Died: 8 May 1995 at Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI
Father: Niels Peterson GRUNNET
Mother: Laura LARSON
Spouse: Clifford Benjamin SAWYER
Children:
At right, Clifford and Mabel c1926 ===>>
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Born: 7 Jan 1902 at Stewart?, MN Died: 8 May 1995 at Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI
Father: Niels Peterson GRUNNET Spouse: Clifford Benjamin SAWYER
Children:
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As a little girl of about 8 (1910), Mabel moved west by train with her family of 8 from Stewart, MN to Idaho to stake a claim. Her father had sold his interest in the general store (Hanson, Larson and Grunnet) he had helped run. Their claim was near a little town named Desmet, located a little south and west of Coeurd'Alene, Idaho. The claim was probably 160 acres, the usual size at that time. They were required to make certain improvements and live on the land for 3 or 4 years. She had interesting stories to tell of her time there. That area was considered part of the "wild west" at that time and conditions were quite primitive. There were 2 Indian tribes in the area; Flathead and Blackfoot.
In about 1914 (Mabel was 12), the family moved back to Stewart, MN were Mabel finished high school. They later settled to Morningside, MN (a suburb of Minneapolis) where she started her nurses training at Eitel Hospital, across from Loring Park near downtown Minneapolis. She was graduated in 1923. Her first job after that was Operating Room Supervisor at St. Luke's Hospital at Davenport, Iowa.
She met Cliff in 1922 at the new home of her sister Florence. It was a Halloween party, but also a house warming. He cousin Ernest was also invited and asked to bring a friend, and that friend was Clifford Sawyer. Mabel found Cliff very attractive and witty. Mabel and Cliff would often double-date with Ernest and Mabel's roommate at the hospital. When Cliff sent her a diamond, she decided it was time to go home to MN. She worked at her own hospital (Eitel) until Cliff was called home to Mankato. His mother had a heart ailment and was now seriously ill and confined to her bed. Cliff called to ask Mabel to help care for his mother (along with another nurse). Cliff's mother died shortly after. Cliff would have been alone in the house and, since his minister brother Will offered to marry them, they consented at that time and were married.
Mabel and Clifford were married May 18, 1926 in Mankato, MN. The Certificate of Marriage states that they were married at Mankato, MN (Blue Earth County) in the presence of witnesses Mildred L and John T Ballard (sister and brother-in-law of Clifford), with William Elbert Sawyer (Clifford's brother) as presiding minister.
Their first child was born in MN, but by the time the second child came, they had moved to Chicago, IL for Cliff's job. The family moved around quite a bit with his job in the insurance business. The last job-related move was to Denver, CO (God's country). The boys were in school at that time. She and Cliff moved to MI to be near their sons and their families as the grandchildren grew up. Cliff died in 1978 and she spent her final years at Rest Haven in Grand Rapids, MI.
(l-r) Florence, Mabel, Helen, Myrtle, c1918? (16yo)
JCS with his Mom (Mabel) at Rest Haven in GR
