Individual Details
Dorothy Ellen Hawkinson
(29 Dec 1939 - 1 Jan 2016)
BIRTH-MARRIAGE-CHILDREN-PARENTS: FGS prepared by Dorothy Krinke; 1939-1995;
Dorothy Krinke; ; FGS in possession of AFH;;.
NOPRINT:
1989
Local woman gets taste of South African apartheid
Dorothy Krinke, member of the American Red Cross St. Croix Valley Chapter,
never imagined Red Cross members on strike... until she went to South Africa.
Krinke, 49, of Marine on St. Croix, joined the Red Cross 15 years ago when
Christ Lutheran Church in Marine held blood drives.
Krinke, who is white, joined because the International Red Cross
principles, which consist of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence,
voluntary service, unity, and universality, coincide with her principles.
During her training, she met Rosemary Kunene, a nurse at the South African
Red Cross, who was observing Red Cross programs in the United States during the
summer of 1988.
An invitation from Kunene and a wide eye from curiosity set Krinke abroad
May 29 for three weeks on the intentions of observing South Africa's Red Cross
programs.
The intentions were there. The Red Cross workers were not. At least they
weren't working. They were striking.
Krinke said she was astonished.
According to a Johannesburg newspaper, 37 black employees demanded
"unconditional reinstatement of Bongani Khumalo," the Assistant Regional
Director of the Red Cross Southern Transvaal branch who had been fired.
Khumalo was the first black to achieve that position, Krinke said.
The newspaper reported that employees were also protesting against racial
discrimination within the organization.
After six weeks, they were given the ultimatum of returning to work. They
did not and were fired.
"It's not Red Cross policy to be this way. It's because of the way South
Africa rule is." Krinke said.
Krinke described apartheid as "racism behind steel walls" at a recent St.
Croix Valley Chater meeting.
"It's a pathetic situation. It's very typical in South Africa-- when you
have a group of blacks-- their situation is so terrible that when they have the
opportunity to come out and say it, authority doesn't want to hear it. They
want to push them under the rug, put them in a corner," said Krinke,
emphasizing this as her opinion only.
With the Red Cross workers on strike, Krinke saw South Africa as it was.
For two weeks she stayed with Kunene in Kwa-thema, a black township outside
Johannesburg. She also visited Daveyton, Soweto, and other black townships
around Johannesburg.
Each city, Krinke said, has a black township five miles away so the
government can keep the "animals" as far away from the whites as possible.
She described the houses in the townships as small, square structures with
flat roofs-- "very meager." Houses are made of either brick or stucco. The
average has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. Some have
electricity. Black cook stoves are common. Coal makes South Africa go round.
Although the townships are meager, families make the best of it. "I was
really impressed. Everything was scrubbed every day. They didn't have any
mops. They'd get down on hands and knees," Krinke said.
"They're very clean people," she said, "and they didn't always know I was
coming."
"They call them their ghettos. "How do you like our ghettos?" they'd ask.
It was really sad to see the conditions they live in. They knew it. I didn't
have to tell them."
Krinke said whites were very curious about her stay in the black townships
as they had never seen them. "They said it was ironic that an American would
come and tell them what it was like in their black townships."
(Dorothy, 1995)
I was born on December 29, 1939, in a Minnesota farmhouse between Harris and
Stark. It was about a mile and a half west from my father and grandparent's
home place.
My parents named me Dorothy, from the Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and Ellen
from my father's Aunt Ellen.
My parents and Chester, Caroline, Art and myself moved to Jordan, Montana when
I was about a year old. Frances was born at Jordan. She was about 10 months
old when our father passed away. During summers I returned to Minnesota
several times to visit and stayed with my Aunt Belle and Uncle Enoch Collins.
When my mother married Jerome Saylor, a rancher in the Brusett area, Frances
and myself attended a one room school for two years. I was in the 7th and 8th
grades and Frances was in the 2nd and 3rd. The school enrollment was six
students and six grades. It was one mile to the school, we always said we
walked up hill both ways. In the spring, when the creeks were running, we
couldn't cross them to go home, so we stayed with neighbors until we were able
to wade across to the other side. Our teacher was Mrs. Storey. We were lucky,
she had been our neighbor in Jordan, and was a retired High School English
teacher. In those days the teacher would live at the country schools during
the school term.
