Swiss come to Monroe hall’s aid

Published 9:00 pm Monday, May 16, 2005

At the Swiss colony in Monroe, they look forward to schwinging every summer.

Schwinging is a Swiss form of wrestling, a sport performed on sawdust with men wearing gunny sacks. It’s as much fun as playing Jass, a Swiss card game.

I learned about their culture when I met an energetic room full of happy folks who are sunny as Swiss cheese when it comes to the Alps and such. We visited at a landmark building, which leans a little to the south, called Swiss Hall, south of downtown Monroe on Tualco Road.

The 1909 former Grange building looks like it fell from the sky “Wizard of Oz”-style. It’s plopped in the middle of a circle of lush green farmland, so close to the road that exhaust fumes taint the paint.

Swiss colony members, who bought the hall in 1951, are hoping to improve the structure, modernize it and will raise money at a garage sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 18500 Tualco Road.

There won’t be yodeling, but who knows what might happen at a dance in September? Darlene Thorpe, 54, did a few polkas on the sagging floors.

“We grew up in this hall,” Thorpe said. “Dances, dinners, a big chunk of our childhood would be gone if the hall goes.”

It’s not going any place, but that was the gossip a few years back. Attendance dropped to only enough folks to eat one pan of knoepfli, a Swiss dumpling.

Remaining members hustled, and now there are more than 80 dues-paying members with at least a bit of Swiss blood in their veins. Only one member of a couple needs to have Swiss descendants, no matter how far back.

For more information about the group, call 360-939-2334.

It might take years, sitting a spell at tables adorned in red-and-white-checkered cloths, to catch up on history shared by fourth- and fifth-generation Swiss Colony members.

Perchance meet Ruby Etter Vanhulle, whose mother, Minne Etter, was the club’s first president. The 22 charter members met at the Etter place in 1938.

President Frances Albert was born on a Monroe farm 85 years ago. At her dad’s dairy, milk was picked up by boat on the river.

“You would see all of your friends here,” Albert said. “Mom came here by herself from Switzerland at age 16. Imagine that, all by herself. I’m so proud of my heritage.”

There are other Swiss colonies around our state and the world. Schwingfest is held near Tacoma each summer. Eileen Crutcher, who recently made a quilt for a raffle, said it’s important to take children to Swiss events so they learn about their roots.

“It’s all about family unity,” Crutcher said. “We don’t push that we’re Swiss. We are proud Americans.”

She described the Swiss as nice and friendly people, who love to eat and socialize, work hard, play cards and dance. At get-togethers, they enjoy ham, bratwurst, sauerkraut, knoepfli, tripe, Swiss peas and pastry.

Dairy farmers who settled in Monroe were Dutch and Swiss, plus a Belgian, club member Vince “Rip” Kaelin said. They hope new members will join the Swiss colony and supporters will come forward to help modernize the hall.

Dorothy Marty, whose husband Pink has been heard yodeling to his cows, said she isn’t Swiss but adopted her husband’s culture.

That sentiment is working for Swiss Colony member Thorpe.

“Darlene’s husband is Norwegian,” Marty said, “But he’s coming around.”

Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.