Rolczynski, Peter
B: 1909, Minto, North Dakota
M: 1937, Lily Storslee, dau of Charley & Alice Storslee.

FN: Leon Rolczynski
MN: Valeria Rolczynski

Peter began his 46 year railroad career at the Great Northern Railway depot in Finley, North Dakota in 1928. He came to Hallock in 1937 when he first started working with Station Agent, Joe Reisgard.

The Great Northern Railway had a flourishing business on the mainline between Winnipeg and St. Paul from 1930 to 1960. Four freight trains, two passenger trains, and a local train came through Hallock each day. The local train which handled passengers, express, mail and freight came at noon and returned at 5 p.m. This train went between Fargo and Noyes. Each passenger train brought bags and bags of mail and two to three truck loads of express. Saturday mornings a cattle train picked up on the average of 5 to 8 carloads of cattle at Hallock. Their destination was the St. Paul Stockyards by Monday morning.

To encourage a good attendance at the Minnesota State Fair, the G.N.R. offered special fares. The round trip for this from Hallock to St. Paul was $7.50.

During the harvest season, fifteen to twenty-five grain cars were loaded by the local elevators. At other times, from five to ten carloads of grain were shipped each day. The rate then was $.12 to $.14 per hundredweight. On the average, three tank cars of oil came in daily for the local service stations.

When trucks replaced the shipping of grain, oil, and freight by rail, Peter was transferred to the Great Northern Freight office at Grand Forks, ND where he was Assistant Chief Clerk and Chief Clerk until he retired in 1975.

Lily Rolczynski began her teaching career at a rural school near Twin Valley, MN after graduating from the Ada Teaching Training Department at Ada. She later earned a B.S. Degree from Moorhead State College and a Master's Degree from the University of North Dakota by attending summer sessions, Saturday classes, and evening classes.

Lily taught at the Thompson School District 16, east of Hallock for several years.

For several years, Lily taught first and second grades at the Humboldt School and in 1953, started teaching fourth grade in the Hallock Elementary School. Two years later, she became the Speech and Art Teacher and Librarian at the Hallock High School. For many years, she coached the Hallock debate team and was the Speech Director.