"My name is Jack McCann. I was born in the St. Cloud hospital in September, 1936. I remember spending time in Sartell at my grandparents home many times. Their house was located across the street from the river. The house stood in what is now DeZurik's parking lot. the house was moved intact to 2nd Avenue North in the late 60's.

I could always go across the street in the summer and fish off of Grandpa's dock, but the first time I was there around Christmas time my grandma )Agatha Sartell) told me, "you do not go on the ice util the guys working at the mill have made a walking path over to the mill for at least a couple of weeks-then it is safe." I believe I was six or seven at the time and I never forgot what she had said.

My Sartell grandparents were Charles Francis and Agatha Sartell. Charles died in 1945 after selling the store to Ripley Sartell. Charles had managed the store for many years for the Sartell Brothers Corporation, Agatha passed away in 1967."

Where Rivers Merge Stories from the History of Sartell, Minnesota William Towner Morgan

"One of my fondest memories of living in Sartell took place in 1946 when I was just 5 years old. My grandparents had rented a house on Sartell Street. My mother and I went to visit them for the afternoon. Since the house had no running water, just a cistern for washing clothes, my grandparents had to fetch their water from a neighbor. My uncle-my dad's younger half-brother- and I went to the neighbor's with our buckets to get water. When we were on our way home, I looked down the driveway where I saw my dad returning from war. A Marine veteran, he had fought on Iwo Jima. After that campaign, he was stationed in Japan for six months. I had not seen him for two years, but I recognized him! He had hitchhiked from Minneapolis after a long bus ride from California. I was one excited boy! Lest we forget."

Where Rivers Merge Stories from the History of Sartell, Minnesota William Towner Morgan pages 41-42

Sartell was a very small village of approximately 400 residents when I was born. It sat on both sides of the Mississippi River five miles north of St. Clou, Minnesota. The Mississippi ran north/south kind of splitting the village in two halves. The main north/south street, on the west side of the river, was called the River Road. On the east side of the river was U.S. Highway 10 and a train track that the Great Northern Railroad traversed a few times a day. The village boundary limits from the north end to the south end were probably only three miles apart.

The only church in Sartell when I was born was the Presbyterian Church immediately next door to our home on the River Road. We were a Catholic family so our church was in Sauk Rapids. The St. Francis Catholic Church was eventually built in Sartell, first in a basement, and over time the upper structure was added.

My grandfather, Mathias DeZurik, worked at Watab Paper Co. until he started the Dezurik Shower Co.

In those days parents did not have worries about the safety of their children. I rode my bicycle to St. Cloud many times. Did it alone a few times. The trip was five miles one way. Always went to Jim's bike Shop. I guess I went there just for something to do.

The first water we could swim in, in the spring was Watab Creek, We were anxious for the ice to move out. The first one swimming had bragging rights, being the first to be really cold swimming in water just above freezing. We probably turned blue, but anything to be the first in.

We had fun in the woods and quarries a few blocks from our home. We played Army, Cowboys and Indians and Hide and Seek, etc.

One of our dogs, Shep, was a stray. Brother Tom and I saw the people drop him off right in front of our home. It didn't take long for us to adopt him. He was the best squirrel dog ever.

In Sartell, everyone knew everyone. One of our neighbors had two sons that were called up for the WWII Air Force duty. Their names were Art and Al English. Art was killed in a plane crash. Al made a career of the Air Force. In one of my curious conversations with Al. I found out he was flying a huge B-36 bomber. The only Air Force bomber with six radial engines which faced backwards. I asked him if all six engines had ever quit running in the air and he said yes it happened. I asked him how the plane flew under those circumstances and his reply was "Like a rock".

We had a baseball field. Our coach was Chuck Shaffer. He was a milkman by trade. He was a wonderful man who put his whole heart into our little baseball team. We even had uniforms. Sartell had a village hall. It had a lower level which was used for meetings, bingo, group functions, and a temporary Catholic Church Sunday services. The upper floor was very nice basketball floor. Played a lot of basketball, but never excelled. I needed the basket about two feet lower than regulation.

Summer jobs were important to me. I worked two summers as a common laborer-age 16 and 17. Being a common laborer means you are very good with a pick and shovel. No skills required.

In 2018 my wife and I were in the St. Cloud area visiting family. I decided to take a drive through Sartell and past the house I grew up in . It just so happened that the current owner saw me stop to take a look and when she found out I grew up in the home she invited me to go in the home and nose around. They had it up for sale at that time. It truly was a thrill walking in the first home I grew up in. It was not as big as it was when I was a child. Nothing really changed. Just my point of view.

I am sure I am missing a lot but the golden age of 80 takes away some memory. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.