Albert L. Dolney

Albert and Stella Dolney

Albert Dolney served in WWI. After that came a couple of life changing years. In 1918, he moved to Polonia Township where he bought 480 acres from Paul Schase and in 1919 he married Stella Pelowski. Stella, born in 1888, was six when she came by wagon with her parents, Andrew and Anna Pelowski, from Winona, Minnesota. Albert was born in Granville, South Dakota in 1891. Two brothers, Joseph and Frank A. also came to northern Minnesota, while two brothers and a sister remained in South Dakota. Albert and Stella had six children: Adelaide 1920 (Paul Carr), Adrian 1922 (Emily Gryskiewicz Kuznia), Ambrose 1926 (Delores Mooney), Albin 1926 (Mary, Rachel), Marcella 1928 (Bill Lewis), and Eugene 1931 (Marlys). Ambrose and Albin were twins which meant double mischief. Albert, along with August Kukowski, were two of the first in the area to raise sweet clover. It was considered a weed, until they saw the price the seed brought. They also raised flax, oats, wheat, cattle, and later sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. Adrian didn't like the ducks and geese that came to the steps of the house to make their dirty little deposits. 1934 was a tough year for Albert and Stella. First they hailed out, and in October they lost their house in a fire. They brought in another house that had been located one-fourth mile to the east. In 1961 they moved near the Greenbush Hospital into the house where Keith Kapphahn lives now. To show how desperate times were during the thirties, the Great Depression era, the following stories are offered. One day when Albert was in town he met a young couple with a child who had no place to go. When he came home, he told Stella about the two young people who were willing to work. She replied that they had plenty of food put up, so if he wanted their help, he should go get them. After they had been there awhile, it came out just how desperate they were. The young man said, "I had four shells, one for the wife, one for the kid, and one for me." In another incident, a local man worked all winter for smokes and food. When Stella and Albert bought him an overall jacket for Christmas, he was overjoyed. The farm that Stella's parents homesteaded is back in the family again. Submitted by Myrna Sovde. Source.' Adrian Dolney.