Joseph Albert Vadnais (1883-1954) (Part 3 of 3)

I have no inkling of how Joe met his 3^rd wife, Kathryn Ann (Kate) Krueger Kerschner. Kate’s husband of almost 30 years, Isadore Kerschner, had passed away on January 22, 1922 at Lake Benton, Lincoln County, Minnesota (southwestern Minnesota near the South Dakota border).⁵⁷ Since their marriage, Kate and Isadore had lived and raised their 10 children in the Lake Benton area. Kate was born on September 7, 1873, so when Kate’s husband died, she was 48 years old; her children ranged in age from 9 to 30 years old.⁵⁸ The 1920 U.S. census shows 8 of the 10 children living with Isadore and Kate.⁵⁹

When Joe and Kate married, Joe had been a widower for about 3 years and Kate a widow for about 10 months. D. Sharp, the County Justice in Brookings, South Dakota (just 28 miles from Lake Benton) officiated at the wedding which took place on December 13, 1922. Joe was 39 years old and Kate was 49 years old. The Record of Marriage shows both of them living at Lake Benton.⁶⁰

**South Dakota Record of Marriage for Joseph Albert Vadnais and Kate Kerschner, December 13, 1922**

By the 1930 U.S. census, Joe and Kate are enumerated as living on Sixth (not Fifth) Street in White Bear Lake. Three of Kate’s children: John, Marvin and Eleanor reside with them. Joe’s occupation is “common laborer, odd jobs” and his 2 stepsons are both section laborers for the steam railroad.⁶¹

**1930 U.S. census, Joseph Vadnais and family, White Bear Lake (city), Minnesota**

**Joe standing outside his brother William’s house on Miller Avenue in White Bear Lake**

**Marvin Kerschner (Joe’s stepson) and Robert Vadnais (Joe’s nephew)**

According to the 1940 U.S. census, Joe, Kate and her son John are at the same location on Sixth Street as they were in 1930. Joe is listed as a contractor and stepson John continues his work as a section laborer for the steam railroad.⁶²

**1940 U.S. census, Joseph Vadnais and family, White Bear Lake (city), Minnesota**

**Another picture of Joe outside his brother William’s house on Miller Avenue**

After World War II broke out, Joseph was a part of the fourth registration, for those men whose year of birth was from April 28, 1877 to February 16, 1897. It was generally referred to as the “Old Man’s Registration” or the “Old Man’s Draft”.

When Joe filled out his draft registration on April 27, 1942, he and Kate were living at 417 (now 4783) Campbell Avenue, their final home.⁶³

**Joseph Albert Vadnais – WWII draft registration**

The following is a story that my Dad, Jack Vadnais, told me about his Uncle Joe: Joe liked to have a drink at the White Bear Bar on his way back from a long day’s work. I was told that he’d tie up his team of horses in front of the bar and go in for a drink. The horses were left still attached to a wagon full of wood and other construction debris collected that day. Joe often enjoyed more than one drink and being that he was such a small person (about 5 foot 3 inches), I don’t think it took very much for him to be “put under the table.” When Joe was unable to walk, he was put back on the wagon, the horses untied, and they were sent on their way. Being that the route was a fairly regular routine for the horses, they would go the 2 or so blocks down Fourth Street to Bald Eagle Avenue, stop at the stop sign and when it was their turn they would continue on down Fourth Street. Once they got to Campbell Avenue they would take a right onto the street and about halfway down the block they would turn and take the back entrance (now a part of Fifth Street) onto Joe’s property. When Joe finally awoke he would find the horses standing by the barn door, wagon attached, waiting to be unhitched. I was told that the trip from the bar was a frequent event for the horses.

The land that Joe owned is the same property I grew up on, and that my Dad’s parents Adlore and Ellen gave to my parents, Jack and Bev Vadnais, for $1 sometime shortly before 1950. Adlore and Ellen, on October 15, 1948, had purchased the land from Joe and Kate for $1.⁶⁴ The formal land description shown on the Warranty Deed is Lot 34, Oakhurst Acres and informally it’s an acre of land facing on Sixth Street between Wood and Campbell Avenues. One of the buildings on the property was a small barn where Joe kept his horses. The same barn was eventually donated to the White Bear Fire Department to use as a practice burn. When my parents acquired the property it was overgrown and there were piles of wood and debris that Joe had hauled onto the property from various jobs he had done.

**The practice burning of Joe Vadnais’ barn by the White Bear Fire Department on the back of the Sixth Street property** (*Photos courtesy of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society*)

**Joe Vadnais (#5 with the arrow)**
I don’t know why this group of men were gathered.

Joe and Kate are enumerated in the 1950 U.S. census at 417 Campbell Avenue in White Bear Lake. Joe is 66 years old and Kate is 76 years old. Kate’s son Leo, his wife Amanda and their 5 children also live in the house with the couple. Both Joe and Kate are listed as being unable to work.⁶⁵

**1950 U.S. Census enumerating Joseph, Kate, Leo and his family**

Kate passed away on Thursday, September 16, 1954 at 81 years, 9 days old.⁶⁶ She had been married to Joe for almost 32 years. Following her funeral she was laid to rest in Union Cemetery, White Bear Lake.⁶⁷

**Kate Vadnais grave marker in Union Cemetery**

Joe joined Kate 10 days following her death, on Sunday, September 26, 1954. He was 71 years, 3 months and 2 days old. He was at Ancker Hospital in St. Paul where he died from a stroke.⁶⁸

**Joseph Albert Vadnais, Minnesota Death certificate #027176**

Joe was also buried in Union Cemetery. For some reason, a marker was never placed on his grave. I assume that he is buried to the left or right of Kate.