I returned to Minnesota and lived with my Aunt Belle and Uncle Enoch, helping
them on the turkey farm, went to high school and graduated from North Branch.
The Kaffe Stuga in Harris was the closest part time place to work during high
school. They payed 35 cents an hour (minimum wage).
Harlan Krinke came into my life (a blind date) when I was a junior in high
school. We were married on November 25, 1957 at the Little Brown Church in
Iowa. We bought a modest home in Spring Lake Park and lived there eight years.
My mother passed away in 1960 of a cronic kidney diesease. Dawn and Wade were
born while we lived there.
On May 6, 1965 a tornado came through the neighborhood and devastated it. I
was playing womens leauge softball and Harlan was at our friends house. A
storm warning was out and he quickly drove home to close the windows. He
picked up some baseball size hail, put them in the freezer and left. The
tornado hit, he was in his car and caught in the middle of it. When it was
over, the house in front of him was totally gone and an apartment house roof
was in back of his car. The car windows had all been shattered. The debris
all over the area made the roads impassable. But he was alive. A total
miracle. We repaired our house damage and sold it the same year.
We bought 40 acres at Marine on St. Croix and built our new home there.
Harlan, his dad and lots of friends and relatives helped us. We lived in
Forest Lake for the two and a half years it took us to find the land and build
enough on the house to move in.
Chad was born six months after we moved. Tara was born 18 months later. I
don't think we will ever move again! Between the pole barn, a four car garage
and the house, the plan is to let the kids take care of it all, after we are
gone.
Life goes through a lot of phases. When the children were little, I did a lot
of sewing, crocheting, knitting, cooking, changing diapers, laundry, TV soaps
and weeding in the vegetable and flower gardens.
Next phase, when the children were a little older I was active in their
activities. Parent Teachers Organizations, school functions, Girl Scouts,
(Dawn was a Cadette and Tara received her Silver Award, Harlan was a Weblo
leader in Boy Scouts), Church activities, Bible School, Mission Trips,
softball, etc. Now we have a larger vegetable garden and it involved canning
and freezing.
I'm getting a little more independent by now, joined a bowling league, did a
lot of oil paintings, learned how to play bridge (my absolute favorite), andalways kept up my flower gardens. One year, my flower garden was on the Church
Garden Tour.
Down hill skiing was introduced to me when I was around 40 years old. The
church sponsored a great youth skiing program. Instead of watching it, I
decided to join them. It was great, I still love it. We try to go out West
skiing at least once a year.
Christ Lutheran Church in Marine also played a large part in our lives. Thomas
E. Nyman became the Pastor at CLC in 1968 and is still the pastor 27 years
later. He was very instrumental in the childrens youth activities and in all
of our Christian growth. Tom baptized Chad and Tara, confirmed all four kids
and married Dawn, Chad and Tara. Wade is still a bachelor at the present time.
I served on the church council for many years. Most of them were spent as
chair of the Evangelism and Social Ministry Committee, but was on the Finance
and Property committees too. We sponsored different Oriental families from
Vietnam, Laos and one Hmong family. I served one term as Vice President of the
Council and was the Secretary of the Board when we sold the Parsonage to the
minister. That was a first. We started the Santa Lucia Program when I was
chair of the Lutheran Church Women (LCW). This was a program to honor the
youth each year. Dawn and Tara were both Santa Lucia recipients. Wade and
Chad were the male counterparts in their years. Chad held the honor two years
in a row.
Volunteering is still an active part of my life. There is more time now to be
involved in different projects. I enjoy working with the American Red Cross.
I met Rosemary Kuenene from South Africa, in Stillwater one summer. Rosemary
worked for the Black Red Cross in Johannesburg and was here on a Twin City
International Exchange Program. I had the good fortune to travel to South
Africa for five weeks and lived with her family for two weeks in the Black
Township of Kwatema. Whites were not allowed to live in the Black Townships,
so I needed to get special permission to stay there. Unfortunately, when I
arrived in Johannesburg, the black Red Cross was on strike against the white
Red Cross, because of the conditions under the apartied system. This
eliminated the projects we were going to do. For the remaining three weeks, I
went on a Safari near Kruger National Park, flew to Durbin and visited friends
in Johannesburg. An experience of a lifetime.
