Henderson, MN Forums History Remember when... What Happened to Emily Rose???

Patiently waiting for episode 7. Good job Don!

Episode #6: Monday afternoon. The school bell rang at 4 o'clock and the boys were out the door and running. Down the terrace, through the cut in the woods that went by the jail and constable's house and past the Community Hall. At a corner table in Blassing's Drug Store four boys were sitting, three quietly and listening to young Fritz Kelm. "I tell you, guys, it was really strange. Me and Doc were up at this shack by Devil's Jump-Off, and we run into the wierd guy who talks with a funny accent..." At the table with Fritz were the Johnson brothers, Earl and Carl, and Harold Haas.
Fritz told them the whole story, including how Doc had been up there in the summer...and there was this sick girl...how this stranger--a minister or priest, maybe--comes and chants and speaks in foreign language. "Doc says he couldn't undwerstand a word...and you know, Doc, speaks purt near every language there is." Earl Johnson spoke up: "What you make of it Fritz? Is Doc going back, and are you goin' with 'em?" "Doc
said he thinks it nothin' and it'll all blow over. Just some knda misunderstanding, I don't know." After a moment, Harold spoke up: "You know, it's Thanksgiving break next week...if the weather's nice...maybe we oughta hike up there and take a peek, what do you think?" "Not me," Carl said, "too scary." "No, I don't mean we go to the shack...we sneak up around the back side of Devil's Jump-Off and look down from the hill...plenty far enough back." Fritz: "If we do, I don't think we oughta tell our folks, they'll have a fit...or Doc, too." Carl: "I say we wait and see...if it's nice weather we can follow the Rush River bed up and then loop behind Devil's Jump-Off. Maybe we can break the case, like the big city cops do." The other three boys laughed but the idea struck home with them. Fritz: "O.K. I think Carl's right. Let's wait and see how the weather goes, if it's nice, let's go...but keep the plan to ourselves, for sure." With that they were out of Blassing's and on the way home for afternoon chores. Early morning, three days later. Win Working is in Duclos office..."I'll give you an update, Doc. Been over to the county courthouse and, you're right...the guy out a Devil's Jump-Off...name's August Hiedleberg. Been here since March of this year...came from Austria...alone...no family with him." Doc listened intently. "That it?" he said. "No," Working continued, "here's the interesting part, he has a family back in the old country, a wife and...ready?...a daughter...daughter name Emily Rose." Doc stared at the ceiling, then shifted his gaze to Working: "Emily Rose? Rose Emily? You thinking what I'm thinking, Win?" Working replied: "Yah, Doc, and I don't like what you're thinking and where this is going." End of Episode #6...Next: Thanksgiving hike to Devil's Jump-Off...to be continued.

Episode #7: Meanwhile, in Weiner Neustatdt, Austria. A woman and a young girl are walking on the city street. "Good morning to you, Frau Heidleberg...and to you, too, Rose. I have not seen you for a while. Have you been gone." "Yes...no...I mean, we were in Vienna for a visit...with my sister who lives near the University," she replied. The man contined: "And August, what do you hear from him...he is traveling...out of the country, do I understand?" "He is in America,
yes, we get letters from him." "And what about his studies?" the man continued, "Will be return to the University?" "I don't know...yes...I think so...I'm sorry we must go on, we are late." Frau Heidleberg was visiibly distraught and had no wish to carry on this conversation. Her questioner, Frederick Eisenstadt, a teacher in the local school was a casual acquaintance of the Heidelbergs and knew August to be a brilliant but somewhat reclusive man. He wondered about his disappearance and, to America, why? End of Episode #7. to be continued...

