Visiting Was Serious Work

February 6, 1937  The Koops and we went to Jake Siemens for dinner.  Then to Gerhard J. Classens, then to P. F. Isaacs and to Mrs. John Classen and Mrs C. J. Classen and to Nick Reimers.  Then we left the Koops at P. L. Classens.

The Jacob N. Koops were visiting from Manitoba, and Cornelius had recorded that they had spent the previous night at the Siemens.  This day the Siemens took the Koops to their children Jake and Anna Siemens, who had been married for less than a year, for dinner, the noon meal.  Then they took the Koops visiting in the community, going to six different families that afternoon and evening. They would not call ahead or arrange, but just go visit whomever they wanted.  Visitors were very important, so the hosts would stop whatever they were doing, invite the guests in, and visit for a while.  They would exchange news about Meade and Manitoba and then on to the next place.  Finally, they left the Koops at the P. L. Classens for the night.  Undoubtedly, the next days the P. L. Classens would repeat the process with the Koops.

Thirty-eight years later, Jacob and Helena Koop’s grandson Norman would marry Cornelius and Margaret’s granddaughter Karen.