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Edition:
September 02, 2010
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NEWS
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George Wokasch's antique Frazee, gun- & fishing-related items donated for auction
 | | George Wokasch, holding a portrait of himself with a frame crafted by Lyle Dodes, is donating many gun- and fishing-related items and Frazee collectibles for auction to benefit his local Knights of Columbus chapter's scholarship fund. Back, from left, are Dodes, KC treasurer, Richard Mellen, KC historian and trustee, and Grand Knight Dave Riewer, who hold, respectively, a hammered brass pail, advertising stick, and account book which represent some of the items up for bid. |
• by Lori Fischer Thorp
At 93, George Wokasch has seen a considerable chunk of history.
He's recorded some of it, in a variety of ways.
As a photographer during World War II, one of his assignments was aerial photography of the landing strips on Tinian that would be used by the B-29s carrying the first atomic bombs.
In a journal, he meticulously recorded his purchases over his years as a photographer, gunsmith and sportsman.
His room at Frazee Care Center can hold only a small part of the treasured antiques he has accumulated over a lifetime, and so now George, who has seen so much of history, will play a part in the futures of local youth.
After members of Knights of Columbus Council 12581 of Frazee (KC) had helped George move the majority of his possessions into storage, George decided that he wanted many of those items to be sold, with the proceeds going toward the KC's scholarship program.
The gift was a surprise to Knights including Richard Mellen, historian and trustee for the KCs, who said the group's original intent was only to help the oldest member of their council, who is also a charter member, with a chore. "That's what we're for— unity," said Mellen.
"He told me he never had a chance to go to school, so he wants to help someone who can," said Lyle Dodes, who is the KC treasurer.
Among the items for sale which George is especially proud of are a hammered brass settler's pail, which local collectibles dealer Rod Osvold has dated in the 1840-1860 range.
"I got that pail from my aunt, Clara Henn," George said. He explained that Clara took care of Mrs. J.E.G. Lewis, who came from England and was a pioneer in the area, and he thinks the pail had originally belonged to the Lewis family.
A tiny red account book, with the embossing "Compliments of Browning, King & Co., St. Paul, Minn., H.W. Fagley, Manager" and the handwritten "J.E.G. Lewis, St. Paul, Minn. 1893" and "Frazee, Minn. 1904" is among George's other treasures.
"There's a number of little account books like that, in perfect condition," said Lyle Dodes.
George's collectibles also include peach crates, apple crates, stools, jointed boxes, a cut plug tobacco box, a unique three-legged stool with a swinging bottom and two anvils. "There's lots of stuff—tools and more tools," said Lyle Dodes. He added that many fishing lures are still in their boxes.
There are also quite a few collectible Frazee plates, a crystal goblet with a red rim and the inscription "Frazee," a 1896 Baer calendar under glass, a roll of stickers from Matthews Drug, and a large supply of cigar boxes.
George also has a number of wooden advertising sticks with the inscription "For your food supplies go to P.J. Streukens, Phone 21, Frazee, MN" which include the fishing limits and laws from 1927-1928. The Streukens grocery, George explained, later became Aldrich Grocery when Barney Aldrich married one of the Streukens girls.
Another find for collectors might be the series of "Rifleman" magazines dating from 1947, many of them in leather bindings, with an older one containing a story about Dr. Breubeck of Perham, who crafted his own scopes.
George himself was a craftsman, and had made a 10x10 contact printer with extra argon bulbs, which he would like to give away to someone who would cherish it.
His gun-related and fishing-related items will be sold at a Bachmann Auction Saturday, July 10 at the Perham VFW.
Tools and other antiques will be sold Saturday, July 24 at a Bachmann Auction at Daggett Truck Line of Frazee.
KCs hope the proceeds from these sales will help them make their scholarship fund perpetual, so that in the future they'll funnel interest toward support of local students.
As thanks for George's contribution, Lyle Dodes framed a portrait of him with wood from an old walnut table moved out of the Wokasch garage. The attached metal plaque reads, "In honor of George Wokasch, Charter Member of Knights of Columbus Council 12581, Frazee, MN," and the picture will be hung in Stephen Hall at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
"We appreciate what George is doing," said KC Grand Knight Dave Riewer. "It means we're able to pass it on."
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