Episode #8: Thanksgiving Day, 1920...(Pursuing the possible Emily Rose/Henderson connection. Is there anything to it?). A group of a dozen or more boys were playing touch football in the vacant lot across from the fire hall. Doc Duclos, out for an after dinner walk, stops to watch. The Johnson brothers, Earl and Carl, Harold Haas and Fritz Kelm come over to talk with the Doctor. "Okay, boys...I'll bet you each a nickle you can't name the Minnesota All-American football player who came from Arlington? WAIT...not so fast...if you know, raise your hand say his name altogether...one, two, three...The four boys all shouted out in unison: "Johnny McGovern!" Doc loved to play these games with the Henderson boys. "Right! Johnny 'Duffy' McGovern it was." And with it he paid off his bet. "What do you boys have planned for your Thanksgiving Day vacation days?" Fritz gulped and thought to himself, does Doc suspect we're going out to the Devil's Jump-Off shack? "Nothing, a little football, too early to skate...no ice on our lake yet." "Well, enjoy yourselves," and with it Doc was on his way. "Wow," Earl said when Doc was out of earshot, "I thought he knew." Harold spoke up: "So we're still on? Why don't we meet here first thing after breakfast, then bike out to Rush River and put our bikes under the bridge." Fritz said, "O.K. I'm right near so it'll only take me five minutes to get there. I'll meet you there. Remember, no tellin' anyone or we'll be in big trouble with our parents." Forward to the next morning: Fritz arrives before the other boys and puts his bike under the bridge. Before long Earl and Harold arrive. "Where's Carl?" Fritz asks. "Not feelin' well," Earl said. "Too much turkey, I think. He's home in bed." With the bikes all out of sight under the bridge the boys start the hike up the Rush River following the creek bottom. "Funny looking clouds over that way," Harold remarked. "Yah, well, if it rains we'll won't be too far away," Fritz said. A half hour later they were approaching Devil's Jump-Off. Earl: "What do say we climb up on the back side of the Jump-Off and circle around behind the shack?" Without a word the boys made toward the ridge. Up on top Fritz looked down: "What a slick view, eh guys?" To the north another short climb would put them on the hill behind and above the shack. "Those clouds are sure gettin' blacker," Earl said. "Yah, notice it's gettin' colder, too? Harold joined in. Just at that moment Earl stepped in a hole, twisted his ankle, and went tumbling down the hill. "You O.K.?" Fritz hollered. "Quiet!" Harold whispered, "That weird guy might hear us!" The boys gathered around Earl: "How are you? It hurt? Can you walk?" Earl winced: "Ouch, it sure does...don't think I can walk on it...now what are we gonna do?" Unnoticed by the boys a tall, bearded man had been watching them from a distance. When he noticed that one of the boys appeared to be hurt he hurried over. The boys, too busy with Earl, had not seen him. "Can I take a look?" The boys all but came out of their boots. They would have run but that would have left Earl alone. End of Episode #8. Next: Storm on the Rush River. To be continued...

OK, I obviously I am new at this forum chatter thing, but I am so intrigued by your story, I can not wait for episode 9. I came across your forum looking for any truth to the movie, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose". I figured that if any truth would come of it, it would be in the local paper somewhere. I no longer live in MN, I did live in Inver Grove Hts. for a couple yrs, a couple yrs ago. I, again, can not wait to hear the next installment of your story that has kept me waiting for the truth to come out. Like someone earlier wrote, takes you home to the stories your grandfather would tell you.
thank you for putting out there the real deal!
Nicole :-)

Episode #9: Light snow was beginning to fall as Win Working left the Independent for the short walk to Dr. Duclos' medical office. Stepping inside he say Doc engrossed in a book on the desk in front of him. "Hey, Doc...thought I'd fill you in more on the mysterious August Heidleberg." Doc looked up over the tops of his glasses waiting to hear more. "I was in Muinneapolis filing a story I wrote for the Journal and stopped by at U.S. Immigration...I have a friend who works there "carelessly" left Heidleberg's file on her desk when she ran out to do an errand." Doc looked up, "My, my...what became of journalistic ethics"? "Doc, you think I'd stoop....well, it was open, what was I to do? Anyway, call it what you will. Seems our friend...or your friend...out at Devil's Jump-off is no ordinary country bumpkin; has a PhD in psychology from the University of Vienna." Now Duclos looked up and gave the Independent reporter his full attention. "But why would a man like that be living in a shack out on Rush River?" Working continued: "Seems he doesn't own the place but is staying there courtesy of friends." Doc: "And who might they be?" "That is not clear from the file," Working continued. There's a woman mentioned, Brickritz by name, lives in Minneapolis. She may own the property. I'll have to dig further. I also had a hour to spare and went over to the public library and dug up some material on para-normal experiences. Doc, this is a fascinating subject." Doc replied, "I was reading up on that when you came in." Working continued: "The story that got me was about a young spanish girl who seemed to "materialize" periodically in the New Mexico Territory. She'd be there awhile and then...somehow she's recorded as being back in Spain. Anything to this phenomena, Doc?" "No scientfic explanation, Win, but it seems more than fable." Working headed for the door, looked out and said, "Heavy snow coming down, Doc. Best we both call it a day. I get back to you soon as I can."..........Up the street Fred Johnson was closing his barber shop early. "No customers," he muttered to himself, "Might as we head home." Down the street he stopped in at Dempsey's store and bought 2 pounds of hamburger, Mrs. Johnson would be making Saturday night goulash, a family favorite. The talk in Dempsey's was all about the weather. "Don't like the looks of it, heavy and wet," Mark said. Again down the street he stopped in a the Post Office, picked up the mail and exchanged weather notes with Walter Comnick. "This is gonna be a bad one, Fred...get your snow shovel out." Outside George Berla was just returning from his late afternoon run to the depot in East Henderson. "Road's getting bad, Freddy...I figure she'll be closed down in an hour or so." Finally at home Mrs. Johnson met him at the door with a worried look on her face. "Earl's not home...and now Carl tells me he and the boys headed out to Devil's Jump-off this morning...Fred, I'm really worried. What are we going to do?" End of Episode #9. Next: Blocked roads out of Henderson. To be continued....

