The fish was bigger than Eric and when he dragged it up the hill, it’s head was laid over his shoulder and it’s tail was dragging in the dirt.  Everybody wanted their picture taken with that fish.  The top left photo shows Grandpa with his fish and the top right is of Ed Murdo and Grandpa with Eric and Kurt--and, of course, “The Fish!”  The bottom one shows Kurt, Joyce, Carl F. and Eric Krieser with him.  Wow!  But he was one big pike!  Grandma Krieser wasn’t with us that year so we packed him in ice and took him home to freeze--but we had a good fish fry from him when we got back.  And they had many a good fish fry from him after he was frozen.  Grandma Krieser didn’t like fish, but she was an expert at frying them for everybody else.  They should have had him skinned and stuffed.  He’d have made a good trophy!

The Fish That Didn’t Get Away

It was late in the summer of 1970 when Grandpa Krieser really caught “The Big One” in Paulding Lake.  The lake was considerably lower than the bank where we were camping, with a steep trail up to the camping level.  Someone said that Dad had caught a big one so we walked over that way, and here was little Eric hauling that big fish up the hill!  That gave rise to the jingle, “Fishy, fishy in the brook, Grandpa caught him by the hook, Eric hauled him like a man, but he was too big for the frying pan”.

More Fish Photos--Just to Prove the Story

We knew that big fish story would smell pretty fishy without the photos to prove it, so here are two more.  Carl Junior and his two sons, Kurt and Eric, show off that monster in the top picture.  Dad’s latest Oldsmobile is behind them.  The bottom one just shows our campsite.  I used the hood of our old Ford for my countertop.  You learn to make do with what you’ve got!  It looks like a box of Bisquick on it among other ingredients--probably making pancakes or such.  (Left to Right): Ed Mrudo, Eric, Joyce, Carl and Kurt Krieser.

A Few Photos From 1971 Through 1975

The left photo shows Mother Krieser in her living room with Fritzie on her lap, sort of.  He certainly knew how to make himself comfortable, didn’t he?  Poor pampered pup!  It was undated but seemed to be from this time period.  The photo on the right was from Ruth (Krieser) Kumbier.  Ruth and her husband, Leroy, were attending a special dinner, probably by his sales company.  It was dated May 1971.  The bottom photo had a caption on the back, “Christmas 1975 at Roses”.  Rose was living in Green Bay about 5 houses down from them since 1966.  Rose’s home was decorated beautifully.  The large oil painting on the wall was done by a personal friend of theirs.

There Were Two Fritzies!  Can You Tell the Difference?

We really can’t but I had put a note on the back of the photo on the left that said, “Our Fritzie” and he’s greying, so I know that this was the first Fritzie.  Mother Krieser was still living when he died.  Then Dad Krieser found the second one but he didn’t find the owner so he was more than happy to keep him.  The photo on the right was dated 1984, so we know that was the second Fritzie.  The bottom photo was undated,  but the two dogs are “singing” as they used to do.  Rose’s dog, Gordie, was a West Highland White Terrier, or Westie.  Once you got them to howling, they’d sing a long duet.  They had many a sing-fest together in the evenings.  The photo was taken in Grandpa’s house and I’m not sure which Fritzie it is.  Mother Krieser might have taken the photo.