I'm on the Disaster Action Team for the ARC at the present time. When
Stillwater had a tornado in April of '94, we assisted those families. Single
family fires are what we service most. I worked with the youth and taught a 10
hour babysitting class/with infant CPR etc. for several years. (I had lots of
experience). I'm also involved with the Bloodmobile Programs.
When Tara attended Augsburg College, I became active in some of the parent
organizations and am still on one of the Augsburg Associates Board. We raise
funds and friends for the college.
Traveling.... I love it. Exploring, seeing, doing, experiencing life in many
ways and countries. I've put my toes in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans...the Caribbean, Mediterranean and North Seas...the Gulf of Mexico and
the English Channel. My feet have walked on a lot of Europe, the Iberian
Penninsula, Great Britian, Morroco in North Africa, South Africa, Inner Mexico,
British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, the Virigin Islands, the Bahamas
and most of the United States.
Dawn graduated from Gustavaus Adolphus College and is married to Mark McGinley.
Their home is one and a half miles to the east of us.
Wade graduated from Bozeman State College in Montana and bought a home four
miles to the east.
Chad attended the University of Minnesota and is married to Mara Kangas. They
bought their home in Lindstrom, 15 miles north.
Tara graduated from Augsburg College and is married to Chris Thompson. They
live just across the road.
Now that the children have completed their educations and own their homes,
Harlan can retire! His goal is to retire with 40 years of service at 3M in
1997.
God has been good to us, we have truly been blessed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Jordan Tribune, 30July1953
Darlene Merwin is spending a few days with her friend Dorothy Hawkinson this
week.
Dorothy Krinke; ; FGS in possession of AFH;;.
NOPRINT:
1989
Local woman gets taste of South African apartheid
Dorothy Krinke, member of the American Red Cross St. Croix Valley Chapter,
never imagined Red Cross members on strike... until she went to South Africa.
Krinke, 49, of Marine on St. Croix, joined the Red Cross 15 years ago when
Christ Lutheran Church in Marine held blood drives.
Krinke, who is white, joined because the International Red Cross
principles, which consist of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence,
voluntary service, unity, and universality, coincide with her principles.
During her training, she met Rosemary Kunene, a nurse at the South African
Red Cross, who was observing Red Cross programs in the United States during the
summer of 1988.
An invitation from Kunene and a wide eye from curiosity set Krinke abroad
May 29 for three weeks on the intentions of observing South Africa's Red Cross
programs.
The intentions were there. The Red Cross workers were not. At least they
weren't working. They were striking.
Krinke said she was astonished.
According to a Johannesburg newspaper, 37 black employees demanded
"unconditional reinstatement of Bongani Khumalo," the Assistant Regional
Director of the Red Cross Southern Transvaal branch who had been fired.
Khumalo was the first black to achieve that position, Krinke said.
The newspaper reported that employees were also protesting against racial
discrimination within the organization.
After six weeks, they were given the ultimatum of returning to work. They
did not and were fired.
"It's not Red Cross policy to be this way. It's because of the way South
Africa rule is." Krinke said.
Krinke described apartheid as "racism behind steel walls" at a recent St.
Croix Valley Chater meeting.
"It's a pathetic situation. It's very typical in South Africa-- when you
have a group of blacks-- their situation is so terrible that when they have the
opportunity to come out and say it, authority doesn't want to hear it. They
want to push them under the rug, put them in a corner," said Krinke,
emphasizing this as her opinion only.
With the Red Cross workers on strike, Krinke saw South Africa as it was.
For two weeks she stayed with Kunene in Kwa-thema, a black township outside
Johannesburg. She also visited Daveyton, Soweto, and other black townships
around Johannesburg.
Each city, Krinke said, has a black township five miles away so the
government can keep the "animals" as far away from the whites as possible.
She described the houses in the townships as small, square structures with
flat roofs-- "very meager." Houses are made of either brick or stucco. The
average has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. Some have
electricity. Black cook stoves are common. Coal makes South Africa go round.
