Joyce Malon Smith of Red Wing, MN.  He was on duty from Sept. 22, 1942 to April 6, 1946

Written in 1983... “As I Saw It...”  Malon recalls his first day as a Marine.  “...there were plenty of minutes when you prayed to God you were working back at Johnson’s Drug Store...”

In his first letters home to his wife he thought he must have sounded like they were convicts, “but way down deep we liked the stern attitude and businesslike order in which we were taught.”

And although he planned to write more about his later war experiences, T/Sgt. Arthur “Art” G. Malon never told about his tour of duty in the South Pacific and occupation at Tsingtao, China.  He died of a brain tumor in 2008.

A smidgen…

But we do have a smidgen of his memories.  His monthly pay was $119.70.  He played catch on deck of his ship with Ted Williams - who became a major league baseball player! 

His “Worst memory: Start of War.  Best memory: War Over.”

They almost "talk"…

As you view the uniforms and mementoes, they almost become alive again.  I was surprised that at 5 feet 6 inches I was taller than some of them.  They seemed so much bigger in the old war movies!

And you can almost hear their stories...  like when I saw the receipt one soldier had to fill out when he was being discharged.  He found out he would have to pay or reimburse the military unit he was in if he couldn’t account for his carbine, pistol, poncho, the pins for his tent or even a whistle!

I could almost hear him spouting off, “I’ve been living in a hole for a year and now when I’m getting out you expect me to pay for my whistle?” 

Maybe by studying these keepsakes the soldiers really are “talking” to us. 

More information is requested.

If you have information relating to local military persons please contact Vince Cockriel.  He would like information to fill in the stories of these war veterans.

This is the last year the museum will feature WWII mementoes.

The Cannon Falls Military History Museum is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Memorial Day Weekend, July 4th, Labor Day and Veterans Day Weekends or by appointment 507-263-3698.

"When you want to talk

and no one’s around…"

Facebook friends were there for me!

A cold and rainy springtime plus a previous commitment took Paul away from setting up our annual Woodland Party this year... but I didn’t feel all alone.

As folks may know, the only place in the world that this endangered species of wildflower, the Dwarf Trout Lily, grows is on a few hundred acres in our river valleys.

Our time to see it is limited to only a couple of weeks each year because the little flower dissolves into the ground and hides until next year.  Unless we get more flooding and bank erosion and lose them altogether.

Folks are invited to our farm to see if they can find more colonies.  If so, we name them after the finder!   Last week I joined a group of  volunteers and Derek Anderson of the DNR to search.  It was cold and the little flowers were just budding out.  No one blamed them for hiding.

Visitors come...

  Other groups are welcome and we enjoy taking a walk in the woods with them.  Wangen Prairie Bible Study comes out each year and includes a little contemplation on the meaning the these flowers.  So far science hasn't found anything in the plants necessary for the human race.

But one thing we considered as to the importance of the little flower is that it is here for such a short time.  And points out to us the importance of being aware of the “moment”... taking time to “consider the lilies of the field”.

Although I wore my “Southern Belle” dress for the occasion, it had been so rainy that I didn’t put on my hoop skirt but chose my tall rubber farm boots to complete my outfit!

But the sun came out and many flowers started blooming across the forest floor.

All alone... or not!

Each year we have a Woodland Party.  We just invite anyone interested. Because Paul had his commitment - I was left alone to set up.

He promised to be back in time for the party!

But I had my Facebook friends to talk to!  Hey... nobody to complain to or laugh with out here!  So here’s how the day went.

Here’s what happened...

I checked the food... because it’s a party we have wine and cheese and juice and cookies... down by one of the flower sites along the Little Cannon River.  The supplies were ready to be toted down the trail.

I admit that I had thought that our treats would be a little more delicate than what we had bought.  Paul had picked up some wonderful “man-sized” cookies.

Because I didn’t think they fit the image of an old fashioned garden party I had asked him to pick up some more small cookies at the store.  He came home with two packages of Oreo cookies!  

Not quite what I was thinking!  They seemed more likely to accompany a glass of milk... but it was his party too!

Set up…

Now - I’ve got to set up the display of pictures and art work that folks have done over the years after they have visited these flowers.

Then I’ve got to get the table and chairs and benches down to the river site.  This is accomplished by using Paul’s golf cart - which hasn’t seen a golf course for years.

The morning sun stayed out so I decided I could get some farm chores done... like getting the tractor out and dragging the horse pastures.

Facebook friends...

