By ElInor Wright & Bernie Troje

Both Ken and Annette are from the northern Iowa area.  Annette was born in Lyle, Minnesota in Moore County.  Ken was born in Osage, Iowa.  Before moving to Sand Lake they lived in St. Anskar, Iowa.  It bears the distinction of being the only town in the United States that doesn’t have another town of the same name.   St. Anskar’s population is mostly Norweigan.  

Annette lived in St. Anskar since she was nine years old, and Ken lived on the edge of St. Anskar on a farm. 

Ken and Annette came to Williams Narrows on vacations for 12 or 13 years and decided when they retired they’d like to come to this area to live. Annette added that when they came to Williams Narrows the kids were little and they slept in dresser drawers in the cabin.  

In 1978 they found the lot on Little Sand Lake and bought it from Jack Minehart who owned other lots there, too.  It was nothing but brush.  

When they bought it the title search was all fine.  When, however,  their neighbor Dean Dewberry purchased his, the Native issues came up and he helped out the neighborhood by getting the whole point a clear title.  On Dewberry’s  property, one of the original owners had either a retarded or crippled child who was left out of the claim, and they had to go way back and clear that up.  Annette actually has a drawing of the different lots at the time and will share a copy.

Ken and Annette were completely happy with the decision to move up to Little Sand Lake, Annette said that she hasn’t been happier.  Iowa has changed since people cut all the trees, made more hog lots, and it isn’t the same.   Ken added that he used to go pheasant hunting along the fence lines and now there are no more fence lines.

Ken retired in 1985.  While he still worked, they would come up on Friday nights and arrive about midnight and work on the place all day Saturday and part of Sunday and then drive back home.

Ken and Annette started building their house in 1982 and lived in a trailer for about four years while they built.  One night a big wind storm came up, and a huge branch fell on the trailer roof.  Ken told Annette, “If we’re going to stay here, it won’t be in the trailer.”

The Libersky’s have three daughters.  Anne is the youngest and lives in Wells, Minnesota.  Jane lives in Arizona.  Gloria lives in Florida. 

Their marriage works because they have many of the same interests.  They both like to fish, although Annette doesn’t care to hunt.  Ken said he didn’t care to sew.  Annette added, “Or do dishes, either.”  The most important reason was having respect for one another.

Ken has a reputation for his strong leadership position in the Sand Lake Community.  He’s always been more than willing to help anyone and more than willing to do his part.   Ken said he used to enjoy it but feels he’s getting too old to do very much any more.

They joined Northwoods Chapel because of Hank and Ernie Witt.  Then the Witts and Libersky’s got together to clean the church.

Annette was involved with the Maxines.  The Maxines met about twice a month.  Besides quilting, they would go to the nursing home and give a birthday party to residents and take refreshments to them.

Ken served on the Sand Lake Township Board for about ten years.  He tried to get people involved in their township government and adds that involvement in local government helps keep the Board of Equalization in our Township instead of making residents go to Grand Rapids to discuss their real estate taxes.

Annette felt our township has had some good Township Clerks:  Elaine Rasmussen, Mark Schultz, Annie Knutsen, and Bea Andrews were all good clerks.

Ken’s oldest brother, Howard, passed away August 6, 2009 at 95 years old.  When his wife was living the two couples did quite a bit of traveling together, and his brother and wife also came up to visit for a couple of weeks each year.

As far as the future is concerned, Annette says they are both fairly healthy for their ages. (Ken has since passed away.)   Annette plans on living up here as long as she can.  Her kids tell her she will never have to go to a nursing home.   They both willed their bodies to Mayo Clinic for research and harvest. 

Ken and Annette heard there was such a demand for skin donations for burn victims.  “Don’t imagine other old (body) parts are too good, but if someone could use some or learn something, that’s what it’s all about.”  Willing one’s body for research means their body won’t be injected or treated the same as other dead people, but will be taken right to Mayo.  And it can be up to a year before the family receives the donors ashes for burial.

Ken and Annette’s grandson went to college and got a good job with Caterpillar.  His dad was a band master so music was in his head.  But when he was 10-11 years old, he’d come up to spend the summers and Ken would let him help with all kinds of jobs.  Ken would be welding something and find a helmet for his grandson to wear and help him.  Ken said, “He’s a smart kid and now he’s an engineer at Caterpillar.”

A few years ago they lost one of their best friends, their dog Tippy.  They enjoyed a deer they named Dolly for about four years, and now a deer they’ve named Susie.

Rick Hauck said that Ken would help anyone in any way that he could.  About  their involvement in the community, Annette said the most fun contribution was making quilts with the girls (Hank, Olina, Velma, etc.)   Ken enjoyed working with the Township.  (He was  a Township Supervisor.)  “But things have changed politically, and I can’t do as much as I used to.  If someone asks me to do something, I’ll do it.  But if they tell me – I won’t do it,” he added.

Ken and Annette used to go up to Rainy Lake and rent a house boat for a few weeks each year.  Some other couples went with them.  Back on Sand Lake, they had two grandkids who fell in and they fished them out of the water, but up on Rainy Lake, a rather large friend fell in and they couldn’t get her back up on the boat so had to help her to shore.

The first year Ken and Annette lived up on Little Sand Lake, their house was like a resort.  They enjoyed having company, and lots of friends would come up and visit.  Nowadays, they only have family.  “Can’t do the entertaining any more,” Annette said.   “One time a couple came to visit and Annette put dinner on the table.  The husband  asked if there was anything else to eat.  That couple didn’t come back.”

Ken told a story about a neighbor:  John Stangland bought the lot next to Ken and Annette many years ago, and they hadn’t met him yet.  A girl from Grand Rapids was missing and was found near Grand Rapids.  The kids were up and out fishing with Ken, and when they came in, Annette told Ken there was a rough looking man next door digging a big hole and maybe he was going to bury a body in it.   Ken went over to see and John was digging a hole for an out house.  Ken got to know Stangland and liked him a lot.    Later on, Ken and Annette saw John at the café and John told Annette that he “was kind of a nice guy and he wouldn’t kill anybody!”  

That’s perhaps the closest the Libersky’s have come to having any real trouble on Little Sand Lake.