Although the townships are meager, families make the best of it. "I was
really impressed. Everything was scrubbed every day. They didn't have any
mops. They'd get down on hands and knees," Krinke said.
"They're very clean people," she said, "and they didn't always know I was
coming."
"They call them their ghettos. "How do you like our ghettos?" they'd ask.
It was really sad to see the conditions they live in. They knew it. I didn't
have to tell them."
Krinke said whites were very curious about her stay in the black townships
as they had never seen them. "They said it was ironic that an American would
come and tell them what it was like in their black townships."
(Dorothy, 1995)
I was born on December 29, 1939, in a Minnesota farmhouse between Harris and
Stark. It was about a mile and a half west from my father and grandparent's
home place.
My parents named me Dorothy, from the Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and Ellen
from my father's Aunt Ellen.
My parents and Chester, Caroline, Art and myself moved to Jordan, Montana when
I was about a year old. Frances was born at Jordan. She was about 10 months
old when our father passed away. During summers I returned to Minnesota
several times to visit and stayed with my Aunt Belle and Uncle Enoch Collins.
When my mother married Jerome Saylor, a rancher in the Brusett area, Frances
and myself attended a one room school for two years. I was in the 7th and 8th
grades and Frances was in the 2nd and 3rd. The school enrollment was six
students and six grades. It was one mile to the school, we always said we
walked up hill both ways. In the spring, when the creeks were running, we
couldn't cross them to go home, so we stayed with neighbors until we were able
to wade across to the other side. Our teacher was Mrs. Storey. We were lucky,
she had been our neighbor in Jordan, and was a retired High School English
teacher. In those days the teacher would live at the country schools during
the school term.
I returned to Minnesota and lived with my Aunt Belle and Uncle Enoch, helping
them on the turkey farm, went to high school and graduated from North Branch.
The Kaffe Stuga in Harris was the closest part time place to work during high
school. They payed 35 cents an hour (minimum wage).
Harlan Krinke came into my life (a blind date) when I was a junior in high
school. We were married on November 25, 1957 at the Little Brown Church in
Iowa. We bought a modest home in Spring Lake Park and lived there eight years.
My mother passed away in 1960 of a cronic kidney diesease. Dawn and Wade were
born while we lived there.
On May 6, 1965 a tornado came through the neighborhood and devastated it. I
was playing womens leauge softball and Harlan was at our friends house. A
storm warning was out and he quickly drove home to close the windows. He
picked up some baseball size hail, put them in the freezer and left. The
tornado hit, he was in his car and caught in the middle of it. When it was
over, the house in front of him was totally gone and an apartment house roof
was in back of his car. The car windows had all been shattered. The debris
all over the area made the roads impassable. But he was alive. A total
miracle. We repaired our house damage and sold it the same year.
We bought 40 acres at Marine on St. Croix and built our new home there.
Harlan, his dad and lots of friends and relatives helped us. We lived in
Forest Lake for the two and a half years it took us to find the land and build
enough on the house to move in.
Chad was born six months after we moved. Tara was born 18 months later. I
don't think we will ever move again! Between the pole barn, a four car garage
and the house, the plan is to let the kids take care of it all, after we are
gone.
Life goes through a lot of phases. When the children were little, I did a lot
of sewing, crocheting, knitting, cooking, changing diapers, laundry, TV soaps
and weeding in the vegetable and flower gardens.
Next phase, when the children were a little older I was active in their
activities. Parent Teachers Organizations, school functions, Girl Scouts,
(Dawn was a Cadette and Tara received her Silver Award, Harlan was a Weblo
leader in Boy Scouts), Church activities, Bible School, Mission Trips,
softball, etc. Now we have a larger vegetable garden and it involved canning
and freezing.
I'm getting a little more independent by now, joined a bowling league, did a
lot of oil paintings, learned how to play bridge (my absolute favorite), andalways kept up my flower gardens. One year, my flower garden was on the Church
Garden Tour.
Down hill skiing was introduced to me when I was around 40 years old. The
church sponsored a great youth skiing program. Instead of watching it, I
decided to join them. It was great, I still love it. We try to go out West
skiing at least once a year.
