Abbie Marie Piette Nordholm

 

Abbie Marie Piette Nordholm turns 60 today. Let me read from our mother’s diary for that day: 

July 2 – Still 90° weather, and today we got our little Abbie Marie. She was born at 4:50 PM, weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz., and is 20 inches long. She is a real pretty little baby with lots of black hair.

Mark, Mel, Abbie Chas

Charlie, Abbie, Mark, Mel

The Piette kids are divided into three tranches. The Big Kids (that would be Chas, Mark, and Mel), The Little Kids (Ree and Matt) and AbandDan. That is always how we would be referred to AbandDan. Sometimes AbbieandDan. And that is how we grew up. Even as we learned our names, we learned them together: 

 We slept in the same bed until I must have been about four. This was very convenient for Abbie, being the old and wiser sibling. One of the family’s rituals was that every Wednesday evening, our father would go and count the money that was donated to the church the previous Sunday. On his way home he would pick up some French fries from Dag’s, a hamburger joint (and later McDonald’s) for the kids who were still awake. We were supposed to be in bed by that time. Abbie had this pattern figured out, and would wake me up when she heard Daddy come home. She would then tell me to go to the top of the stairs and say that we couldn’t sleep. I don’t think I ever figured out that I was being used (after all, I was usually asleep) but much like Linus and Lucy in Peanuts, I always did what Abbie asked. And, I was greatly rewarded for it! French Fries for sleepy kids! I am not sure how much the Big Kids appreciated this though. I am sure that they had to share their fries.

 

 Abbie is two years and four days older than I am. As with the story above, that allowed us to do lots of things together. We never had a joint birthday (that would have minimized our individuality!) but we shared lots of other events growing up. For example, we gave up our bottles (which we called Nee-nees) at the same time. Yes, I remember that well. We would get the bottles, fill them up with milk, and then go and lie down in front of the TV, watch cartoons and take our bottles. In January of 1960, the Nee-nee fairy came and took away all our bottles. We were not happy. But again, following Abbie’s lead, we searched around the house until we found them hidden in the rafters in the basement. We figured we would be smarter than any darned fairy! (Indecently we called those little green lacewing bugs “fairies”. I never did figure out how they could carry our nee-nees away). That gave us another couple of weeks’ worth of nee-nees. Not long after that the nee-nee fairy got smarter, and I think they left the house.

 Most of my very first memories involve Abbie. I can remember going to pick her up when she was at Kindergarten (She would have been five. I would have been three) and it has been like that ever since. A great constant in my life has been my sister Abbie.

 

Me with Abbie, I was almost four, Abbie about six

When I started first grade at St Mary’s, she would have been then in Third. (Mel and Mark were also at St Mary’s at the time. There would be one other year when four of the seven Piette kids would be in the same school at the same time. More on that bye and bye). It was great to have someone to pave the way for me.

 

I think Abbie was doing a Groucho Marx imitation "...How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know!"

There were not many times that the kids were split up, but in the summer of 1964 we visited our Louisiana relatives in three batches. Mark and Mel went alone on the train (they would have been 14 and 13) then Chas I went down alone on the train (Chas was 15, I was 7. We rode the Illinois Central Train City of New Orleans) The Mom, Abbie, Ree, and Matt came down. It was very odd not being with Abbie. I was very home sick.

 

 

Soon enough we would be separated more and more. I ended up going to a public school for fourth grade, while Abbie stayed at St Mary’s. Of course we had all the neighborhood goofing off and the time during the summer.

 

We went to school together again in High School. Abbie was the first of the family to go to a public (not parochial) high school – Appleton High School West. I joined her two years later, when she was a senior and I was a sophomore. (three year high school). Here again, Ab did a good job of laying solid groundwork for me. She was a good kid, so all the teachers gave me the benefit of the doubt! A nice way to start in a new school.

 

Of course we had summer jobs when we were in High School. Abbie’s was working at Presto Products, a local company that made plastic garbage bags. Or at least Ab’s line was making plastic garbage bags. If I remember correctly, she worked the night, or at least the evening shift. I also recall that she didn’t really like that job too much. Yet, because of her nature that simply would not let her give up, she stayed at the job. I think she may have done it the following summer, too! (one of our next door neighbors was a manager at Presto)

 

Abbie started at UW-La Crosse in the fall of 1973. She stayed there for two years, and then transferred to UW-Madison in the fall of 1975, the same year that I started. This was the second time that four of the Piette kids were in one school. Mark and Mel were already there. The six people I am closest to in the world (other than my sweet ever lovin’ and long suffering wife) are my siblings. So being in Madison together with three of them was just a joy. While we didn’t spend every moment together, we saw each other plenty. This was probably my favorite time at Madison. Some folks may have gotten homesick during their freshman year at college. I didn’t since my home was there with me!

 

Abbie developed some extremely close friends in Madison – she still gets together with her roommates annually from that year. An example of the loyalty she has shown her whole life.

Abbie and Roommates 

Sadly, Abbie moved back to La Crosse the following year. But that did give me the opportunity to hitchhike up to La Crosse for a visit. I don’t remember much about that weekend. And since Abbie’s kids (and eventually grandkids!) may read this, I will not say anything more about it.

