Who Is Your Neighbor

Nestled among beautiful pine and oak trees, sky blue water and countless miles of rolling hills covered with green grass and wild flowers or snow drifts, sits the small town of Longville, Minnesota.

In the late 1800’s logging came to the Longville area. In 1903, a supervisor, Jimmy Long built a logging camp. From the logging industry came an influx of people. . A school has been a part of the skyline since the early 1900’s when people first began to arrive. The school often served as a place for the community to gather for meetings, celebrations and elections. The school has always had an important place for this area.

Now it is a peaceful vacation and retirement community. Many business thrive in the area providing goods and services to tourists and the locals. Summertime will find this small community exploding with thousands of visitors who have come to enjoy nature at it’s purest.

Please do not let this pristine surrounding fool you. Among the residents, live some very impoverished families. Children attend school without the proper jackets, shoes or hats. Yes, there are programs for the needy but someone always seems to fall through the cracks.

For thirty-seven years my sister, Marilyn, was a fifth grade teacher. Not only was she one of the best teachers, but she watched over her students in many ways. Cold winter mornings she would see these children come to school improperly dressed. She knew she must find a way to help them. She approached the ladies circle of Salem Lutheran for a donation. They were very willing to help her. As with many good deeds, the word got out about her mission. It did not take long before people came to her with checks and dollars. When her purse contained a certain sum, she would ask her girl friends to help her shop. They would drive to a neighboring town to begin finding jackets, hats, boots, etc. She learned that if they shopped the Army Navy Surplus and spent a certain amount, they would get a 10% discount; the dime store had the best deals on hats and gloves, etc.. They shopped very wisely. So with their purchases in hand, home they would go. As Marilyn watched the children, she would find the one who needed a snowsuit. Very discretely, she would call the child to her room when no one else was there. From the closet she would take that snowsuit and hand it to the child. With tears in her eyes, she would be overwhelmed to find it fit perfectly. Time and time again this happened. Not just the snowsuits, but the shoes, the gloves--they all fit perfectly. She would tell each child, “You do not owe anyone for this jacket, but when you get older and get your education and a job, you find a child to give a jacket to”. Not only did she warm the child, she taught them one more lesson.

For 37 years she continued her ministry to children. Never once was she asked to account for the money or what she had purchased. As a retired teacher, people still hand her checks and dollars, knowing full well the money will clothe a child.

Who is your neighbor?