(Mildred Left, and Vivian)
Mildred Nelson Sandberg. -
Mildred had four brothers just older than she and she likes to play outside
with them. She liked to drive horses and drove the horse (Ole Prince) and
buggy to town for her piano lessons at age 13. She also drove a horse
to plant corn and to cultivate corn and she loved it.
Mildred is the 2nd from the left
She and all 9 girls in her family had six weeks of
piano lessons.but she excelled in it and had more.
Her family was
unusual in their neighborhood, because
they received a newspaper and each of the 16 children could go to
high school, if they wanted. Now the neighbors felt that both of those expenses were a waste of money.
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Mom worked as a waitress and as a sitter for the local Dr.'s wife evenings and summers while she was in high school to
save money for college.The summer she
graduated there was a bank crash and she lost most of her savings. Her
sister,Ina, who was teaching and had a Master's degree in Home
Economics from
Columbia University , said she would pay tuition for two years at South
Dakota State and Mom studied public school music and elementary
education.
Next she taught 4th grade and music to the whole school and directed an operetta in Avon SD.
Then
she and her sister,June, moved to Minneapolis . They lived together
in Dunwoody Hall for girls and Mom worked as a maid while attending
McPhail School
of Music and studying piano.
She had a senior recital one evening
with a violinist as her guest artist. Her mother and sister, Vivian
took the train to Minneapolis to attend.
Later she worked as a maid in Minneapolis for the family of a vice-president of Pillsbury flour.
She taught music at our country school for a few years.
As
a widow, she determined to pay for missions as much as possible and
began teaching piano at home.
She once ran for the school board in
Gettysburg,but did not win. In my personal opinion, it's because she did not campaign and went to Utah for the summer. She had been asked to run by a committee.
She was an active member of the American Association
of University Woman.
Later received an Associate Degree from BYU and
served as an ordinance worker in the Provo temple.
She
believed in education and hard work and the Gospel.
She often
said,"Every girl should work and have her own money and buy anew outfit
every month, if she wants before she gets married. Then she will be a good manager when she is married."
