Turning back the clocks with Ralph Rundell

In the year of 1955, a young bachelor by the name of Ralph Rundell came to the small town of Grygla, where he met the woman he would love forever and start a family with. His original plans weren’t to stay in Grygla and watch the community and town develop, but sometimes plans change when you’re somewhere you love with people you love.

When Ralph first moved to Grygla to start his business as an electrician, the town was thriving and full of merchants, where it seemed like any business could make it. The town seemed to have everything; three bars to unwind in, which were Nelson’s Bar, Bush’s Bar and Petersons. There was the Marbel Hall, which was where the community could meet for meetings. Also around town were five churches and the school, which wasn’t one big building but consisted of many small ones! 

Ralph’s favorite bar to stop by and eat in was Nelson’s Bar. He said one of the reasons was because of the waitress, Grace, who worked there and who he later married. “I remember Gordon Jelle telling me I was going to walk into that bar and meet the love of my life. I never knew how right he was,” Ralph reflected.

Before he moved to Grygla, there were also three banks that had since closed because of the Great Depression. Although 20 years later in the early 1970’s a bank was organized and built by the people of Grygla, which still stands today as the American State Bank of Grygla. Ralph said he could also fill up his car at two different gas stations, the Standard Oil Station and Farmer’s Union. He used to buy his groceries from either the Hartz Store or the Grygla Coop and would head over to the Gamble Store for his hardware needs! “Grygla once had a hospital but it was long since shut down when I moved there,” Ralph said as he thought back to when he first moved here. “There also used to be a honey processing plant called the Honey House,” he added. 

Wanting to attend worship services, Ralph had his choice of five churches around town. There was St. Clement’s Church, Pentecost Church (Liberty Chapel), German Lutheran Church, St. Olaf Church (Grace Lutheran Church), and the Valley Church. Since then, some of the names have been changed and the locations of each church has moved. 

When he moved to Grygla, schooling was also available, but it wasn’t all one big building. The school used to be made up of many small town schools that were moved into the town. A class would be taught in each little school house and sports games were played at the Marbel Hall. The school house at Grande Corner was also a part of the school district at the time. 

It’s always fun to sit down and reflect on the past with someone you know. A town can change a lot over the years, that’s for sure! Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with us.