Christ Lutheran Church in Marine also played a large part in our lives. Thomas
E. Nyman became the Pastor at CLC in 1968 and is still the pastor 27 years
later. He was very instrumental in the childrens youth activities and in all
of our Christian growth. Tom baptized Chad and Tara, confirmed all four kids
and married Dawn, Chad and Tara. Wade is still a bachelor at the present time.
I served on the church council for many years. Most of them were spent as
chair of the Evangelism and Social Ministry Committee, but was on the Finance
and Property committees too. We sponsored different Oriental families from
Vietnam, Laos and one Hmong family. I served one term as Vice President of the
Council and was the Secretary of the Board when we sold the Parsonage to the
minister. That was a first. We started the Santa Lucia Program when I was
chair of the Lutheran Church Women (LCW). This was a program to honor the
youth each year. Dawn and Tara were both Santa Lucia recipients. Wade and
Chad were the male counterparts in their years. Chad held the honor two years
in a row.
Volunteering is still an active part of my life. There is more time now to be
involved in different projects. I enjoy working with the American Red Cross.
I met Rosemary Kuenene from South Africa, in Stillwater one summer. Rosemary
worked for the Black Red Cross in Johannesburg and was here on a Twin City
International Exchange Program. I had the good fortune to travel to South
Africa for five weeks and lived with her family for two weeks in the Black
Township of Kwatema. Whites were not allowed to live in the Black Townships,
so I needed to get special permission to stay there. Unfortunately, when I
arrived in Johannesburg, the black Red Cross was on strike against the white
Red Cross, because of the conditions under the apartied system. This
eliminated the projects we were going to do. For the remaining three weeks, I
went on a Safari near Kruger National Park, flew to Durbin and visited friends
in Johannesburg. An experience of a lifetime.
I'm on the Disaster Action Team for the ARC at the present time. When
Stillwater had a tornado in April of '94, we assisted those families. Single
family fires are what we service most. I worked with the youth and taught a 10
hour babysitting class/with infant CPR etc. for several years. (I had lots of
experience). I'm also involved with the Bloodmobile Programs.
When Tara attended Augsburg College, I became active in some of the parent
organizations and am still on one of the Augsburg Associates Board. We raise
funds and friends for the college.
Traveling.... I love it. Exploring, seeing, doing, experiencing life in many
ways and countries. I've put my toes in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans...the Caribbean, Mediterranean and North Seas...the Gulf of Mexico and
the English Channel. My feet have walked on a lot of Europe, the Iberian
Penninsula, Great Britian, Morroco in North Africa, South Africa, Inner Mexico,
British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, the Virigin Islands, the Bahamas
and most of the United States.
Dawn graduated from Gustavaus Adolphus College and is married to Mark McGinley.
Their home is one and a half miles to the east of us.
Wade graduated from Bozeman State College in Montana and bought a home four
miles to the east.
Chad attended the University of Minnesota and is married to Mara Kangas. They
bought their home in Lindstrom, 15 miles north.
Tara graduated from Augsburg College and is married to Chris Thompson. They
live just across the road.
Now that the children have completed their educations and own their homes,
Harlan can retire! His goal is to retire with 40 years of service at 3M in
1997.
God has been good to us, we have truly been blessed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Jordan Tribune, 30July1953
Darlene Merwin is spending a few days with her friend Dorothy Hawkinson this
week.
Events
| Birth | 29 Dec 1939 | ||||
| Marriage | 25 Nov 1957 | Iowa, Little Brown Church, , Ia, Little Brown Ch. - Harlan Laurence Krinke | |||
| Death | 1 Jan 2016 | ||||
| Christen | , Lutheran |
Families
| Spouse | Harlan Laurence Krinke (1933 - 2013) |
| Child | Dawn Louise Krinke |
| Child | Wade Harlan Krinke |
| Child | Chad Lawrence Krinke |
| Child | Tara Lynn Krinke |
| Father | Clifford Godfred Hawkinson ( - ) |
| Mother | Edna Louise Hollenbeck (1911 - 1960) |
| Sibling | Caroline Bernice Hawkinson |
| Sibling | Arthur Franklin "Art" Hawkinson |
| Sibling | Frances Louise Hawkinson |