Giants in the Earth

 

My Mom by a new sign erected honoring my grandfather

Giants in the Earth is the name of a novel written in 1924 that recounts the struggles faced in 1887 by several immigrant families from Norway that settled in the Dakota Territory.  The book is hard to read with many heart-breaking tragedies and pitfalls, but showcases a strong work ethic and resolute persistence in striving to build a new life in a new and unforgiving land.  It is a story of man versus nature.  I recommend reading this book, but with a warning.  This is a sad book.  If you are looking for a bright, cheerful, uplifting book, this may not be one to put on your reading list.

This blog post is about another Giant in the Earth, in my opinion - My Grandfather, whom we affectionately called Poppy.  He was of Norwegian descent and in the story I'll tell you, he settled in the strange new land of Louisiana after moving down from the (South) Dakota Territory.  

It was 1941 and our nation was preparing young men for war.  Hitler's war machine was gobbling up land and the freedom of people across the world was threatened.  America could not sit on her hands any longer.  A young man named Orlando Sneve who was raised in South Dakota was sent down to Camp Claiborne, near Glenmora, Louisiana for training.  This camp had swelled to a bustling place that would have been the third largest city in Louisiana if it was a city.  For a young man like Orlando, this must have been quite a change with temperatures in the 90's, humidity higher than that and mosquitoes that flew in clouds.

This story would have stopped right there except for the fact that there was a young woman named Katherine Baker, that lived in a nearby town called Oakdale, Louisiana. A USO dance was organized and a group of young women from Oakdale motored to Camp Claiborne to the dance.  The rest is history.  There was something about Katherine that influenced him to become a "transplanted Yankee."  Orlando's hometown was 1,122 miles north and the climate and customs of the South were as different as crawfish is to lutefisk.  Nevertheless, he quickly embraced the people of South Louisiana, calling Louisiana his home.  Orlando completed his tour of duty overseas, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in the European theater, and ending his military career with the rank of Major.

Back stateside, in 1948, Orlando was excited to begin a new chapter in his life and went into the grocery business in Kinder, commuting each day from his home in Oakdale, 25 miles north.  He began working with the Kinder Lion’s Club and as he served the public in his grocery store, a connection with the Town of Kinder began to grow.  He came to be affectionately known by young and old in the community as Mr. Orlando.

In June of 1954, Mr. Orlando moved his wife Katherine and his two kids, Kay and John from Oakdale to Kinder.  He joined the First Congregational Church in Kinder and served as deacon and trustee of the church, growing as a Christian under the influence of Rev. Paul Leeds and deeply concerned with the welfare of the congregation.  His faith and Christian principles were driving forces in the management of the Kinder Supermarket.  He treated people fairly and ran his business with integrity.  He truly cared for people.

He loved service organizations and spent many days and nights meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, and Allen Parish Library Board, among others.  He met with the Governor and Legislators in effort to seek funds for a new library in Allen Parish.  Due to his even-tempered nature and conservatism, friends jokingly called him “The Peacemaker” at some of those meetings.

In the 1960’s, Mr. Orlando wanted to try to give the community something back and ran for Town Council.  He won the election, serving from 1965 until 1981 when his illness prevented him from further civic duty.  He truly wanted to make Kinder a better place to live.  He was instrumental in planning the Sr. Citizen building at City Park so the elderly in town to eat and gather.

As a living memorial to him, his family planted trees in various places in the community, so that even though he is gone, memory of him can live on, grow and flourish, as a reminder of a giant of a man who loved his town and made his mark upon it.  The family wishes to deeply thank the Park Board who recently erected a beautiful sign at the Park in Mr. Orlando’s honor, dedicating the “Orlando Sneve Walking Trail.”