Episode #10: Meanwhile...out at the shack near Devil's Jump-off on Rush River. August Heidelberg carried Earl the 1/4-mile back to his shack, the boys quietly trailing behind. Scared would be describing their feelings mildly. It was warm inside the small building, a small wood heating stove stood in the middle of the one room. August set Earl on the single cot and removed his boot. "Sprained for sure," he observed, "Hopefully not a break. I'm going to put some colder water on it, that should hold down the swelling." None of the boys--Earl included--had said a word since Heidelberg had discovered them up on the hill. After a few minutes August spoke again: "Afraid, aren't you? You're wondering who I am and if you're safe here, I'm sure. Well, don't be. I mean no harm and I'll do my best to get you safely back to town." He looked at Fritz Kelm: "You were here with Dr. Duclos, weren't you?" Fritz nodded his head but said nothing. "Suppose you came out to take a closer look at the stranger out in country. Can't say as I blame you...but please...please...do not be afraid." Finally Fritz spoke: "I guess we were scared, sir, what with you livin' out here by Devil's Jump-off and..." August broke out laughing: "So that's what the call the cliff back there...I didn't know...all the more reason for you to wonder about me." Harold spoke up: "Some people call it the End of the World, too." August laughed again. "Devil's Jump-off at the End of the World, well, that's enough to stir anyone's imagination," he said as he walked over and opened the door. "Look at that...heavy snow...I didn't really expect that and it's gotten quite a bit colder since we came inside. I've got to figure out what we do next, I know your parents wll be worried. But you--what is your name?" he said looking at Earl. "I'm Earl...Earl Johnson...sir." "You can't walk on that foot, Earl," Heidelberg continued, "so what are we going to do? The snow in the Rush River bottom will be getting deeper so we can't walk through there, we won't know what's snow, what's water."
August walked outside and over to the bank of the river then back to the shack. "The only safe thing we can do is stay here until the storm is over....I know, I know, you're worried about your parents, but we can't do anything that could get you in trouble. The weather...it just doesn't look good. We're warm here...I have food...simple food...but we are safe, and that has to be my primary concern...your safety. We'll get you out as soon as we can." End of Episode #10. Continued next: Riding out the Thanksgiving storm. Anxiety runs high back in Henderson.

Don, This is really good!!! Fritz is a relative of mine and I have never heard this story might have to talk to Rose Kelm, His wife. Also I was starting to think like Tom that Mary On might have had a sister!! As after I left Henderson I moved to Gaylord and have lived in Gaylord now for over 20 years, next door to her until her house burned a few years ago. I can't wait for the next Chapter to this story!!

Great Story Mr Don. I can't wait to hear the rest! thanks. :-)

Episode #11: Saturday evening and the town of Henderson is snowbound. Nonetheless, people have walked to Main Street and are congregated at Blasing's Drug Store. The discussion is the boys: Where are they? Are they safe? Who is the mysterious stranger living out on Rush River? Dr. Duclos knew about him? Why weren't townspeople alerted? And the kids warned to stay away? And...what about the strange happenings that occured out there last summer? A young girl, ill...Emily Rose, is it? Or Rise Emily? In the midst of the discussion was Dr. Duclos who urged that people stay calm. "I know nothing that would indicate that this man--August Heidleberg's his name--is the least bit dangerous." Mayor P.J. Hensler chimed in: "Doc's right, folks, we need to keep calm, the boys' lives could depend on our keeping our heads." George Berla spoke up: "I can tell you that we're going nowhere tonight. Every road leading out of here is blocked, drifts up to 3-4 feet in places. I know that Rush River area and our going out there? Well some of us might not come back." The telephone switchboard was located in the back of Blasing's Drug Store. "The mayor spoke again: "Any of the phone lines up? he asked. Ted Blasing spoke up: "You kidding? Lines are down all over. I can't even reach the Kelms and they're just a few miles south of town. Nope, Berla's right...we're snowbound." Dr. J. F. Traxler had been listening to the discussion. He had recently came back to Henderson after serving in the Army during the war. "As difficult as it wil be," the young physician spoke up, "Let's try and get some rest and when daylight comes we'll see if we can send out a rescue-search group. Anyone have skiis, snowshoes?" Hands shot up around the room. "Good. Have things in ready and...what do you say, Mayor Hensler, meet here at daylight?" Hensler responded: "Doc's right...try and get some rest. Ted [Blasing] can you have the coffee going at 6 o'clock?" "Count on it," the druggist replied. End of Episode #11. Next: Fighting blowing snow and deep drifts.