After immigrating from Sweden, my grandpa bought land near Fifty Lakes, Minn., that reminded him of home.
In a few months a cabin shell became the Carlson cabin. In time, electricity and indoor plumbing were added. This first cabin served our family well. My mother and her brother inherited it. The family grew and this little "stuga" became too small. So who would sell? Well, in 1971, my mother did! My parents (with a bit of influence from their eldest son) bought another cabin 15 miles away near Outing. This was a dream come true. Our family, including my two sisters, enjoyed swimming, fishing and the cabin memories that continued until 2000. With cabin life in our blood, the next generation was ready for a lake with good fishing, better swimming and space to accommodate our growing family.
This change brought us even farther north to a beautiful, clear lake just off Hwy. 6, north of Outing. Offering us a great fishing lake, swimming and space, memory-making continued. The grandkids learned to water ski and ride a Jet Ski, enjoyed s'mores by the shore and walked in the woods. It was a wonderful place to share with extended family and friends. But wait, another cabin was in our future. As life changed, a decision was made to sell.
My children, now young adults, couldn't imagine life without a cabin for their children. They decided to pool their resources and handyman skills and bought our fourth family cabin. The deal was sealed in April 2013 with some land and a cabin on a little lake near Longville.
Today, memories continue to be made for our fifth generation, all because of an immigrant grandpa who bought some land that reminded him of Sweden.
Michael Carlson, Bloomington