Abbie started dating her future husband Gus in 1974, and he integrated into the Piette family almost seamlessly. (Well, from our viewpoint anyway. He came from a very small family (he only has one brother!) Poor guy) but was always game to have his in-laws around. Though occasionally he would sneak upstairs for some Piette Relief). One of the first times I spent any time with Gus was when Abbie and I were at 714 by ourselves (the Big Kids were in school or graduated, the little kids were with the folks in Louisiana) and Gus came to stay the weekend. We didn’t have a big party, but we all had fun.

 

All the Piette kids at Abbie's wedding. The photographer had a sense of humor.
Dan, Ree, Mark, Abbie, Chas, Mel, Matt

And the night before:

 

The beer cans were not props

Ab and Gus were married in a very nice ceremony on May 27, 1977. All the siblings were together (Big Kids, Little Kids, and AbandDan) for the first time in a while. It was a raucous reception. I think that is the only time I remember seeing the folks dance. Also, about the only time I remember that Chas had to crawl into the milk chute to get home. My only question is, what were we boys thinking about our hair? Did we really think it looked good?

Gus and Abbie drinking coffee

Ab and Gus moved to Wausau, WI when they graduated. Abbie went to work for Employer’s Insurance of Wausau as a COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language) programmer. This is where I learned from her that you can only have five Nested Loops (I think GOTOs are frowned upon) because you only have five fingers, and you had to put a finger in each of the TO and RETURN statements in the fanfold paper. (you next genners need to ask Abbie about this the next time you see her). Wausau was always a fun destination for me while in School. I can remember driving up there in my old junker Mercedes, and having Gus help me rebuild the carburetor before I drove home (in -20°weather). Once, we walked from their home to some pizza joint on a railroad bridge over the frozen Wisconsin River. While we were eating Pizza, a train rolled by. On that bridge. A single track bridge. That we had been walking on moments before. Over a frozen river. We had to have a beer to calm our nerves.

Abbie and Eric

Abbie and Gus stayed in Wausau for quite some time. I believe that all three of her kids were born there. The three kids (Eric, Charlie, and Madeline) are as close as any three kids can be. I remember well when each of these babies were born. Most memorable, though, was Madeline. Abbie had been hoping for a girl (certainly not because having those two little boys was trying. I am sure not) and when Madeline was born, Ab wouldn’t believe it was a girl until she looked for herself. That was Abbie. Trust, but verify!

Eric, Madeline, Charlie

I am not sure when Abbie started her tradition of hosting Thanksgiving for all the Piettes and Nordholms, and heck, everyone else who can come by. She has made this truly a Big Tent Event. There is always as much food as anyone can eat, and as much beer, wine, and bloody Mary’s as anyone can drink. Her generous nature, coupled with her organizational skills really shine during these celebrations.

 

Thanksgiving with Pig. The turkey is hiding

Abbie and Gus really showed a risk taking an entrepreneurial spirit as they lived. Impressing, considering that they had a family with three little kids to consider! But they had no small amount of success. Moving to Green Bay, building the great house they are in, buying a business and apartment buildings for work, buying a cottage (then another) and land for fun.

 

I have never, in all my born days, seen anyone with as much energy as Abbie. She and Gus have no problem deciding that they needed to completely renovate their cottage on Robert’s Lake – and then doing it all themselves. For Abbie, the downtime from work is laying new tile or creating a concrete countertop 100 miles from home.

 

 

A true testimony to the quality of Abbie’s life, loves, attitude, and aptitude is how well each of her kids have done. This is not about them, except in the context of how important they are (and little Scouty, her beloved grandson) to her. They all lead interesting and productive lives. They would not be the way they are without her (gently?) guiding hand.

 

To this day Abbie still influences my actions. Recently several of the siblings have started using an app called Runkeeper to monitor our exercising. Abbie noticed that I was walking about 1.95 miles. She pointed out that it would be much better to hit at least 2 miles. I changed my route and now walk about 2.1 miles because of her.

 And I know that all of her siblings owe her a huge debt of gratitude for how closely she has worked with Noey through her latest transition. Not one of us could have done a better job. None of us could have come close. 

There is so much more that I could add. I didn’t talk about the scary movies we watched together (The Haunting of Hill House! The Bad Seed!) the summer we ate a lot of Creamed Dried Beef on Toast, Sleeping on the floor of the living room when it was too hot to sleep upstairs, Her time in the Pom-Pom squad, The old house in Wausau by the railroad tracks, the first house in Green Bay, the time we all were up at her old cottage in the winter and burned all the firewood, the late night get-togethers where Ab just wants to “split a beer” because she doesn’t want a whole beer. The Miracle of the Twelve Pack, followed by the Miracle of the Case, followed by a second Miracle of the Twelve Pack at her wedding. Oh, and I almost got through this whole birthday tribute without mentioning the Green Bay Packers! Don’t forget the Packers!!!

 

I can’t imagine not having you as my big sister.

 

Love,

 

Dan