Taking mini breaks - I posted on Facebook:  OK - I'm finished with the tractor and dragging the horse pastures… now to change into Cinderella and put on my "southern belle" dress with hoop skirt to welcome our guests to see the endangered wildflower.

But there was a problem.  I came back inside and posted:  Oh, I just remembered… while dragging the fields I saw a tree had toppled over on the fencing for our stallion… Cinderella will have to wait… get the bow saw!

Next post:  OK - got the tree squared away… now another problem! What's with these "Southern Belle" dresses? I can't get the zipper pulled up all the way on the back!  Guess I’ll have to ask the first guest arriving to help me! 

 I don’t remember Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind dealing with this problem.   

And how do I drive a golf cart wearing a hoop skirt?   

Last post: The sun came out and Paul got back in time… I'm ready… IT'S SHOWTIME!

      (And if the lily is still blooming, stop by... we’ve got some Oreo cookies!)

The “Church Basement Ladies"... They’re NOT!

The “Church Basement Ladies”... 

they’re NOT!

Ever see a painting that makes you think you could almost walk into it and feel what it’s like?

  Such is the 7th annual re-enactment of the Leonardo da Vinci painting of The Last Supper at Urland Lutheran Church during their Lenten season.  Local men were “morphing” into the twelve disciples from 2000 years ago.  

Behind the scenes...

The idea of being among those “disciples” brought me to the church early that night.

I explained to the men that I was videoing them to show the changes they’d make in their transition to the Biblical characters.  

    James Zebedee - Marc Hernke
    
But since they didn’t know I was coming, I added that I was willing to step out of the room quickly if they needed privacy.  (Keep in mind that I am from a generation that was raised on the virtue of modesty - to some extent anyway - and I probably wouldn’t be comfortable in the Minnesota Vikings locker room!)

Thomas - Curt Beissel

No panic…

But the guys didn’t seem to mind me being there.  Although I began to panic when they loosed their belts... but they were all wearing burmuda shorts under their jeans!  It was still cold here in Minnesota.

And they were kidding around... although they weren’t the Church Basement Ladies!  But laughing like guys do... probably like they did with Jesus.

                     John and Peter - Al Hernke and Dennis Thue

And I was honored to be among such men.

Re-enactment of the Da Vinci painting.

The program is based on the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci back in 1452.  He shows Jesus breaking bread and also warning them that he knows: “One of you will betray me.”

     Each man then tells about his relationship with Christ and wonders aloud... “Is it I Lord?”

Jesus - Aaron Busch

Who would do this?

  Now the dictionary explains that the word “betrayal” means to be disloyal, unfaithful, break faith with, sell out…

  Since we know Judas is the one who does the deed, I was waiting to hear how his character would explain his choice. 
  

In effect he explained that he was trying to force Jesus to take his role as ruler - commander in chief.  He appeared to believe Jesus could do it... but Judas wanted it done now.

And so he “betrayed” him, "sold" him out - later that night.

Am I also Judas?

  And then I pondered about whether I wouldn’t also fit into this category of Judas - of betrayal.  

Because even though I may have followed some of the ten commandments… what about the other times when I disobeyed the command to “love one another”. 

Wasn’t I “betraying” Jesus then?

The only comforting thought I have is that although Judas chose one way of dealing with his betrayal... he had another choice... to change.

And so do we.

 Video - Church Basement Ladies - They're NOT!

http://youtu.be/4zgvgywuK7s

A little boy… and his dream for “someday”!

What do cops do off duty?

 A little boy… 

and his dream for “someday”!

The cold gray skies of winter took a break that afternoon allowing the sun to beam down on the procession of about 17 squad cars with their lights flashing as they traveled along Highway 19... probably spreading concern to oncoming vehicles who immediately pulled over to squat on their side of road... perhaps wondering if they had missed the warning of a huge accident or emergency evacuation.

What it was…

But it was one of the activities that Goodhue County Deputy Tom Wolner explained that cops like to take part in best.   Goodhue County Sheriff Deputies, Cannon Falls Police Officers, State Troopers, along with Red Wing and Prairie Island Police came on their personal time.

They were chauffeuring a young ten year old boy from his school, Burnside Elementary near Red Wing to his home in Cannon Falls where they were honoring him for his efforts to help others suffering from difficulties like his and also to help encourage him in his upcoming surgery resulting from his injuries.

What had happened…

Gage Robinson suffers from “Shaken Baby Syndrome” which he received due to vigorous shaking when he was 10 weeks old.   His mother, Penny, explained that Gage has vision impairment, some responses similar to cerebral palsy, anxiety, OCD tendencies and difficulties because part of his brain died in the shaking.

