Rowland and Gertrude Norman Interview, 1975

Rowland Norman was born in 1903 on a farm in Chippewa County, Minnesota. He graduated from country school and farmed in the area most of his life. He was a member of the Chippewa County Historical Society for 20-25 years. Gertrude Norman was born on March 15, 1908 in Wheaton, Minnesota. After graduating from country school, she went to high school in Montevideo, graduating in 1926. She took one year of teacher training in Montevideo and taught country school for 4 years. She then married and farmed along with her husband until their retirement. The Normans were caretakers of the Swensson House from 1968 to the time of the interview. In this interview, Gertrude Norman discusses the first floor of the house, describing the various rooms and the artifacts in each. Rowland Norman then goes on to talk about the upstairs of the house, describing what is in the rooms and what they were used for. He also tells about the construction of the house, mentioning particularities and unique details. Both the Normans make references to the family during the course of the interview.https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/mnoralhistories/1073/thumbnail.jp