SATURDAY STORY - HALLOWEEN STORY - OCTOBER 31, 2020

 SATURDAY STORY - HALLOWEEN STORY - OCTOBER 31, 2020

(This is a work of fiction)

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Jay Schultz had just accepted a job with Federated Insurance of Owatonna Minnesota as director of Data Security.  Jay had graduated from Dakota State University in South Dakota and had worked in other locations in South Dakota and Southwest Minnesota for 15 years and this was a big step up - with more responsibility and more pay.

Meaghan Schultz graduated from Dakota State University with a master’s degree in Health Informatics and worked in health record administration at Sanford Medical Center and Hospital, and would be working at the Owatonna Hospital as the associate director of Health Information Systems.

Their two children, Marci and Trevor were 10 and 8 respectfully.

The family had found a house about three miles east of Owatonna.  It had been a farmhouse with about 360 acres of land, but over the years, the land had been sold to neighboring farmers.  The house did have a few older outbuildings and about five acres of land.  Both Jay and Meaghan had grown up on a farm and had been active in 4H.  They wanted their children to be on a farm, even though it was just five acres.  Jay and Meaghan had talked of someday having a few cows or a horse or two, but at this stage, it was a new start for them.

Trevor, unfortunately, had cerebral palsy.  He would be able to be outside in his wheelchair but wouldn’t be able to do much on the hobby farm.

The house was good, but it did need some work.  The kitchen was okay, but not very modern.  Jay and Meaghan had taken out a home improvement loan to do some remodeling. They would also need a ramp for Trevor to get in-and-out of the house.

As the family visited the farm for the first time, the first thing that Trevor saw was a garden plot that had pumpkins, but was overgrown with weed.  “Mom”, he exclaimed, “Look, a pumpkin patch”.  

There were many chores involved in moving, but when things settled, just before school started, Jay, Marci, and Trevor looked over the pumpkin patch.  There were about 50 good sized pumpkins growing in the patch - from seeds spread from last year’s crop.  Jay ran the lawnmower through the patch to make some walkways and used the weed-whacker to clean up some of the other weeds.  Marci helped pull weeds and Trevor pointed out weeds he wanted Marci to pull.  

After a day cleaning out the pumpkin patch, Jay asked Meaghan if they could put a sign on the fence by the patch saying “Trevor’s Pumpkin Patch”.  She thought that was an awesome idea, so the next weekend, they made a large sign that could be seen from the road saying “Trevor’s Pumpkin Patch”.  

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The family soon got involved in their new community.  Jay and Meaghan with their work, and the children with school.  At church, they had decided to stay after the service for coffee and donuts so they could meet some people.  

Hugh and Mary Westfield were an older couple in the community, and they became almost adoptive grandparents for Marci and Trevor because of meeting them at the coffee and donuts after church.  (Jay and Meaghan’s parents were in South Dakota).  

One Sunday morning, Hugh said to Jay. “I was doing some detective work for you this week.  That farm you are on was owned by a Schultz family some yards back.  And, those Schultz’s had a grandson named Charles - maybe you’ve heard of Charles Schultz?”

The name sounded vaguely family to Jay.  Hugh went on “Charles Schultz went on to be a famous cartoonist - of the Charlie Brown, Peanuts comics.”

That, of course, rang a bell for Jay - everybody knew of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Woodstock, and the characters.  

Hugh continued “That pumpkin patch you are fixing up, could have been the inspiration for Linus’ Great Pumpkin.”  

Jay knew of the “It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” Halloween special.  That evening they checked out Netflix and found the video and watched it.  It became Trevor’s favorite.  It seemed as if they watched it every day the week before Halloween.

The weather was unusually warm for Halloween in Southeast Minnesota and somehow Trevor had convinced his Dad they could camp out in the Pumpkin Patch that night.  They pitched their tent in the Pumpkin Patch and ran an extension cord to the barn so they had power.  

Halloween that year was on a Friday night.  The kids went into town with Jay and went Trick or Treating with some of their school friends.  But, Trevor didn’t want to stay too long.  He wanted to go home and sleep in the pumpkin patch.  

So, Jay and Trevor slept in a tent in the pumpkin patch.  Trevor was watching for the Great Pumpkin to come but eventually fell asleep with his dad.  

But, the next morning, Trevor woke with some strange feelings in his legs and arms.  His strength was coming back.  Over the next few weeks, Trevor got so strong that he didn’t need his wheelchair and could walk on his own and get around.  

Meaghan and Jay took Trevor to the nearby Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota and the doctors were amazed.  Trevor’s cerebral palsy was about one-third of what it had been!!

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Over the next years, the cerebral palsy didn’t go away but stayed at a low level.  Trevor was able to have a pretty normal life.  The doctors didn’t quite say it was a miracle, but Trevor and Jay thought it was - the Schultz’s pumpkin patch and the Great Pumpkin did work miracles in Trevor’s life!!!

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Ahh - a sweet Halloween story!!

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