These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
April 27, 2025
On June 28, 1956, this heartwarming story appeared in the Roseau Times-Region.
A girl and a boy who were separated from one another and from their Roseau county family for over 15 years … not
knowing one another’s names nor who they themselves really were, were all reunited recently in a series of story-
book events with a happy ending right here in Roseau.
Jo Ann Kroon and her brother were taken away from their father when their mother died here years ago. With eight
other children, the father couldn’t convince the welfare agency that he could care for the youngest properly despite
the fact the older children helped. So, Jo Ann and her brother were placed for adoption. Another brother was taken
by a near relative. From that point the two youngsters lost track of one another and of their family.
Jo Ann was adopted by the Kroon family of Minneapolis. Brother James was adopted by the Gregerson family of
Edina. Jerry was taken by Clara Erickson, a relative.
Years passed and despite efforts of Jo Ann to find her family, she failed since the welfare agency would not reveal
her brother’s name or whereabouts until she was 18. When her 18 th birthday came, her foster mother got the
information from the agency and she and her brother James were reunited when he returned from service.
Still they could not find the rest of the family.
Jo Ann went to International Falls and started working there. One day Kenneth Haaby, Greenbush, walked up to her
and asked if she weren’t Jo Ann Hvamstad … he recognized her because they used to play together as children when
they lived in Badger. This was the big break! Darrel Roberts, a friend of her brother Curtis, also of Greenbush, told
Ruben Graff who is married to Jo Ann’s sister Janet. He drives a truck for Reese and one day he rolled in to see her.
It was then she learned of her whole family. A 15-year mystery was solved and a dream came true.
Now she knows her father is in Roseau with sister Mildred and her husband Paul Hoffman. She knows Janet and
Curtis live in Greenbush; that Oreleen and Harvey are in Montana and Elder is in Duluth. She has visited Jerry in
Roseau and Marian in Kelliher. “It’s like a wonderful dream,” she says.
Jo Ann moved to Roseau where she got a job with OK Machine Company and stays with her sister Mildred. She has
seen all the family in this area and went to Kelliher to see her sister Marian. She has called James in Edina and he
plans to come up soon to see the rest of the family.
Her brothers in Montana plan to come home for a family reunion too. Elder also plans to come home the first part
of July.
So the story is ended. A 15-year search by a determined girl is over and the family is together again. In Jo Ann’s
words, “It’s Wonderful!”
About a month later, in the August 2, 1956 issue of the Times-Region, another story of a reunited family was written
about.
A young man from Wannaska visited with his sister recently. Not that there is anything unusual about that, outside
of the fact he had not seen her in 30 years … from the time he was adopted by relatives when he was but 11
months of age. She was one of the last links in re-discovery of his family.
Harvey Hess’ mother died when he was 11 months old and it was her wish that her half brother adopt the youngest
child. The rest of the children were old enough to make a go of it with their father, so Harvey was adopted and for
many years did not know he had brothers and sisters.
“The Hesses are the only parents I know and they are wonderful folks,” Harvey said. They told him about the rest of
his family when he was 17 years old. They told him about the five brothers and two sisters who all knew who and
where he was.
“George had come up to see me before but I didn’t know he was my brother … George knew tho,” he remembered.
He had been the first member of the family he had seen.
When he was told of his family, he knew that George was his brother. A short time later George came to see this.
“He was introduced as my brother and it was quite a feeling,” Harvey said.
He and George corresponded all the while George was in service so it was natural that he should learn of the rest of
the family. His sisters are Mrs. Oliver Didrickson, Webb City, Missouri, and Lillian, Pueblo, Colorado. Brothers are
Jack, Faribault; Frank, also of Faribault; George, Minneapolis; Leo, Portland, Oregon; and Louis, Eau Claire,
Wisconsin.
Now all his brothers and sisters, with the exception of Lillian, have been up to see him. “I plan to go out to Pueblo to
visit her this fall if possible,” he said.
He met most of them in 1950 when he drove to Minneapolis and visited them on their various farms and
businesses. “Lillian and I have been corresponding,” he reported.
The family plans a reunion sometime in the future and it will be a happy Harvey who greets all the brothers and
sisters together for the first time. “It is a wonderful feeling … although somewhat strange, to meet them and know
‘here is my brother’ when you never knew a family existed,” he said.
Thank you to 
for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.