Penny had been told in the hospital they didn’t think her child would live through the night.  Following this she was informed that he would be a “vegetable”.

Gage is now 10 years old and because of his efforts to improve his situation along with the help of professionals, he is spearheading fundraising and education for the causes and groups that have helped him and others.

But there are problems…

         Gage still has his own problems to deal with.  Later this month he will be having extensive leg surgery.

His therapy is almost a full time job, Penny explained.  Besides physical problems Gage works on his “memory recall”.  

It’s not an option…

And his mother doesn’ t want him to feel sorry for himself.  So when he hits a low time she encourages him by asking, “Now what are we going to do to make this better?”  

Gage also dreams of becoming a police officer.  So members of his family thought he would like to receive police patches to encourage him.

The plan is formed…

This is where former Cannon Falls police officer, now Goodhue County Deputy Mike Ayers comes in.  When he found out about Gage’s situation, he sent out a call to surrounding agencies for the escort and support. 

Deputy Wolner then designed and ordered the "special" badge for Gage, to give him as an honorary deputy.  This was made possible through donations by sheriff's office employees in the Administration, Investigation, Patrol and Dispatch divisions.

The agencies also provided other gifts showing their support and “welcoming him and his mother into our family!”  

Wolner added, “Law Enforcement can be a challenging and rewarding career and participating in details such as this is one of the greatest honors we have. It was a great event and it was truly a humbling experience shared by the participating Agencies!”

For more information go to Facebook page: 

Gage Gives Back.

For video see  below 

or   www.paulrosie.com

  

It's not morbid… when you're among friends!

It's not morbid... 

when you’re among friends!

It doesn’t seem morbid to talk about your own funeral with friends who work for a funeral home. They seem comfortable dealing with this part of life.

Although it might seem like a subject you don’t want to bring up... kind of scary in fact. Sometimes it almost seems like if you don’t think about it... that whoever in the universe is in charge of these things might forget about you... and forget about when your time is up... so why attract his attention?

But it might also be easier to think about these things in a small town where you not only know the funeral director but probably the doctor who assisted you at your birth.

Although I have only lived here a few decades and will always be considered a “newcomer”, folks here have taught me many good things.

What my friend's funeral taught me...

Recently I went to the funeral of a neighbor, Melroy Thompson. Several years ago his wife Cathy and I wrote an article for the newspaper about Mel’s descent into Alzheimers disease.

The reason was to share the ongoing tragic events of this problem so others who may face it would have some warning... some inkling of what might happen... and what to do.

A cowboy...

Mel was a true cowboy. He raised horses. He had loved them since he was a child. He was a member of the local saddle club. You might have seen him in a parade.

I figured that at his funeral they would probably have his saddle in a place of honor. And his horse buddies would be there in their western regalia.

So that morning I dug out my leather fringed jacket and cowboy boots. I felt kind of dumb drawing attention to myself wearing such an outfit but I wanted to honor Mel. And I figured his buddies would be dressed similarly so no one would notice me.

Oh - Oh!

I was finishing getting dressed when I pulled on the jeans and was horrified to note that I had gained a little weight over the winter. As I buttoned the waistband I wondered if I was going to be able to breathe for the next two hours!

But it got worse!!!

Then it got worse when we got to the church and I realized I was the only one dressed in cowboy attire!

But it was after the service and luncheon were over that I got to talking to Donna Anderson. She and her husband Dean assist the director at the funerals.

What would be displayed next to the coffin?

I chuckled and explained that in no way did I want my saddle displayed at my funeral. My saddle is an old worn out synthetic material saddle that has had the leg straps replaced - they don’t match each other - and the stain has worn off in spots and I’ve covered it with permanent black marker - which hasn’t been very permanent!

But my lightweight saddle has come through a lot with me. Back in the years when I had a chronic health condition, I was too weak to lift a leather saddle. This old artificial one worked just fine.

What's wrong with this?

Then I got to thinking... what’s wrong with having my old saddle at my funeral? I guess a funeral is no place to put on “airs”, as they used to say!

A better idea?

But as I was pondering this topic... I think it would be better to replace the saddle with my little old MacBook. It’s gone a lot of places with me. It’s heard a lot of frustration from me. And I’ve learned a lot using it.

Even better?

Actually... as I’m thinking about this... I think it would be even more appropriate to just have an old manure shovel there. I’ve spent a lot of time using that to clean corrals and sheds.

So my question to you is: 
what would you display? 

 We’re having fun fooling around 
with these ideas anyway... right?

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