Bringing Home His Bride

2012 Oil on Old Barn Wood
28″ x 12″ unframed
$1300
Contact to Purchase

Joe Klasna was born in Nebraska, and in 1911 or1912 he headed northwest to claim his homestead in the Sidney, Montana area. His first home, made of sod, sufficed as a beginning. On a nearby ranch lived the Goss family, who numbered many children, and Joe met their eldest, a dark-haired beauty named Helen. Love blossomed, but one could not move a true love into a sod house. To rectify this in 1918 he hand-built a popular style, single-story house. It really wasn’t much of a place, wasn’t even different from many others built in the area, just 15 feet by 24 feet and consisted of two rooms, a bedroom and a combo living room and kitchen, but it was his and would be the house for his beautiful bride. Without a church nearby, on August 19, 1919, Joe and Helen exchanged vows in her parents’ house. It was fortunate he built a sturdy house, for 1919 was a horrific winter with much snow. They ranched and farmed, and, as they became prosperous, added rooms to their home. Two sons were added too: the first Joseph Jr., in 1921, another son nine years later during which interval a set of twins were still-born. Ultimately they sold their house, it was moved somewhere in the valley and still stands. The picture depicts Joe and Helen as they leave her family’s house after a visit. in the winter of 1919.